Is it crazy to travel 2 weeks before due date?

[Pastnowfuture]

Hi. This is my first pregnancy and very few of my friends have children so I'm posting on here to see if a general consensus exists.

My family and closest friends live in my home-town which is about a 4 hour drive from where I live now. I'm thinking of travelling up for the long Easter weekend which is exactly 2 weeks before my due date. I've had a really rough start to pregnancy with two months off work and a diagnosis of hypermesis gravidarum. I'm 17 weeks now and things are slowly improving but I'm still weak and tired.

I wouldn't need to drive as my husband would do that and generally I would be relaxing and eating out, although I do hope to visit my favourite beach for a walk along the dunes!

I feel this will be the last opportunity I get go up for a while as it won't be easy with a newborn. It's already tricky as no one has a spare room and we have a dog. Everyone will of course come visit us after the birth but I won't get to see them all at once.

Does this sound like a good idea? Will I be totally exhausted? Is it silly of me to be so far from our hospital/birth centre so close to due date? I know everyone's experience will be different but I would love to hear some opinions.

Hi,

I'm in a similar position and live about a 5 hour drive from close family. I'm now 37 weeks and have decided against travelling again before my DD.

I actually feel ok - I've found the third trimester to be the easiest of the 3 and I don't feel tired or sick etc. I just want to spend time at home and look after myself. I did consider going 'home' for a while but I won't ever get this time to do nothing again!

And I'm sure you will have lots of visitors once the baby arrives.

In short - you don't know how you will feel and there is no way of knowing right now!! You could be suffering from nausea, tiredness, backache, etc, but like me you could also be symptom free but just really enjoying being at home!

See how you feel closer to the time

I was advised not to travel for Christmas by my midwife, because I’ll be 38weeks by then. So I wouldn’t, but I know some have without any issues.

Take your notes.
I drove back from Spain at 37 weeks!!

If you do, make sure you take the car seat with you...!

Don't make plans that far ahead now, you don't know what you will feel like.
I spent 2hrs in labour in a traffic jam on the motorway. It wasn't comfortable. The only reason we continued with the journey was we were on the way to hospital. I did the same journey the week before without the traffic (just an hour each way) and that wasn't nice either.

What would you do if you went into labour whilst you were with your family? Do you have a plan that you're happy with?
I'd say if you're prepared for that scenario (ie birthing in a different hospital, staying with family for a few days before travelling home with baby) then go for it.
But in my experience, travelling with a young baby was not a problem, they mostly sleep. It's when they are a few months old and start to cry in the car that it got difficult!

I had my first at 37 weeks + 4 days so wouldn’t be travelling anywhere 😂😂 don’t make plans as you might have the little bundle earlier

I did this. I called all the maternity units in the hospitals in the area where I was going and asked them. They said it would be fine as long as I had my notes with me. I wasn’t a high risk pregnancy and didn’t desperately want a water birth or anything specialist.

I'm now 38 weeks and couldn't imagine travelling now, tiredness has hit me like a tonne of bricks and i'm not very good company. I'm enjoying been in my own house and being able to do as I please but it depends how you are feeling. I wouldn't suggest making plans so far in advance, I felt fine a couple of weeks ago and now I am sooo ready for this baby to arrive!

My first came at 37 weeks second 35 weeks so would be an academic question!

I did this - we drove up north (approx 4 hours) 2 weeks before my due date to say goodbye to DH's beloved nan (she ended up dying on the day DC1 was born ). It was fine.

However, a friend of mine was visiting her parents and had the baby early. The baby had to stay in NICU for a while, and it was a PITA to be away from home. So there is a risk.

Personally I wouldn't make any promises. Currently pregnant with my first (30 weeks) and I would find sitting in a car for 4 hours now very uncomfortable, never mind in 8 weeks' time.

But it's a way away yet, you don't have to decide now.

The chances are your baby might be here by 38 weeks. If not, you might really not feel up to a long car journey or a long walk. If you are not exhausted the whole time, you might well be needing a wee every 20 mins!

If you are happy to give birth in your home town, also think about if the baby came whilst you’re away and was unwell, could you spend a few weeks there if the baby had to go to Special Care? If you need a c section, stitches or other intervention, you may not be comfortable to sit to travel for some time. For a c section you may not be able to drive for up to 6 weeks.

If you do decide to go, then take your notes, hospital bag and baby car seat.

My DD2 turned up unexpectedly at 37 weeks, so it's by no means guaranteed baby won't turn up early. Personally I wouldn't. Even if the baby hasn't turned up yet you're going to be knackered.

