10 days before due date: travel 3 hours from home?

[rin]

Would you do this? I'm trying to complete fairly important step in the data collection for my dissertation, and my due date is currently 17 days away. In order to wrap up this phase, I need to travel about 3 hours from home/the hospital where I'll be delivering. The only time I could make the trip would be next Tuesday, so it would be 10 days before my due date. I'd be traveling with a research assistant, who could of course drive me back immediately if I DID go into labor. I'm not thrilled with the idea, but realistically I would not be able to make this trip for several weeks after the baby's born, which will delay the whole dissertation completion by at least 6 weeks to 2 months, could affect a number of things including my ability to go on the job market next year.

FWIW, DD1 was 2 days before her due date, and my whole labor from first twinge to delivery was 10 hours.

ETA: Update in #23.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'd be ok with it but that's me and my pregnancy and birth history speaking. I'd want someone with me though, in case I need a ride.

[buddyleebaby]

I'd be ok with it as well.

[acmom]

I would not, but I had preterm labor issues and fairly fast labors with both pregnancies (both 2-3 hrs. from the time I was sent to the hospital from a dr. appt to the time they were born).

What does your OB say?

[ett]

I wouldn't based on my history as both DS's came early (9 and 12 days early) and my deliveries were fast too. What does your OB say?

[rin]

What does your OB say?

I'm going to ask her at my appointment tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure she'll be ok with it, since a few weeks ago I mentioned that I would be making a number of trips out of the area pretty close to my due date and she didn't seem concerned. I do want to ask her specifically about next week, but wanted to get a general sense for whether I was crazy for even thinking about it. My mother certainly thinks so . . .

[mikala]

I wouldn't be comfortable with it because my health insurance doesn't guarantee coverage if you are out of the home network after 36 weeks.

[edurnemk]

I'm on the fence.. but DS was 2 weeks early and my labor was fast for a FTM (7 hours from first ctx to him being born), my Dr. expects this one to be faster and maybe also as early as DS... so with that history in mind I'd be nervous about that trip. Plus I think a 6 hour round trip would be too hard on me this late in the PG.

ETA: My OB doesn't recommend going farther than 1-1.5 hours away after 34 weeks.

[ilfaith]

I wouldn't do it. But DS1 came 9 days before my due date (with not so much as a single Braxton-Hicks contraction beforehand). At my 38 week appointment I didn't seem close to having a baby...but a few days later I woke up at 5 am and was holding a baby by noon. DS2 came 11 days early and my entire labor was 2 hours from the first contraction to cutting the cord. DS3 was also 11 days beforee my due date, but by that point I was very ready.

I did go to Disney World (about two hours from home) within three weeks of my due date with DS1. I wouldn't do it again. Babies will come when they come. I was born nine days late. My younger brother was three weeks early.

[TwinFoxes]

I wouldn't, but of course I had preemies. Also, where I lived/live, three hours can quickly turn into more than that. Such a personal decision, good luck with it.

ETA: I voted other, I can't say it's a terrible idea, I just wouldn't do it.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

my DS came at 38 weeks, and DD at 35weeks...yet in your case i would probably do it. To take a vacation, or other optional trip... no, i wouldn't travel that late..but for important dissertation work that would be harder to do later, and if you will be with someone that can drive you back & help you out should anything start to happen, I would consider it..definitely ask what your OB says though.

With both of mine, despite being early i had fairly long labors (DS was more than 24 hrs, DD was at least 12 hrs and i had really strong contractions for at least a day or two before that).

[HIU8]

I would not do it. Not so much b/c both my kids came at 38 weeks, but b/c at that point in both my PG's no way could I sit for more than an hour without stopping. So, a 3 hour car ride would turn into 4 to 4.5 hours.

[Neatfreak]

I did this with DD1, actually. My grandfather's funeral was three hours away, three days before my due date. I wasn't showing any signs that labour was imminent, so I packed my hospital bag in the trunk of the car (just in case), and went.

[pinay]

My older brother's wedding was 10 days before I delivered DD1- the wedding was 2 1/2 hours away, we had to stay for the weekend and do all kinds of wedding related events. I was uncomfortable but fine, just made sure I know which hospitals in the area I could deliver at in case things happened a little earlier than planned. If you're feeling OK and your OB gives you the green light, I'd go.

[citymama]

3 hour car ride each way sounds exhausting! Can it wait a couple of months? You could take baby along - newborns are highly portable.

I wouldn't do it myself but thats because I'm a nervous Nellie and I hated long car trips that late in pregnancy.

[mommyp]

I probably wouldn't do it, the car ride is so uncomfortable that late in pregnancy. Plus DD was 4 days early, then DS came 11 days early with no warning signs! Labor was under 8 hours from start to finish with each. I would not have wanted to deliver in an unfamiliar hospital.

