Driving and pregnant...

[Jon99]

We have had a trip for December 26-Jan 2 planned for about 6 months, found out my wife is pregnant and due March 1.. We have always driven and that was the plan this time, do we need to adjust?

 

[mom2alix]

I think it will really depend on your wife and how comfortable she is in your car. Flying is faster, but driving offers you the option to stop when you need to and walk around, so it has its advantages too. You might wait until closer to your trip and see how she feels. Congratulations, btw!

 

[Kermit]

I don't think that driving will be a problem as long as you're willing to stop and let her walk frequently. If you're driving from IL, you should plan on taking at least 2 days. It's important to eat healthy foods while you're pregnant, and that will make finding food while you're on the road a little bit harder, but stopping at real restaurants, as opposed to fast food, will help her have a chance to sit in a different position for a while so that she doesn't get uncomfortable.

The second trimester is great. She should be feeling pretty good at that point. Just doing the math pretty quickly in my head, it looks like she'll be boardering on starting her 3rd trimester right around your trip. It is pretty common to suddenly start getting a lot more tired in the 3rd trimester, but most women make it until about the 8th month before that happens.

Congratulations!

 

[bartleby1]

We drove last summer from NJ when I was around 6-1/2 months pregnant. My doctors told me that it was extremely important to get out every 2 hours to walk around to reduce the chance of blood clots and to make sure I drank plenty of water.

The trip down wasn't too bad but by the time we were coming home (16 days later), I wasn't feeling as comfortable. I'm sure it was partly due to swelling from the August heat and all of the walking, and partly because I was further along in my pregnancy and starting to lose the "good" feelings of the second trimester and gaining the tired feelings of the third trimester.

Overall, I would say it was a good trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Congrats and good luck!

 

[Callalily6]

If you drive, you will want to consider stopping A LOT. Pregnant women are supposed to move around to avoid blood clots that could harm the mother or baby. We drove when I was pregnant and we stopped every hour or so for me to walk. It was a long trip. I have also taken a plane at the end of the 2nd trimester and that was much easier...for some reason driving is more tiring and stressful. My vote is the plane! And airfare is still a pretty good price (I got a fare for $149 RT out of the middle of no where)...surprise her with wonderful thoughtfulness and go for the plane!

 

[Jon99]

So we always drive thru the night and she sleeps most of the time from around 11:00 to 6:00... Should she still get out every two hours or let her sleep????

Thanks for the answers.. We thought she was about 10 weeks, went to get the ultrasound and the tech thought she was 15 weeks, goes to the doc in 3 weeks, this changes things and needing to adjust plans if needed..

 

[mom2alix]

So we always drive thru the night and she sleeps most of the time from around 11:00 to 6:00... Should she still get out every two hours or let her sleep????

Thanks for the answers.. We thought she was about 10 weeks, went to get the ultrasound and the tech thought she was 15 weeks, goes to the doc in 3 weeks, this changes things and needing to adjust plans if needed..

Jon99 - If my experience is anything to go by, by that point you won't have to wake her up every 2 hours - she'll already be waking up and wanting you to stop for a potty break! If she can sleep comfortably anywhere, I'd let her sleep. Have fun on your trip!

 

[malibuconlee]

Check with her OB. I thought that women weren't supposed to fly in their third trimester.

 

[malibuconlee]

Pregnancy website and what they say about flying.

 

[Callalily6]

Women can fly at the begininng of the 3rd trimester as long as there are no complications. Check with your doc. The thing with sleeping in the car is, she cant move around as much as she would in a bed, plus she will have been sitting all day. We drive 900 miles in one day and it was really really hard on me. Of course she may be fine and not complain, but they still say its dangerous to sit still that long. The What to Expect When Your Expecting has a lot of info on traveling when preggers. Look at that at the library and check with your doc. They should be able to give you an idea about it. Why the hesitation to fly? I'm pretty sure anybody could sit in the sit at the beginning of the 3rd trimester, if I could. And if that is a concern you can fly AirTran and upgrade to 1st class for $35-$50 per seat when you arrive at the airport. Those seats have lots of wiggle room and leg room.

 

[klj27]

My doctor gave me the OK to drive from Ohio to WDW when I was 6 months pregnant. We stopped every two to three hours and I made sure I did some stretching exercises (while we were driving) every half hour. We stopped halfway for the night on the way there and on the way home. It is very doable, just take your time.

 

[Kermit]

I would not try to drive through the night. She's going to be having a hard time falling asleep as it is, so she won't be able to sleep in the car. And she's really going to need her rest. It's really pretty important that she have a nice, comfortable bed with lots of room to spread out and get comfortable.

 

[Mrsduck101]

We drove from NW Ohio when I was 5 months pregnant. I actually did a lot of the driving - I was more comfy in the drivers seat for some reason. We stopped a lot more often then we normally do. I never kept track of how often, but I am sure it was about every 2 hours for a potty break. Definitely talk to her OB or midwife before the trip for any special advice. Mine just said to take care of myself and have fun

 

[SylviaL]

My big worry about driving would be hitting a snowstorm. It would not be fun to be stuck in the middle of nowhere and pregnant. I would prefer flying.

Congratulations!

 

[rt2dz]

We drove last May when I was 6 months pregnant. The first thing your DW should do is talk to her OB/Midwife. Mine said as long as I stopped every 4 hours I should be fine. We stop every 3 hours (had two DS 4 & 15 months) and drove straight through at night. I kept my legs elevated during that time (when not driving) and got out when we got gas. Otherwise, I just stopped every 3-4 hours and used the restroom as my stretch. I get really big, really fast so that wasn't anything too extra. I found the drive pg to be pretty comparable to not pg.

 

[Reese]

Congratulations!

Dh and I are in the same boat. We've changed our plans to flying instead. We would have had a 22 hour drive. DH thought it would just be too much as I'll be just nearing my third trimester at that point. The important thing about driving is frequent walk breaks. She'll need to get out and walk around a little to prevent blood clots from forming. Also it is important to make sure that she stays well hydrated.