Traveling three weeks before due date

sarahabbitt · August 2012

My husband is in a wedding 12 hours away from home three weeks before the baby's due date. I was induced three days after my due date with my first. What are your thoughts about traveling that close to the baby's due date and having your husband gone, if I decide not to go? My doctors says we will have to take it day by day (depending if I am dilating or thining prior to the travel date). Am I crazy for thinking I can make this work?!

JayMOOMOO · August 2012

wow i would be nervous. I know some airports will not let you fly. so it really depends on how you are going (transportation) and for how long will you be gone. If your driving just know that you may swell. If husband is flying see if he can come back the day after the wedding if the airport does not allow you to fly.

MrsP052909 · August 2012

With my son I was told no traveling farther than an hour from home after 36 weeks. There is absolutely no way I would go 12 hours away at 37 weeks.

jessican08 · August 2012

I would not travel more than an hour away at this point.

12 hours is a long trip, even if you don't go into labor, I can't imagine how uncomfortable that would be driving. I also doubt an airline would let you fly being 3 weeks away from your due date.

sarahabbitt · August 2012

I appreciate the feedback. We would be driving. My doctor seems to think since I was late with my first, there is a chance I will be late with the second. Still makes me very nervous! I would also have our 2 year old with us. So I can already imagine the trip: My husband busy with the being in the wedding, me huge as a whale, chasing a two year old around. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

JulesDiane · August 2012

BFF or really good friend and I was feeling good and doctor said okay, I would probably go. Otherwise I think I would have to just to pass and send my DH. 12 hours in the car sounds pretty miserable at this point.

HeyJune · August 2012

I wouldn't have a problem with my husband going, but I wouldn't go. Are you talking about driving 12 hours? Risk of blood clots, the uncomfortable sitting for long periods of time, swelling, the chance of going into labor, etc. is just not worth it for a wedding. What happened with your first is not really a good indication of what will happen with this one. Every labor is different.

CTA7 · August 2012

I was in a similar situation with DD. DH was the best man in his brother's wedding about 2.5 weeks before my due date (to make matters worse, I had been dilated 3cm since 36 weeks). We both ended up going to the wedding (a 2-hour flight). Our rationale was that if I went into labor while DH was gone there was a very good chance he'd miss the birth; but I knew I'd feel terrible if I asked him to miss his brother's wedding and did not have the baby that weekend. My doctor wrote me a note (which, believe it or not, United never even asked to see). She explained that as a FTM there was pretty much no chance I'd go into labor AND have the baby on a 2-hour flight. The risk was that I'd have the baby away from home (in Denver where all of DH's family is), so we lined up a doctor and hospital on that end just in case.

I'm not going to lie, it was NOT a fun trip for me -- the altitude was killer and I was constantly guzzling water to stay hydrated -- I slept like 18 hours a day. But the baby did not come (she waited 3 more days!) and we got to be there for the wedding.

If it had been anyone else's wedding I probably would have asked DH to skip it.

Hyaline · August 2012

I think it depends on you. Are you willing to go into labor in the middle of the drive and have to find a hospital to deliver at? Is your husband willing to call of going to this wedding last-minute to stay with you in a strange town while you deliver? If you truly are comfortable with the fact that it could happen and you could end up delivering in a completely unknown place--whether the docs say it's imminent or not (we've all heard the "went from no signs of approaching labor to pushing in two days" stories), then I suppose it could work (especially if your insurance will cover wherever you might end up). If this idea makes you as nervous as it makes me (who knows what kind of hospital, ob, what have you you would get), then it's probably a bad idea.

tinyhumantoe · August 2012

I skipped a wedding 3.5h away this weekend. I wouldn't do it.

Also, I feel like shiit. That alone is enough of a reason for me to skip it. Blahhh

rmrm · August 2012

i wouldn't. we took a trip at 35 weeks my first pregnancy that was about 6 hours from home. it was pretty crappy. i delivered at 37 weeks.

IncogNeato · August 2012

MamaAlex:
Have you checked your insurance? Mine WILL NOT COVER any emergency labor-related costs after 34 weeks unless it's at my (covered) hospital. I'm sure you know this but an L&D bill can run in the thousands ... tens-of-thousands if you have complications. I wouldn't risk it.

I was warned about this too. I traveled 2.5 hours when I was 34 weeks (and had also had a negative FFN test that week, indicating that I was unlikely to to deliver in the next two weeks. That's the latest I would push it.

Ok, I lie. My BFF is delivering a medically fragile baby when I will be about 35 weeks and if I am still looking locked up tight I will be going to see her.

12 hours, though. Heck to the no.

tamararachel2 · August 2012

Yea...I'm no so sure about going that far away, but it's completely what you feel comfortable with. My FI has a bachelor party to go to about 3.5 hours away when I'm 37 weeks and he chose not to go. He wanted to go because we are missing the wedding for the guy already since his wedding is 2 days after my due date but he didn't want to leave me for even a night and risk missing something nor did he want me to be away from my OB should something happen if he does go. Most people though are very understanding about things like this so if something were to occur and your DH missed the wedding or the like, there shouldn't be any hard feelings from either side.

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