Google thinks I'm a slow driver.
MapQuest also underestimates me.
They are both wrong,
And I have proof.
Even though we live fairly close to the hospital (4 km or 2.5 miles), I thought it would be interesting to see what the recommended fastest route to the hospital would be. The route was just what I expected, but I was surprised at the time estimates from the various programs:
ESTIMATES
Google: 10 minutes
MapQuest: 8 minutes
I figured that I could easily beat either of these estimates, since the Civic Hospital is pretty much a straight shot from here with only a few lights. I understand that normally there are several hours of early labour to give you plenty of warning, but my mind seems to latch onto those few stories you hear about a last-minute dash (ie: cab driver breaking the sound barrier with a police escort while the local paperboy helps the husband deliver twins in the back seat, etc). I couldn't stop wondering how quickly we could make the trip. So, last night we did a time trial.
We started in our parking spot with the car running, so this doesn't include any walking to or from the car. I figured that Google and MapQuest don't count the distance to the maternity ward either.
RESULTS
To Hospital: 6 minutes, 30 seconds
From Hospital: 6 minutes, 50 seconds
Not only did we destroy their estimates by as much as 35 percent, we did it without breaking any traffic laws in our stock Honda Civic sedan (no nitros). In fact, nearly the whole way there I was stuck behind a green Pontiac Grand Am that was out for a pleasure cruise. We also only managed to hit 2 green lights out of 6.
That was at about 7:30pm on a Tuesday, when traffic is pretty average. Imagine the possibilities if I hit all green lights early on a Saturday morning...
6 comments:
You are leaving nothing to chance it seems. Good for you.
We did one mad dash across Calgary when C was about to be born. We had to come from Marlborough Park on the far east side of town to Foothills Hospital on the far west side of town and had to do it coming most of the way on 16th Ave. I am not sure how long it took us, but it seemed like forever. Cameron was born 45 minutes after we arrived, so, hey, we almost had time to stop at Peter's for a burger and shake on the way!
Fantastic preparation. I decided that affordability was the name of the game and we took the bus to the hospital. It was quite relaxing for me as I brought a book to read. As I recall Jamie seemed out of sorts. - JW
Don't worry D, looks like you arn't having twins. All that super extreme stuff always happens with multiple births...
When daughter Cathy was born Ralph was to manager's training in Provo, we lived in Price. I was with a sister-in-law in a drugstore teaching Maxine how to drink with a straw. She also had a child in tow so we had our buggies to see us through. We had walked there! I started having pains, she wanted to call a cab, I said no, and tried to call Ralph's mother to come and get me, no answer. So we proceeded to WALK pushing our buggies to her home several blocks hoping she was just out in the yard and could take me to the hospital. I stopped to pause, gripping the buggy handle every so often to ease a contraction. We made it to her place, and she INSISTED we call Ralph, I just wanted to go home, grab my suitcase and DASH! I finally got Mother Walters to realize I needed to GET TO THE HOSPITAL QUICK! Cathy was born 1/2 hour later, so I did not have to while my time away at all!! Ralph made it there from Provo later. Oh well, the "older stock" seemed to have a lot of what it takes to deliver. Good luck, Rachelle!!
You are SET! I'm impressed this happen WITH obeying the traffic laws. Nice work. (P.S. Love Happiest Baby on the Block! Came in handy those first few weeks for sure)
Here's a lesson you could learn from a couple here just a few weeks ago. If you are coming in after hours and the doors to the labor & delivery part of the hospital are closed, know where the call button is to have them open the door for you! It was their fourth child and video looked at later shows him pounding on the door but not hitting the call button. He was frantic and embarrased later that he was leaving amniotic fluid, etc. on the glass since her water had broken. He got back in the car and drove around to the emergency entrance. By then the baby was already there! Do you have an emergency kit in the car? Abbreviated instructions for emergency delivery, sterilized shoe lace to tie off the cord, sterilized knife in case cord is wrapped in a way that it has to be cut, sterilized tweezers or something else with a sharp enough point to break the amniotic sac if necessary, sterilized nasal aspirator with long enough stem for nose or mouth suction, a large sip lock bag to put the placenta in, blanket for the baby and something like a blue hospital absorbent chuc pad to put under mom, or a folded, unopened newspaper. If unopened I understand it will remain sterile from the heat of the presses and can be used under mom or to wrap the baby in (under regular blanket). The homeless can attest to newspapers ability to keep one warm. Oh, blanket for mom too! Did I miss anything? Correct me if I got anything wrong. Hope you have a wonderful hospital experience and won't need anything like this, but it can be part of your contingency plans. Dan is a very accomplished "shusher" and it works great with Halle. That's one I would never have thought of but have found it very effective.
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