Weekend away shortly after due date?

[Catz]

I hope this is the right place to post this. I'd really appreciate advice on a few days away with the inlaws shortly after due date...
I'm currently pregnant with my first, due mid July. My FIL's 60th birthday is about 5/6 wks after the due date and my MIL wants us all to go away for a few days to celebrate. She had wanted us to go abroad but given I'll (hopefully!) have a new born she's suggesting we go to this posh hotel in the UK instead. Hotel is about 120 miles from our house. There is a spa/swimming pool, nice restaurants, lots of lovely places for long walks nearby etc. She is a very considerate person and wants to know how I feel about it before she books it. To be honest I have absolutely no idea what things are like at that stage. Am a bit nervous that I'll spend all the time feeling awful, sitting in room with crying baby and wishing I was at home but equally don't want to spoil special occasion.
Any advice from more experienced mums out there?!

We went to my cousins weding when DS1 was 2 weeks old. I found it fine - DS was at the sleeping and eating stage and he was actually easier at 2 weeks than when he got to 5/6 weeks when he decided that going to sleep in the evenings was not for him !!!
Jurney was alos fine - 2 hours away.

Luckily I have very good family and found them all to be helpful and considerate. It was nice to have my parents on hand - actually managed to have breakfast alone with DH whilst my dad walked around with DS, and nobody said a word about me disappearing to feed regularly and going to bed at 10.30pm. My other cousins wife was also there with thier DS who was 4 weeks old, wearing a very nice strapless dress

You cannot predict how things will be I think if your MIL has been considerate enough to ask you about it I would just be honest and say yes we'd love to but obviously I can't guarantee that we'll be there or if we are that I'll be around to enjoy everything.

When DD1 (my first baby) was 5 weeks old, we stayed at my parents house for 2 nights over Christmas. That was fine, partly because they are MY parents and I was in a familiar house where I could make myself comfortable and my parents planned the proceedings around me and the baby.

A week later, when DD1 was 6 weeks old, we stayed at my inlaws for 2 nights and it was almost unbearable. I spent a lot of time holed up in the bedroom feeding DD and I missed out on parts of the lovely NYE meal and the toast at midnight. Part way through the evning DD projectile vomitted over DH. I seem to remember DD did not settle at all that night.

I think staying in a hotel would have been even more unpleasant an experience for us.

I would have upstaged a bride but only because I would have been 4 times her size

"The worst that can happen is that you won't enjoy it."

Hmm would you say that about having a nervous breakdown as well?

Whatever you do, don't feel OBLIGATED

Otherwise you will spend every day after the birth thinking "ShouldIgoShouldIgoShouldIgoShouldIgo?" and the LAST thing you need at that stage is MORE STRESS. Make a plan for your DH to go alone if necessary, so you don't feel that you are wasting money by booking the room. Your DH would certainly enjoy a spa/pool/night without crying wife with a 6 week baby at home!

I'd like to second the request to find somewhere nearer, but you probably don't need things like baby listening/family friendly at that stage IF you're bfing. And do make it clear that you might say no at the last minute.

I took my 8 week old to a wedding and my mum came down from scotland to look after him between feeds so I could relax and enjoy (DH was best man so wasn't able to help with anything). It was great to see everyone, to show off my heavenly boy and he happened to sleep like a dream, bless him (my DH and I still reminisce about listening to him put himself to sleep for the last time in about 9 months!).

The thing is, don't turn it down on the basis that you don't know how you'll feel. You may be very much up for a bit of a jaunt, you may have stopped bleeding, you may rather like your MIL to take the LO for a walk so you can sleep in a great big bed.

But do give yourself plenty of plan B options.