Will I just be too big?

[greekbird]

My wonderful twin brother is getting married in Vegas May next year and I really want to be there with him and my SIL. My hubby and I are currently ttc and this weekend is optimum baby making time, however.....

If we did make a baby this month, then I would be 26-28 weeks in May. If next month I would be 22-24 weeks during the 2 week trip.

We've been trying for some time now so don't want to stop ttc, but on the other hand I really want to be at the wedding, which has been planned for some time due to getting all the greek parts of the family dotted around the world to Vegas at the same time.

The other factor is we would both like to do a road trip the week after the wedding with a bit of hiking in the National Parks of Utah.

This will be my first pregnancy so I don't know what to expect in terms of flying for 10 hours, what size I will be, how much difference those 4 weeks would make, how much hiking I could actually do (which I do a lot of now)

I know it would probably be more sensible to wait until next month, but those baby cravings aren't going away. Can't have my cake and eat it - just wondered if anyone could soothe my weary head from thinking about it constantly!

Hmmm that's a tricky one. I guess most airlines wouldn't have a problem with you flying at 26-28 weeks (although I don't know for definite), especially if your pregnancy is complication free. I've never flown in pregnancy (or gone hiking for that matter!) but I am 26 weeks at the moment and I have to say I think I would find it really hard to sit comfortably on a plane for 10 hours......having said that though I have been suffering quite bad hip pain which you hopefully won't get! As for hiking, there's no reason you couldn't join in but obviously you'd have to be careful about uneven ground etc (in other words don't risk falling off a cliff ;-)

it's totally your decision but personally I think I would hold off on the ttc for a few months......really hard to do when you've got persistant baby fever though I know! Good luck whatever you decide X

I am 23 weeks and would be totally happy to go to a wedding and do the flight at this stage... but hiking is out... not because I am too big (actually feel quite good now) but because of mild SPD.

I think one has no idea of how one will fare when pregnant... and from reading on here people have wildly different experiences even from pregnancy to pregnancy.

I started TTC (was told I would have problems) before a big work project thinking it would never work and I would be having IVF... and got pregnant the first month!

I had rose tinted spectacles about how it would all be fine and I would be glowing with a small bump and my life wouldn't change... but it wasn't quite like that!

I flew to Vancouver two weeks ago (10h flight) and I was 24-25 weeks. If you have a free complication pregnancy it's fine. In-flight socks, drinking plenty of water and moving every hour or so worked fine for me in both flights.
I found harder to cope with the jet lag than with the flight itself.

good luck TTC!!

Depends on your pregnancy and the airline - I needed a doctor's letter to fly with BMI to Germany (so only 1.5h) at 30wks, and my GP wouldn't have let me go long haul at this stage.

tbh I think the flights and staying in a hotel for the wedding will be fine if you are sensible and don't overdo it (eg make sure all luggage has wheels, get taxis rather than walkign to bus stops etc).

However I think that adding on the road trip (more sitting still for long periods) and the hiking (strenuous activity while carrying a pack and sleeping in a tent) would push it into dubious territory - apart from anything else hiking could take you a very long way from civilisation, mobile phone reception and the nearest doctor...

Use the money you would otherwise have spent on the road / hiking trip to upgrade your flights instead - let's be honest, 10h in economy is no fun at the best of times, let alone when you're not in peak physical condition.

I flew to the US for a holiday (road trip) at 23-25 weeks.

The flight was fine. However I was too knackered at that stage to do any long hikes, but shortish ones (3-4 miles) on relatively flat terrain are fine as long as you go at your own pace. Although one involved a 1000ft incline over the course of about a mile (felt so proud of myself that I managed to do it with lots of stops). The hike to delicate arch in Arches National Park, for instance, may be too much whatever stage you are at, particularly if its hot.

I don't think you know how you feel, cos everyone's different. Some people can still run at 20 weeks, I had to stop running pretty much right from the word go. Chances are you may still have heaps of energy, but I never got that in the 2nd trimester.

Go ahead and TTC would be my advice. You will still be able to have a good hol if you are 26-28 weeks and its certainly not worth missing a wedding for.

I can recommend the clearblue fertility monitor too - worked first month of trying for me! And I'm 42!

Dear All

Thanks so much for your soothing words, just needed someone's who's been there and done it to stop me going round and round in circles.

I'm erring towards avoiding this month, but will ttc in December. As for the hiking I'll see how I feel at the time and pick the most suitable trails. We usually cover 10-12 miles of varied terrain, so I'm sure I can find some that are OK. We won't be camping and the only thing I'll need to carry is water, hubby can carry the rest.

Besides, I might well be too exhausted from all the greek dancing to be thinking about hiking

Thanks again everyone x