BTDT perspective: Travel during twin pregnancy (several trips from 28-31 weeks)

vegetablegardens · October 2013

Hi, ladies. Quick question about travel and twin pregnancy. Mine are di/di, by the way.

I will likely have a number of interviews for psych residency positions that will be scheduled when I am between 28 and 31. It's the last step in my doctoral training, and these are tough positions to get. Only 75% of people who apply get one, and if you don't get one, you have to wait an entire year to apply again (and, therefore, an entire year to finish your PhD). And, they're all over the country (although I will be limiting my applications to midwest, south, and east coast). There is only one position for what I am looking for in my entire state.

So. My question is this. I know there is a decent chance that I'll have signs of preterm labor and will be unable to travel at this time. In that case, I will gladly, gladly do Skype interviews or phone interviews and call it a day. Above all else, I want healthy babies!!! But if everything is going well, I'd really like to try to be able to physically get to as many of these interviews as possible. This is possibly naive (as I'm only 16 weeks right now and I'm just starting to show signs of growing), so I'd really like to hear your opinions. If I decide to buy tickets to try to get to them, I will certainly buy travel insurance. Flights would be 2-3 hours tops (some less). And I would probably choose to drive to about half that would be within 5 hours of me.

Did any of you travel during this time? Consider it and back out? Feel so terrible that there is no way you would have attempted it? Pregnant now and thinking about it?

Thanks, friends!

JodiAriel · October 2013

What type of twins are you having? I had di/di twins and never had a preterm labor scare and delivered at 40 weeks. I would say unless your body is telling you otherwise, plan to go.

We went to an out of state fair which was about a 2 hour drive when I was 35 weeks and my doctors only request was that I use a scooter because it was a lot of walking so you may want to consider that for the airports, etc. They are fairly inexpensive to rent.

Good luck!

LegallyBlonde217 · October 2013

I was supposed to go to a wedding out of state at 24 weeks, but I ended up canceling at the last minute and sending DH alone because I was already too uncomfortable to be walking as much as the trip would have required.

Also, ask your Dr for his/her "rules" on travel. My Dr gave me the okay for the trip at 24 weeks, but I was told not to plan anything for later than that.

If you DO end up going, I would make sure to research the areas you are going and where the nearest hospital with a Level 3 NICU is. You never know what will happen with a twin pregnancy. My water broke at 29 weeks, 2 days, and once that was diagnosed I wasn't able to leave the hospital until 2 days after I delivered my twins at 33 weeks 4 days.

vegetablegardens · October 2013

Agh! I just edited. That's an important bit of information! They're di/di.

smscartozzi · October 2013

I tend to think like legallyblonde, if for some reason you started to leak fluid....you are stuck where you are...until after the babies are born. And this is not something you can predict or feel coming on. And that is just one of many other things that may or may not happen. I would discuss with your doc first and foremost!!

Stephanie2167 · October 2013

I was supposed to go and visit my sister for her birthday right at around 24 weeks. At that appointment I was put on modified bed rest for high blood pressure and have been on it since. My girls are di/di. I'll be 30 weeks tomorrow and even the thought of walking an airport makes me cringe. I can hardly do a quick trip into the grocery store without needing to sit down. I'd say pay it by ear but expect you may not feel up to it.

somewhereincali · October 2013

I know how the academic job world is tough but I would say no way. Unless you know you and dh can afford to stay in the city for months in the event you have preterm labor and have to deliver out of town. There are just too many examples of things changing quickly without warning
And I speak as someone who had no complications and full term twins, but I don't regret at all not travelling after 20 weeks

SV917 · October 2013

My last trip was at 24 weeks and that wasn't very fun. It was Chicago to San Francisco and then a 4 hour drive (1 way). The flight was uncomfortable, but the car trip was terrible. My doctor said no travel after 30 weeks and I considered going to a wedding at 29 weeks, but it was to the middle of nowhere Vermont and I didn't want to be that far from a hospital just in case. Definitely talk to your doctor, but this does sound very ambitious even if you are complication-free.

Missa_g · October 2013

Don't do it, please. What if you ended up in PTL while there and your babies were in the NICU thousands of miles from home? I had zero signs of labor at 28w and at 28w1d I was in PTL and 3cm dilated. Things can change very very quickly in a twin pregnancy!

babywillmake3 · October 2013

Thanks for asking this. I have mo/di twins and have a business trip planned for 24 weeks. I will be reconsidering

24karat · October 2013

Have you brought it up with MFM or your OB? Mine said no air travel (later extended to no car rides/driving over 40min) after 24 weeks. I had asked early on because of family wanting me to visit, which would've meant 2hrs driving to the airport and a six hour flight. Granted I had mono-di twins, but I had zero complications until 23 weeks when all of a sudden and without warning, PTL and a whole bunch of other stuff kicked in and I landed on bed rest till they were delivered at 37wks.

