How far away can I be from the hospital the week before due date?

[Anonymous]

I am currently a 10 minute drive from the hospital I’m set to deliver in. Parents are coming for the birth (arriving one week before, staying a week after) and they want to stay somewhere further from the hospital than where I live (live in Manhattan, they are thinking about renting in the hamptons for instance as they want someplace more spacious than a Manhattan apartment). How long of a drive should it be at maximum from the hospital- I will be at their rental frequently before the birth since our apartment isn’t roomy enough for the whole family to socialize in. 1 hour drive? 2-3 hours?

[Anonymous]

As long as you’re going to be near any hospital in case of emergency I would think a couple hours is fine. Leave early to head back home if you think you’re in labor, a couple hour car ride in early labor would have been fine for me, but once things started progressing (still many hours before the birth) I wanted to be moving around.

[Anonymous]

Generally in life, I think I'd be comfortable with two hours.

However - if you're talking Manhattan to the Hamptons? Absolutely not. Even during Covid, traffic is unpredictable. That trip is generally 2-3 hours, but occasionally, it can take 5. If you want a beach, consider Fire Island or something.

[Anonymous]

No more than 45 minutes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Generally in life, I think I'd be comfortable with two hours.

However - if you're talking Manhattan to the Hamptons? Absolutely not. Even during Covid, traffic is unpredictable. That trip is generally 2-3 hours, but occasionally, it can take 5. If you want a beach, consider Fire Island or something.

+1 I've spent many hours on the various highways in Long Island and would absolutely not want to be sitting in that traffic while in labor. Your parents should find someplace else to stay. Long Island City or Jersey City maybe? You should absolutely not have to worry about driving into Manhattan from the Hamptons while in labor so they can have a vacation.

[Anonymous]

So I would normally say 2 hours. That's what my friends told me. But I had a ridiculously quick labor and ended up delivering at a completely different hospital that didn't have an L&D ward and had to get transported to a different hospital. Not a big deal and the ED staff was amazing. But I have a fairly easy going and adaptable personality. My sister likes to have control and she would have been a mess

[Anonymous]

My first child arrived more than a week early and I went into precipitous labor. We rushed to the hospital (10 minutes away) and baby was born 30 mins later.

[Anonymous]

I'm having flashes to the West Wing episode where Leo says that his daughter Mallory was "very nearly born at Exit 32 on the Long Island Expressway."

You don't want that.

[Anonymous]

If they are coming one week before your due date, how much do you really think you’ll be going? Just for a few hours a day, overnights? Hardly seems worth it.

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids were born at 38 weeks, 2 days, so I would say don't go any further than you are willing to ride in a car while in labor.

[Anonymous]

Hamptons to Manhattan, really? You know better than that. At which hospital are you delivering?

[Anonymous]

I have a dumb friend who drove to Richmond from CT for a dental school interview at like 36 weeks. Guess who was on 95 when she went into labor and ended up having the baby in VA? Fortunately, she made it to a hospital in time.

And then guess who had to live with us for a week before they were all able to drive back to CT?

Don't do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they are coming one week before your due date, how much do you really think you’ll be going? Just for a few hours a day, overnights? Hardly seems worth it.

Op here. They prefer that I go stay with them that week before and have a little family reunion. So maybe 4-5 overnights.

Will be delivering in a hospital in downtown Manhattan. What neighborhoods within 1 hour or so should I look at if they want an actual house (not an apartment)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are coming one week before your due date, how much do you really think you’ll be going? Just for a few hours a day, overnights? Hardly seems worth it.

Op here. They prefer that I go stay with them that week before and have a little family reunion. So maybe 4-5 overnights.

Will be delivering in a hospital in downtown Manhattan. What neighborhoods within 1 hour or so should I look at if they want an actual house (not an apartment)?

What do you prefer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are coming one week before your due date, how much do you really think you’ll be going? Just for a few hours a day, overnights? Hardly seems worth it.

Op here. They prefer that I go stay with them that week before and have a little family reunion. So maybe 4-5 overnights.

Will be delivering in a hospital in downtown Manhattan. What neighborhoods within 1 hour or so should I look at if they want an actual house (not an apartment)?

What do you prefer?

I'm not familiar with neighborhoods outside Manhattan to be honest so could use any suggestions. Haven't been here that long. Another poster suggested Jersey City which I am looking at now.