Watching Show in London day before due date

[BouncyTigger85]

Hi all, I’ve posted this in pregnancy, but only got one response, and would like more opinions.

In March we booked tickets for a show in London for February 2020, earlier this month I found out I’m Pregnant and my due date is the day after the show.

We have really good seats and all shows now don’t have any of similar placed seats left (show is only running December 2019 - March 2020), so if we sold our tickets, we’d want to wait until we get the money back before re-ordering and then even more seats will have been sold.

I live on the Somerset/Wiltshire border and it’s about 110 miles to London, we can afford to stay overnight or drive back after the show.

Obviously I’m presuming everything will be ok (waiting anxiously for my scan after TTC for over a year after my mmc) so won’t make any decisions until the scan and realise no one will know how I will feel at 40 weeks, But would you go/have gone to a show the day before your due date?

I suspect that might extend.

I wouldn’t make the decision now!

I went to the rugby the night before my due date. Size of a house and had to be let in the players entrance as I couldn’t get through the turnstile. Stood for 80 mins. Was absolutely fine!

Although dad maintains the excitement is why I went into labour on my due date

Hmm. I went to see a show at 37 weeks pregnant. However it was a school trip and only an hour and a half drive from the theatre back to school, then half an hour drive home. It was fine. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be taking the tube though, nor a long drive home after. Plus, as others have said, there’s a reasonable chance you’ll have had the baby by then!

the problem is also being so far from home and your chosen hospital if you go in labour away. it would take you ages to get home stopping for feeds and stretches for Newborn, and you may end up paying a fortune for DH to stay in a hotel if you have to stay on in hospital.

also so uncomfy, the drive and the theatre.

I must be near you - same border!! I don’t think I would do it. Knowing what the transport links are like - trains are packed and the roads home are more often a nightmare than not I would worry about getting back if something was to happen. However I would take your midwifes advice closer to the time. If it’s sold out you should be able to sell good seats, and if it that good it will probably come to Bristol in the future so catch it there.

You will not be able to sit through a show at that stage!

Call now and ask if you can move to December. You’ll enjoy it more, they’ll probably be happy to resell good seats - just call and ask!

I couldn't have sat in a theatre seat for more than 5 minutes at 38+ weeks. Too scrunched up. I kept having to stand up or lay down. Definitely not.

Good grief, no.

Aside from anything, if you were anything like me, you will be peeing every ten minutes, and that is going to seriously piss off everyone that you have to constantly shove past. You'll be uncomfortable, and squirming around annoying the person next to you.

Unfortunately I’d echo what’s been said here. I wouldn’t go after 8 months due to the constant need to pee. If you are anything like I was you’ll miss the show due to permanently being in the loo. Plus theatre toilet queues - eek. Also being big uncomfortable on a theatre seat sounds hellish.

Maybe see if they are able to swap to earlier tickets. Congratulations on your pregnancy.

I think it'd be mental, sorry. I have easy and straightforward pregnancies and am active right up to my due dates, plus I live in London, but I went to see Hamilton at 34 weeks with my second pregnancy and having to sit still for so long was uncomfortable as fuck. I spent the interval pacing the bar and had a hell of a backache by the end. Factor in the travel, how uncomfortable you will likely be at 39+6 and the chances of ending up stranded in a London hospital and it's a nope. Odds are that by that date no matter how much you want to see the show you'd rather have rusty pokers shoved up your nose than go.

Thanks everyone!

I’m getting husband to phone (tickets are in his name) and ask to swap the tickets for some I’ve seen in December/2nd Jan

No. The journey will be horrid and the theatre will be uncomfortable at that point. My first came at 38 weeks and my second was later. I went to the theatre when I was around 8months pregnant the second time round as my husband knew I missed the theatre and wanted to surprise me with a last hurrah before the baby came. It was really uncomfortable and I needed to wee a lot. I felt really bad that I was pretty grumpy as he had got me tickets as a surprise and arranged childcare. At 40 weeks I just couldn’t have done it.

I think you would be mad.
Why don’t you swap the tickets for another date? I just did this over the phone and it was straightforward.

@whereissummerthisyear
Yep, getting husband to do just that

I saw both parts of cursed child last summer at 35 weeks. It was TOUGH despite theatre staff being lovely and letting us use the VIP entrance. DS was born on due date and my pregnancy was pretty straightforward apart from piles!

Just seen which show it is. Apart from the discomfort of sitting whilst that far on, hysterical laughter might bring everything on as you sit there ! (love that theatrical company)

Sorry OP, another one saying you would be mad! I know when it's your first everyone tells you that labour will take ages and you'll be late etc but for many it doesn't happen that way. My waters broke at 39+5 and contractions came every 90 seconds, so if I'd been in a West End theatre at the time I'd definitely have been giving birth in a central London hospital!

If you call them and explain I bet they'll be more than happy to switch your tickets.

I went to the theatre and a work party in London right before my due date. It was great, I'm glad I went because I was going crazy bored and wanting baby to arrive (she came at 41 weeks).
I was with my husband, it's 90 minutes door to door on the train. If the baby had come earlier, I would have given the tickets to my sister, not worried about the cost and just been delighted to meet the baby. If anything had happened those nights - well, there are lots of hospitals in London.
I think it's fine as long as you have a backup plan you're comfortable with.

The train and a party are easier than a long car journey and the theatre though Hollywhiskey. I had no problems doing a long walk on my due date - it's the being confined and unable to change your position for long periods that's the killer.

Glad you are going to try to swap. For me it was the bladder control at that stage of pregnancy. I'd be up and down like a yoyo. Plus theatre seats are not that comfortable.

If you do go, and go into labour, we do have good hospitals in London. Although appreciate you'd rather be at your home hospital

If it was a local show with cheap tickets then I'd say go for it, but I think it's too much of a risk for an expensive show 110 miles away.

No. I live in London (well, the suburbs but 20 minutes by train to the centre) and I think I stopped going into town after about 7 months. It was too much hard work. I needed a wee every 3 seconds and couldn't waddle fast. Went to a theatre around 6 months and it was a horrendously uncomfortable experience. Plus I was feeling knackered and just wanted to be home in bed.

No this would be stupid. I was two weeks overdue but it's all you can think about. Also being so heavily pregnant is really uncomfortable and I wouldn't want to be walking around London or sitting in a tiny theatre seat. Cancel.