EDIT: even if I had been cleared to travel, I know I wouldn't have physically felt up to it at 30wks no matter how important the trip. Twin pregnancies really take a toll on your body, especially as you move into 3rd tri.

jocie2581 · October 2013

I have di/di twins and was put on bed rest at 27 weeks. I wouldn't recommend traveling past 24 weeks. You get large. Moving becomes exhausting. And you want to be near you dr in case things change unexpectedly.

legaleagles · October 2013

My SIL (DH's sister) is getting married when I'm I think 26 or 28 weeks. We're in California, wedding is in Orlando....I have di/di twins (and I'm only 9.5 weeks right now) and have gone back and forth, and my doctor said it'd be fine if everything was going okay....but just knowing something could happen and knowing that I wouldn't want to have my babies there away from my family and my home. DH and DD are going (unless babies are here or I'm really sick). I feel really upset and sick about it...and it breaks my heart, but I just can't risk it.

PinkinProvence · October 2013

Have you discussed with your doctors? I doubt they will allow you to. Many wouldn't allow even a single pregnancy to travel that late.

Also, it's just not a good idea. Things change quickly in a twin pregnancy - even one with no previous complications.

I feel great at 29 weeks. I could practically run a marathon but I was out on bedrest out of nowhere due to a +FFN.

Lastly, I am pretty sure any travel insurance would be void since pregnancy is a pre-known health condition when you purchased the insurance.

southerncharm24 · October 2013

My doc told me "you can travel, just expect to stay there til the babies come if something happens" I plan on going to my parents for thanksgiving, which is 8 hours away. After that. Home sweet home til they arrive!

10-4LilBuddy · October 2013

I made the mistake of travelling at 20 weeks until 23 weeks. I regretted it and barely made it back to the US. I was put on bedrest the very next day. I ended up in bedrest since then with a 9 week hospital stay. I am convinced that my cervix issues and contractions would have been caught had I not been travelling and the walking around made it worse.

MrsLnt · October 2013

I quit working around 31 weeks and asked my doctor about a weekend trip about 3 hours away. She said "I would not go anywhere that you aren't comfortable delivering." I'd had zero complications at that point and no indication that I would have any PTL but she was right and so are the ladies here - anything can happen at any time in a twin pregnancy and any travel should only be some place that you are willing and comfortable delivering should things change.

raraavis28 · October 2013

Yeah, just reading the subject line my immediate response was "Don't do it." If you can do phone or Skype interviews, definitely go that route. It's not worth risking it. GL w/ your interviews!

CaliCarly77 · October 2013

My doctor's rules are no travel for twin pregnancy after 22 weeks. He gave me super special permission to fly from L.A. to Boston at 23 weeks and we had a nice relaxing baby moon. It went well and the flight was fine (get an aisle seat). I also had travel insurance. I am doing really great at 25 weeks but I have to say, I understand why he limits travel to 22 weeks, I'd be dreading that trip if it was next week, I am just so uncomfortable.

One hint - for those interviews that are just a few hours drive, maybe consider flying to those - I would take a half hour flight over a 3 hour car ride in a heart beat.

meldoo2002 · October 2013

I would talk to your doctor... I know most have travel restrictions after a certain point. I don't think it's worth the risk though unless you're ok with delivering a flight ride away from home. It can happen any time. I had a text book di/di pregnancy until 5 hours before I delivered at 30 weeks 3 days.

carrotcake06 · October 2013

I would see how you feel and how your pregnancy goes. I hit the biggest wall in my pg right around 31w and delivered at 34w.

My drs all cleared me for travel whenever and wherever I wanted. They all basically said that anything could happen at any time and that there are hospitals everywhere.

But things do happen. My pg (di/di) was very uneventful until 32w, when I developed mild pre-e and spent a wkend in the hospital. After getting that under control, my water broke at 34w - completely unrelated to the pre-e. You just never know.

Mrs. Alice · October 2013

I'm in the don't do it group. Too much risk. Multiple pregnancies are just too unpredictable. Good luck!

Brummy14 · October 2013

I wouldn't, personally (and, I know, I'm a train wreck of a story, but still) -- I went from all fine, to on MBR to leaking fluid in a matter of a few short days around 27-28 weeks. I opted out of attending a close friends' wedding around 22 weeks, which was a good decision -- as one of my many hospital trips took place that weekend.

After all we went through, being in another city, without my army of docs who knew my case well -- and then to potentially deliver there? I can't even imagine.

LottaLattes · October 2013

I honestly probably wouldn't, we had a drive vacation to Portland planned at 30 weeks that I spent in the hospital instead. Around that time, someone here had her babies very early on a baby moon in Las Vegas and they had to stay there for weeks which was hard. I personally wouldn't risk it, but your doctor would be a better judge, I think.

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BTDT perspective: Travel during twin pregnancy (several trips from 28-31 weeks)

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