How far from home can you go?

jlml2008 · May 2013

At this point last pregnancy I was on bed rest so the bathroom was as far as I traveled...anyway, I'm curious how far from your home hospital and doctor you're supposed to go at 37 weeks. Baby is breech so I do need a csection whenever my body goes into labor.

My sister is having a graduation party this weekend an hour from where we live. We were considering driving down Saturday, staying the night and then spending the day at the nearby lake which is an additional 45 mins from home. Just curious if anyone has traveled this far or if its recommended to stay close to home. There are hospitals within 30mins of each of the places we would go if my water were to break, just not my home hospital

jennkg3 · May 2013

I'm only going to be 35 weeks but we are going to fil about an hour away and then going to a baseball game about 30 mins away from there. My midwives don't care but I think they will want me to take my records just in case.

TriciaandSean · May 2013

About 1-2 hrs would be my limit. Most likely you will have more notice then this to get to a hospital if needed. Like you said there is a hospital within 30 minutes if needed. I'd go and have one last fun weekend as a family of 3.

Yakut · May 2013

Nobody told me how far (or not) I can travel, but I never want to go more than 30 minutes away from my hospital. It's a self-imposed thing, though. There's a hospital ten minutes away from me, and my actual hospital is 15-20 minutes away, but when I saw my first OB (at the closer hospital) for the first time, she freaked out about the fact that I had fibroids and told me that I might have to have an involuntary hysterectomy during delivery, and that I might not be able to have a c-section OR a vaginal birth, and that was IF LO managed to stay put that long and would probably be much too small due to IUGR (which didn't happen--70th percentile!), and that I never should have been able to get pregnant with the things. (The OBs at my current hospital who heard about this think she's a flaming moron.) Anyway, my situation might be a little specific, but her view of fibroids is apparently not totally unique, though stupid and inaccurate, so I want to make sure I'm at my own, current hospital where they know what fibroids are and how to deal with them during L&D, and I can be sure that the h-word would be a LAST resort.

BC&LM · May 2013

I think it really depends on your doctor's advice for your specific situation. I know my doctor recommends no further than an hour's travel that close to due date, but yours may be different.

emolm · May 2013

I'd go, for sure.

My OB hasn't given any limitations.

enuk2013 · May 2013

My in-laws have a vacation house at a beach about 90 minutes away. We're going there for Memorial Day weekend; I'm 36 weeks. My midwife said, since this is a first baby, that there'd probably be plenty of time to get back home (although it'd be uncomfortable of course if I was in labor). If not, there's a hospital 10 mins from my in-laws' house with a great midwifery staff (mine actually trained there coincidentally).

courty625 · May 2013

My dr recommends within an hour or so after 36 weeks, but also said its basically whatever you're comfortable with. So, I'm no help apparently, sorry!

hannahg · May 2013

I am going to my parents beach house this weekend. It is about an hour and a half away. I will be 36 weeks 5days. I figure at the first signs of impending labor we will get in the car. With DS I had a very long early labor.

BLT20051 · May 2013

My OB hasn't mentioned it but I wouldn't want to go more than 2 hours away. But, I'm not going anywhere lol.

needanustart · May 2013

I'd go. I am actually flying to a wedding this weekend at 36 weeks and my doctor is going to write me a note just in case the airline questions how far along I am. As long as I have access to western medicine I'm comfortable with traveling. Not that I want to have this one at a new hospital, but it wouldn't be that big of deal.

BbyCarter13 · May 2013

I live 45mins-1 hour from my hospital. I have a friend that is 38 weeks that lives about 2 hours from the hospital. Neither of use are concerned about getting to the hospital on time. If it was the middle of winter, that might be a little different but in May/June we shouldn't have any problems.

ASmallWonder · May 2013

You CAN go as far as you want. Doctors assume you have a strong desire to deliver with them at your "home" hospital and that's why they usually tell you to stay within an hour or two. If you know, and are accepting of the fact, that you might have to deliver somewhere else if your labor comes on fast, you're good to go anyplace you want

I think your plans sound totally fine.

Monkeybutt80 · May 2013

There isn't really a restriction, but I think this is just all personal preference on how much risk you are willing to take in not delivering at your hospital. For me personally, I stopped traveling for more than 45 mins - 1 hour starting 35weeks or so. And I limited my work trips to less than 2 hours once I was in third trimester but that had more to do with the back pain after long drives.

melissa0726 · May 2013

My doctor's recommendation is that it's fine to go an hour (or a little more) away up to 39 weeks. He feels that many people (in our area) have that long of a commute to/from work, anyway, so it's not a big deal.

I went on a trip an hour and a half away at 36 weeks, and I would probably go this weekend (at 38 weeks) if we could get away. I think it's about your own comfort level and accepting the possibility that you have the chance of having to deliver elsewhere.

Eleventy11 · May 2013

SouthSideDrea:
That's fine. A couple of hours is a good rule. My hospial is over an hour away. So if I leave the house it only gets farther. Such is life.

This is true for me also. I had a workshop last Friday almost an hour and a half in the other direction. I felt fine doing that at 38 weeks. There are hospitals close by if there was an emergency.

kkmlafferty · May 2013

I asked my doctor if it was ok to go about 1.5 hour away this weekend at 38 weeks but it would be out of state, he would prefer i didnt. Instead we are going to be about 45 minutes away and staying overnight 2 nights he said that was fine with him and he also was ok with me going to my MIL's on Monday which is an hour away but we are only going for the day. This is baby 3 and I labored at home for a while with my first 2 so I feel like I would have plenty of time to leave and get home if labor starts.

kelseypie · May 2013

I'm 38 weeks and traveling an hour and a half tomorrow to surprise my mom at her retirement party. Just making a day trip, though.

btsrc5 · May 2013

I live about an hour away from the hospital.

I will not be going any further than that until baby arrives. however, I had a very quick labor with DD without any warning signs leading up to it. I have been instructed to stay close and go to L&D right away.

kristinrae914 · May 2013

I haven't been given any restrictions other than no more travel for work (I used to fly to Pittsburgh once a month). My commute is about 35 miles, and with traffic it sometimes takes me over an hour so that's the furthest I'm going. I can't wait until June 7th when I don't have to do that anymore.

BnchaNums · May 2013

SouthSideDrea:
That's fine. A couple of hours is a good rule. My hospial is over an hour away. So if I leave the house it only gets farther. Such is life.

same. I just keep my bag in the car and another for dd.

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