When would you stop being comfortable with DP working away?

[getoutofthebath]

I'm 34 weeks and DP is away 2-3 nights a week atm. He could commute in but stays with friends to cut travelling costs. We also have a 3yo DC at home and no family or close friends nearby. I'm managing at the moment, but I am worried about him being away after around the 37 week mark, just in case I go into spontaneous labour on my own one night and he can't get back.

I am aware that military wives have to deal with longer separations, and I have nothing but respect for them, I'm just asking what you would personally feel comfortable with.

I’m wondering the same. My DH work 2 hrs away from home on a daily basis and usually stays away 1 night a week to give himself a break from driving. I also haven’t been able to drive since 16 weeks due to severe sciatica. How far away is your DH if something were to happen?

DH would be 80 miles away, but has no car, so once the trains stop he'd be stuck.

(He's also useless at answering his phone, I can see me ringing him 40 times and him not picking up)

My DH is 75miles away but has the benefit of a car, but during rush hour could be stuck. The phone is an easy fix, he needs to get into the habit of keeping it on loud and attached to him at all times. Could any of the friends he stays with drive him if it was urgent? Could you make an arrangement for a fixed price journey with a taxi company? Expensive I know, but a once off!

Th travels away a lot for work, normally one or two nights a week, 4+ hours away. This is our first so I have no idea how quickly it's likely to all happen.
I've asked him to arrange his work so he doesn't need to do this after about 37/38 weeks. Even though I know I'll probably go overdue! It's just one thing less to worry about, for the sake of a few weeks.

I think I'm going to ask him to be home at night from 37 weeks. Only because of the train situation.

As a minimum you need contact details for his friends, from now on really. Ask him what his plans to get back are if he is away.

What is your plan for giving birth if he isn't there? If you have no friends or family close by who is going to have the 3yo even if he is there?

In your position I would say in the next few weeks he needs to start sucking up the commute really. From about 36 weeks I wouldn't be particularly comfortable with him being away 2-3 nights a week.

I'm starting to get cross with my DP now at 34 weeks because he keeps disappearing for hours and not taking his phone with him (nothing dodgy, he hates carrying a phone, never uses it and it's not necessary for his self employed job). I had a quick labour with DC1 (4 hours) and they reckon a good rule of thumb is you should half it for DC2, as our hospital is at least 40 minutes away I don't have time to be waiting around for him to just reappear at some point! So he has accepted he's going to have to either take his phone or check in a bit more regularly so I know where he is for the next few weeks.

I have no plan for DC1, there's literally nobody to take him. I'm having a planned section at 39 weeks, so my DF will come down for that.