To go on holiday to Brittany when 37 weeks pregnant

[catherinemm]

So, we haven't had a holiday in a while and couldn't plan one for earlier on in the pregancy as though we'd be moving. Move now off and am desperate to get away before the baby comes and before my husband's work will make holidays almost impossible, which is likely from October onwards. We are also a bit on the skint side and have possibility of pretty much free holiday a gorgeous town in Brittany in early august. Only thing is I will be 37 weeks pregnant (I'm 28 weeks now) and in to the 38th week on way home. We'd get there via eurostar and train which has no restrictions on pregnant travel (we'd go that way whatever as live in central london). I wasn't that concerned about how late it was in the pregnancy until I did some googling - most messages on forums seem very against it! I guess I'm looking for sine reassurance that I'm not mad though will take heed if I don't find any. The reasons I think it's ok is: I'm having a very easy pregnancy (still cycling to work etc) it's my 2nd and my son was 17 days late and there's a lot of overdue babies in my family. I also felt very good til about 41 weeks last time and I think it was being overdue rather than heavily pregnant.

I think you need to think that the worst case (very unlikely) scenario is that you would give birth in France and either the baby or you would be ill and needing ongoing care, unable to travel and only able to travel home with medical assistance.

A friend came for a weekend break in the country I live in, both the country I live in and her country are EU countries. Her baby came down with rs virus and he was in hospital for 3 months. He was very very ill and only able to travel home with a nurse and oxygen, friend's dp had to fly out and they both had to stay nearer the hospital as he had to go to a specialist hospital.

All that was covered by the travel insurence and it is very very unlikely that something terrible would happen, but it would possibly be 100x worse if you were in another country.

Having said that, I think I would still go as it is a tiny risk.

I had a friend who travelled at 34 weeks the very worst thing you can possibly imagine happened her son stopped moving, she visited a French hospital and in very broken English was told 'your baby is dead' and then 'you are not covered for anything more here you must return to the UK'.
They too had travelled on the Eurostar and had to return home with a carriage full of joyful holiday makers.
In their words being in France made a tragic situation unbearable. Their beautiful son was born sleeping 24 hours after they returned to the UK.

I have a feeling that "unexpected birth" is defined as premature? When I spoke to my health insurance company re travel when pregnant that was their definition, ie if I travelled after 37 weeks I wasn't covered.

No chance. I couldn't think of anything worse than travelling far at 37 weeks pregnant. I didn't even want to leave the house

Also, I found out at 35 weeks that I had obstetric cholestasis and had to be induced at 37 weeks.

Would you be able to cancel without much consequence at short notice, just in case anything happens close to the date you're supposed to go on holiday?

The wording used for the eu card is routine maternity care I think. So what would happen in an emergency? Or if the baby or you needed extra care?

Sorry there is no way that I would do it

You need to find out (for planning purposes) how you get a French birth certificate, and whether you need it certifying (or whatever the correct term is) by the British consulate. And whether there is any document than a British passport that your DC will be able to travel back to UK on. If it's passport only, the normal issuing time overseas is 8 weeks. Where would you live during that time, and what would you live on?

Also, being born in France means your DC will be British by descent (no important difference for them but possibility of not being able to pass n British citizenship to their children).

The French for midwife is "Sage Femme" (Wise Woman). I really like this! If you do give birth in France they give you a "menu" with drug choices on it, and they think the UK is barbarous for letting women roll around in childbirth screeching. The risk is more that if your baby (God forbid) is born needing special care, you would be stuck abroad (paying for a hotel etc) without a lot of support. Probably not worth the risk.

Ok, so assuming you are due to travel home when you are 38+2 that's when you insure yourself until, right?

So what happens if you go into labour that day? Or your waters break? Or you get sudden severe headaches? Or any other ailment connected/unconnected to pregnancy? What if you need to stay in hospital to be monitored, for iv antibiotics, to give birth? If your insurance has expired what happens then?

How long was your first labour? What if your second is considerably shorter? What if you are in the tunnel?

And what about practicalities? Who would look after dc1 when you were in labour? Would you be happy giving birth without your birth bag? Would you take a baby seat in the car - just in case, or faff around buying one in France?

Have worked out we could bring this trip forward but only by a tad, which would mean travelling at 36 weeks but I'd go into the 37th week on the way home. Just want to canvass opinion about whether this is less risky. I know it's only a week earlier but perhaps it's more sensible since 37 weeks is considered medically full term while 36 is still premature . . .

No way. It's not that unlikely you'd go into labour. Also, pregnancy complications can occur later on and you could end up being monitored closely.

if you're desperate to get away, stay within UK.

I would think that it would be easier to get insurance if you were not officially term.

