Is that bag packed?

I've just been in a similar position with my ds and d-i-l except that they live 5 mins down the road. Her second child, (Ist is 7), but her labour started at 3am- ish, and baby was born at 5am! They only just got her on a trolley! There definitely needs to be a Plan B!! Good luck, hope all goes well.

Oh I remember doing that gracesmum, it was so exciting! I had a 4 hour drive to get there when DGC3 was on his way. True to form, the call came late evening and I needed to drive through the night.

Unfortunately, not all of my well known (and well used) 'wee stops' were open during the night and I had to do a layby and hedge stop!

Keep us up to date on how things go. You'll be able to catch up on the when your new little one arrives!

When I went into labour with baby number 2 in the middle of the night, our other daughter was just 13 months. Hubby ran up the road to the phone box to call the ambulance, whilst he was gone I woke and dressed little `un, when the ambulance arrived we were all out on the pavement waiting, and the driver said, "can`t take you mate, you`ll have to stay here." What I would have given for someone else to be there! Didn`t get to see hubby again till visiting the following evening, daughter number 2 was 16 hours old by then. That was in January 1965.

Notso - what a vision - wwll, I'm trying not to visualise it .

Almost four years ago, I had arranged to go and stay with DS2 and his partner and first son until next GC arrived. Nothing seemed to be happening until we decided to go out to lunch. We had almost reached the farm park when she said she had a bit of a stomach ache. When she described it, I was pretty sure she was in labour! So we did without lunch, rushed home for her bag, phoned DS and made tracks for the hospital - she'd had problems first time round resulting in a C-section - arriving at the same time as DS. Then I had a distraught toddler to deal with. 'I want mummy. I want daddy...I want to phone my daddy'. Traffic was awful and I wasn't familiar with the car which drove like a tank compared with my little Yaris. But when we got home and he was in his own familiar surroundings, he calmed down completely and was his usual happy self. And early in the morning he became a big brother.

I can feel the excitement growing as I read your replies! Having had c-sections, all booked in advance for our 3 girls there was no element of the unexpected (not "too posh to push", first baby boy born by emergency section because of pelvic insufficiency, but lived only 24 days) and it helped that I could book help from MIL when I went in.
Watch this space - just need to make sure I have a full tank of diesel, a fully charged mobile and my "wee" stops lined up!

Good luck gracesmum when my second GD was born we knew exactly what time she would arrive, it was an elective CS because of previous delivery difficulty. I don't know how we would have managed if we had to wait for phone call because I was thirty miles away and DH was 3 hours away in Glasgow. I had my own last baby on a Saturday morning and at home so DH didn't have to take any time off work, it was routine as normal on the Monday morning.

Good Luck Gracesmum......and yes your life will be on hold.....but hey its got to be the best cause EVER. Hope all goes well for all concerned. I was in your place last month and it went on....and....on....on..............but we got there in the end!

All the best for your family Gracesmum.
When my third GD was born my DS and his wife were just three doors away.DIL went into labour 10 weeks early at one am, and I had recently broken my foot.I hobbled up the road with my plaster on, and in my nightie having started to get ready for bed so I could stay with the other two GDs.
DS phoned a little later to say they were having to do an emergency CS.Baby girl arrived safely although very small and was in incubator for 5 weeks.
That's what we grandmas are here for.

Any news, Gracesmum? Here's hoping you won't be kept on tenterhooks for too long. Good luck to all.

Due on 11 November - but she was here yesterday just checking that I am prepared!!

Good luck Gracesmum. My DD lived in Germany when DGS was due so I booked a flight 1 week before he was due and home a week after so I could look after DGD. Luckily he arrived on time so was able to look after DGD when Mum went into hospital. We had just sat down to watch the final of the European Cup when she went into labour. She had an emergency C-section so I was glad to be there to help.

gracesmum, my daughter had me down as her birth partner along with her husband, but the call came eight weeks early! Fortunately she had injections to stop the labour and baby managed to stay put for another two weeks and I was there for the whole 29 hours it took to produce my lovely grandson. Waiting for baby does produce a lovely sense of anticipation though doesn't it?

My DIL is due on Nov.17th but was nearly 2 weeks early with my GD. So I'm being picked up on the 3rd Nov. and staying for the duration.Her Mum will come up afterwards - this is due to the fact that my DIL is having a Home Birth. I am a nurse with some Maternity experience so it was felt that if this one shot out quickly I do have some idea of what to do etc. Hopefully that won't happen. My main duties with be caring for my Granddaughter during and after the birth and usual Granny duties. I can remember when I was expecting my 2nd child I worried about whether I would love it as much as I did the first child. Of course I did. Stangely, I adore my GD so much I have that concern again - of course there is room in ones heart for loads of love but isn't that odd?

Hi gracesmum , I too am plan A and live 100 + miles away so know what you are going through. DIL is due Nov 5th and plan A is for me to arrive to look after GS whilst she is having No 2. Yes my life is on hold - I carry my mobile everywhere even when I go to allotment - drink 1 glass wine only with evening meal, have bag packed with few things and take it with me when shopping "just in case" and even keep car petrol tank full.
Am secretly revelling in the excitement and anticipation, am pleased to be asked and hope I don't let them down.

