Jess1

As far as I know dad's have never had their fares paid to Aberdeen (unless in exceptional circumstances eg. intrauterine death). Check with your midwife if he can still get a hospital visitors fare which is much cheaper than a full standard open fare, but return date can be changed as needed without additional cost, which is really helpful as you often don't know how long you'll be away for. Also there have been a few people I know who've gone on the boat, so your partner just has to pay foot passenger fare then gets to sleep in your exclusive use cabin. I can't quite remember, but I think there was something in the paper last year about the escalating costs of SHB travel budget so I wouldn't think you'd have much luck with paid escort?

I am sure there is at least one shop that charges a fee for credit cards regardless of the amount but cannot remember which one. Is it maybe da checkoot in scalloway? Im sure I got charged dere a couple o months, had spent atween £10 and £20 - and dey widna let me get any cash back eider!! On da excellent service point - a big thumb up for da wife in frank williamsons,very helpful, no pushy but lots o good suggestions an patience!

Nothin wrang wi a few tears

Accomodation in aberdeen seems a bit easier to come by at the mo -a lot of the B&Bs have been busy with contractors workin at union square and are having a bit of a quiet spell now.

In my experience I don't think there are many people who do take older children to aberdeen when they go to have a baby. Those that do usually take a granny or friend, or have relatives in aberdeen on hand to be on-standby to babysit when the time comes. Obviously not everyone is in that fortunate position and may have to take their children with them with no definate plans. I'm not sure what happens in that situation - I would think AMH would contact social services to arrange for someone to keep them? The AMH staff there are flat out looking after labouring/postnatal mums and babies, and certainly couldn't be relied on to be able to babysit. I'd ask your midwife and they'd be able to find out what happens.

The Island Accomodation IS a godsend if you're a dad, who ends up with your partner on an air ambulance unexpectedly heading to aberdeen at 2 in the morning ! It's far from that if you're the poor mam who maybe has to stay there for weeks, or even months on end, waiting for your baby to arrive, or sitting at the side of an incubator in the neonatal unit . These mums are in Aberdeen because their pregnancies or babies are complicated in some way - sometimes nothing too serious, sometimes life-threateningly. All are away from home at a time when they are so vulnerable and needing all the support, looking after and general TLC they can get! It is beyond me, how, with all the current emphasis on hygiene and handwashing in hospitals, they are allowed to get away with having no sinks in the toilets - you have to go back to your room, or in to the kitchen to wash your hands. And as has been said - anyone ever heard of soap???? The people staying here are going to labour ward, postnatal wards, and to visit very ill babies in intensive care! Health and Safety??? I've also stayed in parents accomodation at the sick children's in both edinburgh and aberdeen, and the standards are incomparable . Both these facilities are like a home from home - clean, private (no parading past offices to get to a shower?!), and homely. How can there be such a huge difference when the sick children's parent's accomodation and the AMH island accomodation, are all part of NHS Grampian ?

Yes, you can take bairns to the island accomodation - but as it says above, it's pretty grim - Stained carpets I certainly wouldn't set a toddler on; no sinks in the toilets; bathrooms shared between 10 rooms that aren't cleaned from friday to monday; generally shabby, dirty and smelly ("smoking sittingroom" was still unusable 3 years after the smoking ban when I was there). It is free, but you can't book in advance. You just get a room when you turn up if there's one available, and for all they are so disgusting, there are plenty of people who use them, so sometimes you have to wait days for a room. Obviously, AMH is responsible for you and would just keep you on a ward if there was no room available for you, but they aren't responsible for finding accomodation for your partner/bairns. I'd say it was a bit risky going to aberdeen without any definate accomodation, as during the week it can be nearly impossible to find something at short notice. Red Cross is much nicer, but not free. And obviously it's not so handy with the hospital.