Fly to NY at 32 weeks with a 2 year old! Am I crazy?

[neshi]

Hi,

This great opportunity to go to New York in late May just came up...but I will be 32 weeks preg by then :S
I would have to fly with my 2 year old DS also, meeting DH there when we arrive.

I am being crazy to think this is something I can do?
DS actually behaves quite well in flights but still is a 22 months baby and wants to move around off course.

If it was me along I would go for sure, but I'm afraid the load of a 32 weeks bump and a toddler may be too much...
Any experiences out there??

Would you be able to get medical insurance for traveling in the US?
If the baby ends up being premature (which is probably unlikely), it could be very costly, although your child would be an American citizen.

Have you ever been to NY before? There is so much to see and do?

How long are you planning to come for? jet lag could be a problem for not only you but your 22 month old?

Hey, no personal experience but are you intending to fly back before the baby is born as i think 32 weeks is the cut off date for flying with most airlines so unless you were planning on staying in NY long term it could be more hassle than its worth!

I forgot to say, New York is an amazing city (we live here) but your DS won't appreciate it. Is there any way you could leave him at home?

No experience, but would suggest checking both your travel insurance and airline first (and mw of course!).

I've been to new york and was knackered after the journey, and that was just me,unpregnant) and a rucksack :o

good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)

Check you can get insurance to fly - I did find somewhere that will insure til 36weeks within reason but most will do til 28 weeks, 32 at absolute push

Do you have SPD at all? I had opportunity to fly to California at 6months with 2.5yo DS and DH but my SPD made just a 2 hour flight to Spain so painful and uncomfortable I knew I couldn't do it any further

But if you can get insured and your body's up to it I'd be tempted to go, I fricking love that city - is there anyway you can leave DS to make it easier on yourself?

Will they let you buy two seats? Some airlines insist that under 2s sit in your lap, which could be a problem if your bump is big.

Also check cut off for when you fly back, and allow a couple of days extra in case of delays.

And make sure that you have very good insurance

I seem to remember a thread on here of someone whose baby came early while she was visiting the US. She was then stuck there while baby was in hospital. Personally I wouldn't do it in case of that unlikely but possible scenario. Also it is faintly possible things might be uncovered at your 20 week scan and you need to be around to have them investigated (this happened to me with DD1 and although everything was ok in the end it was complicated massively by my naive decision to book a holiday away just after the scan date).

In addition, as others have said, it won't be much fun as a holiday destination for the 22 month old and if he plays up on the flight- nightmare.

Oops- just realised we're talking 32 not 22 weeks! But my general point about pg complications emerging in the next few weeks still applies...
I can see why you're tempted but looking at your thread title, yes I do think you're crazy .

Are you going on your own? If someone else is with you to help out with your toddler then I'd probably go. Might be harder on your own, but only you know how easy DS is and how you are feeling this pregnancy. As others have said, do check the airline's policy though. I got caught out a few weeks ago flying back from the Middle East when I was 32+1 - I thought I only needed my GP certificate, but it turned out I was supposed to have a check up with the airline's doctor 24 hours prior to flying, because although it said you need this from 33 weeks in their policy, they meant you need it from when you enter the 33rd week! They did eventually let me on, but only after a stressful 2 hour wait at check I and then a race through security

I am on holiday at the moment at 31+5 will be 32+5 when I fly home, British airways are happy for you to fly up to 36 weeks with a docs note if all ok and not twins. We flew only 4.5 hours with our 2 yo dd, I really wouldn't have wanted to be much longer although she is a bit manic on flights, no matter how many games! I got insurance for myself with insure and go, our annual policy didn't cover beyond 30 weeks, as it was my policy only went up to 33 weeks and then cover was reduced to complications only, not normal labour - check your policy carefully!!

NY is fantastic, but would I want to try that hard to go with s 2yo when pregnant? Probably not, is a lot of walking and compulsory cocktail bars at night!! But can understand you wanting to go before baby comes!

This story and two other similar ones I have read recently have coloured my decision not to do any more travel to countries that don't have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. It's just not worth the risk in my opinion. This couple thought they had suitable travel insurance as the policy mentioned that it covered issues in pregnancy. They were totally unaware that it did not cover the actual birth.

I read another commentary on this story which stated that no travel insurance policy will cover actual child birth - I'm not sure if that's true, but you would want to do a fair bit of due diligence to make sure, and insurance policies are notorious for their loopholes.

news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/28/aussie-family-receives-hospital-bill-of-nearly-1-million-for-babys-early-birth-in-vancouver/

On this topic, a lot of people are unaware that it is free to apply for an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) which entitles you to free public healthcare throughout most of Europe. I think this is wise as even good travel insurance policies can have exclusions for GP consultations, A&E etc.

Better article:

www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/26/piper-kan-australia-bc-baby_n_1380652.html

I went on a short haul flight at 27 weeks and it was fine. I am now 30 weeks and feel totally wiped out. There is no way I could even contemplate that now BUT... you have been pregnant before and know how you felt last time round and maybe you were feeling good?

Be careful - very few travel insurance policies cover you for the actual birth. You may have to pay extra for that kind of cover.

One very practical point - even if you buy a seat for your DS, as he is under 2 he will have to be on your knee for take off & landing (both of which, IME, seem to take about 30 mins). Is that actually physically possible? DS will be sat at the very front of your knee I would have thought (given the size of a 32wk bump) and so will be very close to the seat in front - how safe is this?
TBH, I wouldn't go. We recently went to Bruges when I was 34 weeks pregnant and I was amazed at how uncomfortable I was being restricted (on Eurostar) to one narrow seat. I couldn't pull the tray down as it hit my bump; I couldn't bend down easily to reach my bag at my feet. It was horrible. And that only lasted for 2 hours.
I'd be tempted to wait a couple of years and go on a DC free break to NY.

Thank you all for the opinions...after a long day fretting over this I've just decided not to go!
We've been there before and realistically, it would be too much at that point in pregnancy. I have no one to leave DS with in London...if I had I would consider going without him, but in this case, I guess I will have to leave it for a next time.
Even if I went, i guess I would be nervous about whatever could happen, so possibly not enjoying it that much...
Gutted but not going...
Thanks anyway xx

Gutted for you, I was offered a job in my last trimester in NYC which would have been amazing but had to make same decision in the end. But don't worry, that city ain't going anywhere!