ambulance?!!

[CharlieSienna]

Iv heard you have to pay for an ambulance if you go in to labour does andyone know if this if true im in england leicester?

[specialmom]

Bottom line is every woman should do what she needs to do.  She obviously has to get to the hospital one way or another.  Wishing all moms luck in the process of having their baby safely.  peace

[aicnov14]

Yeah I heard its a few hundred for an ambulance ride, I busted my head back in the day and had to take a ride. the e.r. is expensive in general.

[specialmom]

Well, that is when it is an emergency-- ambulance should be called for emergencies.  I know when I was affiliated with an ER, they really tried to encourage people to use ambulances for their proper purpose (emergencies) rather than a ride.  But if someone does, there is a charge for it. And yes, there is a charge when someone is having a true emergency as well.  The question was if there is a charge for it.  I'm not going to tell anyone NOT to call an ambulance if they think they need it---  I was explaining why they do charge.  And why it is proper that they do.

Now, in some big cities, hospitals have affiliation with taxi services for those that have transportation issues.  I'd investigate that if I lived in a metropolitan area.  

[super_nerdy_mommy]

It's a rather late to be calling an ambulance in hopes of getting to the hospital if your child is already crowning. Calling when you reach transition may even be too late to expect to get there. "Full labor" as you put it, or active labor is considered to be when contractions are regular and consistently growing stronger, longer, and closer together. Most physicians (and I have read reports and recommendations from multiple countries around the world, not just my physician here in the US) say that once your contractions are consistently three to five minutes apart it is time to find whatever way you can to the hospital if that is where you plan to give birth.

[miracle_mommy2014]

Oh no lol my bad....my comment was for the poster I wasn't really paying attention to other comments....

[specialmom]

I was answering the question for the poster for WHY they charge for an ambulance.  She was asking a pretty basic question that I'm sure many wonder about.  There is a reason they charge and partly so that it isn't just used for a ride as that really adds onto the cost of services.  And most people are a little bit concerned with that.  

But any mother who thinks that she is in danger of having her baby at home and has to get to the hospital should do whatever they have to do.  Safety is most important for the mom and the baby.