How many times have you had a holiday since dc1 was born? Whether in the UK or abroad? Whether 3 night or 3 weeks?

I don't know about you, but it's not all that relaxing, imo. There's all the packing and planning and will-we-need and should-we-take. Sorting clothing, toys for dc, etc before hand.

Arriving, sorting beds, sleeping in unfamiliar beds, dealing with dc who are in unfamiliar beds in unfamiliar rooms. Strange food. Change of routine. Checking hotel/apartment for potential hazards to dc. Watching dc like a hawk to avoid said hazards. Cooking in unfamiliar kitchen while watching dc. Going out to eat when you just want to go to bed and sleep. Going out to eat when dc is hot, tired, grumpy and all you want to do is sleep.

Then coming home. Unpacking. Washing.

Do you really want to do all that when giving birth is imminent? Really?

My first baby was three days late, second one completely unexpectedly came at 37 weeks.

I have no idea what French hospitals are like but I totally disagree with the pp who said NHS ones are awful, I gave birth in two fantastic NHS hospitals. What I have read about French maternity care (heavily medicalised, little support for breastfeeding) would put me off giving birth there. I can't imagine anything scarier than giving birth somewhere totally unfamiliar where I didn't understand the language. You can't predict any complications.

Won't your midwife want to see you for appointments during this time as well?

I would think 'unexpected birth' refers to before 37 weeks - it's not technically unexpected once you're full term.

I really can't imagine a holiday being so important that you'd risk it - sorry, but I just can't see it being worth it! Maybe you should discuss this idea with your midwife?

Hope you manage to get a break at some point!

you will get BASIC care if you do give birth - France only provides basic care - most citizen back this up with health insurance - you will only get the bare minimum

I think yabu to chance it to be honest

Oh, and whilst my mum's first labour lasted 12hrs, her second was over in 90 minutes! I know a few people whose second was very fast. My waters broke with no warning signs as well at 37wks, I had no symptoms before and was sure the,baby wasn't coming early. I then failed to go into labour and has to be induced - a totally different experience to my straightforward and unproblematic first birth!

I really wouldn't do it OP. The stakes are too high. If something does go wrong (and of course fingers crossed it won't but plan for the worst and expect the best) you would increase your level of risk by being abroad. The safest place to be is close to home.

That's not to say you wouldn't be fine if you went, but it's not as safe as staying at home. I'm not terribly risk averse, but childbirth is one of those things you don't treat in a cavalier way - the potential downsides are just too major.

Calling midwife perhaps a good idea . . . But pruedent's post has made me think. I was assuming holiday would be great and relaxing (in house full of kids toys where I can do washing etc etc) and preferable to being in stifling london which doesn't suit heat (beach far better!) but the reality could be quite different, despite having a very helpful OH who does the majority of the childcare for my son!

I don't think a birth at 37+ weeks would be counted as "unexpected" and I'm sure insurance company lawyers would argue that you could have travelled there to give birth.

I would avoid - just go somewhere nice and sunny in the UK (Devon/Cornwall?) instead!

Are you rich enough to pay for private French treatment if you aren't covered by insurance, for example an emergency CS?

I don't think you can say a birth after 36 weeks is 'unexpected' so you'd find it hard to convince your insurance company

You wouldn't relax because with every muscle twinge or BH you would be panicking that the baby was coming and desperately trying to revise the French for 'gas and air' or 'I need a bloody epidural now'.

I wouldn't, 37 weeks is classed as term. Both my brother and I were two weeks late, my DH was late. My DS was two weeks early. It doesn't follow.

Dear OP,
While I sympathise with your frustration you need to think about this really carefully. I would be astonished if the EHIC covered anything but the most basic care (if anything) in this situation as you will be essentially at term and therefore it is predictable if you go into labour. You will not get any insurance company to cover you for anything related to your pregnancy at that late stage. If you are unfortunate enough to go into labour and have a really straightforward birth then all you will have to deal with are the practicalities of getting you and the baby home (passports, car seats etc, etc) . If God forbid anything goes wrong then you may be left with a massive bill for repatriation to the UK which is never covered by EHIC and/or a lengthy stay in France if you or baby are not well enough to travel. I wouldn't even consider it.

London is stifling now, it wont be stifling in August, it never is! What you want is a holiday starting tomorrow, that wont happen so plan for next year :)

Paris is just over 2 hours by train. Paris to Brittany is another 4 hours by train, plus a connection if you're not in Quimper or Brest. You also have to cross paris from gare du nord to montparnasse with suitcases (taxi or metro). Door to door you could be looking at 9 or 10 hours travel. I don't fancy it and I'm not pregnant......