Paris trip at 38 weeks

[PipPipPip]

I'm considering taking a 2-night trip to Paris two weeks before my due date.

Is this crazy? I'm only 28 weeks now, so I'm not sure how I'll feel at that stage.

I'd be going from London and taking the train, so the journey itself is comfortable and quick.

I'm fit and have had a trouble-free pregnancy. I'd be travelling with partner and my parents so would have support.

But will I be all grouchy and uncomfortable at that stage? What is the likelihood of going into labour a fortnight early?

Is this a lovely pre-baby experience with family or a really dumb idea?

Wow, I think this would be very brave and not necessarily wise. Just thinking of how I felt at that stage - I could barely move off the sofa! I imagine even the train would be uncomfortable. I would advise you to look carefully into the medical and practical side of things if your baby was to be born there too - two weeks early would not be unusual.
Best of luck whatever you decide. xx

I know its a relatively short distance but no insurance will cover you for travel this late

Thanks ladies - I fear that you might be right :)

Does anyone else have tips, thoughts or warnings?

Yep, crazy. You do know that 38 weeks is considered term don't you? and that babies don't tend to arrive at exactly 40 weeks? and that at 38 weeks you might just want to lie on sofa apart from frequent trips to loo...is this your first by any chance?

On the other hand, I can tell you from personal experience that the food at The American Hospital of Paris is very good...

Just to add...I do sympathise...having a DH who is desperate to go skiing..or hiking...or fit in any kind of 'last' break before EDD its really tempting to think 'it'll be ok'. I'm still in a dilemma and desperately trying to find an option to appease DH but not put me or bub in danger...yeah, a really tough one!

With DS I was in an out of hospital from 35 weeks and he was born at 38+3.

With DD I was fine but waddling at 38 weeks :)

By 38 weeks with my first I wad wearing a support belt and felt like the baby was going to fall out of my pelvis! (it didn't, it took 18 hoers!) but I could only walk short distances. It depends how big you are and how you feel, the fittest people in the whorl struggle through the end of pregnancy! Not to put you off, it is a lovely exiting time! And you don't want to pay all that money and loose it! Why don't you go before of after babies born?
And how would you feel giving birth in France without your midwives?
But saying that, I'm 9 1/2 weeks with my third and I've just come back from a skiing holiday! In France! Did find them very rude, but heyho!
Only you can make that decision nearer the time
Good luck and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy x x

A friend of mine did that at 37 weeks. And had her baby in Paris..........

At about 36 weeks in my first pregnancy I did a long (5ish hours) train journey and found it awfully uncomfortable. At 38 weeks I finished work and all I was capable of was lying on the sofa watching weepy movies, doing sudoku and the odd bit of baking (which in retrospect with 2 children sounds remarkably decadent!) DD was born at 39 weeks and I was glad I'd had that time to rest beforehand.

So, in short, I wouldn't!

Thanks everyone :)

It is hard to tell because a) I feel great at the moment and b) a few pregnant friends have been very active right up until, and past, their due dates.

I'm starting to think that it probably isn't very wise - especially as it is 'overseas' which has implications for medical care etc. Perhaps if it was elsewhere in England it'd be different.

Dilbertina, of course I know babies don't arrive at exactly 40 weeks. I'm not an idiot, just a first-timer trying to temper her sense of adventure with practicality and safety.

Thanks all, though :)

I think its a great idea to plan things and I have stayed active and now over a week overdue so would be miserable if I hadn't made plans for the last 4 weeks, however my plans have been on a smaller scale, meals out with DH, walks on the beach, coffee with friends etc.

I do also agree with other posters that it is easily possible bubs could arrive while you're away and therefore I wouldn't want to be out of the country that late on. Also what would your plans be while in Paris, there is quite alot of walking around even if its just around the museums and you do definately get tired alot more quickly by that stage and do need more rest, would be a shame to go and miss out on doing things. Perhaps look into a nice spa for a weekend away not too far from home that does pregnancy massage or something.

