Holidaying with in 3rd Trimester - Advice needed please

[Wills]

Hi,

Dh and I would love to take dd away for a fornight break prior to the arrival of the little one due in late August. My first suggestion had been to hire a Gite in France in late June early July (7.5 - 8 months pregnant), but my dh and dm hate this idea. They both think I will not be up to the journey by car (I was thinking Aquitane sort of area). I simply can't remember how I felt at 7 months - as it was the middle of winter and we'd just bought a new house that we were desperately trying to make livable. Any 7/8/9 month pregnant mums out there who could give me their current view???

So if that's out then the only other time I could take would be late May (6 - 6.5 months). I should still be able to fly and was therefore considering the Greek islands/ Tuscany etc etc. Any comments/advice please. I'm assuming I can fly until I'm 28 weeks - is that true?

thanks

[Wills]

Oh - and dd is 3 so I'd want to go somewhere near a beach but also would want some historical/culutural type things hence Greece and its ruins.

[kaz33]

Hi

I had DS1 in early August ( 5th August ) and we went on holiday in late June in France. We took the train ( load the car on to the train ) down to the south of France - no problems, obviously limited to what I could do when we got there but there was no problem with the travelling.

Now 31 weeks with DS2 and fine really - obviously not as far gone as you will be. I get on the tube every morning and stick my stomach out to get a seat but sometimes have to stand.

Obviously with other children to entertain/ look after it would be more difficult - dependent on how old dd is I suppose. Also I have easy pregnancies so still pretty active and in good nick.

Go for it get some sun - we would if we had the dosh.

[janh]

Wills - er - you think DD will appreciate history and culcha?

[elliott]

Wills - I went for my last pre-child holiday to the S of France at 27 weeks in August. I'd had a pretty straightforward pregnancy and was fit and well, and it was great. There were no problems with the journey (but we flew so not a prolonged drive - it was much later that I got uncomfortable in the car, around 35 weeks). Of course with no other child I was able to be as lazy as I liked (although it was actually a walking holiday and we did do some fairly serious hikes - looking back now remembering the heat I think perhaps a little mad! - but I did pass on the rafting trip....)
I think with flying, there is no problem till 28 weeks, then up to 34 weeks you need a drs letter. I wasn't even asked about it (and yes, it was obvious!)
Go for it, make sure it is something you will find as relaxing as poss (given dd!) and enjoy...

[morocco]

I travelled around loads up to 8 months - even on British Rail and believe me if you can do that mid summer, you can do anything. Mind you I think I probably did overdo it a bit and I remember chronic backache after an hour or so in the car after 7 months. How about looking into the train to France?
If you want to fly, rest assured that noone will even notice you are pregnant, even if you are as big as a bus. In theory you need a note from the doctor after I think 34 weeks but I was never asked for mine. The doc was very laid back when she wrote it - she just asked how many weeks pregnant I wanted to be when I flew
Sounds great anyway - say hello to the beach from me

[Wills]

We've ruled out camping - or to be more specific I'VE ruled out camping. I went to the loo 7 times the other night. Ugh. We had considered the train but now dh is worrying that something might go wrong and I'd need to be repatriated leaving him behind in France trying to get himself and dd home. He's worrying far more than I since I simply wanted a relaxing break somewhere where I could almost guarantee sun.

Janh - My childhood was full Greek/Italian/Spanish holidays where my dm always told me wonderful stories about the places we visited, and creating adventures and going on treasure hunts. The best holiday I remember was Knossos on Crete when I was 7. Not sure dd is old enough but feel that I have to start somewhere and am vaguely hoping to pass on my excitment of experiencing different cultures etc. However I do want to be near a beach for some standard building sandcastles etc.

[janh]

Hope you have a great holiday, anyway, Wills!

Tents might be out but had you thought of a mobile home? May is still pretty cheap with people like Eurocamp (don't know if they do Greece, but they do Italy) and you get your own bathroom in a mobile home... (Might be a bit late to book though, I know the summer weeks get booked up the previous September - I was told by an operator of people who book their next year's hol by mobile on their way home from this year's - how organised is that?)

