As anyone who’s ever given birth in a hospital will know, there’s no journey you’ll run, and re-run in your head in the weeks leading up to your due date. From how long it should take (at literally any time of the day, in any circumstances), to where to park, to whether an Uber is a better option (I decided against that one as I was obsessed with the possibility that my waters would break all over the back seat, wrecking my hard-won Uber rating), it’s potentially the most planned out car ride of your life. And that’s before you consider when you should go in - what if your waters break but then nothing happens? Or if you get an hour of full-on contractions and then everything stops? Have you left it too late if you literally can’t sit down in the car?
Imagine all of those things spinning round your head in repeat for six weeks, and then add in a new question: 'what if we can’t get enough petrol to actually get to the hospital?’ This is becoming an increasing concern for women approaching their due date around the country, as the fuel crisis deepens. By Sunday it was reported that up to 90% of independent petrol stations were now dry, with reports of queues outside petrol stations and gridlocked roads as desperate drivers tried to fill up their cars. Although the fuel industry appears confident that petrol supplies will normalise in the next couple of days, if you’re waiting to give birth, a couple of days can see, like a very long time.
This is exactly the situation Anna was facing this weekend. 40-weeks pregnant with her second child, she is due to give birth any day now at a hospital near her home in North London. 'I don't think I realised initially that it would be a problem. I just heard about panic buying and thought it was overblown by the media but there wasn't a real shortage and the panic buying wouldn't have quite as much of an effect. Then I started seeing posts on social media about queues and petrol stations running out of petrol and realised that maybe this would be an issue. We initially thought, well, if we don't go anywhere we should have enough to get to the local hospital and back at least so we just won't drive anywhere else over the next few days until this all blows over.
'Then we heard rumours of emergency vehicles not being able to get fuel and I remembered that the midwife had warned me that I have to call when in labour as my chosen local hospital may well be too busy and they have been sending people to a further hospital. If we then had to drive into central London, we realised that actually, we might not have enough for that. So suddenly all these "what if" scenarios started popping up and we couldn't decide whether it was better to just make sure we kept what we had and probably be ok or go looking for more to ensure we had enough but risk ending up in a worse situation if we couldn't find any.'
After Anna’s husband spent Saturday walking around the local area unable to find a petrol station that was open, the pair received a tip off from a local parenting WhatsApp group about a petrol station slightly further afield that was still open. They decided to risk queuing up and were able to fill up the tank. But for Anna, the uncertainty has added to the stress of what’s already a tricky time. 'I'm not one to panic in general. I'm generally an optimistic person but I did start to panic about all these scenarios. What if we couldn't make it? What if I needed an ambulance and they can't get here? Also, what if the maternity staff can't get to the maternity unit and they're already short staffed as it is? What if family can't get to us to help out with our daughter?'
Anna had friends nearby who were able to offer help - a friend with spare petrol, and a friend nearby who offered to look after her daughter in an emergency, which allayed some of her fears. It's definitely worth having back-up plans in place for as many potential pitfalls as possible - is there a neighbour you could get a lift from, or a nearby friend who could lend you their car? Having those arrangements in place just in case, rather than waiting till it's an absolute emergency will help you feel more in control of the situation.
But if the worst happens with no obvious way of getting a lift or taxi to hospital, what do you do? Independent midwife (and mum of 5) Midwife Marley emphasises that you shouldn't panic! 'Firstly, don't panic! Many petrol stations have fuel available in the mornings and evenings so it's worthwhile trying then if you can. If there is no way of getting fuel, see if you can call on family/friends to help by either getting a jerry can or by offering you a lift to hospital/birth centre. There are always taxis to call on if all else fails.'
A spokesperson from NHS England has confirmed that there are no issues with the fuel supply for ambulances, and stresses that people should still call an ambulance if they need one. The London Ambulance Service offers some advice on whenan ambulance needs to be called during labour - stressing that this would only be in an emergency, i.e. if you were bleeding heavily or you felt like you were about to give birth imminently.
The NHS also offers advice on getting to and from hospital, including information on their Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service. Each trust will have different policies about who will be eligible for this, and their own policies for transporting women in labour to hospital, so if you're concerned it's important you speak to your midwife, who will be able to explain the options available to you.
And if you’re in labour? The NHS recommends that pregnant women whose waters have broken go into hospital to be checked out, but otherwise to wait until your contractions are regular (five minutes apart), strong, and last at least 60 seconds, but that you should call your maternity ward or birthing centre before coming in. However they also caution that if you don’t live particularly near to your hospital, you may need to come in before this point, so if you're in labour, but don't have access to a car, taxi or a lift, make sure you call your maternity ward or birthing centre with plenty of time to spare. Midwife Marley adds: 'The midwife will ask a number of questions such as how close, long and intense the contractions are, if your waters have broken and how you are coping with it all. This give midwives an idea of whether or not to suggest you come in for assessment. Midwives can't accurately diagnose established labour over the phone, or tell you how close you are to giving birth.'
Many women's fear around getting to the hospital is based around the worry that they will give birth suddenly, while still at home, in the car or outside. But how common are those fabled 20-minute labours we read about? 'It happens sometimes,' Marley admits. 'It's more common in those who have already had children. But labour is likely longer than 20 minutes, it's just the contractions and cervical changes can't be felt or the woman is too distracted by other events like kids or work, to notice.'
'If you have no assistance with you and haven't planned a homebirth, nor able to get a lift into hospital, the time to call an ambulance would be if you start feeling an urge to push or bear down,' Marley adds. 'This likely means that you are fully dilated and the baby is starting to descend down the birth canal. Leaving home in a taxi at this stage could possibly result in a baby being born in the car. The best bet would be for the paramedics to assist you until a midwife arrives.'
It’s important to remember that most fuel companies are predicting that the petrol crisis will come to an end within a couple of days. A joint statement released from the UK fuel industry, including BP, Esso and Shell said, 'As many cars are now holding more fuel than usual, we expect that demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, easing pressures on fuel station forecourts.’ So if you’re still stuck without petrol and are worried that you’re due to go into labour, it’s likely that petrol stations will return to normal before you need it.
You can follow Midwife Marley on Instagram @midwifemarley.