38 weeks pregnant, day trips...how far would you go?

[papillonrouge]

OK, think I am being completely ridiculous but I am 38 weeks pregnant and have two things planned in the next week which will involve me driving, alone to places about 1 hour away from home and hospital. I was early with my last baby so expect things could happen any day really. Last time my waters went a good few hours before contractions started and DS was born 24 hours after that so I am not expecting some kind of miracle fast birth but have just had a friend whose second labour was three hours. Am suddenly terrified of going into labour intensely whilst an hour's drive from home/DH and not making it back. Sure this is a symptom of too much time to think as I'm on mat leave, but would you drive that far on your own when "in the zone"?

Follow your instincts. Listen to your body and if it is telling you it doesn't fancy going - don't go.

I didn't go to aquanatal the day before I gave birth as my body told me not to which was very good of it in hindsight as I may have gone into labour in the pool!

You need to think about your contingency plan. If you start contracting while you're driving the car, can you safely stop? Will there be anyone who can come and get you and take you to the hospital? What about when you arrive at your destination - who will you be with? Can they get you to a hospital? How will your DH get to you? What arrangements have you/ will you make for your other child? If you're really not sure about any of those things, then you probably shouldn't go.

FWIW - I'm in exactly your shoes. I'm 38 weeks with a second baby, and my first came a week early after my waters broke before my contractions started, and I'm also very anxious about the prospect of a fast second labour. I've done a couple of trips out in the last few weeks (including into London on the train with my daughter yesterday), but have thought through what I would do if anything happened and made sure DH knew exactly where I was going and who I was with. I've also reminded the friends I was visiting beforehand that I'm liable to go into labour at any minute and been quite blunt about how I will be relying on them to help me get to the hospital/ look after my daughter in the event that it happens when I'm with them.

Some of us LIVE an hour away from our nearest hospital btw and I'm not even in the sticks but commuter London

Thanks for your comments - thought I may get a load of people telling me to stop being silly and go for it so at least I feel a bit better that I'm giving it some thought!

Starlight - I know some people live that far from hospital but starting labour in your own home with DH 30 mins away is better than starting on the motorway or at a friend's house that is an hour away when you have driven yourself there...that's my dilemma!

I think you just need to make sure that you have your mobile charged up, paramedics on speed dial, numbers of local hospitals to where you are going etc etc. Chances are, wherever you are you'll be able to get back in time one way or another.

My 2nd labour was half the length of my first but that is probably because I didn't count half of it as I was too busy and in denial. If I was far from home though I probably would have got a move on.

Thanks starlight - all sensible advice. Sure I will get back, think I need to stop hearing all these fast labour stories...will probably end up being an epic at 42 weeks!!

From my experience of second labour, my mind refused to accept it was happening until my DS was upstairs (being looked after by friend) despite being told by a MW at 3pm that I was 4-5cms dilated, I was comfy and chatty and describing contractions as twinges until 630 when DH went upstairs to show friend where nappies/pyjamas etc were and by the time he came down again I was leaning over the chair saying 'it feels more real now!'

A long winded way of saying if you don't feel safe where you are then your body won't do it.

From someone whose waters broke at 630am, but no contractions, so drove 1.5hrs for lunch with DH grandma cos I didn't want to let her down (and DS wasn't born till lunchtime the next day anyway!)