Wedding at 38 weeks pregnant

[MimiMc]

Hi, I was just looking for advice about a wedding I have coming up next year. It's for one of my close friends however it is 2 weeks before my due date. The wedding is an hour and a half away from home so it would involve travelling. I'm just wondering, could anyone advise if it's a good idea to go? What puts me off is that it's an hour and a half away from my maternity hospital, and I don't know how uncomfortable I'll feel at the time.

I travelled 4 hours for my best friends wedding at 39 weeks. It was my decision, my pregnancy had been very straightforward.

I just didn’t want miss the event of a dear friend but I did prepare. Maternity until was an hour away. Car seat was in the car, had my bags etc and my husband didn’t drink just in case.

had a great night and baby was born at 40 plus 6.

See other comment. Quite doable just take your baby things in the car. However you might not make it that far or may not feel up to it, find out how late your friend can cancel your place just in case and if your baby was born at 37 weeks, could you bring baby (you'll be tired but with a break in the journey you could still get there)

I've also got an invite to a wedding at 38 weeks (as well as a hen do at 35 weeks and a close friends 40th at 37 weeks - it's a busy month)

For the wedding, I've asked for as much time as possible to RSVP and have been told when they need to have final numbers in by so I can give them my answer then. I'd love to go and if I can, I will. But in my first pregnancy my third trimester was awful and I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 36/37 weeks amongst other things - I wasn't doing anything at 38 weeks as I was in hospital.

You may sail through pregnancy and be absolutely glowing at that stage, or you might not be.

There is no way i'd be taking a week old baby to a wedding

I went to a wedding 6 hours away at 39 weeks. I'd had a very easy pregnancy and no signs of going into labour. I just made sure we had a bag packed and I knew where the nearest hospital was.

If there are any signs of labour or you have complications nearer the end, you can apologise and send your present. They'll understand!

I'd go, it's not that far really and you would likely have plenty of time to get home or too hospital.
Bring your hospital bag in the car for peace of mind.

I felt fine at 38 weeks and a wedding would have been doable.

I wouldn't however bring a baby under 3/4 weeks old. I did attend a wedding when mine was 5 weeks and this was also fine.

If it were me, I’d go. I wouldn’t really consider an hour and a half to be all that far and 38 weeks isn’t so close as to be causing alarm imo. I’d definitely bring my hospital bag though, just in case.

I’d go to, assuming your friend will understand if you are unwell/ have had your baby by then and can’t make it. First pregnancy I could absolutely have gone, 2nd and 3rd I was in hospital with pre eclampsia by this point.

I was bridesmaid at 40+1 a 2 hour drive from hospital. I had my bags in the car and researched the nearest hospital to the venue in case of anything very urgent. Remember lots of women live quite a distance from their hospital so make this kind of journey regularly.

It's important to say you'll not know how you feel until the time comes. If the couple can be laid back about you being there or not being there then that helps. They need to be aware it might be a last minute non attendance from you. My friend was so laid back about it all and I felt no pressure from her. Only time will tell how your pregnancy goes and if any little issues pop up along the way that may well decide it for you.

We have a mini break booked 2hrs drive away for when im 38 weeks. Second pregnancy where my first only reached 35 weeks due to preeclampsia. We are just risking it and will drive back or the nearest hospital (30mins) if needed. We live 30 mins from our nearest hospital anyway. It was booked before I became pregnant.

Talk to your friend, so she fully realises that you might have to be a v late drop out if either the baby comes early or you're feeling just too vast to be comfortable on the journey.

Look at what hospitals are near the wedding - you can just turn up at any if you need to (have your notes with you, plus your hospital bag and car seat - which you'll probably have ready by then anyhow).

I'd go, unless there was some reason why I really really couldn't.

You take your blue notes with you.

you won’t know how you feel until nearer the time: I would have been able to do that no trouble- I cycled to the hospital to have my c section and felt very well throughout my pregnancy- but many other women feel wretched, and might not have wanted to party even if it were five minutes from home.

