When one of our friends was pregnant, the couple rented an apartment near a hospital. The reason is to avoid the rush when the pregnant wife will be giving birth without advanced notice. Another couple that we know bought a car just for that purpose. I think they have good reasons to prepare for the birth because it is often a problem when the pregnant wife starts to sense the coming of the baby. And it’s always an emergency trip to the hospital.
This happens in cases of multipara that is if that is not the first pregnancy or if the baby is small. For primigravida (first time mother-to-be) this is rarely the case. For multipara, this is frequently the story and it is not new to hear that they end up delivering on the road or elsewhere before reaching the hospital. In such cases, yes, it is a very good idea to be prepared.
Cases of emergency deliveries are lesser in cities where couples are aware and equipped to deal with. However, in the remote areas this is a very common thing that happens. There're emergency delivery ambulance services are there. As and when delivery date advances, one should keep the number handy to avoid any kind of inconvenience.
We were not really that prepared for any emergency when I was pregnant but good thing everything went well but nonetheless it is very important to be prepared for anything especially for the babies safety. All we were able to do is have a taxi guys phone number and call him incase of anything to pick me up. It wasn't too sure as the taxi driver could be busy at the time that we call him but either way he was the one that took me to the hospital that day.