Urgent, Post C Section advice please

[firstpost]

Please help if you can :(

I have a C Section booked for this Monday 8th July.

I would like to travel to Ireland around 18th July to be with terminally ill FIL. DH is back for the birth for 2 weeks R and R from a tour in Afghan that wont finish until November. I am trying to arrange an extension for him to visit his Dad, just wondering if it is at all feasible for me to travel with him or if he should go alone. This may well be FIL only chance to see DS1 and newborn.

Hope that makes sense. I realise complications etc would make it impossible, but is a 90 minute flight with toddler and newborn remotely possible 10 days post section? Would a ferry / car combo be better? This would add many hours to the journey though. Any risks for newborn that I haven't considered?

TiA

I have to say I wouldn't have been able to do it. I was very tender and couldn't climb stairs let alone travel and carry all the items needed for the newborn and look after the baby.... I do think if it is important to you please get medical advice and have someone with you to help in addition to your dh....

Well, I am sorry for your situation with your fil but you really need medical as advice for this.
I would think car and ferry would be better for both you and baby.
You can stop, have toilet stops, feed etc.
Also I am not sure 10 day old babies are allowed to fly?
What are you going to do wrt photographic identification for the baby?

Thanks guys. As its Northern Ireland I think the ID rules are pretty relaxed, but this is something I would need to look into.

Not sure if it's at all practical for me to go, I will check with the Dr's before I leave hospital, and the airline before I book anything.

The pp is right, you should get some medical advice before making your decision. Recovery can be so variable - I certainly wouldn't have been able to make such a trip 10 days post-section but I also have a friend who was skiing after 2 weeks!

I'm really sorry to hear about your FIL - I hope you can find a way to make it work so he can see your new LO.

I would car ferry not fly. New norms aren't allowed to fly till at least 9 days old (it's something to do with their ears) and it will be much easier on you. You will find it almost I
Possible on a plane so soon after c section too.

Firstly, I echo those who've said get medical advice. Don't wait until after the section, speak to your midwife now and ask to speak to your consultant (or one of his/her registrars) if the midwife can't say.

Secondly, check if the airline/s has any restrictions on i) the age of a newborn travelling and ii) ID for the newborn. I know we got passports for ours to fly to NI from England. iii) Check whether you could book assistance at the airports (the little carts that drive you to the gates, wheelchair through departures in your going from somewhere huge like Heathrow)

How long would a drive/car ferry be? Where I live the drive would be far longer and involve far longer periods sitting in one position, flying would be easier, even taking into account travel to airport and queuing time etc.

From memory I would have managed the trip at a push 10 days post ELCS and in the sad circumstances you describe would definitely have done the trip. You will have DH to manage DS1 and you can take care of the baby. A sling will help the times you need to do carrying and you'll be able to take your buggy to the gate.

In the days before the flight I'd make sure I did the absolute minimum in terms of anything strenuous, just gentle walking, remembering to stand straight. Recovery will be slower if you overdo it in those first few days so you should be saving yourself for the trip.

Finally make sure you take your DVT socks home from hospital and wear them on your trip as you're likely to be sitting for long periods.

Thankyou all so much. Some really good advice here :)

First problem is convincing the army my husband needs an extension to the R and R and NOT that he should just leave me to give birth alone (their original suggestion!)

Its going to take some organising but I want to go if its at all possible.

Look into whether you need that passport for the newborn - if you do you'll need to book the passport office appointment in advance and line up your authorising signature. I have a nagging feeling they only produce the passport same day in limited circumstances (otherwise you apply same day and its couriered back within c.5 days).

In order to get the passport you'll need the birth certificate so you'll need to register the birth asap after you get out of hospital.

Hopefully the airline will have some flexibility for a domestic flight - BA are usually more sensible than Easyjet/ryanair/aerlingus. I also know a man who forgot his passport and FlyBe still let him fly (Gatwick to Belfast) about 3 months ago.

Is there any pastoral care offered to you as a DW of someone on active duty? could you get their support in looking into these tasks and putting pressure on the R and R bods?

Good luck, life is so short and so precious, something like this would mean the world to my DH/family/his family.

If you're struggling to research/check out stuff come back on here and we'll look it up for you (might need to move the thread out of childbirth for that though!)

Flying between N.I and England the baby should only need a birth cert up until 14 years of age as long as flying with parents (currently live in Belfast but from Devon originally and have flown many times with now 3yo DD without 'proper ID') but many of the airlines won't take a baby until 14 days iirc (it may have changed) - hope some of that helps xx

Really helpful thank you x