We start our PCS to Germany in a week
mckay1am
member
Next Saturday my husband and I will begin the LONG drive from Tucson to Baltimore, MD. We are stopping to say goodbye to family on the way, which I am so excited about. Our assignment in Germany is 4 years and I won't be able to come back until after our baby is born.
Anyway, I am kind of nervous about driving across the country. Normally, DH and I are beasts and we drive like 12-16 hours a day. In the summer, we made it to Michigan with only one overnight, and it was in Tulsa, OK.
This time, not so much. I'm so exhausted all the time! And the main problem with this is that I CAN'T sleep in cars, no matter what I do. When we drove back in the summer, I was on muscle relaxers for a pulled trap and those didn't even help me sleep.
Any pointers?
Re: We start our PCS to Germany in a week
I am not sure how many days you have to travel or if you are taking leave en route but just this summer we drove from San Antonio to Baltimore (and flew on the rotator to Ramstein) and although I was not pregnant at the time, we had a 3 and 1 year old in tow. We stopped for the night in Little Rock, Nashville, Cincinnati and spent a night or two in Baltimore before the flight. We took leave as well so the trip to a total of 3ish weeks. We spent time with family and squeezed in a beach vacation in Maryland.
Just take your time and try not to stress. It does not accomplish anything. Pack lots of small healthy snacks for the car. Lot of water. Stretch your legs whenever possible. Try to eliminate fast food as much as possible (you never feel good after eating it)
That being said, we drove from Alaska to TX when I was 28-31 weeks pregnant (with a 1 year old - yes we are crazy:) and it was challenging at times but can totally be done with the proper planning.
I did not have to drive that far while pregnant, but we drove from Fort Irwin, CA to Nashville after I had done three (back to back) IUI cycles with injectible meds. Prior to this, DH and I would go three or four hours (at least) without needing a pit stop. We stopped just about every 90 minutes that trip. I joked that I peed my way across America! It sucked. But, you just have to listen to your body. It's tough because you want to limit liquids to minimize the need for stops, but you *really* need to remain well hydrated while pregnant. I would warn your DH that you will need to stop frequently. It is what it is. You can't get around it.
I hope that you enjoy your coming time in Germany. We've been here nearly a year and I'm really enjoying it. It can be frustrating at times, but on the whole, it's an amazing experience!
Good luck! We have orders to Germany in May and my daughter is due to April. It has been nothing but a pain in the butt. I'm a federal employee as well, so I understand the red tape, but dang. The army has taken this to a new level. Wanting me to drive 3.5 hours to get a physical at 8 months pregnant so that I can be added to my husband's orders. Of course my daughter can't be added until she's born. Plus, she has to have her physical (probably another long drive) and then trying to expedite her passport, etc. I just don't want to stay stateside longer than I have to. Oh... and in the middle of this craziness I need to put my house on the market. My husband is away for training for 4 months (might miss the birth) and somedays I wonder how it's all going to get done. ....
thanks for letting me vent.