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UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Original poster

Butlins while 37/38 weeks pregnant

18 replies

TheSunnyLemonShark · 22/04/2024 09:44

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has been to butlins in Bognor Regis really late on into their pregnancy?
long story short dp hasn’t got the custody agreement for the holiday he wanted with dd, since they now can’t go on their daddy daughter trip before the baby gets here he wants me to go instead so we can get booked and get the discount for next year. I’m hesitant to go though as I’ll be 37-38 weeks pregnant at that point and it is a 9/10 hour drive away from where we live! While still in the uk it is my first baby and dps 2nd, and my mum is one of my birthing partners along with dp and I don’t want to have the baby in a different country (we’re based in Scotland) without my mum being there incase I go into labour early- I also don’t like the idea of a 9 hour drive home while I’m in labour 😩I’ve had a lot of sciatic nerve problems already and I’m only 27 weeks so I assume that’s going to get worse as I get further on as well.

I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go and I don’t think I’d be able to relax while I’m there and would much rather stay home but I thought I’d ask if anyone else had done something similar and enjoyed it?

thanks

OP posts:
QuiltedHippo · 22/04/2024 09:46

Would Skegness Butlins make it any easier?

Dareisayiseethesunshine · 22/04/2024 09:46

Meh I drove back from Spain to England with 10 days to spare..
I am sure they have hospitals near Butlins... Take your notes and enjoy the break.

Cbljgdpk · 22/04/2024 09:48

I think it’d be quite silly to be honest; if you go into labour there then you’ve got a 9 hour drive home with a newborn and they can’t be in car seats for very long. If you ended up having a c section that will also be awful for you. If you have to stay in hospital for a few days and the holiday is over then that’s a problem for your DP. Also you’d end up giving birth alone because your DP will be with his DD.
I wouldn’t agree to him going either unless he’s fine to miss his child’s birth

NerrSnerr · 22/04/2024 09:53

Am I reading it wrong are is he suggesting that you take his daughter by yourself or is he going too?

If it's by yourself I wouldn't do it. That's a massive drive. If it's both of you I'd suggest he takes his daughter and you stay home.

We live 1.5 hours from Minehead Butlins and love it but this seems mad.

justanotherlaura · 22/04/2024 09:55

No way I'd be driving 9 hours at 37 weeks! We drove for an hour yesterday at 28 weeks and I was incredibly uncomfortable with baby kicking me in the bladder, I asked husband to drive home when I normally would as I was so uncomfortable.

We had center parcs booked for 36 weeks last pregnancy and we cancelled and booked again for when he was 6 months, I'm so glad we did, I was in such a rubbish space physically and mentally by then all I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa.

We're off to center parcs again in a few weeks when I'll be 30 weeks and my family were trying to persuade me to postpone again but we'll have grandparents and aunts there, one of which is a midwife, so I'm fine with it. Wouldn't be going if it was just me and a child to look after!

Original poster
TheSunnyLemonShark · 22/04/2024 10:12

It absolutely would have but he’s being stubborn and insisting on this one, as he wants to take both the kids next year (Skegness is only around 5 hours from where we live so would be so much easier!)

OP posts:
Bells3032 · 22/04/2024 10:17

erm no i would not be doing a 9 hour drive whilst full term pregnant. And he's not going with you? what if you go into labour? whose going to watch the daughter and how are you going to get to the hospital or drive home? would he get there in time. Even if he is going with you either you leave daughter alone or you go into have the baby alone in an unfamiliar place.

Even 5 hours would be too much for me. max one hour in my view.

I don't understand why he can't book next year (or move this years booking to next year) if you don't go this year?

Original poster
TheSunnyLemonShark · 22/04/2024 10:18

He isn’t able to take dd at all as he hasn’t been granted the weeks full custody for it (he only has alternate weekends at the moment due to his work and dds school location).
when we initially booked I didn’t want to go so close to my due date and thought the trip would be fantastic for them before the baby arrived but now since he isn’t able to take dd he’s wanting me to go with him instead as a ‘babymoon’. All because he wants to book it for all 4 of us next year. (I’d much rather go to a butlins closer to home next year but that’s a whole other discussion)

OP posts:
Cbljgdpk · 22/04/2024 10:20

Oh I see so you won’t be alone but no I wouldn’t as I’d find it too uncomfortable pregnant to travel that far and no way would I travel that distance with a newborn.
To be honest it’s a red flag to me that he’d book it and not just go to one closer by; no regard for you and your views

OmniPresents · 22/04/2024 10:22

I had quite easy pregnancies but there's no way I'd do that drive and a holiday on my own with a young child at full term!

Also, if you do go into labour whilst at butlins, who will look after the child? And you'll be labouring and delivering baby alone if your babies dad and your mum are far away.

Just to totally put you off, I had a textbook 12 hour labour, 4 days after his due date with DC1 but DC2 arrived unexpectedly after a 1 hour labour at 36 weeks. Imagine that at butlins on your own with a child!

WhatNoRaisins · 22/04/2024 10:24

I can't think of anything worse than a drive that long while as pregnant as that myself. It would be a hard no for me.

OmniPresents · 22/04/2024 10:24

Sorry I cross posted with your post about it being your partner and you without DCs!

Still wouldn't go though!

TotalDramarama24 · 22/04/2024 10:25

Why doesn't he just change the trip to next year instead of having to go again now?

I've been to Butlins Bognor many times and enjoy it with the kids but no way would I do any of the following in a million years (1) drive more than 2-3 hours to get there from anywhere (2) go there that late in pregnancy (3) go on a baby moon there - honestly I couldn't think of anywhere less suitable to have a last holiday.

It would be a big fat no from me and I can't believe he is trying to convince you to go! The discount from going again is a ridiculous reason as well.

LadyDanburysHat · 22/04/2024 10:25

No way would I want to be in a cat that long at that stage of pregnancy. It will not be fun for you at all. Also all of my DC came early.

853ax · 22/04/2024 10:29

I wouldn't go.
My babies born 37,39,38 weeks. Very fast labour the 5-10 min in car to hospital very uncomfortable.
In my head I was expecting my middle baby arrive but sooner was anxious going anywhere the week of so before.
Don't think you would be able to relax when so far away.
Why does going next year depend on going this year too

Olika · 22/04/2024 10:31

No way at that stage.

Icanseethebeach · 22/04/2024 10:33

Ridiculous. New borns should only be in car seats for 30 mins at a time due to the risk of positional asphyxiation. Imagine that journey home with a new born. If you went into labour there you would have to labour alone because DP would be with the older child.

Original poster
TheSunnyLemonShark · 23/04/2024 01:13

Thank you all,

I’ve completely put my foot down about going and talked to him about thinking about my health and the babies as well incase something did go wrong

OP posts:
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