I would have been fine with that at 38 weeks but everyone is different.

I'd warn the bride that it is very close to your due date and anything could happen which means you might not be able to come at the last minute. She may prefer you to just decline the invitation on that basis, or she might want to keep you on the guest list in the hope that you'll be able to make it.

If you do go, you should travel by car, your partner shouldn't drink, you should have your hospital notes and bag in the car, and be aware of where all the hospitals are near the venue and on the route home, just in case you go into labour at the wedding and have an unexpectedly quick birth.

But it's far more likely that you'll go at least to your due date, and that if you do go into labour spontaneously it will be much slower than that, giving you plenty of time to get to the hospital.

You just won't know until nearer the time. If they are a very dear friend, they won't mind the lost cost if you can't make it. For DD1, i went into labour at 37+6. For DD2, I had preeclampsia in the last month of pregnancy and was having monitoring every other day with the prospect of delivery at any time. Both of those were after smooth low risk pregnancies until that point. Explain the situation to your friend and I'm sure they'll understand.

If you do go, have car seat, hospital bag and notes in the car. Plus be prepared to leave at the first sign of labour (and investigate where the nearest hospital is to the venue just in case).

Oh yes, the car seat!

I'd have been fine with that at 38 weeks as ordinarily you'll have more than 1.5 hours notice of a baby arriving (from first twinges to birth can be over a couple of days!) however I ended up having my first at 37 weeks so with the best will in the world, I wouldn't have actually made it

Very bad idea. Imho! But clearly others would feel different. I went into a state a bit before my due date of just not wanting to go very far from home or do a lot. I think my system was preparing me for giving birth. I'd be wary of committing to anything when you don't know how you'll feel. Obviously you could have already had the baby by this point for a variety of reasons.

I went into spontaneous labour at 38 weeks + 1 day....

Honestly, it can all be very unpredictable at that point....

It’s hard to tell until you’re closer to your due date whether you will be up to going. I had to miss my best friends wedding at 35 weeks, it was about an hours drive away but even if it had have been 5 mins away I couldn’t have went, I was in agony between pelvic girdle pain and pain in my ribs.

and I also would not take a week old baby to a wedding. A week post birth I think the last thing I’d want is to be in a dress with hair and make up done, at a wedding with a newborn.

I went to one at 40+3. Just take your hospital bag with you. If you feel well enough no reason to not go. Particularly if it's a first baby you're unlikely to labour particularly quickly. You'd have plenty of warning and time to travel.

No chance, buy I had difficult pregnancies and a baby born before due date, so I am biased. I would talk to the bride and find out if they would be ok with you cancelling late, or if they would lose money. Babies are notorious for not sticking to the schedule.

I would go, as others have said pack bags with you etc... my first labour was so long I would have had plenty of time to get back at the first sign of labour, I know not the case for everyone!

I would go yes. Particularly as my pregnancies have been uncomplicated. 90 mins isn't that far especially when you start going into labour (could take several hours or days).

If still pregnant, yes. If have a newborn at that point, no way!

I went to a close friends wedding at 39 weeks pregnant. It was a similar distance away and similar from my hospital as my home was. We travelled there and back the same day/night.

Like a PP, I didn't want to miss such a big milestone for a close friend. I had an agreement with my friend that although I RSVP'd going, that if anything was to happen or I didn't feel right , I would let her know asap if I needed to pull out.
I suffered really badly from 36 weeks with pain, sickness, tiredness but on the day I felt up to going. I packed and took my maternity bag, notes, car seat and some towels etc for the car just in case. My husband wasn't originally going to be drinking but a very kind friend also at the weekend agreed to be on standby should I need driving to the hospital so my husband could not worry about driving. I think as long as you have plans and back up plans in place it will be fine. Look at closer hospitals if needed (luckily my chosen hospital was still closest to the venue). I really enjoyed the wedding and seeing friends so close to my due date. It was a nice distraction