Stressing about hospital parking

MikeL93

I have posted on here previously that my partner is pregnant with our first child, everything has gone to plan so far and we are now about 6 weeks away from due date.

I am naturally a worrier, and one of the biggest things I’m worrying about is parking at the hospital. The hospital my partner is giving birth at is notoriously bad for parking, Wigan hospital, if anyone has ever been. I have terrible thoughts of trying to get my partner to hospital and there being nowhere to drop her off or even park. A few years ago I had to rush to Wigan hospital to visit an ill family member and there was nowhere at the hospital to park so I had to essentially leave my car on a side street and pay for parking but I still got a fine as I parked on a residents only street.

My girlfriend being in labour will be my number one concern and I don’t want to be stressing driving round trying to find somewhere to park or worrying I’ll get a parking fine. So does anyone have any tips or advice for me? And no we’ve discussed it and we’re not relying on someone else dropping us off at the hospital. 

elsien

Get a lift or taxi, or drop her off (because there are always dropping off points), then go to park.
Really not sure what other answers you are looking for - We can’t magic up parking spaces if there aren’t any? 

You could possibly suss out acceptable  places to park outside the hospital. Example, my local Hospital has a nearby pub which is pay and display and it’s only a few minutes walk away. Something like that could work if you could drop your girlfriend off and then because you could be back with her within 10 minutes.

Flugelhorn

have  you asked them in the maternity department ? they must be used to couples arriving with one of them in labour and the other fretting about where to park the car - they may have solutions for this. 

agree you can hardly just drop her off and then hunt for a place - though TBH depends how far on in labour she is, you could have quite a time to go 

when one of ours was born the car was left on a double yellow line - we had a hospital staff permit though and didn't get a ticket (was early morning and probably just lucky ) - I think the other time it was parked in a specific area for stressed fathers. 

MikeL93

Flugelhorn said:

have  you asked them in the maternity department ? they must be used to couples arriving with one of them in labour and the other fretting about where to park the car - they may have solutions for this. 

agree you can hardly just drop her off and then hunt for a place - though TBH depends how far on in labour she is, you could have quite a time to go 

when one of ours was born the car was left on a double yellow line - we had a hospital staff permit though and didn't get a ticket (was early morning and probably just lucky ) - I think the other time it was parked in a specific area for stressed fathers. 

We spoke to our midwife and she basically just said have a note in the car ready with my phone number on it saying my girlfriend is in labour and ring me if I’m blocking the way. She admitted that parking at Wigan hospital is awful. 

Loanranger21

Uber. Uber is easy. 

sheramber

Safer in a taxi than you beong a stressed driver.

BabyCubs1

Hiya, congratulations on the soon to be first born.  
My local hospital is rubbish for parking too! Took me an hour to park last week in peak time. Our hospital has a 20 min parking drop off outside the maternity bit but it's always full as no other places to park. Luckily we have access to a company's car park across the road which is mostly used for hospital visits. 
I think you are stressing unnecessarily, and would do better with a bit of reassurance. Most 1st baby's take hours to appear, and unless you time it perfect you won't be taken straight into delivery. 
I'd advise you to scout out the local streets to see if you can find one that you won't get fined in for a just in case. 
The midwife suggesting the sign is a bit silly as, you could be waiting ages for baby to appear the suddenly get a call, it's better to get it sorted straight away so you won't be thinking about it the whole time. 
Good luck  

Own_Worst_Enermy

Check out your nearest supermarket car park to the hospital. Very nervous driver here with friend at deaths door at Colchester making me drive over past few weeks whom has kidney problems and gangrene but getting better each day has had me drive to Asda Colchester regularly (sadly not my nearest hospital) but it allows 3 hours free parking and you only have to buy something small if that if feeling really guilty.

Like I say not my nearest hospital in any such way and tonight on entering the ward there were posters up about what to do about much regular parking.

It’s way better than getting stuck in Colchester’s park n ride for example operated by a security firm after 19:30 on a 2 hour release wait basis if you should be so unlucky after those gates close. My friend takes me to all the best places and provides so many steps in any one given moment!

Keep_pedalling

elsien said:

Get a lift or taxi, or drop her off (because there are always dropping off points), then go to park.
Really not sure what other answers you are looking for - We can’t magic up parking spaces if there aren’t any? 

You could possibly suss out acceptable  places to park outside the hospital. Example, my local Hospital has a nearby pub which is pay and display and it’s only a few minutes walk away. Something like that could work if you could drop your girlfriend off and then because you could be back with her within 10 minutes.

Apparently there are no drop off points at this hospital. 

https://www.accessable.co.uk/wrightington-wigan-and-leigh-nhs-foundation-trust/royal-albert-edward-infirmary/access-guides/maternity-ward

You are going to be with your partner for several hours, as suggested get a taxi or a lift from a friend. Afterwards you will be exhausted and high, probably best not to drive home in that state. 

p00hsticks

MikeL93 said:

And no we’ve discussed it and we’re not relying on someone else dropping us off at the hospital. 

I think in the light of the responses here it might be worth having this discussion again. 

As others have said you'll have no idea of how long the whole thing is going to take - it could be many hours - and you really don't want to be stressing for the whole duration about if the car is alright, do you need to move it, will you have a parking ticket etc ....   lift or taxi sounds like the least worrisome option to me. 

elsien

Keep_pedalling said:

elsien said:

Get a lift or taxi, or drop her off (because there are always dropping off points), then go to park.
Really not sure what other answers you are looking for - We can’t magic up parking spaces if there aren’t any? 

You could possibly suss out acceptable  places to park outside the hospital. Example, my local Hospital has a nearby pub which is pay and display and it’s only a few minutes walk away. Something like that could work if you could drop your girlfriend off and then because you could be back with her within 10 minutes.

Apparently there are no drop off points at this hospital. 

https://www.accessable.co.uk/wrightington-wigan-and-leigh-nhs-foundation-trust/royal-albert-edward-infirmary/access-guides/maternity-ward

You are going to be with your partner for several hours, as suggested get a taxi or a lift from a friend. Afterwards you will be exhausted and high, probably best not to drive home in that state. 

That is quite poor, especially for people with health needs/mobility issues that don't qualify for a blue badge.