drive to the beach at 34 weeks?

[Anonymous]

We're considering driving to the Outer Banks (about 5 hours away) for Memorial Day weekend, which would be at the 34 week point. All I would do is relax and swim (which I really want to do while pregnant!). Would you do this, or is it kind of late in the pregnancy?

I'm 30w now, and am pretty uncomfortable a good portion of the time, but I don't know that I would be any less comfortable in the car/at the beach than I would anywhere else. What do you think?

[Anonymous]

I guess you could do it, if you are looking forward to relaxing at the beach then definitely do it. 34 weeks is still 6 weeks away from your due date so I shouldn't be too worried. You could stop whenever you want to to stretch your legs if needed. It will be a while before you will be able to make a 5 hour drive (not so great with a baby). I am 36 weeks and planning to drive up to NY next week.

Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

I'm currently 32 weeks and planning on driving to NYC over memorial day weekend to visit friends (will be 36 weeks). I'm pretty comfortable now so I don't think it will be an issue for me. However, I am leaving open the option of canceling last minute if I'm just not up to it. This may be harder for you if you have to make hotel reservations, etc.

My only concern would be what you would do if you delivered early. I'm not sure of the caliber of hospitals down there, that may be something you want to look into. I feel comfortable with NYC given the hospitals up there.

[Anonymous]

I will be 34 weeks next week and I am flying down to FL for a wedding. I asked my doctor about it and she said it should be fine. All she said is that if I happen to go into labor, to be prepared for the insurance company not paying for it. She also said that it will be a good idea to travel with my medical records in the event something happens.

[Anonymous]

Your doctor's office should be able to give you basic records with your pregnancy into to travel with--definitely a good idea to take with you. Just be prepared to stop more often.

[Anonymous]

I went to NJ beach at 36 weeks with my first. My doctor (Dr. Johnson at R&H) recommended I not go due to the "too close to due date rule", but couldn't really give me a good reason beyond that... so I went anyway.

As a precaution, I took a copy of my records, and plotted out where hospitals would be along the route.

It's only a 3.5 hour drive to NJ. I did fine until 2.5 hours, but then my back was SOOO SORE from sitting in the car, I had to get out 3 times in the last hour just to walk around. Lesson learned, plan to get out of the car every 60-90 minutes to walk around for 5 minutes.

I relaxed at the beach and had a LOVELY time.

2 hours after returning, I got violently ill with stomach flu symptoms. I was throwing up every 10 minutes for about an hour, so I called my OB (this time got Dr. Abraham - I was with Reiter & Hill). She suggested I come in to the hospital, because she didn't want me to get dehydrated. I went in, and turns out I was actually having minor contractions. They suspected I picked up some sort of norovirus (as 8 of my relatives got sick the same night). I stayed overnight, got better, and went home. I delivered at almost 42 weeks.

So, that's my story for what its worth. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it again (even with the norovirus). Especially if you usually go to NC, and know what your vacation will entail,... I'd say go. The R&R can be a wonderful thing.

[Anonymous]

we are driving up to my parents in LI at 35 weeks for me...i haven't asked my doctor yet but i suspect she'll say more of the same as pp - i will travel with my records - but yeah, i'm going!!!! hopefully i will sleep most of the way up there.

i actually don't even know what my records will tell them in the event of an emergency that me or my husband couldn't. i have had such a boring pregnancy!!

[Anonymous]

I would do it. We drove to a wedding in NC when I was 36 weeks. Came home and I had the baby 5 days later - yikes!

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks for all the responses. My OB said not to go after all, mainly because of questionable hospitals there or on the way there, so I'm not going. I hope to take the baby a few months later instead!

[Anonymous]

I think you are crazy for deciding not to go. Its not like you are going to the middle-of-nowhere. I grew up in the Tidewater, VA area which is about an hour to two hours away from the Outer Banks (depending on where you are going). There are great hospitals there, not to mention a great Children's hospital in Norfolk. If you go into labor chances are you are not going to deliver the baby within an hour after first signs of labor, especially your first baby. You could probably drive back up to the DC area if you really went into labor that early. Trust me, you'll enjoy it a whole lot more now without the baby then with the baby 3 months after his/her birth.

[Anonymous]

I think PP was a bit harsh, after all, its your choice. But I've heard this "there are no good hospitals there" line before.

Keep in mind, there are pregnant women in these areas who routinely give birth successfully at these area hospitals.

Its your choice... but:
1) if you have had a healthy/uncomplicated pregnancy
2) if your family has no history of difficult or premature births
3) and, at 34 weeks, you are showing no strange signs of going into labor...

I'd ignore your doctor and go. I think doctors often discount the health BENEFITS to the mother of a stress free week at the beach, and think only about the potential problems.

As the PP said, if this is your first, there is a huge chance that just the first stage of your labor will take 12-14 hours... You could drive back to DC twice in that time frame.

Either way, I hope you get a nice stress free week at the beach. With the baby, I think it won't be nearly as fun... but it could still be nice.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the last two posters. I am sure your OB is just trying to be safe, but unless you have had a complicated pregnancy and have reason to believe you might deliver 6 weeks early, you should be fine. I went to St. Simons Island, GA last year when I was about 33-34 weeks. We drove 10 hours. I was fine and we had a wonderful time. It was great to take one last vacation before the baby came, too. I agree, too, that while you can bring the baby in a few months, it will by no means be as relaxing.

[Anonymous]

My doc was okay with me going to the Va Beach at about that time, since there are many go hospitals all along the route there. The Outberbanks might be stretching it a bit since you'd have a good 2+ hour drive to any hospital with a NICU. Also, my health insurance will not cover a delivery outside our area (MD, DC, NoVa) without prior consent. It is probably a good idea to check and see what your insurance companies policy is. If you ended up having a C-section for some reason, you'd be talking a 5 figure medical bill.

[Anonymous]

PP here -- just wanted to add that if you do go into labor at 34 weeks, they want you to get to the hospital ASAP because they want to STOP the contractions. The baby's lungs are not fully developed at that point so they really don't want you to deliver. So, if you do go into labor, you do not want to try and drive all the way from the Outer Banks to Washington, DC.