[longtallsally05]

Would you do this? I'm trying to complete fairly important step in the data collection for my dissertation, and my due date is currently 17 days away. In order to wrap up this phase, I need to travel about 3 hours from home/the hospital where I'll be delivering. The only time I could make the trip would be next Tuesday, so it would be 10 days before my due date. I'd be traveling with a research assistant, who could of course drive me back immediately if I DID go into labor. I'm not thrilled with the idea, but realistically I would not be able to make this trip for several weeks after the baby's born, which will delay the whole dissertation completion by at least 6 weeks to 2 months, could affect a number of things including my ability to go on the job market next year.

FWIW, DD1 was 2 days before her due date, and my whole labor from first twinge to delivery was 10 hours.

I voted other because your original post doesn't specify whether or not there is medical care available where you'll be collecting your data. It doesn't really matter whether or not you're at YOUR hospital with YOUR provider; if you go into labor you can proceed to the nearest hospital and deliver there because labor is considered an emergent situation (ie your insurance company isn't going to fight with you about it if you deliver somewhere other than where you have planned). If I were in your situation, absent any complications, if medical care were available, and I had a companion on the trip, I'd go. It sounds pretty important in the long run for you to collect your data and finish your dissertation. You'll have other things on your plate as soon as the baby is born. Hurry up!!!

[brittone2]

All 3 of my labors were pretty fast, and I had no bloody show, obvious loss of mucus plug (maybe a little w/ my third pregnancy, but nothing crazy obvious) etc. in advance to warn me. Dilation wasn't a good predictor for me either (was 2-3 cm dilated for 3+ weeks with my first, and barely dilated at all a day before going into labor with DD). My longest labor was 6h20 min, and the shortest was about 3 hrs and I wasn't sure I was in active labor for a good part of that.

I had a friend who went into PTL while on a babymoon-just a driving vacation about 2-3 hours from home. It was a total pain for her, as her baby ended up in a NICU 1-2 hours from home, making logistics challenging, frustrating, and difficult. (eta: obviously most full term babies don't end up in the NICU, and you might be able to do early discharge if away from home, etc. under normal circumstances).

I also like my care providers (mws) and went out of my way with my first to deliver at a more natural birth friendly hospital 40 mins away from home. For that reason, I wouldn't want to travel 3 hours each way before my EDD.

I think it is unlikely you'd go into labor, but I wouldn't be comfortable with it, personally.

Best of luck as you finish up! DH defended when DS2 was 2-3 weeks old.

[MamaMolly]

I voted other because your original post doesn't specify whether or not there is medical care available where you'll be collecting your data. It doesn't really matter whether or not you're at YOUR hospital with YOUR provider; if you go into labor you can proceed to the nearest hospital and deliver there because labor is considered an emergent situation (ie your insurance company isn't going to fight with you about it if you deliver somewhere other than where you have planned). If I were in your situation, absent any complications, if medical care were available, and I had a companion on the trip, I'd go. It sounds pretty important in the long run for you to collect your data and finish your dissertation. You'll have other things on your plate as soon as the baby is born. Hurry up!!!

LTS said it for me. FWIW Lula came at 36 weeks and was a 13 hour labor. Dolly was on her due date and 5 hours.

[american_mama]

I'd do it. It sounds like it's a day trip? The chances that you'll go into labor in that 24 hour period is small. I'd also find out where the closest hospital is where you'll be collecting the data. I traveled to another country when I was about 7 months pregnant, and did scope out the location of the local hospital. DH was there for a conference and one of his colleagues broke his arm while attending, so I jokingly said "So, how's the hospita? You know, just in case?" The guy looked at my tummy and broke out laughing.

Same pregnancy, I traveled to meet a long-lost friend that was a 2 hour drive away, and I think I was less than a month before my due date. I did feel a little uncomfortable about committing to it, but like you, it was the only time it could happen before baby was born and we moved away from the area. The actual day of, I did not think about it. And, now that I think about it, I did not scope out the local hospital there.

[BayGirl2]

I'd do it. Honestly for me having the delay in getting my work done would drive me absolutely crazy, I'd feel much better if I just took the trip and got it done.
All of my labors were very long and on/after my due date and I would have had time to return home, so that influences my decision.

[rin]

Thanks all for the feedback! I talked with my OB this afternoon, and she was ok with it. (I mean, she didn't say it sounded like the most awesome thing ever, but she gave it her blessing.)

As some more background; I've been doing these data collection trips for a while, so the drive is nothing new. I'd been planning to wrap up & take my last trip last week, but for various reasons wasn't able to get everything done the last trip, so now really need to schedule one last visit to my site. The site itself is 2 hours away from a good hospital (e.g. one with a NICU), but my hometown is 1 hour away from the same NICU hospital, so it's sort of 6 of one on that front. I'll definitely pack a hospital bag for the car, just in case.

Thanks again ladies for all the feedback!