Will driving be comfortable?

[amyboo]

I'm 9+4 pregnant and although I'm not counting anything yet (had mmc last time at 13 weeks) I do kind of need to get on with planning various visits to family etc before Christmas.

So, we're planning to drive to see in-laws around the time I should (fingers, toes and everything else crossed) be 20 weeks pregnant. The drive is about 7 hours - 2 hours to Eurotunnel, where I could get out of the car and walk around for 30 minutes) plus 4-5 hour car journey along the motorway. And then the same in reverse to get home a few days later. DH doesn't drive, so it would just be me driving.

As this is my first, I have no idea how big and/or uncomfortable I might be. The other option is to travel when I I should (fingers, toes and everything else crossed) be around 16 weeks.

Can anyone advise? Is it risky to do such a long car journey when pregnant?

20 weeks preg should be ok, although exhausting.

the biggest obstacle to me driving was SPD later in the preg but i found driving in heels helped as i could balance my foor on the heel and just move my foot up and down rather than have to move my whole leg iyswim?

other than that i drive up til the day before i delivered and had no problems really, and was driving again 4 days after delivery for several hours a day as ds2 was in SCBU and we live a fair ways from the hospital

Your bump is probably not going to be the problem, the tiredness may be.

If you stop often for a rest then you should be ok.

Good luck, will be crossing fingers, toes and everything else for you that this pregnancy goes well.

According to my consultant when I took a similar journey - because of the heightened risk of DVT when pregnant you have to remember to keep moving.

Treat the journey like you would a plane journey and keep your legs moving (do the leg exercises you would on a plane). Make sure you get up and walk around every couple of hours - which will mean you have to stop in the car (you'll probably need to anyway for your bladder - mine became 'active' around this time).

That's another point actually - make sure you know where the motorway services are before you set off - they'll probably take on more significance on this journey than you'd ever have thought!

I did a transatlantic flight at 20 weeks, no problem - it wasn't the most comfortable flight of my life, but otherwise fine. At least with a car journey you can get out and walk around when you want to, without bumping into stewardesses, or being told to sit down because of turbulence

I also drove about 5 hours in total each way whilst 19 weeks - my DP did some of the driving, with me doing most, and it was fine. tiring, but fine!

I'm now driving an hour each way to work at 37 weeks pg, and, whilst counting the hours until mat leave starts, the drive is ok - I find my car seat very comfortable and supportive, much better than the chair in the office!

good luck!

Thanks for all your helpful answers. Will definitely have to find out where all the services are before we set off. We're OK on the Belgian/French side, but in the UK we have to take the A303 for most of the way, which isn't exactly abound with decent services!

If I had my way, I wouldn't go and see the in-laws at all, but suggesting that would just result in an argument with DH. Sigh.