At what point (if any) were you unable to drive?

[annettemarie]

Today I was driving DH's car and I realized my belly was hitting the steering wheel. When I moved the seat back enough that I no longer touched the steering wheel with my babies, I unfortunately also no longer could comfortably reach the pedal. I don't usually drive his car, so I couldn't figure out if I could tilt the wheel, and I haven't gotten behind the wheel of the van to figure out how I'm doing there, but I was a little surprised this happened so soon. I really wasn't expecting it for another month or so!

[4Marmalade]

I am pretty tall (5'9) and have long legs so I didn't reach the point where I "couldn't" drive but I did get to the point where it wasn't comfortable. I'm guessing it was probably around 32 weeks. I didn't drive dh's car much because I found it too low to the ground and almost impossible to get in and out. The van was much easier to get in to. I also had weekly appointments from 33 weeks on for extra monitoring and dh always drove me (1 hour commute) in case I needed to stay.

[Llyra]

I don't think I ever reached a point where I couldn't drive, as in I couldn't fit behind the wheel. I am thin to start with, though, and was driving a truck, which I guess has a high wheel to start with. However, I did reach a point (around 33 or 34 weeks??? can't remember exactly) where it was so uncomfortable to drive, that I didn't if I had any other choice. I have issues with an irritable uterus, though, so by that point just sitting upright for longer than ten minutes would start up contractions, and my backside would go numb if I didn't shift position every few minutes, and my back was always aching, etc.

I would look into whether the steering wheel can be tilted-- that might buy you a few more weeks.

[pitter_patter]

I stopped driving when I went on maternity leave, around 34 weeks. I was comfortable in the car but couldn't reach the pedals with how far back I had to push my seat in order to make room for the belly.

Gosh I don't know what I would do now that I have kids who need to be taken to school.... When I was pregnant my husband did the grocery shopping and drove me to my OB appointments. It felt so weird to get back in the car after not driving for so long, I had to adjust to that AND having two little people in the back seat.

[annettemarie]

Thanks everyone! Luckily my husband has a fairly flexible schedule, should it come to that. One thing I planned for from the beginning of summer was our homeschool co-op. I wanted the kids to be able to go as long as possible and it's on Friday, which is his day off. It's also about 1/2 hour away. So I told him he'd be driving us and bringing us home, and helping get the kids lunch. There's wireless and he can do whatever he wants in between, but my co-op plans are to get there, go to the nursery, and put my feet up.

I'm a little worried about these twice a week NSTs they keep threatening me with. He has a flexible schedule, but not so flexible he can take time to run me all over town like a chauffeur.

[Red Pajama]

I was on hospital bed rest after 28 weeks, but I didn't fit behind the wheel sometime after 32 weeks.

[annettemarie]

Well, good news-- my ginormous belly still fits behind the wheel of the van.

One of the mamas from our homeschool co-op dropped by to pick something up the other day. She has 5-year-old twins. She looked at me and said "Oh, you're not too bad. I was much bigger when I was due." I told her I had three more months to go and she looked at my belly again and said "Oh" and hightailed it out of there.

[mauri456]

Still driving at 33 weeks. I haven't noticed a problem with that yet! I am taller and so maybe that is why! What is hard for me now is getting my almost 3 year old into her car seat. She has learned how to climb into it so I just need to buckle her.

[Julia'sMom]

I was never "unable" to drive, but really didn't feel comfortable. I made it commuting to work until 36 weeks. By that time I was really uncomfortable, more due to my spaciness and unability to really check my blind spot than my belly. However, this was with a minivan. I was unable to drive my civic (sold for the van) around 30 weeks and unable to drive dh's car (camry) around 34 weeks. Of course, I have short legs so that was an issue.

[MamaChicken]

I was able to drive until they were born at 37.5 weeks, but only my minivan. In needed pillows for lumbar support to be close to comfortable and I drove with my legs apart and belly hanging down

[DeerMother]

I quit driving in December, my due date was 3/1. I'm short (5"1') and I was driving a Subaru wagon. No one told me to quit, but I was gigantic and my belly touched the wheel which made me nervous.