Travel for the Holidays

Kristalyn85 · July 2016

I know it is pretty far out, but is anyone going to cancel their normal Holiday travels? How far will you travel?
I spoke with my OB about traveling to St. Louis (about 5.5 hours away) and he seemed fine with me being that far away at 37 weeks! Not sure I am confortable with that.

karaelaine1991 · July 2016

I'll be going home for Thanksgiving; it's about 4 hours and I'm sure I'll be uncomfortable, but I'm due in late January so I think that's manageable and it's really important to me to be with family during the holidays. We celebrate Christmas with my in-laws the following weekend at a cabin, which we'll also still do. However, I prefer to go home between Christmas and New Years, and this year my family will need to come to us, I think, but not in an actual holiday and they usually stay in a hotel when they visit because there's a ton of them. It'll mean a shorter visit but that's just how it'll have to be.

ETA because I apparently can't spell at midnight haha

Wholesome · July 2016

Mine won't let travel past 36 weeks but i was flying. Maybe the mode of transportation makes a difference. Honestly, at 36 weeks last time, travel was beyond tiresome and I felt like a whale on the plane. I couldn't put the tray table down. Got a great picture for the family of it (including the stranger suppressing a smile behind me). XD

spano41 · July 2016

This will be the first year I won't go home for Christmas. Honestly, I'm kind of glad we can use it as an excuse because I want DD to enjoy Christmas in her own home and start some of our own traditions. Even if I wanted to go home, I probably wouldn't, just too close to my due date for me to feel comfortable.

ETA: home is an 8hr drive or 1.5hr flight

MrsRahl · July 2016

@Wholesome pictures, or it never happened!

moosette113 · July 2016

I'm not due until the end of January, but we're still 99% sure that we won't be heading back to the States for the holidays this year. An 8 hour flight at 34/35 weeks pregnant sounds pretty terrible. But it does give us the opportunity to fully embrace the German Christmas markets, get our own tree this year, and finally be in one place for all of Hannukkah so we don't need a travel sized menorah.

LoneStar21416 · July 2016

Good topic! H and I were just discussing this. I'm due right at the beginning of January, so travel for Christmas is definitely out and I think while travel for Thanksgiving would be technically permissible (haven't even asked my doctor, just going by the airline guidelines), it sounds miserable and I wouldn't be comfortable with that. Travel to either set of family for us is a plane ride in one instance, or a plane with no direct flight or a 12 hour drive in the other. We haven't discussed family coming to us yet for either holiday, but I think Christmas will be on our own for obvious reasons or with friends in the area. I don't think I need a house full of people at 39 weeks pregnant

ETA: @kristalyn85 I don't think I'd be comfortable with that either, but I've never given birth so it's uncharted territory for me and I don't know what to expect. I think I'd be too anxious to be that far away when I'm that far along. Tough call.

LCartee2016 · July 2016

Thankfully my furthest family is about an hour away, unless my uncle invites us over again (he's in South AL and we live in Central/North AL), but I doubt he will. And if he does, I doubt I will go. Depends on if I have to drive down there or not. But that's probably a non-issue because he and his family usually make the drive up to my grandmother's house.
Now I'm excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas! It's my favorite time of the year!!

ThePax89 · July 2016

We will not be joining our family for the thanksgiving trip this year.

It's cutting it way too close for me. I'll be 35~ weeks and I'm not about to get a plane.

TinaBelcher · July 2016

Our families are local for the most part, but I'll be skipping Christmas either way with two premie newborns and an unvaccinated toddler nephew. NOPE.

canavara · July 2016

Haha I thought this thread was going to be about Independence Day/4th of July related travel and was like, "Uh??"

All of our family is semi-local so we're almost certainly not going anywhere. We might travel to ILs' for Thanksgiving dinner (they live in Louisville, which is about 1.5-2 hours away from us by car) but with a due date a the very start of January, we're definitely hosting Christmas. My mom claims I came 2 weeks early and was nearly 10 pounds, so I'm completely expecting and prepared to follow ship and give birth to a chunky butterball on Christmas Day.

SarahS11 · July 2016

I'm due early Jan, and delivered 2.5 weeks early with dd1. My parents are only 45 min away, so we will likely do a thanksgiving/Christmas combo end of Nov. with them. my inlaws live a 5 hour drive away... They are not the type of people that could possibly be ready to have Christmas early, and I am not willing to
give birth in their crappy hospital. It's going to cause a huge blowout fight I'm sure.. But I will not be traveling in December with a baby on the way and the potential for bad roads... Nor am I doing the same once the baby is here and tiny. Not sure what the plan will be... I'm already annoyed thinking about the conversation...

karaelaine1991 · July 2016

canavara said:

Haha I thought this thread was going to be about Independence Day/4th of July related travel and was like, "Uh??"

