3rd Trimester
Road trip at 37 weeks?
Sorry I am mainly a lurker and I feel like these type of questions get asked all the time, but when I am 37 weeks pregnant my brother wants me to drive 6 hours to where he lives because he is planning on proposing to his gf and is going to have a surprise engagement party for her after with all of our family. What would you do?
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Re: Road trip at 37 weeks?
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I wouldn't go. My doctor doesn't want me to travel more than an hour away after 36 weeks and plus, I'm already so big and uncomfortable as it is, there is no way I would do a 6 hour car trip at 37 weeks.
If you're comfortable enough to do it, then talk to your doctor about it and check with your insurance to see if the hospital in the city you're going to is in your network, just in case you do go into labor and have to have the baby there.
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012
I think 37 weeks is really far along - you could go into labour any day. Also, 6 hours in the car is really long. I wouldn't do that long a trip at that point in my pregnancy.
I would send some money to another family member and ask them pick up a bottle of champagne or something to give to them with a note from you wishing them good luck and congratulations.
I wouldn't feel in the least bit guilty- I'd hope your brother would be more than understanding. 1-that is an incredibly long car ride, it would take you twice as long because you'll need to stop often to get up and move around. And 2-what if by chance you went into labor? You may be out of your insurances network and I doubt with a 6 (plus more) hour trip you'd make it back to your own hospital (at least not without wanting to kill the driver). Stay home, don't feel guilty.
For me, since I'm in Canada and would have no issues, in terms of insurance, delivering at any hospital, I would probably make the trip. 6 hours is a long drive, but not unbearable. I felt great at 37 weeks and wouldn't have had any problem making the trip. Of course there's always a chance you could go into labour, so I'd just bring a hospital bag and car seat and not worry about the rest. My doctor had no issues with me heading up to our cottage as long as getting to a hospital was a real possibility (as in, not needing to fly into a hospital).
Honestly, even now at 39 weeks I'd still consider it! BUT, that's only because I don't have to worry about anything like insurance coverage or networks or anything. For us, we firmly stick to the fact that you can have a baby anywhere, so we don't let my pregnancy hold us back from anything.
If insurance coverage is an issue, then I'd probably stay home and try to send flowers and have a family member bring a gift for me.
The person who can give the best advice is your dr!
I had a baby shower at 36 weeks that was 2.5 hours away, she told me at my appointment she was fine if I went but she sent all my medical records with me and made sure I knew where the local hospital was! We just went for the evening so there wasn't an overnight involved.
Dr's can probably give the best advice (mine did an internal exam and confirmed she didn't think I was anywhere close to having my baby).
Good luck with your decision! I'm sure its a hard one to make!
I don't think it's a big deal to travel that far from home at 37 weeks. Sure, you could go into labor, but probably not. We'll be spending week 38 three hours away, and my OB had no issue with it.
However, if you don't want to do a 6 hour car ride, you definitely have every right to use it as an excuse to not go. Six hour car rides suck even when you aren't uncomfortable!
No way.
Then again, I was home with a baby at 37 weeks, so take my response with a grain of salt
I was a FTM, no contractions, had been to the OB 3 days earlier and wasn't dilated at all, water broke at 6am and I had a baby in my arms 8 hours later, so being 6 hours away would have been an issue...
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