Oh and just to add you'll probably want to pee every 30 minutes by 38 weeks, so you will have to stop bloody constantly on the drive up for toilet breaks, so that 4 hour drive will probably be closer to 5 hours.

If things remain straightforward and you’re happy to give birth there then I’d say go for it. Take your hospital bag and car seat and notes and enjoy it.

Presumably where you are going will have a hospital/birthing centre. They aren't going to turn you away if you pitch up in established labour.

Make any plans flexible as you don't know what could happen or how you might feel at that stage. I'd been low risk and managed a physical job and long commute throughout the first and second trimesters and then my body decided it had enough in the third and I was in so much discomfort from 32 weeks, I don't think I could have managed that long sat in a car. I then ended up high risk from 35 weeks and induced at 38 weeks. Pregnancy is an unpredictable business!

I wouldn't make plans now. By 38 weeks baby could have already been born (mine born at 37w) or you could be feeling unwell & very uncomfortable.
I'm 29 weeks now & the thought of travelling that far doesn't appeal at all. And I'm completely exhausted most of the time and walking along a beach and eating out is really not enjoyable like it might have been even a few weeks back.

See how you feel close to the time? Very close to the time. As in, just before.

Thanks everyone. Had considered it might result in me giving birth in a different hospital but hadn't thought about the possibility of baby needing to stay in longer. The main issue being we have no one to stay with unless we get a blow up matteress!

Might take a look at hotels that allow last minute cancellations so I can see how I feel nearer the time.

I would have bee absolutely fine with this the first time. Ds was induced at 41 weeks and head still wasnt engaged until halfway through labour so I wasn't feeling uncomfortable at all. Didn't have that 'get this baby out now' feeling.

Travelling 2 x 8h flight at 34/35 weeks with number 2. Feeling ok about it at the moment. This DS is happily hanging out by by ribs breech at 31 weeks so playing same games as his big brother!

I would plan for your trip but make sure everyone knows you may back out depending on circumstances.

Hi,

Personally I couldn’t think of anything worse than travelling for a long period of time, I’m currently 36 weeks pregnant. I can’t sit still for longer than about half an hour and I’m sometimes peeing 3 times in an hour 😂 plus being exhausted (still working full time mind)

Also getting on and off of a blow up bed is going to be a task in itself haha!!

But all that being said every pregnancy is different! See how you feel closer to the time! Only you will know how you feel. But on personal opinion I would say no!

Had considered it might result in me giving birth in a different hospital but hadn't thought about the possibility of baby needing to stay in longer
There is also a possibility that you may need to stay in longer. I had a crash section with DD and I needed non-urgent surgery afterwards, before I went home, which they couldn’t fit in until DD was 5 days old. An extremely unlikely situation, but a real one.

I would have bee absolutely fine with this the first time.
And I would have had a newborn at 38 weeks both times!

OP, if your hometown has a Premier Inn, book it on one of those flexible bookings (Premium?) that allows you to cancel until lunchtime on the day you arrive.

I opted out of a trip to my in-laws (4 hours away) at 37 weeks last time as I really did not want to be away from home & give birth. My first baby & I felt comfortable with my local hospital and was excited for the whole bringing baby home to our house which I’d got meticulously ready 😄 as it happens, baby came at 41 weeks so I’d have been fine. But I was so uncomfortable by then, I struggled with even car trips to the supermarket. My back hurt, my ribs hurt and the seatbelt was really uncomfortable! Plus I needed a wee every 3 minutes!

I’d def play it by ear if you can find a refundable hotel Or could your family come to visit you for Easter?!

Before I read your whole post I was coming on here to say you are crazy! I am supposed to be on a week long course when I am 38 weeks which is approx 1 hour away and I’m not going as my first baby turned up at 37+4 rather quickly and if I haven’t already had this one by then I don’t want to risk him making an appearance quickly when I’m away from home!

That said- what you are suggesting sounds much more relaxed and I think if it’s something you want to do then with a lot of planning it’s doable. I had a friend whose brother got married when she was 38 weeks and so she went to visit the local maternity hospital where the wedding was and had a plan for where they would go etc if she went into labour. I think you could do similar- so you know what options are available to you both in your home town and actually where hospitals are along the way for if you do go Into labour on the journey. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking as it’s your first you’ll have loads of time/ warning- you may, but you also may not! As for travelling so pregnant I don’t think anyone can tell you how you’ll feel- with my last I was still working and didn’t really feel fed up/ exhausted etc up until the day he arrived whereas I think this time I’m going to be floored, just based on how different my pregnancy has been so far.