All of our family is semi-local so we're almost certainly not going anywhere. We might travel to ILs' for Thanksgiving dinner (they live in Louisville, which is about 1.5-2 hours away from us by car) but with a due date a the very start of January, we're definitely hosting Christmas. My mom claims I came 2 weeks early and was nearly 10 pounds, so I'm completely expecting and prepared to follow ship and give birth to a chunky butterball on Christmas Day.

You are a brave soul! If I'd had to host a holiday at 38-39 weeks pregnant, I'm pretty sure I would've had a mental breakdown haha. We have a pretty large family, though - I'm one of 6 kids, DH is one of 4 (and his family fights all.the.time), so in either case it would be a huge undertaking.

LastMango · July 2016

I'm due early January so Christmas travel is out for us. It's usually a 3.5 hour car ride to Charleston but I'm not willing to risk it. Plus it gives us an excuse to let DD spend Christmas in her own home and experience our own family traditions. I'm good with Thanksgiving travel but luckily no planes are involved.

sldp123 · July 2016

I'm not due until late January, and all of our family is local anyway (within 30-45 minutes), but I'm already looking forward to having an excuse to not run all over creation for Christmas. I'll be 35 weeks at Christmas and either hugely pregnant with twins, or will have preemie twins, so I'm not going anywhere. Whoever wants to see us can come to us. And yes, we want leftovers, haha.

adorebella · July 2016

We don't typically travel during the holidays so it's a non issue for us. I would suggest if you're driving more than a few hours away you bring the car seat with you. In the event you had the baby away from home then you'd have the seat already to bring baby home.

clichedemorgy · July 2016

We've already told family that Christmas is a no go. I'm due in early Jan and I'll be 38wks (almost 39wks!) at that point.

Luckily they all only live about 1.5-2hrs away so we may be hosting.

mommywesley · July 2016

We are extremely blessed to have both of our families in town, but during the holidays it can be frustrating because our parents are divorced so we have 4 places to go. This year we will probably host Thanksgiving again do I won't have to travel, and Christmas we will just be like sorry. I'll be 38weeks and sooooo not dragging my 4 kids to 4 different places! Only going to be an issue with the ILs though, my mom is flexible and comes to us, and my dad we started celebrating the Sunday before and I'll just request we do it at our house this year.

Vivi20 · July 2016

I'm not due till January 20th - the furthest away family is for us is 2.5 hours. But we're still staying home. They can come to us this year.

sagoon · July 2016

I will NOT be flying this pregnancy if I can help it. I flew at 8 months last time and it was awful. We will be hosting Thanksgiving this year and driving no more than 2 hours for Christmas.

christac1010 · July 2016

We usually drive about two hours on Christmas to visit DH's extended family, but I already told him it's not going to happen this year. He completely agrees that traveling two hours away at 39 weeks pregnant isn't the best idea.

Ali Grindell · July 2016

We had a trip already booked and planned to Miami for Christmas and NYE but that had to be cancelled considered i'm due 1/5....

BriannaE129129 · July 2016

Christmas we stay home but we already have a trip booked for Thanksgiving to go to Orlando. As of now we aren't cancelling anything. We live in MA so the only thing that scares me right now is the ZIKA virus, so we'll have to wait and see where things are at at that point.... makes me nervous

amaren-2 · July 2016

@BriannaE129129 I live in Florida. Mosquitoes are non existent in November. It may still be warm, but I can't ever remember getting any bug bites after September. It is normally dry then too, which will help with the mosquito population.

We have plans to go back to TX for Thanksgiving . That is about a 4-5 hour trip by plane, we plan on going Southwest so if we need to cancel we can. The only problem is Southwest is the only one that doesn't have nonstop flights so that makes the travel time double. Ugh. Christmas is a no go, we might do a weekend trip as a final hurrah but probably only about an hour away.

hayhay2501 · July 2016

I had planned on flying in for my cousins wedding and my friends bachlorette (I'd be the LIFE OF THE PARTY) in late September/ early October but my husband can't get off work and I just cannot do another long haul flight without him. Still playing it by ear but it just sounds too much now.

Christmas wise there's no way we'll be flying to America and I don't think it's a good idea for us to make the two hour train ride to Wales, where my husbands family is. Which is great because I really don't like Christmas at their house! So a Christmas for two it'll be. Unless the inlaws want to come to London Uch...

BriannaE129129 · July 2016

@AmRe214 thank you for that! We go to Florida all the time but I've never had to worry about mosquitoes! Thanks for putting my mind at ease a little bit more

canavara · July 2016

karaelaine1991 said:

canavara said:

Haha I thought this thread was going to be about Independence Day/4th of July related travel and was like, "Uh??"

All of our family is semi-local so we're almost certainly not going anywhere. We might travel to ILs' for Thanksgiving dinner (they live in Louisville, which is about 1.5-2 hours away from us by car) but with a due date a the very start of January, we're definitely hosting Christmas. My mom claims I came 2 weeks early and was nearly 10 pounds, so I'm completely expecting and prepared to follow ship and give birth to a chunky butterball on Christmas Day.

