Travel at 37 weeks?

[mommyofshmoo]

Not sure why I'm posting, because I think my mind is made up, but what is the deal with travel late in pregnancy? My husband wants me to go up to a national park with him in a couple days. He is working up there today and will be going back in a few more days.

The thing is that I am 37 weeks and a few days.

I was late the first time around, but who knows what'll happen this time? The park is not far away- maybe an hour and a half, 2 hours to get up to the lodge. But there's no cell phone reception there. If he's busy working and I go into labor I won't be able to reach him. I know there will be other people, but the idea of relying on strangers to help me in labor and watch my three year old is seriously alarming!

I'm frustrated because he's been guilt tripping me about not doing this with him. The first time around not only did I stay home from like 37/38 weeks, but I made him mostly stay home as well during that time. Then I was 10 days late, so there was a lot of waiting on both our parts. This time around I'm not putting a lot of pressure on him to be home all the time till closer to my due date, but I still feel trepidation about being away from home- away from my midwives, my list of sitters, etc.

If I did go up, I'd be stressed the whole time, worrying about every braxton-hicks contraction and probably making us turn back and go home thining I was in labor.

Oh well, this has turned into a rant. Any concrete advice about late in pregnancy travel? I forgot to ask my midwives.

Thanks

[Belle]

If you don't feel comfortable traveling that late in your pregnancy you shouldn't travel. Being uncomfortable and stressed is not good for you right now. Your dh should not be guilting you into doing this if you don't want to.

You could ask your midwives to recommend that you not travel. Tell them you're not nervous about traveling right now and your dh is pressuring you to travel and I'm sure that they would agree.

[MamaTaraX]

I agree, ifn you don't feel comfortable with it, don't do it. I had my first at 38+2. With my 2nd, I was all set to go on a trip at 37 wks and I was perferctly fine with it. That trip didn't happen, but I'd have gone. I knew my body and baby well enough to be comfortable withit. I did take a trip at 35 weeks, 4 hours away from my DH, and we were both finewith it. I took records from my midwives "just in case" (my family does have a long history of premature labor and birth). The trip was great fun and my son was born at 38+5
Honestly, your DH should be listening to you and listening to you listen to your body and baby. If nothing else, it soudns like a good idea to have your midwives not recommend travel. While chances are everything will be fine, you don't want to go away on a trip and be unhappy or stressed the whole time. Heck, that's a great way to go into labor!

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (6), Butterfly (2 next week!), and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[wednesday]

I wouldn't do it. My son shocked us by arriving at 37 weeks on the nose! Really, at this point you are full-term, I don't think it's a good idea to be very far from your chosen birthplace and your support system.

[mommyofshmoo]

I think it's the pressure that's annoying me. I'm kinda sad not to be up there as we have some friends up there right now and it's a beautiful time of year. Dh told me he felt unsupported because I didnt' go with him this time. Although I know everyone is entitles to feel how they feel, but at 9 months PG I feel like I'm the one who needs support.

For some reason I'm not very good at knowing when labor is approaching. I guess I don't know my body very well. All my moms births were early and out of the blue, so even though my first birth experience was late with three days of prelabor, I wonder if this time will be different.

Finally there's the financial concern. Firstly, staying up there would cost money that I wasn't planning on spending, then if I went into labor the cost could be really astronomical compared to being here and going to the birth center like I plan.

Thanks for reading and caring. It's nice to feel supported by someone.

[zealsmom]

I would probably go just so I would be with my husband (aka support system) if labor were to happen. 2 hours away doesn't seem like that big of deal.

Maybe you guys could find a middle road by him promising to check in on you every so often. Make your feelings/concerns known and listen to his. Maybe you can find some sort of compromise.

I do agree with everyone about doing what feels right for you. Sounds like dh just wants to soak up time with you in this prebaby stage. Can't blame him, really.

[mommyofshmoo]

I guess my midwife freaked me out yesterday because she said I should have a home birth because I "probably won't make it to the birth center anyway."

My first wasn't unexpected, but labor was fairly fast.

More to the point, my mom had three kids in 4 hours, 2.5 hours and 40 minutes respectively- all early.

Also a friend of mine having a second child recently arrived too late for an epidural (she had wanted one.)

It's just hard to know. I guess I'm scared. I know I'd have fun and my dh would appreciate it and it would be good to hang with the family before the new baby, but I'm feeling house-bound. I can't stop thinking about how we need toilet paper and to stock up on daipers, and how much cleaning we should really get done before the baby gets here. (I had my first round of nesting urge yesterday and cleaned like a madwoman for an hour, but it passed.)

even though I know my dh wants to do the birth center thing, my midwife's suggestion that I just stay home sounded pretty appealing.

[zealsmom]

ok, maybe 2 hours is a big deal.

(I was born in 30 minutes so I thought my labor with ds would be easy and quick. ha!)

Can your dh find a satellite phone anywhere so you could at least call?

[wendy1221]

I was told not to go more than an hour's drive away after 36 weeks.

My first was late, my 2nd was born 13 days before his due date. Just because your first was late means NOTHING for subsequent births.

I wouldn't do it and I would call your mw or doc to see what they say. I'm sure they'll say the same thing I did. And then you can tell your dh that that's wht they told you. Heck, he's taking a chance of missing the birth by going so far away at this point in your pregnancy.

[littleaugustbaby]

I took a 5 hour flight at 36.5 weeks, but it was something that I was totally comfortable with.

I think it really depends on you. If you're not comfortable, don't do it. Especially if you labor quickly.

[applejuice]

I would stay home. You need to rest to have that baby.

[onlyboys]

The car ride sounds miserable, but I'd go if I felt like it.

But, you must decide is a UC is something that you could deal with and go for if it happens. (It probably won't, but you never know...)