Good luck with your decision.

Re. insurance, I have Direct Line insurance and there are no restrictions on how late in pregnancy you can travel, as long as there are no complications. My DH and I split time between UK and another European country, so I talked through travel with my midwife today. Her advice was that as long as I kept feeling fine and the airline/insurance were ok, it was fine. But she advised me not to book anything after 35 weeks, just because I won't know how I'll be feeling and might find the travel uncomfortable.

At the minute I'm thinking I'll keep travelling up until about 30 weeks and then see how I feel. I am very comfortable with the medical care I would receive in the other country if there was an issue, which makes a big difference to me (and as we have flat there, I could effectively go 'home' after the birth if that happened.). Would you be certain you'd be happy with the French medical care (and potential language issues)? That would make a big difference to me.

Berrycravings, I too intend to make plans until the last minute but, yes, I think I should probably keep my plans a little 'closer to home' than I was initially thinking!

MainlyMaynie, thanks so much for your info about insurance and for giving the 'frequent traveller' perspective!

Thanks both for such considered and considerate responses :)

I had both of mine at 38 weeks; it is considered term.

I was very active up until both births; in fact got first contractions with no.2 whilst in ballpool at softplay!

I was convinced I would be late; you just never know!

Pip - I'm 30 weeks with my second, and have just started to feel very pregnant in the last fortnight or so. The same thing happened when I had DS.

We have a weekend away planned when I will be 35 weeks - but we're only going as far as London (we're in Hampshire) and we will have my hospital bags in the car incase anything happens while we are away.
We are staying with my brother, but I wouldn't have forked out for an expensive hotel room because of the likelihood of not being able to use it!

You must be nuts to want to go to Paris at 38 weeks! You could give birth at any time....

I felt awful at 38 weeks. I was massive and could barely walk or bend. I had to stop driving because I was so cumbersome.

Some people I know felt fine at 38 weeks - really healthy and could move around easily, but they still wouldn't be going away at that point! Most people only go a few miles from home once they are term.

I think it is unwise, unless of course you are OK with giving birth in France and speak perfect French.

I flew to san francisco and back at almost 35 weeks returning at almost 36 week. I am now almost 38 week, I do feel great but I think I would fear a far trip at this time. This is our first baby so no clue when she will come, past 37 weeks is full term. Good luck!

I have been inside enough French hospitals to choose not to travel there at a time when labouring in one is a distinct possibility. Especially if you aren't fluent in French.

No, you do not want to give birth in a French hospital. They will not understand your notes, you will be on maximum monitoring and at the first sign of trouble they will intervene (everyone is high risk here until you've proved your not), compulsory IV line etc and they don't understand EHICs so will probably charge you for the privilege (approx ?1k). Even with relatively fluent French and antenatal classes I struggle with the specialised vocab - the idea of trying to guve birth without that knowledge terrifies me. I cant even begin to concejve the idea of giving birth in, say, Italian. Also you do not want to stay there for 5 days then have to deal with administrative formalities in French, emergency travel documents, rescheduling your train journey and travelling with a 1 week old.

I really wouldn't advise it and that's from someone under the French medical system, even though the medical care is generally if very high standard. Things which are considered normal or acceptable in the UK have to be signed off as exceptional in France and you only have to look at the relative rates of episiotomies, instrument aided delivery and C-Section to realise it's not going to be at all the same kind of birthing culture.

What would you do in Paris? Seeing the sights? It's tiring sitting at home with a 38 week bump (most mums to be are on maternity leave from desk jobs by then because they are tired and uncomfortable), let alone wandering around - you always seem to walk for about 10 hours a day on city breaks too.

If your baby does arrive in Paris and you negotiate your way through medical care (which will be good but very highly medicalised), you'l have the red tape of getting a birth certificate, certified translation and passport, just to get baby back to the UK - having got married in Paris, I can tell you that amount of red tape wasn't a walk in the park and I can imagine that getting baby back home will be nothing short of a nightmare.

