Home births and transfers?

[lil' mole]

Thinking well in advance here, I'm ttc at the mo lol. I would love a home birth (home water birth if I can presuade dh that I won't flood the house!). I am put off, however, simply because if I needed to transfer to hospital it would be my work mates who would take me. Some of them I would be perfectly happy with but some I would hate to see me vulnerable and in labour and obvs u can't pick your ambulance crew! So my question, if I planned a home birth and had to transfer to hospital would it have to be in an ambulance or could dh drive me in?
I guess to some extent it would depend why I was being transferred and in a proper genuine emergency I wouldn't care who turned up! But for things like meconium in waters, not progressing, wanting more pain relief...
How many of you who wanted home births ended up transferring in labour? Did you have to go in an ambulance?
Thank you in advance for your help

 

[pimento1979]

Yes, I went in an ambulance. There weren't blue lights, and it wasn't an emergency.

 

[Mervs Mum]

If you make the decision to transfer in with mws then it will be an ambulance. They can't risk you all hoping in the car and you giving birth on the way. If you decide to transfer in BEFORE you ask Mws to join you then you just make your way in

 

[ljo1984]

I went via ambulance. The delivery suite is actually 2 floors down from the ward I work on and my oh was 2 mins behind me and was in the life with one of my collegues. I was dreading seeing anyone at the time but if it had happened it'd been quickly forgotten about so don't worry bout it too much. Especially as you may never have to transfer. X

 

[lil' mole]

Thank you for your replies. I guess it's something I will have to think long and hard about. If there is no getting round the ambulance for a transfer, I think I may be more comfortable planning to be in hospital than worrying I may need to go in later.
I have no fear of ambulances or anything and I would be perfectly happy if I lived in another area, but my problem is I'm a paramedic at the local ambulance station so I know all the crews.
Just strikes me that when they transfer under normal road conditions you may as well be in a car, gas and air would be about the only benefit I could see in being in an ambulance! (I know the limits of the equipment and training!)
But thank you for your replies, I will do something and ask some questions if/when my time comes

 

[Mervs Mum]

It would be a huge shame to change your plans for something that's unlikely to happen if you have a lovely straightforward birth or even if you end up having the kinds of interventions in hospital that are much less likely at home, would you then forever wonder...what if?

 

[ljo1984]

If you are really wanting a hb I personally wouldn't change my plans for the small chance of a transfer, your more likely for it to go straight forward at home than need to transfer in. X