Doing a SamCam - would you go away 4 weeks before you were due?

[champagnesupernova]

Am due to go to away for the w/e 4 weeks before EDD.
Journey is 5.5 hours by car away from home (that's GoogleMap's estimate -likely more depending on time of travel)
Birthplan such as it is is to drop DC1 off at a neighbour's etc until my mum (1.25 hours away) can get there.

WWYD?

Not if I had a history of early birth and CS.

Otherwise, yes I would.

I think it depends on whether you feel strongly about where you give birth. I have no strong feelings about which hospital I give birth in (despite this being a twin pregnancy and currently transverse/transverse at 33 weeks), so I don't worry about commuting 2 hours away from home each day - there is always a local hospital wherever you are . It does help that my husband commutes in the same direction, so I know that he is likely to be able to reach whichever hospital I end up going to ....

You have the added complication of childcare for your DC1 though - so I guess it would depend on where you're going, whether you know anyone there, how old DC1 is, whether your mum could travel to 'away place' rather than to your house etc ....

You also need to consider how much hassle it would cause if you had the baby 'away' and you had to stay in hospital for a while - could your husband/child extend their stay to match?

Depends on too many variables to advise really

Maybe - depending on my circumstances. I would have - but my babies are always late!

My concerns would be -

where is the nearest hospital?
what will happen with DC1 if you go into labour while away?
You will then have to travel 5 hours home with new baby.
What will happen with DC1 and Dh should you have to stay in (CS, or if baby needs care)

I went away for the weekend at 37 weeks.

I had no previous obstetric problems, and the only issue during this pregnancy was HG which had started to clear up by then.

I had a hospital bag packed. I wasn't too bothered if I didn't give birth in my own local hospital.

We had agreed that if I went into labour then DH's parents would collect dd1 and also pop home for the newborn car seat. We were only about three hours max from home anyway.

If you're having a problem free pregnancy and have no history of early deliveries then I'd go for it - just make sure you have a "what if" plan in place.

DD2 was late in the end and was born over a month after our weekend away

Provided you have no strong feelings about where you give birth I'd go.

In fact I went away when I was 36 weeks and went into labour the day we returned.

Then moved house (and county/hospital) when I was 37 weeks and DS arrived four days later.

So actually I would thoroughly recommend it so that you're not sat around just waiting