Travel at 37 weeks - crazy?

[Snowfalls108]

So I'm in the early days of pregnancy, but thinking ahead. Obviously things could all go wrong, but touch wood!

My friend is getting married in the south of France when I'll be 37 weeks. I'm meant to be giving a reading, and she's hiring a villa for 12 of us (including DH) to stay in for the week before.

Am I crazy to be contemplating going? I would travel down by train (with a friend), DH would fly down the next day as he's got work, and we would ship all our bags seperately.

Plus points to me are chance to have a week in a villa in the south of France, bob around in the pool, be looked after by friends and the cook who they've got in.
Cons - will I want to move anywhere at that stage? What happens if I go into labour?

As you can tell it's my first time at all this and any advice would be appreciated.
I will obviously take doctors advice too, but would be nice to hear from those who have been there done that!

friend

37 - 40 weeks is considered full term, I wouldn't - sorry!

My first baby came at 38 weeks and my friends first baby came at 37 weeks. Argh... imagine coming back with a newborn on public transport, let alone your first! Sorry to be negative

I was in and out of hospital from 35 weeks with DS with high blood pressure and suspected (eventually confirmed) pre-eclampsia. He was born at 38+3

With DD although I was big and fat and round and heavy, I think I would have been all right to travel some distance.

Do you need to book it now? If not, I would hold off until nearer the time so you can be sure of how you are feeling.

If you do go, make sure you have everything you need with you including a labour bag for the train. Make sure you know (and your companion) what you want to do in the case of going into labour. Be sure you would be happy to:

• have labour (maybe long, maybe short, maybe difficult) in France where you don't understand what the nurses and doctors are saying
• learn to BF and deal with a newborn in a french hospital
• travel back with a newborn - how are you going to do that - on the train? In a car? Car seat?
• travel back yourself if its all not gone to plan - CSection, a lot of pain etc?

the other thing is that you will be 38 weeks on your way back!

Personally, as great as it sounds, I would not do it because I am cautious and even though I speak French, I would not want to go through it all, especially the risk of having to travel with a newborn back.

I moved countries when I was 30weeks pg- I needed a letter from my doctor that said I was fit to travel and that the baby wasn't imminent. I didn't think the airline would check the letter but they did, they really do want to be delivering babies mid-flight.

At 37 weeks I was looking 6months pg- I measured very very small for dates yet I still had to give up driving then as it was too uncomfortable.

Book 1st class if you are going to go to give you more room and pack a hospital bag to take with you, you never know when the baby will arrive.

Sorry but agree with the majority of other posters - I wouldn't go.

Yes, it's a very close friend of yours but if she's that close then she will understand that yours and your baby's health, comfort and wellbeing have to take priority.

I am at at 37+2 in my first pregnancy, which has been totally uneventful so far(touch wood) and am now in to the second week of maternity leave. There is no way I would contemplate going much further than an hour from home at the moment. DH is French and although his relatives are pretty close by (we're in Kent, they're in the north of Paris) I didn't want to travel at Christmas either. I get uncomfortable after too long in the car despite being able to adjust my seating position, and commuting was a nightmare towards the end but at least Eurostar have slightly more comfy (and spacious) seats than SouthEastern! So I think what I'm trying to say is that you probably won't know how you feel until much nearer the time, so it's probably best to sign up as a 'definitely maybe' and get the cheapest fare you can in case you have to cancel.

Snowfalls, I travelled to the south of France by train in the last month of my first pg. I think I was probably 36 weeks (it was 8 years ago so can't remember exactly). The journey was fine, although the train change in Paris was a bit exhausting. The week was lovely. I swam loads, the weather was lovely (mid June). I am not a laissez faire kinda gal, so would have been a bit nervous, but it was all fine. Of course, everyone's experiences are different, but just wanted to give you a positive one.

You'd be completely insane IMHO. My first baby arrived at 37 + 3. You have absolutely no idea what will happen. Yours may turn up on your due date or later, but it might not.

Also, my first labour was 4 1/2 hours from first twinge to dd being born. If I had been in your potential situation, I might have given birth on the train!

I think I would wait until you're at least 32-34 weeks before making a final decision... you'll see if you're going to be big or small (My bump was bigger at 12 weeks than my friend at 32 weeks Mind you she's tall, I'm shortish, her baby a 6lber mine is predicted to be 10lbish!

You will also start seeing the potential 'problems' cropping up, like higher blood pressure or what ever.

Also you mention you mum was late - what about MIL? Don't forget there's two sets of DNA in this baby!

...last thought from me - have you tried telling your friend? if it is a small do she might move it by a month so you are nearer 33 weeks - then much more manageable and you could fly etc...

