Desperate to go to France, 37 weeks pregnant

[ElleDubloo]

Hi everyone. Some advice would be much appreciated. OH and I have booked a trip to St Malo on Friday, when I'll be 37 weeks pregnant. We'll be going by train to Portsmouth > overnight ferry > staying only 1 day in France > then taking the overnight ferry back > followed by train. Is this a good idea? I've been looking forward to this for so long, but OH is now having second thoughts about whether or not I should go.

I'm 36 weeks now, and baby is head down but not even slightly engaged, so I honestly don't think I will give birth in less than a week. Is there any actual risk/danger to making this trip?

No travel insurance? You're idiots.

Might as well start compiling a list of costs then:

Airlifted from ferry to french hospital
Csection
Drugs
Room costs
Food costs
Hotel for dh to stay in
Passport for baby
Hotel stay for you all while you wait for said passport to be processed
Additional costs of travel home a week later or so

You got a spare few grand?

Another one whose 1st baby came quickly with no warning. I wouldn't risk it personally. Especially as the ferry don't allow it means that they will not be prepared for it and your insurance will be invalid. (And I was someone who ignored the advice to stay close to home at the end of my pregnancy and it was only luck that my friend cancelled on the day dd was born as otherwise she would have been born in London ' s West end. )

Few grand? That's £50k up in medical costs alone!

You basically aren't agreeing to the Ts&Cs of travel Brittany Ferries ones here for example I'm not sure where that leaves you from a travel insurance point of view etc.

Having been 37 weeks pregnant I would think that you want to stay home and drink tea and rest up while you can however everyone is different - horses for courses as they say.

Are you fluent in French? The idea of even a 10% risk of giving birth in another country terrifies me! Also travelling home with a newborn etc..,

I hope it works out whatever you decide but personally I think YABU

I wouldn't go.

But then I had DS at 36 weeks and would not want to be giving birth on a ferry, train, car, forrin hospital, whatever, far from home.

Why are you going anyway for 1 day? nosy

By the way, your OH sounds great. --mine was kicking off as my waters broke at 3 a.m. Saturday/Sunday....

hahahahahahahaha

or rather

are you insane?

Just seen no insurance....I guess there is no point since it won't cover you or the baby. but it could be an expensive trip! I called out a Dr in Spain and they stayed for 10 mins and it cost me â?¬250.

You both need to stay at home. I know its a bummer but it just isn't worth the risk. Obviously you might not give birth for a month after but you might well go early and 37 weeks is full term. The ferry won't take you. The plane won't take you. Your friend will understand that it is impossible for you to get there. Your baby is more important than their wedding.

I did this...weekend in Lille at 37 weeks. Felt fine, no signs baby would arrive early. It was a long trip and a bit un comfy in car, and hotel bed was hard. But we had a great weekend.

We had insurance and if baby arrived eArly I was prepared to go to a French hospital. As it was, he arrived on due date. Most will disagree, but I am glad we went.

Ah, it's for a wedding, that makes more sense. Well, DH went to his best friend's wedding in the UK (we lived in Spain) when I was 36+5 weeks and had been told baby was not coming soon etc. He was best man.

My best friend came over to babysit til DH returned (he was away for about 40 hours). He arrived back Sunday night, I gave birth Monday at 37 weeks.

I wouldn't go myself and would be reluctant to let DH go unless it was essential he attended this particular wedding plus you had back-up help for re birth, eg, your mother on standby.

What's the desperate urgency to travel at such a late stage? Seems a bizarre amount of hassle and risk for no good reason. Unless your friend's wedding was announced a long time ago and you booked immediately after getting the invite, what possessed you to book a holiday for such a late stage in pregnancy anyway?

The most I would do at 37 weeks (am 34 weeks now) would be a weekend away, close to home and local hospitals. How much fun can a wedding realistically be for you at 37 weeks? Constantly needing the toilet, can't drink, can't sleep, can't walk far... pointless!

another one to say boredom has gone to yr head I stupidly was still working at 37 weeks, dc came at 38...... rest up, it's only a party is the way to think about it :)
it may be worth looking into a refund etc not realising y couldn't travel at 37 weeks and booking before you knew y were pregnant....

Dd wasn't engaged at 3pm; she was born at 11.45pm.

Ds was born by emcs at 37wks and needed a week in hospital. I wouldn't have fancied this abroad.

Johnogroats did you do an overnight ferry? pure madness

No. It was Dover Calais...probably was a bit mad, but it worked out for us. I do spend a lot of time in France and am a fluent French speaker, so was (ridiculously) laid back about the possibility of having a French baby. It is quite a long way to st malo. And having done a long cross channel ferry last weekend, I wouldn't be keen to repeat it especially if v pg.

dover calais is not too bad so long as you are relaxed about giving birth in france
i just cant imagine two overnight ferries. what a nightmare for the company if you go into labour onboard. air evac by helicopter i suppose, at vast expense and inconvenience to everyone else