[Wills]

That's way too organised for me. I tend to live life in a little bit of a muddle, i.e. I muddle my way through.

[NQWWW]

Don't want to hijack your thread Wills, but my family (mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma, the lot) always go to the same campsite in St David's in Wales for a week in August, and I really don't want to miss out although I'll be 8 months pregnant. The 5 hour car journey is one issue, but another is sleeping on a camp bed. Anybody got any recommendations, or know if I could hire a caravan down there (they don't have any on the site and I don't want to tow one all the way from London)?

[sb34]

Message withdrawn

[Pimpernel]

I went to Germany last August when I was about seven months pg. We took the ferry to Belgium and drove the car over - I didn't find the journey too bad, but we did break it up into smaller chunks and stayed a couple of nights in Bruges on the way. Hope you have a great holiday wherever you go.

[Katherine]

Hi Wills - only just found your thread. Funny as this is something we've been agonising over too. Tied to school holidays now and don't really wany to spend the whole summer stuck here waiting for baby with 5yr old and 3 yr old. We are big fans of camping (can't afford much else). I'm not worried about comfort as was sleeping on blow up matress in weeks before DS arrived anyway and it was OK. If I remember correctly not sleeping much at that stage anyway so whats the difference! Family pressure to plan some sort of holiday but difficult as due mid-august but tend to deliver couple of weeks early. Bad timing or what! Best Friend is very keen for us all to go at the beginning of school holidays. She says if Kate Aldridge (Archers) can deliver in a tent then so can I. Think she's quite looking forward to it and although the young hippie in me does fancy it a bit - NOT THAT MUCH!

Anyway I'm rambling. My point is that if DH is worried then why not go somewhere in the UK. OK so you can't guaretee the sun but at least you won't have to worry about it being TOO hot. There are loads of fab places near beaches etc and no need to worry about hygiene, water, repatriation or long journeys.

If you do head overseas then I would just say that IME the eurocamp style holidays are actually quite expensive mid-season compared to what you can get if you find a good holiday home.

We will be staying in the UK and no doubt will be camping as this has the advantage of not needing to book so we can play it by ear and see what happens. I'm hoping that baby will arrive end of July so we can be away for the last 2 weeks of August. DH might even be able to claim some paternity leave for the holiday and it means I won't have to cope with all 3 at home on my own!

If you do decide to stay in the UK then you can also play it by ear as you can get a good deal on a holiday cottage if you book last minute. Come to that you can get a good deal overseas too!

[Wills]

Hmm camping, it wasn't the bed giving me second thoughts but rather the constant need to use the toilet in the middle of the night that put me off. Some sites come with tent with en-suites but I always had the impression they worked out almost the same price as a cottage.

[NQWWW]

Wills - when camping I usually pee in the hedge behind the tent at night anyway (looking out for nettles!)

[Katherine]

Me too. And SIL always take her bucket!

Seriously Wills we have our own tent. If you a thinking of hiring a tent, the eurocamp, keycamp sort of thing where you get the loo and the fridge etc then you are right. Its not worth the "roughing" it for that sort of money. I'd go with a cottage.

[Wills]

We bought a new tent last year and I'm itching to use it again. I absolutely love camping, especially with friends. Last year we took wind blocks with us and created a mini garden between the two tents. That Mum is due mid June so I'm not sure she'll want to do it again. Agreed that I go for the bushes, its just that the other night I went 7 times and I suppose I should simply have a go for weekend possibly.

[chiggles]

We went camping at the beginning of June, one month before our son was born. Loved every bit of it. Just don't drink much from tea-time onwards!! We went to Cornwall, about 5 1/2 hour drive from us. It was brill. Need a good, clean, families only camp-site, let me know!