How amazing - what a coincidence!! Presumable it will take you a couple of hurs to get there? Has she got a back-up if things get exciting? My meighbour's second grandson was boen in the downstairs loo and his Daddy was grateful for his rugby ans cricket training as he literally had to catch him! Good tip to keep the petrol tank full - my one worry is the dog - DH is fine to look after her, but can't drive at present and so is unable to take her to kennels if he wants to come up and join me. Need to give that some thought. DD's in-laws are due to vost soon as it is her FIL's 70th birthday - I ber she goes into labour whule they are there and MIL has all the fun!! (Now I sound like *"notevensecondbest "*- but only joking!) Do let me know how you get on - if you have time!!

Suddenly it all seems to be getting closer. My daughter is due in the first few days in December but may be having a caesarean, so baby could be born two weeks earlier.

My daughter has been quite depressed all through this pregnancy. She put off having another child because of the birth of her first baby which she describes as torture. She has already been in hospital three times already during this pregnancy and has also found out that her pelvis is twisted so that may explain some of the problems she had last time. Luckily she has a great doctor and she did sound more positive on the phone yesterday.

I am five hours drive away and if I am not there the other grandmother is nearby and will help out with my grandson until I get there. My daughter is also lucky to have a great husband which makes life a lot easier.

It is exciting to have another grandchild about to arrive, but I do feel worried and will be glad when the birth is all over. (I need a nail chewing icon).

Sounds as if an elective C-section is the best thing for her, Faye, pelvic insufficiency is a b***r as babies have to come out somehow and no matter what the natural childbirth lobby believe a healthy baby and a healthy mum are the only things that matter. My 3 girls were all elective cs and it made life so much easier arranging for childcare and so less traumatic for numbers 2 and 3.Good luck with whichever way it happens!

gracesmum, exactly a year ago I was in your position, being Plan A to care for little GD but living 6 hrs drive away.
H and I decided to work our way north over a few days, stopping to explore places we'd seen on signposts and always meant to visit and staying in small B&Bs, so we'd have a shorter journey when the call came.
It worked well. We always paid when we booked in and said we might not be there for breakfast!
When the call did come we had just gone to bed in Durham. We raced off to Newcastle, only 30 mins away but things seemed to be moving fast up there. All fine until we got to the Tyne Tunnel, which at 1 a.m. was closed for building work! I gabbled about daughter, labour and hospital and the wonderful man in charge asked us to wait 5 mins then waved us through - all work had stopped to let us through.
We got there, D and SiL got to hospital and our dear little GS arrived. Phew!
All the best gracesmum - exciting times!

Good luck gracesmum, and in answer to your original question, yes, your life will go on hold for ages, particularly if the baby is late! I've done this three times, once for No 1 daughter and twice for No 2 daughter. DIL has her own parents closer, which worked out fine. Every time it's been a couple of hundred miles and so I've gone down a bit early just in case and been fortunate enough to be on the spot when needed. In September this year my husband was there too as he has retired, and that was a lot easier, although as it turned out my daughter got home in 6 hours (she said what swung it was sharing a loo with 5 newly-delivered women and finding that the toilet paper was hard!!) Each time the older child(ren) has/have coped well. The first time required the reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar 14 million times, but that was good for the nerves of both my grandson and me. The second time required ritual replies to ritual questions (Where's Mummy? She's gone to get the baby) over and over, but again, it can be comforting for both. I feel that September this year didn't exist, but it's worth it for another grandson. Best wishes to all of you waiting just now.

Thinking of you gracesmum not too long to go now and you will have your precious little bundle,having done this 7 time's over the past 21 yrs I can feel for you enjoy the time with your family when the time arrive'sx

Good luck gracesmum exciting time for you. You've got me thinking about some sort of plan too, my DD is due with her 2nd on 27th November but as she had a caesarian last time there is a possibility that it could happen again. At the moment a natural birth is planned but it's possible that she may be induced early, may know a bit more this week. Luckily I only live about 15 minutes drive away so not quite the same problems as you.

Will be thinking of you and your family.

Are you on edge gracesmum your time is up soon or has your little one arrived early? Don't forget to let me know if your plan A worked.
Time getting close for my DIL to give birth - she had a C section last time and is hoping,like yours LIbradi, to have a natural birth this time but..... fingers crossed for her.
Good luck to all at Gransnet waiting for precious little ones to be born.

Any news gracesmum or bana2U? My DD has just over two weeks to go but looks as if she's ready to drop any time Good luck to you both.

Thinking of you gracesmum and Libradi. After much pushing and panting our little one was born Tuesday at 2:00 am - an adorable little boy who has already won a special place in this ladies heart.

Plan A worked gracesmum - the call came at 10:00 pm on Sunday evening. I grabbed my ready packed bag and set off down the Mway. Luckily I had had a little nap that afternoon and since reading your posting have stuck to the half glass of wine with dinner "just in case" (thank you for those wise words) so was well able to deal with the drive. That journey has never seemed so far, my mind recalled every horror story about speedy second births and when I arrived at midnight I was quite relieved to see a calm DIL with bump still in place.

Yes Libradi she did manage the "natural" birth with a little help at the end. Much support from her midwife and lots of encouragement from hospital staff helped tremendously - both baby and Mum are well and am keeping my fingers crossed that your DD gets her wish.

Good luck to you both and your precious ones. Please post when they arrive.