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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

400 miles at 38 weeks - feasible?

54 replies

AlteredCarbon · 15/12/2014 16:36

Hi everyone, I am currently 36 weeks into my first pregnancy. I am 29 and have been in good health throughout with the only issue being very low blood pressure. I will be spending Christmas at home in Lincolnshire with my family but it has been planned that we will spend new year with DH's family in a house they have hired in a small village in the north of Scotland. I don't want to ruin all their plans but am beginning to wonder how realistic this is.

Am I crazy to be contemplating a 400 mile journey at 38 weeks pregnant? I've heard that first babies are usually late and we plan to travel back home by my due date (which would be another 400 mile drive at 39 weeks) Any advice or experience would be gratefully received.
Thank you

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merrymouse · 15/12/2014 17:44

2 x 400 miles that pregnant sounds very uncomfortable.

38-39 weeks is well within the normal going into labour window and only some first babies are late.

The north of Scotland is not known for it's clement weather at this time of year, so it is highly likely that you will have difficulty travelling and may have difficulty coming back home.

It sounds as though the house is only rented for a week so if you do go into labour when you are in Scotland, and you or your baby can't immediately drive 400 miles home, you will possibly be relying on finding hotel accommodation for you/your DH.

You don't have to have a birth plan that includes your BIL potentially helping you through labour or giving birth in your car. 'Reachable hospital' sounds as though they have looked it up on a map - not as though they know anything about it.

It doesn't sound as though they have thought it through - things would probably be fine in the end, but for what? The best case scenario seems to be 2 very uncomfortable car journeys and a week being very pregnant far from home. Yes, it would be a good story for them to tell your friends if you give birth, but you are the one who has to go through the experience.

ItMustBeBedtimeSurely · 15/12/2014 17:47

I wouldn't even consider it. As others have said, it's going to be uncomfortable at best and downright risky at worst. What if you're snowed in? I'm a fan of home birth, but not without being in easy reach of medical care (a hospital, not a doctor, who depending on his specialism, may knew very little about childbirth).

Not wanting to scare you, but I had a post partum heamorrage after my home birth. If we'd been snowed in to some remote cottage, relying on an air ambulance getting to us, I'd have been in SERIOUS trouble. I could have died.

VivaLeBeaver · 15/12/2014 17:51

If you do go then you need to wear flight stockings for the car journey. Seriously.

Also if you give birth up there and for some reason baby needs scbu care you could be there for weeks. Don't think I'd do it.

Legodino · 15/12/2014 17:51

I wouldn't personally. Driving back 400 miles with a baby could be a night mare because it will want to suckle regularly and for an hour or two at a time initially to get your milk in. Also you could be very uncomfortable with tears after gibing birth.

Legodino · 15/12/2014 17:52

Do any of the relatives have a 4 by 4 car

Legodino · 15/12/2014 17:54

And if you give birth there you will just need to sit and bond and feed for days/weeks. Could be highly annoying having people walk off all the time with your baby.

cathpip · 15/12/2014 17:54

Don't risk it, apart from the journey being hell, nothing beats your own bed when you are that pregnant. Highlands of Scotland will probably be snow covered, you have to think of yours and babies health.

espa · 15/12/2014 18:04

While I agree that this is crazy (39 weeks tomorrow, waters went yesterday, first baby) I'd say all the comments would also equally apply if you were travelling 400 miles from the north of Scotland to England, or North England to Cornwall...

Original poster

AlteredCarbon · 15/12/2014 18:06

Thanks everyone - it seems the consensus is that it would be crazy to go. I was so focused on just getting up there and sticking to the plan that I hadn't really thought of all the potential consequences. I'd considered the travelling part and even the potential of giving birth up there but not how to cope afterwards. Looks like I'll have to find a way to tell them no.

OP posts:

Roonerspism · 15/12/2014 18:11

Where is it up north? If it is very near, say, Inverness and not on tiny roads then maybe....

But you have to factor in the weather, which could mean impassable roads, as well as the fact that the nearest medical facility might have very limited facilities. It is your first baby so you have no idea how your body will respond or indeed if you will be early.

As someone who had a very low risk pregnancy like yours, and an unexpectedly complex and potentially life threatening delivery, there is no flipping way I would risk delivering in the arse end of nowhere in north Scotland in winter....

And I live in scotland!

