Can I go away two weeks before due date?

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I’ve been invited to stay with friends over the Easter bank holiday weekend in mid April, and am due to give birth at the end of April. They live in a small town about 2.5 hours away from me.

It’s my first pregnancy - how likely is it that the baby could come two weeks early and if it did, would I just go to the local hospital by them? Would you consider going away for a weekend at 38 weeks pregnant?

Ds1 was born at 37+5 . No I wouldn’t travel. It’s not so much a problem being there but if anything goes wrong , you are away from home, if all goes well sitting and traveling for 2.5 post birth can be uncomfortable

I really wouldnt risk it that close to your due date.
Friends of ours went for a short babymoon 6 weeks before their due date, and within days of returning home they had their baby early!

I did.
We packed the car with everything we might need if baby came (maternity notes, local hospital postcode, hospital bag, carseat etc) and went to my parents.
The journey home would have been pretty pants if he had arrived. Easter at home would have been pretty pants for DS1 if we'd stayed.

I'd go, just take your notes and make sure you're aware where the nearest hospital is just in case.

I went into labour on my due date, rang my hospital and they were full and so were the other three nearest delivery suites so I ended up having to travel to the nearest one with space. Now pregnant with my second and I'm going back to the further away hospital with this one because it was so good! Just showing it is possible to get treated/deliver at another hospital who have no record of you and it work out fine :)

I would have been seriously uncomfortable in the car for 2.5 hours that late in pregnancy with DD2 something else to consider.
I actually spent 2hrs on the motorway (in a traffic jam) in labour with DD1. It was not nice.

Actually giving birth elsewhere would have been fine.

My first came at 35 weeks so for my second I stayed close to home from then on.

If you're happy to give birth in any hospital then I suppose it more no difference where you are. I wanted to be in my local midwife unit where I knew there were pools and their ethos was in line with what I wanted out of birth. If you're happy to be on your back in a delivery suite then you should be fine anywhere!

Unless you're prepared to potentially give birth there I wouldn't.

My (first) baby came at 36+6 within a few hours. No reason other than he was ready to be out. You're classed as full term at 37 weeks. I was obviously still working, didn't really even feel pregnant and had a scan the day before where they said he was low but I wasn't engaged. I cooked dinner at 8pm and had a baby in my arms a few hours later. We had only been at the hospital for about 2 hours when he was born. With what I know now, there's no way I'd go away from home without being ok having the baby there but I think as a first time mum everyone tells you that you'll be able to get home, it's unlikely you'll come that early unless there's something wrong and you'll be at it for days. I think giving birth itself elsewhere would have been fine as it was all so fast, but I'm not sure whether the medical staff would have appreciated it as I've got epilepsy (non issue) which meant I was classed as a high risk birth and had way more appointments than usual etc.

Thanks for the advice! I’m not particularly wedded to giving birth at my local hospital to be honest, so that’s not a huge issue. But I’d be travelling by train rather than car - which might prove tricky in itself as I’d have to cart all my baby stuff with me just in case!

If you're going by train I'd definitely say not to go. Not sure you'd want to cart all your baby stuff and a new born home on the train after giving birth.

I’m sure I also read that newborns shouldn’t be in car seats for too long as well - in which case driving wouldn’t be an option either? Is that the case? I’m thinking I’ll just stay home...

datayze.com/labor-probability-calculator.php

I don't know what data this is based on, but it tells you liklihood of going into labour at any point. Most women will not go into labour 2 weeks prior to due date, however this could help you work out exactly how likely it is and weigh up the pros and cons! For what it's worth, I think I would be willing to go 2.5 hours in car with my partner. I wouldnt go 2.5 hours away on my own. Not sure whether the train would make a difference personally!

You could if you wanted to and felt up to it. Newborns aren't supposed to be in a car seat for more than 30 mins, although obvs if you were on a train that wouldn't be a problem. If you were in a car you'd have to stop quite a few times. If you had a more complicated delivery while there then getting back could be a bit of a mare.

Personally, I've just wanted to stay home for the last few weeks. It's pretty uncomfortable being this pregnant anyway, let alone with lots of other people expecting me to socialise, or using public transport. But I am very grumpy ATM and you might not be.

Thanks. I imagine it might also feel a bit strange travelling there and back on a train with a baby carrier and loads of baby-related stuff... and no baby!

Staying home is definitely looking like the wiser option.

I wouldn't want to risk getting stuck on a train while in labour - if it breaks down or someone jumps in front of it you could be there for hours.

I'm 34+3 with my first, totally uncomplicated pregnancy so far and I've been feeling really well until now but in the last few days I've started to get very uncomfortable and tired. Another few weeks and I really don't think I'd be too up for a weekend away, although of course YMMV!

I wouldn’t, I was soooo uncomfortable towards the end of my pregnancy the thought of travelling especially on a train would of been my worst nightmare! But I would say see how you feel closer to the time!