How far would you travel two weeks before due date?

[fieldofdaisies]

Reason for asking is it’s my husband’s 30th birthday two weeks before the due date of our first baby. I want to take him away for the weekend but was wondering how far away from home (in a car) others would feel comfortable travelling at that point in pregnancy?

Also: relaxing weekend break locations/ideas welcome!! (We live just south of Norwich)

I wouldn't go away from home at all that close to my due date! Especially because by that point you're likely to be exhausted and in constant pain and fed up, and probably enormous and having difficulty walking, maybe even having difficulty breathing, so not in the mood to enjoy a weekend away. I'd arrange a nice meal and a few treats for his birthday and book a weekend away a few months after the birth.

Well personally my baby came two weeks before her due date so I'm glad I was at home 😁 Dont think I would have gone anywhere after 37 weeks to be honest.

I didn't have any of the above issues. I would happily go 3/4 hours in the car just making sure that I had my notes and info 're local hospitals just in case.

All 3 of mine were born earlier than 38 weeks, so i would not be planning to travel any distance at all 2 weeks before due date. Unless it doesn't matter to you where the baby is born.

Babies can arrive 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after your due date, so I wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Plus, you’ll be exhausted and needing to pee every 5 minutes. Just take him to dinner

How far? Sofa to fridge?

My baby was four weeks old by that point...

After having dc1 at 37weeks and dc2 at 38 weeks+2, I wouldn't recommend traveling anywhere. I personally couldn't get comfy in my own bed let alone trying to get comfy and sleep in a hotel.
I would plan a night or two away perhaps 6 weeks before due date.

I'm 38 + 3 and frankly I'm not really leaving the house at all. Not because I'm worried about being far from the hospital, there's hospitals in most towns, if I really had to I'd go to the nearest one, although that would be a bit jarring after having toured the one I'm planning to birth in, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

It's more that I feel like a whale, I'm exhausted and in pain after walking for more than about 10 minutes thanks to SPD and hip problems, I have nothing to wear that I'd be happy with the outside world seeing me in, even my shoes don't fit as my feet have swollen and if my waters went on someone elses couch or car seat I would be mortified. I'm not the best company at the moment as a result! Also I need to pee. All. The. Time. Which makes car journeys fun.

Obviously your experience may be very different (hopefully much better and more comfortable than mine!), but I'm very happy to spend the next couple of weeks cocooned on the sofa with my dogs and the last of the christmas chocolate.

How important is it to you to give birth in the hospital/birthing centre where you're booked? Or are you planning homebirth? Would you be happy to give birth away from home and potentially have to stay in a couple of nights, would family/friends travel? Where would DH stay if he couldn't stay at hospital with you?

I really wanted to be at hospital where I had booked (and used to work) so didn't venture far but if you're happy to be more flexible then no reason not to travel if you feel up to it and are happy to manage any surprises that come along!

fieldofdaisies

Also: relaxing weekend break locations/ideas welcome!! (We live just south of Norwich)

Totally off topic, I just bought a house just South of Norwich. Nice there :)

Well DS1 would have been a week old by then.

With DS2 I would have been very uncomfortable in the car at that point, we did a two hour drive when I was 36 weeks and it triggered loads of Braxton Hicks for me.

I was also generally very tired and grumpy so not sure I would have wanted to go anywhere, but some people seem to manage well enough until 40+ weeks. Or they appear to anyway!

I would book a night away by all means but I personally would have stayed within 40/50 minutes of my hospital. Doable for us as we are fairly rural and we could have gone quite far away but still been 'nearby'.

I would look at insurance too, don't want to spend hundreds of pounds and end up having to cancel. It may be wise to book last minute to minimise the risk that you'd have to or want to cancel.

Alternatively, do something a bit in advance and make it really special? I felt pretty great between 27-32 weeks.

I'm 38 weeks and I am only leaving the house when I absolutely have too!

It wouldn't be a relaxing weekend away to me. I want my own bed and comforts.

If you do go, pack and take hospital/baby bag/notes just in case.

I went away for weekend three weeks before dd2 was born - over 240 miles.

I just took my bag with me, if I’d gone into Labour I would have gone to the local hospital

I was Staying with relatives so could leave dd1 with - they are both doctors but still would have snuck out if in night 😳 I’m sure I’d have found Hospital

While it is a lovely idea to go away I do have to agree that two weeks before your due date you may be rather uncomfortable. I'm currently 35 weeks and I'm shattered and wouldn't really want to have the pressure of having a nice time away. Why not stick to something easy like a nice meal out? I just walked to the shop and back and needed a lie down, loading the dishwasher leaves my back in agony and I have constant horrendous heartburn and am no longer sleeping well. Of course you may feel different so you could always leave it till nearer the time to decide.

Warwick is lively and has a castle, leamington is pretty, Stratford just up the road and a maternity unit close by at the hospital 🤗

I'd probably plan to go an hour away but I had my first at 34 weeks and second at 39 so I'd be really nervous. Just make sure you know all the local hospitals. We ended up at different hospital with my first as we were away and it was a massive pain getting signed off by the midwives.

An hour away maximum.

Thanks everyone. Seems like general consensus is up to an hour away which is kind of what I was thinking anyway. My hospital is Norwich and there’s plenty of nice places in an hour radius of there so I’ll have a look. As long as I pack my hospital bag I think I’ll be happy being a couple nights away from home :)