I definately wouldnt go. Sorry to shed a downer, but at 37 weeks if you had the baby then, it wouldnt even be deemed premature - ie it is a possibility you could go into labour, and would you really want to be abroad if that happens? How remote is it where you are staying? If you still want to go, make sure you check out where the local hospital is - ie the route, and make sure someone will be sober each night to drive you (you cant drive yourself in labour). Do you speak french? If not, would you be ok going through the birth without being able to communicate with the dr's? I only say all this because we had flights booked to go abroad in the later stages of my pregnancy, and this is what my dr said to us, so we cancelled our flights.

I had an unplanned home birth at 37 weeks - it was not remotely funny. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I wouldn't do it.

My first pregnancy was pretty trouble free, apart from tedious SPD from about 30 weeks. However, at 37 weeks I had odd pains in my tummy and was sent in for monitoring.

Turns out the baby's heart was racing and they decided to whip him out via c-section. DS had jaundice and was under a phototherapy lamp for 24 hours, and I had a post-op infection and an IV antibiotic drip.

The thought of being in a different country with all that and then having to travel home with stitches, bleeding, trying to establish breastfeeding etc would just send me over the edge.

Ask them to take a DVD of the ceremony and celebrate with them when they return.

I so sympathise! I have a very good friend who's getting married a couple of weeks after my due date. Unfortunately it's a good couple of hours each way and dh has checked and apparently that is far too long in a car seat for a newborn. So if things go to plan and I hatch when I'm supposed to then I don't think I'll be able to make it. I'm dreading telling her and am gutted at the thought I'm going to miss it ...

I'm flying longhaul when I'm 23/25 and have had my mw asking me to make an appointment to be checked beforehand. I think you may be pushing it to take a long train journey when you're so far along but why don't you ask your mw and see what she thinks?

Nekabu, if you spend longer on the journey and stop to give your baby a rest/feed out of the carseat you will be okay to travel whatever distance you'd feel comfortable with. Actually the main problem with newborns and carseats is that they can reduce their airway if their head slumps forwards in the seat so I would recommend sitting in the back with the baby.

This is all assuming you and baby are otherwise well. If there's anything even slightly amiss you might want to bail out on the trip, but I don't think you need to tell your friend a definite no unless you want to.

And I wouldn't go if you haven't given birth, obviously (to nekabu again)

mrsgboring, cool! You reckon that would be OK? How long (ish) do the breaks have to be? I don't mind taking longer over the journey, I just was worried as it'll be only a couple of weeks old and dh said the car seat instructions said no more than 30 mins. The reception's outdoors but as I should be in July it should be OK in a carrycot, shouldn't it? Though we'd only go for a little while to the reception and if it'd be any kind of issue, not at all. It's the wedding ceremony I'll really be upset to miss.

I would hold off deciding for a while.

I went long haul at 30 weeks, short holiday to Italy at 34 weeks and car trip over to Belgium at 37 weeks (gave birth in Belgium).

I have to say I think it's just that bit too late. At 37 weeks I felt fine, great, but could not do that much, everything is geared up for the birth, it is not a time to be making a journey, psychologically you really don't feel like moving far from home. I know it's a pity to miss it though. with a kid, it's a nightmare attending weddings as well! Don't decide yet but don't promise to do a reading..

I say go for it!!!!!!

I travelled to france for two weeks at 36 weeks pregnant in a van with exh 3 years ago it was absolutely fine, knackering but fine

I now live in France and gave birth to DD here in October. The care antenatal and postnatal is fantastic the birth was very medicalised imo (I was a midwife in uk)

I would say to make preparations just in case you do go into labour. make sure you know where the nearest hospital is, if possible get the number of a good translator (although trust me you wont need it in labour I dont speak much french but made myself understood), take the numbers of the nearest embassy very handy for advice etc and dont worry about it.Make sure you have your hospital notes and marriage certificate if you are married

The hospital registered the birth for me and the passport application was easy and very quick it was back within a week, although very expensive compared to the UK

anything else you want to know just pm me and I will help if I can where abouts are you staying?

I think you are utterly bonkers even thinking about it. Really, you have no idea how you will be feeling like then. One of my aunts has had all of her five babies at 35 weeks, that's normal for her. And 37 weeks is full term!

Hi Helenhismadwife

Thanks for all the advice. We'll be near Antibes - very close to hospitals etc.
If I think of anymore questions I will send them over.
Doing my dates again, I think I'll actually be 36 weeks so that might help!
Thanks everyone for the advice - I will take medical advice and see how I'm feeling closer to the time.

Nekabu, I'd go by how well rested you feel. The carseat instructions seem a bit bonkers to me, though. Usually they say no more than 2 hours at a time, then we'd have about 45 mins' break. If you are breastfeeding you'll want mealbreaks that freqently practically and no-one should drive more than 2 hours without a break anyway.

Baby will not be remotely bothered where it is provided it's warm/cool enough, dry, clean and fed and gets cuddles as needed, all eminently doable at a wedding, so long as you're all feeling well enough.

Completly Crazy !