I wouldn't advise it!

we all always hope for the best! however, sometimes things just happen... what if your baby comes earlier than 38 weeks? i would make sure to book a fully refundable/exchangeable tickets and wouldn't book the hotel till the last minute. you can always find something decent for a couple of nights in Paris. book now, but leave the decision till later and just see how you feel towards 36-37 weeks. if you are big and it gets uncomfotable to walk, you can cancel at that stage... also, agree with some other thoughts above...

I had DD at 42 weeks and a very easy pg - I spent my 38th week up a ladder painting the nursery as I recall, but I still wouldn't recommend a city break so late on - I did Florence at 5 months and even then was too knackered to get the most out of it, you'd either walk for miles and miles every day or spend a fortune on taxis.
And that's before you think about the risk of going into labour overseas.

PipPipPip I do sympathise with your attitude - 'I'm not an idiot, just a first-timer trying to temper her sense of adventure with practicality and safety'. I'm guessing going abroad at 38 weeks probably ISN'T a good plan, and on reflection it probably seems quite obvious to you too that it isn't, but isn't it difficult for us first timers to know what is sensible and what is neurotic, especially if we're temperamentally non-worriers as I am (touches every wooden surface to hand) and perhaps you too? One can read advice in a million places against just about anything (from here in the past few days scars over herbal tea, pineapple, parsley, swimming...) and there seem to be a lot of very worried people out there. I can completely understand wanting to do everything possible / sane to ensure a good outcome - of course I at 11 weeks desperately want this baby and everything to be ok, have not been mainlining vodka and oozy brie, etc - but equally extreme risk aversion must be bad for the mental state, especially if, unlike the many people who have had very sad losses or complications, one has no concrete personal reason to worry? Not referring directly to the Paris at 38 weeks plan - that probably is bonkers on reflection, though I like your style - but where DO we draw lines? Am contemplating train trip to South of France at 30 weeks, for example, assuming all goes well up to that stage. Speak good French, no flying planned. It's so difficult - normally we can say 'I know my limits and I'll be fine' and if we're dynamic kind of people it's hard to imagine a time in the near future when that might not be the case and a small someone else's limits are so very dependent on ours. But must we assume that it won't be fine, and wrap ourselves in cotton wool from day one? PS I confess I preg-headedly bought some fresh clams yesterday, forgetting I wasn't supposed to eat them, and they looked too good to waste so, with some qualms and a bit of careful extra cooking I did, and had half a glass of white wine too, and the most relaxed dinnertime with DH for quite some weeks. I think this - the clams, not the sitting down with DH - was a bit rash and I wouldn't buy them again, but they were damn good. Apologies for rambling on. All I mean is it might be self-evident to some people that PipPipPip is over-ambitious, but it can be very confusing negotiating what we ought to do in a completely alien situation and the people who issue edicts against everything (not late-on trips to Paris or probably even clams!) sometimes might not know best

FeralGirlCambs - yup, you've got it in one. I'm naturally optimistic and adventurous. I take most of the pregnancy warnings with a pinch of salt and generally just listen to my body.

And it is so hard to imagine being grouchy and uncomfortable when, at this stage, I'm just getting around as normal.

But thanks everyone for the advice. I'm not going to do the trip, instead my parents and I will play it by ear, and do something closer to home if I feel up to it.

Can probably 'close' this thread now :)

I post about this all the time (and I am cautious after a sad and rare experience with my first baby) but just wanted to point people to Southsearocks posts about her current experience in the US... and her problems with the insurers. MainlyMaynie you might want to do this:

You really need to check with your insurers that your policy will cover both you AND your baby if it was born earlier than expected abroad. Lots of policies don't e.g. the AA didn't but Insureandgo did when I last booked. Unless you ask it is unlikely that they will tell you.

I know if isn't likely, but if you ended up with a very sick and/or prem baby in hospital for weeks or months would you be happy staying in that country? How would you pay for it? How would you pay for repatriation?