[sykes]

You can fly until 30 weeks I think, or you could until a few years ago - the dr may need to sign you off. The issue (or so I've been told) is airline insurance, also the US in particular may get a bit fussy re the right to citizenship - ie if you have the baby early. Having said that I've flown to NY at 30 plus weeks pregnant twice and they didn't even seem to realise I was pregnant. Obviously thought I was just rather/very fat. The worse thing was feeling slightly short of breath on the plane and revolting water retention - I looked as if I had elephantitis from the knees downwards.

[Cha]

I and dp drove from London to Asturius (Northern Spain) in a hatchback with his two teenage daughters. I was 7 months pregnant and we camped every night. Not exactly relaxing and lazing about, but easily done - really. I thought the driving would kill me but we were seldom in the car for more than 5 hours at a stretch and it wasn't a problem. I took a cushion for the small of my back. I made sure I had a comfy bed (double blow up mattress and duvet plus pillows) and used the washing up bucket to wee into at night. Bit of a nightmare smuggling the bucket out and disposing of its contents every morning ... but as far as I know, was only rumbled once.
We had a great time - walks, swimming, body boarding, and I never felt that it was too much. Had I gone a couple of weeks later, however, it would have been a different story - as soon as we got home, I grew about another foot all round and waddled around like a cow.
I did worry an awful lot before going (we booked it all before I was pregnant) and nearly cancelled at one point but in truth, everything I worried about was fine. I slept well (as well as can be expected when you have to wee 5x a night), we used the michelean (sp?) website to plan the legs of the journey in easy stages (we always found a campsite whenever it was time to stop)and made sure we had comfy chairs to sit on when we had the tents all up. The one thing that I hadn't anticipated, and went quite a long way to spoiling the holiday, were the teenage sulks and strops and full blown arguements we had to put up with...
Oh, and I took my maternity notes with me, just in case!

[Cha]

Chiggles - what campsites do you know in Cornwall? Am expecting no 2 in late Aug (will be too pg to fly anywhere during summer hols) and was thinking of camping closer to home this time.

[Wills]

Me too. You've persauded me to try. Case of suck it and see.

When are you due Chiggles? I'm due on the 24th/25th

[kallee]

OK HOLIDAYS IN THIRD TRIMESTER.
we all need holidays firstly anything while your feet are on the ground is great you must think things through as to making things most comfortable and easy for youself. Don't forget your pregnancy notes and if your realy late on maybe big knickers if your not wearing them alredy and a baby outfit (not a whole bagful) but 2 vests,2 gros a cardy, hat, mits .
I don't recommend flying after 30 weeks or even close to it. I was expecting my forth child was in good health and decided to go to greece at the end of summer holidays, realy needed some quality time with other kids. When we flew out i was 30 weeks but because of returning after 30 weeks i needed a doctors letter and to inform airline (all airlines have different rules i went with BA)
anyway suffice to say on the last night of my holiday i went into labour and was stuck in greece for 6 weeks with horendous problems also had to send my other 3 kids home on their own lucky had a good mum who could take the time off work.
If you do go away make sure the leadup and preparations dont stress you out.

[SamboM]

I went to Ibiza in June last year when I was 7 months pregnant, we hired a villa and cos it was off season it was really cheap and it had it's own pool which was nice. Food was good and it's very clean. Beaches ok. Portinatx and that end of the island is nicest I thought.

[chiggles]

Cha and Wills - Don't know if you'll get this in time, forgot I'd posted it. My son's nearly 2 now but I was 8 months pregnant when we went. It's Porth Beach Tourist Park near Newquay!! It's familys and couples only and it's got brilliant everything. Across the road from the pub and beach and walking distance from Newquay town. We've been going for years. Took Charlie last year for his first birthday and he loved it too. The people who run it are lovely. There's also Hendra, but thats for anyone and a bit livelier I think. It's also out of town a bit. You can't beat Porth Beach though. It's even got a baby bath in the toilets!! (only in the womens though!) Really clean and quiet! Sorry for the delay. Hope this helps. I'm new to this and forget to check the ones I've posted on!!

[chiggles]

We're going again first week in June and first 2 weeks in August. If you go let me know, i'll look out for you! Hope you get these messages before you give birth!