Getting to C&W when I go into labour Post Reply

[rrscorpion]

Hi everyone

I am nearly 30 weeks pregnant and I am trying to plan for when I go into labour... We don't have a car (we stay at just St. John Hill Road 5 minutes from Clapham Junction)... the midwife advised us not to hire a car because parking is a nightmare...
I read some cab companies would refuse you if you went into labour... Apparently black cabs have insurance to cover soilage... I am wondering if Uber drivers would take someone in labour?

Any suggestions? What would you suggest?

[breakfastattiffanys]

When we had our first at C&W parking was easy.
Basically you parked in the hospital car park and they gave you a voucher so it only cost you £5 ...mind you that was a few years ago so things may have changed since.
At the time they even allowed you to park at the front in the emergency area so husband could take wife up and then go and park the car.

Our main concern at the time was hoping baby didn't arrive when Chelsea were playing at home as car park filled up!

[popmama]

I had mine at the C&W, a few years ago and we decided not to drive....i was worried about parking just in case there was no space in the car park. So my husband contacted a few taxi companies a few weeks before my due date and asked if they would take a women in labour. He kept the contact for a couple that would and phoned on the day.

No problem!

[Tilly&Roo]

There is an app for black cabs, halo I think it's called, so you don't have to physically flag one down. More expensive than uber but won't cost a lot to get to C&W.

[Lydia84]

I used Hailo app and my husband called the driver to check he was happy to take a labouring lady and he was! Apparently it can bring them luck

[rrscorpion]

Thanks everyone- just downloaded Hailo...
Glad to know a few others used cab, i am not the only one

[LKNorthcote]

Hi there,

I used a Halo cab (black cab) 2 years ago to get to C and W and he was fine about it. He was very attentive; slowed down for speed bumps and kept checking I was okay then offered to take me up to the labour ward when we arrived. I was on my own as hubby has to stay with our eldest at home.

Good luck!

X

[BabyL]

I got to C&W with a Uber Even though we didn't have a worried look on our faces (I was 35 weeks so we were not sure whether that was actual labour, only lost my waters... Yes I thought maybe it's just nothing..) Still took a cab in the middle of the nigh to the Hospital, me with my big pregnant belly, partner with overnight bag, so I would assume the taxi driver guessed what was happening and he didn't say anything. Or maybe just 'Good luck'. I don't think a taxi driver would refuse you, especially for this occasion ! As for waters breaking, take a towel with you so if it actually happens in the cab, you can act on it quickly. All the best x

[RHOB]

I'd download Hailo which you have and Uber as well and then have a few local taxi company's on speed dial too. Any taxi can refuse you but most are kind and very sympathetic to a woman in labour.
I went into labor at 8am on a tube strike day and could not get a taxi no matter what we offered. My husband landed up running into the street and standing in front of a cab begging him to take me even though he was en route to another pick up. The guy did and we made it...and now we laugh about that funny morning!

[Swmama1979]

Just take a towel with you to sit on, it's not buckets of fluid out of you. Wear a pad and sit on a towel and you'll be fine. Most taxi's will take you. No problem.

[Silvertop]

Get the C3 bus from Clapham junction... I did that for both my deliveries, first one after waters broke and the second for a planned C. It doesn't take long, it's quite calming if not in rush hour, and the reality is that the first time you go in, it's rarely in a rush. That said - uber is definitely the way to go if it is a rush!!
Good luck.

[RebeccaK]

I used Putney Cars. The driver was very nice - he seemed quite pleased to be helping out with the birth!

[haggis68]

We used a mini cab for our first no problem - I think it was 5000 cars. Second time around my husband drove our car but we didn't make it to the hospital and my daughter was born just off the Fulham Road .... I'd recommend a taxi

[MoMhamai]

Cabs Not always reliable... Like you we didn't have a car so we decided to go via taxi to Chel.West. My husband had rung the cab company weeks before to ensure they had no issue taking a woman in labour. They assured us there would be no issue. We had been using this cab company for years. On the night in question when I went into labour the cab was a no show - my husband rang the cab company repeatedly to find out where the car was and they kept saying he is on his way . Eventually they admitted that the driver they dispatched didn't want to take me and they couldn't find another driver who would take me. My husband then rang Tonsley Cabs and explained the situation and they had a car with us within 5 mins and the driver was so nice and got us to Chel West from Wandsworth Town in 9 mins. So a happy ending but pretty stressful at the time.