You are a brave soul! If I'd had to host a holiday at 38-39 weeks pregnant, I'm pretty sure I would've had a mental breakdown haha. We have a pretty large family, though - I'm one of 6 kids, DH is one of 4 (and his family fights all.the.time), so in either case it would be a huge undertaking.

It's probably a foolish decision on my part

Our immediate family is very small though since OH and I are both only children, so it'll likely just be our parents, my great aunt, and maybe 1 or 2 others. Worst case is making it all the way to 36-37 weeks and realizing "no, this is a terrible idea" and paying the local grocery store to do one of those Christmas dinner catering deals lol.

emilyeh · July 2016

My cousins actually sent out a Facebook message about our cousin Christmas get-together. I asked if we were doing it around Christmas and they said maybe Thanksgiving. I'm really not sure about either, even though I'm due January 23, I just don't know about a trip up that late. Either way, it'll be the first time I don't go up for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. So I'm still debating. Maybe Thanksgiving, depending on how big (and miserable) I am at that point. I really don't know if I'll want to deal with some of them at that point or have to sleep on someone's couch. (Cause that's where we always sleep when we come up and pregnant? I don't know about that.

KarliQ88 · July 2016

We have decided no traveling for us. We told our families it's going to be a laid back year amd people xan visit us after baby is born. I don't think anuone should feel bad or guilty. Let people come to you.

ceclarlinetlo · July 2016

I'm expecting to deliver mid January and home is only 3 hours from where I live now so I'll go home for thanksgiving and my birthday (same week as thanksgiving) but not Christmas. I think people might come to us instead.

katesmama0706 · July 2016

We were supposed to go 9 hours away for Thanksgiving and 1 for Christmas but I've already started laying the groundwork to not go to either. I'm gonna pull the pregnant card simply because I don't want to go to either celebration with my in-laws.

mudderbear · July 2016

This is the year I am supposed to go back to Ontario for Christmas (from Alberta) but I'm due Jan 3rd so that's not happening. I am however going back in September for 3 weeks so maybe I'll tell them all its Christmas then haha. As for here all of hubby's family lives within 5 minutes of eachother and us so it's not a big deal doing Christmas with them.

Teach123 · July 2016

The in laws live a little less than 2 hours away from us, but it's 3 hours from our hospital. I'll only be 36 weeks at that point, but I'm also AMA and high risk. We'll just see how things go. I'm not making any promises that we'll make it over there this year. Plus my husband has a new job this year, and he'll probably have to work.

sarahmsoda · July 2016

I have no intentions of going anywhere, luckily my family lives in the same city as us, and DH's family mostly lives close except his parents who could easily come to us this year instead of us all trecking to the farm.

ChaoticWolf · July 2016

Since I'm not due until Jan 25 and my family is only a 45 minute drive north, I'll be traveling for Thanksgiving, my birthday in December, Christmas, and probably even New Years. I want plenty of pictures with all my family this year while I'm huge, and I'm pretty sure I won't pop before then since my mom had my sister and I both a week later than the due dates.

Also for those traveling to Florida and worried about mosquitos, they dont bug you here after late October and the CDC hasn't reported any locally transmitted zika cases yet, so you'll be fine. I'm a Florida native and it's not like we're moving just because the zika virus *might* spread to the US. If you're really worried, get some bug spray and wipes.

BAJDesigns · July 2016

My family all lives close by, so Thanksgiving will probably be just 10 minutes down the road. For Christmas though, my husband's family keeps adding more and more events every year. A Christmas eve party, a present breakfast, a Christmas day dinner, etc. And several of his relatives live an hour away. I have already put my foot down. I will be huge. I am not running all over the state for 75 different events. We do my whole family in one event. His family this year may also choose one for me to attend. The end. Or my pregnant self will just park it on my couch and eat a gingerbread house while watching Netflix!

laufisch · July 2016

My family is all local. Since my parent are divorced usually we spend the morning with IL, afternoon with my Dad, late afternoon with my Mom then back to IL for dinner.

I'll be 38 weeks and will be telling everyone they are more than welcome to spot by, but we are definitely not house hopping this year.

I'm sure I'll get some comments because my stepsister did Christmas at my dad's and the delivered on 12/28 but honestly I don't care. Three houses just seem like to much when I'm that pregnant.

TexasGal24 · July 2016

We recently moved to Boston,MA from Dallas, TX. We weren't planning on flying to Dallas for the holidays but I have a huge work event that I'm basically required to attend the first week of December. Here is the catch...it is in Anaheim, CA, literally across the country. I asked my midwife, as I will be 35 weeks at the time, and she said that as of now, I've got the green light to fly. She actually said she isn't worried about me going in to labor at 35 weeks, she would be more worried about the baby coming 5 weeks early. She also offered to send me with a copy of all of my medical records.

I'm planning on telling my work this week/next week so we will see if they still want me to go. I'm not really feeling like flying that far that late into my pregnancy.

Want a personalized experience?

Travel for the Holidays

Re: Travel for the Holidays

Choose Another Board

Search Boards