to ban DH from travelling when I'm more than 36 (well, 35.5) weeks pregnant?

[WockComble]

DH travels loads for work (in the past month he's been in the US, China and Holland) but I'm worried he'll be travelling when I give birth to DC2, due 8 Dec. So I've banned him from travelling anywhere, London included (we live in Scotland), from mid November. He's pretty much OK about this (despite having to miss a conference in late November), but I just want to make sure I'm not being unreasonable.
My pregnancy has been 100% straightforward (as was my last one) so there's no reason to believe that the baby will come early, but I just don't want to risk it, and I understand that second babies can arrive very quickly, so even if he only took 4 hours to get back from London, by then there could be another addition to the family.
And of course there's our 2yo DS to think of - my mum is lined up to look after him, but worst case scenario if my husband was away and I went into labour, my mum would have to look after DS and I would be giving birth on my lonesome.
Thoughts please?

issi just warn your DH that he should expect some VERY creative and largely blasphemous swearing.

Your DH sounds reasonable and up for it, it doesn't sound like he's objecting to a 'ban' rather agreeing with an idea (even if it is an actual ban).

For fairness and life I'd say it would be more reasonable to limit his travel to within 2 hours of you (by plane, train, etc) but if he's happy to simply stay put for what could be 5 weeks, then I don't see that as a bad thing.

I would have liked my DH to stay at home from 35 weeks but his work would only agree to ground him once I was 38 weeks.

As it was his last trip ended when I was 37 weeks and DD was 3 days late.

He was back travelling when she was 6 weeks and that was only because of when Christmas fell.

YANBU but you are also lucky his work will agree to it.

Good luck.

My DP missed the birth of our son because I let him go to work in London at 38 weeks and 5 days of pregnancy. It was a home birth and I laboured at home on my own. The midwife arrived six minutes before his birth (which was alright actually). He was born just 2 hours after I had properly decided I was in labour. Luckily my elder daughter was on a routine visit to her dad's but I know I woke the neighbours and they were worried. Don't let him go!

I think that's fair enough. Dh stopped overseas trips when I was about 36 weeks with dd3.

Babies can arrive early for no apparent reason. Both DDs were late, I was sure DC3 would be late as well and my pregnancy was completely normal. DS arrived 4 weeks early, just 16 hours after I'd finished at work. We were then in hospital for 9 days because of slow start to feeding, dodgy breathing, dodgy poo, weight loss and jaundice. I had to phone friends in the middle of the night to look after the girls (Mum is a flight away).

If your OH and his work are OK with him not travelling for a month then there is no problem surely.

Not unreasonable, my sister's dh almost missed the birth due to being on a plane, she went into labour at 34 weeks.

DH isn't travelling anymore (I'm now 37 weeks). We learnt our lesson from last time when my waters went at 39 weeks causing a mad dash home from Italy. It was quite lucky that my waters went as the actual labour was less than 6 hours and there's no way he could of gotten back.

Yanbu but I'm jealous! DH will be travelling up to the 12th of November and I'm due on the 17th. It's a really important meeting for his career so I put my foot down and told him to go (he would have stayed otherwise and it would have put him at a real disadvantage at work). If ds comes early then dd will be with my SIL and ill have to go it alone.

I would tell him to go to the conference. You will only be 36 weeks pregnant think it's a bit OTT for him not to go to the conference. But then I am quite relaxed about these things and go with the flow a lot of the time. As long as my husband was home by my due date, then that's ok. Then again my DS was 2 weeks late so perhaps I am more blase.

I just think it's a bit precious to make him miss an important conference. I would be going to the conference if it was me and I was 39 weeks pregnant. But again, that's just me.

If it was an important conference I'd let him go and just get on with labour alone if need be or with female friend or relative, I wouldn't have asked him to stop trips until 2 weeks before due anyway but then I was 2 weeks late.
Having men at the birth can be over-rated.

YANBU. In my first pregnancy DH was abroad for two weeks up to 35 weeks. DD came at 36 weeks. We both agreed it was too close for comfort so it will not be repeated.

Thanks everyone. I think reading the posts make me realise how gutted I'd be if DH missed the birth - and I know he'd be gutted too. I think the stress alone of him being away that close to my due date might be enough to bring on labour (!) so I'm pleased I've put my foot down. Too big a risk for me too take.