How long before due date (elective C-section) would you stop travelling too far afield?

[EightiesChick]

I'm due at the end of January and will be having a planned section - it's medically v important that this happens and I don't end up with a vaginal delivery. So, at what point would you stop travelling more than a short(ish) distance from home town, and therefore own hospital and consultant? We have family and friends scattered around the country and like to go visiting, but I don't want to get stuck in a strange hospital with a midwife who doesn't know my history cheerfully saying, 'Try just going for it and see how you get on!'

At the moment I was thinking I should stay close to home from Christmas onwards and definitely once we're into January. But am I being overly cautious? Would be interested to know what other people did about curtailing travelling in the run up to the due date.

I went to Scotland 2 weeks before my due date which was a natural birth - this was about 5 hours drive from home and our local hospital.

I must admit that I thought twice about going but it actually made me much more relaxed and less apprehensive about the birth - I'd have probably sat at home waiting for DD1 to come along, instead of which I had a lovely holiday with DH, was totally relaxed and really enjoyed myself.

Good luck and try not to be too restrictive on yourself.

I'm due at the same time and have cut my travelling right down, but this is because I'm getting on , work 4 days a week and have a dd already so am completely knackered. Frankly if we do much visting now it wipes me out so the only place I am going between now and delivery is CentreParcs 9(bout an hor and a half away) over new year and that is only because the whole of my dh's family are going and we don't want to miss out.

i'd personally stick with what you were originally thinking- staying close to home from xmas onwards.

Because even if a hospital accepts you and performs your c-section with no problems, your partner then has the problem of travelling a long way to visit you every day, and you could be in for a few days.

and like you say, a different hospital may not be willing to go along with the c-sec so quickly as your own, without knowing your history. and if your already in labour it's not the easiest time to be trying to explain the reasons to them.

those are just my thoughts (i'm also due to have a planned section in jan)

good luck

do you mind saying why you it is important you have a c-section?

If it is something very important then I would definitely stay home from January onwards. Might risk Christmas a bit further away. But, really, I think the only person who can give you the right advice is your midwife/consultant.

I stayed pretty near home for the last month or so, but I wasn't anticipating a difficult birth (or the emergency c-section that I had)

Depends on the reasons you're having a c-s I suppose. I had placenta praevia (both times) and it would have been plain crazy to go too far away. I was in hospital on the run-up to both births anyway but I got so stir crazy that I occasionally went out or home for an afternoon at a time which was risky but necessary for my mental health! I was only ever 20 mins away from hospital though.

Thanks all. I have a complicated medical history but one aspect of it is that I've had my colon removed and had a colostomy for a while, then had a 'pouch' constructed out of other bits of my intestines (sorry if anyone is eating while reading this...) to give me 'normal'-ish intestinal functions again. A vaginal birth with pushing etc risks wrecking this construction - my surgeon is insistent that all women he's done this surgery on have sections if they go on to have babies, otherwise there is a serious risk of becoming incontinent and having to go back to a colostomy - you can imagine that I want to avoid this. It's not the most well-known of conditions, though, and that's why I don't want to end up in a strange hospital explaining it to doctors I've never met before. There are also other problems that mean the antenatal team would much rather schedule the birth that get caught on the hop. Currently the plan is to do the section at 39 weeks.

My parents live about 2 hours' drive away, my ILs about 1.5 hours, and my best friend about 30 mins. At the moment I'm thinking I will do a last round of family visits just before Christmas to deliver presents, and after that get them to come to me. I was probably going to stick to visiting my best friend but not go any further once January is here. I can see that staying in my house the whole time will not be good for me or practical, but hopefully this is reasonable - it sounds like it from what people have said.

mrsmontano and downbutnotout, special good wishes to you both for your babies arriving safely in Jan too.

make them come to you, 80s! sounds perfectly reasonable to me to stay put as soon as you want to

You sound very worried, and I can understand given your history. However, your first birth is unlikely to be very quick if you happened to go into labour early. Most first births are late as well. Nothing is a certainty of course. If you take your notes with you then that should make it clear the reasons why a c-section are required. I stuck my labour bag in the car if I went anywhere more than an hour away just in case for the last month.

I was very uncomfortable sitting in a car or driving for long periods so that stopped my travel last time round and anticipate it doing so this time.

If you want to stay at home stay at home - sleep would be my main recommendation. Also with a c-section, have you organised lots of help for when you come home?

Thanks harpo and tapster. I must say that I have been pretty lucky in the pregnancy itself and am feeling healthier than I have done for years, so it seems to suit me. Just don't want to take any risks at the birth. My surgeon recommended doing the section at 38 weeks but my obstetrician says 39 will be plenty, for the reasons you gave, tapster - most first babies are late not early, and even if I do go into labour early, there will be plenty of time for me to get to my own hospital (which is only 15 mins away) and get a section organised. I am just more concerned with what might happen if I'm elsewhere - I have experienced time and again that though I know my own medical history and know what treatment I need, doctors tend to take my word as a patient with a pinch of salt until they have either a) my records in front of them or b) an explanation from one of my own doctors who knows my case. But, on the other hand, since I have felt so well lately and am having a good pregnancy, I don't want to spoil the last part of it by getting overly anxious when there's no need, or when the risk of something happening very early is actually pretty small. I know I've read though that even though most first babies are late, it's still the case that after 37 weeks you could start at any time and that wouldn't be seen as particularly odd.

Taking the notes is a good suggestion. I think I would like to get a copy of the letter from my surgeon explaining why I need a section to add to my hand-held notes, so I'll ask about this.