Maternity leave & sunny holiday (1st time mum)

[naomi94]

Hey everyone -

Just looking some advice as this is my first pregnancy and will be soon telling my work so I want to have some sort of plan in mind.

I am due on 11th September 2022 👶🏽

I aimed to work right up so I had more time off with baby. But wanted to get a sunny holiday in for me and my boyfriend before baby arrives.

As I am aware cut of date for flying really is around 34 weeks? Has anyone flew at this late stage? Or been away on holiday - would you advise or not recommend? ☀️ ☀️

Congratulations

Regardless of the risk of giving birth while you are out there, I wouldn't recommend booking a holiday to somewhere hot in the third trimester, you will probably be hot and bothered. How aout going somewhere in May or at easter?

Sorry forgot to say - yes I did travel up to about 36 weeks with mine but by car and to my DHs country so it's not like I would have been in a totally foreign place if I'd needed medical attention. I wouldn't like to think of suddenly giving birth in a country where you don't speak the language or know the system. Plus, due to Brexit there are probably insurance issues these days.

Really sepends how you will feel too... i personaly cant stand being warm at such weeks... and its so heavy and uncomfortable and all lol 😆 but you might be completely fine so why not

You have loads of time for a holiday before you get to 34 weeks…why not go earlier? I don’t think I’d go away in my third trimester. Risks of clotting are higher, the heat of a sunny holiday, I also think you might be uncomfortable

I'd look to go somewhere at Easter and keep it quite simple.

Perhaps do just a week and then save the rest of your leave for before you start maternity leave.

I'm going away at 23 and 28 weeks. After that I'll just stay around where we live. Couldn't take the risk of sth happening and being away.

I went to Portugal at 24 weeks in my first pregnancy. We went in February and it warm but not roasting. It would have been really uncomfortable had I been bigger and had to trudge around in the baking sun. Like everyone else, I'd say go before you hit the 3rd trimester. I'm almost 36 weeks now with my second and have been good for nothing since the turn of the year. There's no way I'd have even contemplated going abroad recently. It would have been more of a worry and an effort than a relaxing break.

Personally I absolutely wouldn't. Up to you though.

Thank-you everyone for your advise and past experiences. ☀️💕 appreciate them.
I guess it's hard to know how I will feel at that point so perhaps going a bit earlier on is the beat option!😁

I'm due just a few days before you, I am visiting family in Marbella, will be staying with them for 2 weeks, have been lots of times and know the area very well. I will be going at the end of May so about 25/26 weeks by that point.

I wouldn't want to travel past 30 weeks, not just the risk of pre-term birth and then the getting back, but also complications occuring that may need to be closely monitored, this would be massively worrying when abroad and then the worry of the flight back home, if that was even possible.

Personally I'd aim for second trimester if you're set on doing it. Babies can be early. Where would you go if you had reduced movements on the flight or in a foreign country? We were in hospital for a month with our first. I wouldn't have wanted to do that abroad with the extra costs, no family etc. Plus you'll be big and hot and bothered. Best of luck with everything!

I wouldn't have felt up to travelling far much past 30 weeks, I think you'd get more out of it if you went earlier in the pregnancy

I'd already had my baby at 34 weeks so I definitely couldn't have gone on holidays lol. I think it's one of those things where everyone is different. I had miserable pregnancies so no way on earth would I have considered a holiday abroad late in pregnancy but obviously others do and have a wonderful time. I think it just totally depends on your pregnancy

I went on holiday just at the end of my second trimester and it was great timing. I wouldn't have wanted to leave it much later.

I’m currently 34 weeks and the thought of sitting on a plane etc would be awful right now. I would personally aim for 25 weeks max

You will need a fit to fly form to travel after 28 weeks. This should be easy to get from your midwife if you have an uncomplicated pregnancy.

I’ve tried to look into this as I’ve got a friend’s wedding in Italy when I’ll be 31 weeks.

Definitely suggest trying to go earlier. Pregnant with our first and had a lovely two weeks in Canary Islands at 28-30 weeks. Walked and swam lots. Enjoyed evenings out with live music. I think I got it in just in time. Since 31 weeks I’ve been knackered and uncomfortable, getting braxton hicks. Walking more than 15/20 mins kills my back, especially walking on beaches that are uneven. (And I’m a pretty active healthy person). And you wouldn’t want anything too hot by then. And I think insurance is difficult after 32 weeks, though don’t quite me on that.

*quote

I wouldn’t book yet. I went to santorini at 34/35 weeks (literally days before the flight cut off date), in may. If you have to travel further for sun long haul flights will have earlier restrictions - I went to australia at about 28 weeks and not sure I’d have been allowed/recommend it past 32 weeks. But you need to see how you’re doing - it might hurt to walk or stay seated for hours on end. I’m 38 weeks with my 3rd and wouldn’t have done a flight at 34 weeks with this one, I’m just too uncomfortable. Also, you might be high risk by then. So it might be great but you can’t know yet and be confident booking.

Many airlines require a fit to fly letter after 28 weeks. That needs to be signed by a medical professional. To avoid that faff, in both pregnancies I flew in my 27th week but not after. Didn’t feel worth the risk and extra hassle, despite being healthy and fine.

We went at 26 weeks and had a wonderful time, didn't do much, a bit of sightseeing and a lot of napping!
I did have a very small bump though, barely looked pregnant and was just in clothes a size up which makes a difference.
Baby was born out the blue at almost 36 weeks so I'm glad we didn't go later!

I went in to labour at 34 weeks so I really wouldn’t recommend it! By that point I wouldn’t have wanted to go abroad anyways to be fair - the heat here in August was bad enough.

We went on a sunshine holiday, when I was pregnant with our first DS, I think I was around 25wks, had a lovely trip. My pregnancy was very straightforward I didn’t have any concerns about a week abroad. Enjoy OP and many congrats.

well..my DD was born at 33 weeks!

But that aside 34 weeks pregnant in the heat. No thanks

But if you're comfortable go for it

I wouldn't myself. Not only would a premature birth cause you lots of stress and worry and potentially mean you're trapped in another country at a very difficult time, but also it could be very expensive. I believe it's nearly impossible to get medical insurance for an unborn baby. People have been left with huge bills for care of premature babies.

Also, as others have said, you probably don't want to be somewhere hot and sunny when heavily pregnant!