Travel at 36 weeks?

[suewolfie]

Long-time lurker here, looking for advice or stories about your experiences regarding travel at the beginning of the 9th month.

I am just now 36 weeks and my grandma died yesterday. I live in Mississippi and the funeral is in Illinois. I am considering driving vs. flying, and, of course, also considering the possibility of not going at all. But I really want to go.

The drive would be about 15 hours. Anyone done this? I wouldn't be alone. Of course I know to stop every few hours and walk around and stay hydrated and all of that. So far my pregnancy has been totally without complications. My first child I delivered 8 days late. My due date with this one is June 29th.

Help!

[kavamamakava]

I moved to Hawaii when I was 36 weeks pregnant. My partner drove the moving truck to the shipping yard a few states away and then flew ahead and got us a place and I flew with our toddler son and joined him.

[odoole]

I'm sorry for your loss.

I did a lot of travel at 33 weeks including a 12 hour drive and two 5+ hour plane trips. Then I delivered at 34 weeks! It was a spontaneous pre-term delivery; I don't know if the travel had anything to do with or not.

That said, as my OBGYN said, as long as you're in a place where you'd be comfortable delivering a baby (i.e. not 10,000 feet in the air), then you should travel. If it were me, I would go to the funeral, even taking into consideration my past experiences.

I would not feel comfortable flying, personally, and some airlines have restrictions on flying that late (though I don't know how they would know ...)

[maranapanda]

ddcc...

I would go. If you feel comfortable with the flight, drink lots of water, eat lots of protein and do it. If you'd rather drive, walk when you can, drink lots of water, eat lots of protein, and do it! My MW just gave me permission to go on an 5-8 hour (each way) drive if I wanted to at 36 weeks.

I did travel with my first around 7 or 8 months along... I took a two week road trip from AZ to WA. I didn't get enough salt, or protein and I swelled up with pitting edema. Not fun. I say, take care of yourself, and do what you need to do!

[cadejaxellamom]

I too would feel comfortable traveling (I'm pregnant with number 4 and they all came only a week early) that said, my sister and her family (husband, and 2 young kids, who were both born on or after their due dates) were moving from CA to MN when she was 36 weeks pregnant. They were going to stop in Utah for the weekend to visit my other sister and my mom and dad who were visiting there for my younger sisters college graduation. The first night they made it to somewhere in Nevada and stayed in a hotel, the next morning her water broke, they had to decide if they were going to drive the remaining distance (through areas that were pretty desolate) or go find a hospital. They decided to drive and made it to Utah and she had my nephew there. It was a pretty cool birth story though

[mediumcrunch]

I could/should have gone to Michigan (from TX) this pregnancy at 36 weeks and I didn't go BUT that wasn't for something like my grandmother dying. I'd probably fly (if I could get on the plane without the airline having a cow) and take a copy of my records with me....just in case.
Condolences on your grandmothers passing.

[expatmommy]

I did an international flight at 36 weeks, 11 hrs. I was pretty stiff and sore at the end, but otherwise it all went well. I'd go, and if I could fly to make it a shorter trip I'd definitely choose that.

[soso-lynn]

Unless the thought of giving birth away from home is absolutely horribe to you, you should go. I would choose flying over a 15 hour drive but both options are ok.

With my first, I drove and took the bus regularly to a city 3 hours away (sometimes back and forth on the same day) and it was totally fine. The last time I went was around 38 weeks.