Mouldypineapple · 15/12/2014 18:13

I agree, just say no!! If they really were thinking about you not themselves it wouldn't even have been a serious suggestion. Look after you and your baby at this precious time, and they can visit you in the new year!

My first baby was born at 37 weeks by the way..

outtolunchagain · 15/12/2014 18:18

Just tell them that your midwife has advised you not to travel .I should think this is exactly what your midwife would say when you tell her.

Also I would expect BIL would say the same if asked , I am sure he wouldn't want to spend his new year looking after you or have any possible adverse consequences of you travelling on his conscience

Flibbertyjibbet · 15/12/2014 18:24

Mil offered us the use of her Cumbrian holiday home when I would have been 38 weeks with Ds2.
Ds1 birth 16m before was horrible - crash team all in the room on standby as consultant tried ventouse (which worked) and they had to wore on him for a few mins which was terrifying. This was in a huge new state of the art hospital 6 mins drive from home.
I wasn't sure about Cumbria on a bank holiday weekend (and we're only 90 mins away in Lancashire! ), but mil kept on about there being a hospital nearby... A cottage hospital in keswick. If something went wrong I'd apparently be fine as I'd be airlifted to a bigger hospital in Dumfries and Galloway! Or as we were only 90 mins drive from home she said we could set off if i went into labour. I had visions of being airlifted off the hard shoulder in a bank hol traffic jam..... and having to call the baby M6' You'd prob have the same level of service in remote Scotland. I asked my midwife about it at my next appt and she said best to stay home.
Get your midwife to say you can't go then inlaws can't sulk.
ds2 btw was 9lbs transverse which mw didnt pick up on till 38 weeks and I was whipped in for a section the next day. Imagine if I'd gone into labour in a cottage hospital. ..
I'm sure all will be well but no harm in staying cautious with your first.
(Mil never offered us the holiday home again....)

meglet · 15/12/2014 18:34

I was just coming back to say tell them the midwife said you probably shouldn't do it if they get snippy about it.

AuntySib · 15/12/2014 18:41

Just no! It'll be really uncomfortable, could be stuck in snow, and the baby is just as likely to come early as late.
I speak as someone whose first baby arrived at 36 +4, with no warning - born within a few hours of me waking up.
And small village, north of Scotland - how far away is the nearest hospital?

bearwithspecs · 15/12/2014 18:42

They were mad planning that - totally daft. I did a 2 hour trip to a major city at 38 weeks with my first - for a big family do. We did not stay over. I wouldn't have wanted to do more - I was fine at 36 weeks but very uncomfortable by 38 and much bigger. We took my notes and hospital bag in case. I went into labour 48 hours later.
Insane to risk being miles from anywhere in bad weather when anything could happen

Mouldypineapple · 15/12/2014 19:58

Some first labours can be very quick too, not always the long drawn out ones you hear about. Mine was 5.5 hours from first contraction, a friend of mine was only 2 hours!

Poseypops · 15/12/2014 20:12

How will you feel if you have the baby then have to travel back with a newborn?

IndigoBlue · 15/12/2014 20:51

I'm 38 weeks today and all I can say is that compared to 2 weeks ago things have changed a lot. I'm suddenly much bigger and uncomfortable, to the point that people are saying I look much more pregnant from a couple of days ago as I think the baby has dropped lower.

The point is I couldn't contemplate travelling that far either this pregnant or having just given birth, they are asking too much of you

SoonToBeSix · 15/12/2014 20:54

Glad you changed your mind op.

Misty414 · 15/12/2014 21:05

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weebarra · 15/12/2014 21:10

I really wouldn't. As someone else said, if the cottage is near Inverness, that would be fine, but the A9 can be blocked when the weather is fine in the rest of the country. A 400 mile trip post birth isn't what you'd want either.

Annbag · 15/12/2014 21:21

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Original poster

AlteredCarbon · 15/12/2014 21:29

Have phoned the in-laws to say no but have been pursuaded to visit them in Glasgow this weekend instead as it's a couple of hours shorter travel and a little sooner than planned. They still won't rule out us going up at new year but I have! At least this way I'll feel less guilty about not going if we've already seen them.
That being said I'm seeing the midwife on Friday and if she says no then I can use that to not go anywhere.

OP posts:

Annbag · 15/12/2014 22:24

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