Car journey at 32w

Hi girls

Hope you can answer this for me. When I'm 32w pg I'm going to be attending my grandmother's 80th birthday party. She actually turns 80 in a couple of weeks, but the party is a bit later so my dad can attend.

To get to this party, I will be travelling up for about 6 hours on the Friday night and home again on Sunday, another 6 hours or so. Should I be doing anything about moving about? I'm guessing at 32w I'll need a couple of lavatory stops, but will I be OK to drive most of the journey back? Over the last 6 years I've done this trip quite a lot so I'm not worried about the roads, just my physical condition. I plan to do all/most of the driving on the Sunday and take the Monday off work.

Is this do-able or am I being a bit naive?

Hey Ryn, i would advise you to obviosuly move about as much as possible - wiggle your toes/feet etc, regular lavatory stops and if you can get your hands on a pair of TED stockings i would be wearing those. :D

ETA: Just had a thought that you might not call them TED stockings in the UK and you'd be staring at the screen thinking what on earth is she on about??? So TEDS = antithrombotic stockings. Like you would wear on a long flight to prevent DVT :)

Oooh, the beautiful thromboembolic stockings! They'll look sweet with my girdle. I'll be fighting DH off all the way up now! LMAO I can just see his face when I get changed for bed that evening.

Hey Ryn we are attempting a 11hrs drive at 34 weeks, can't wait. Just hoping I don't have the baby on some obscure road between one end of the state and the other. ;-) Fingers crossed I can fit behind the steering wheel :-)

Ryn, I did a lot of long driving (in very hot and humid conditions) through the NT at around 36 weeks when pg with Olivia.......I checked with my OB and he suggested plenty of fluids, plenty of loo stops, plenty of shared driiving, and plenty of toe & leg wriggles. And plenty of mobile phone coverage JIC.........

Ryn,
I am going on a road trip in the next few weeks mine is 9 hours long. I will be sharing the driving and alot of toe wriggling and toilet stops. As i have a DS aswell we are leaving at night so he will sleep most of the way... fingers crossed!!
Goodluck with your journey.

Hi Ryn, I drove from Melbourne to Gold Coast when I was 38 wks pg and then flew back later that night.
We drove from Melbourne to Coffs Harbour which was about 15 hours and stayed the night and then straight to the Gold Coast and I was fine.
I had warned everyone I would need to stop a few times for the toilet and to stretch my legs and I just relaxed and read a book and enjoyed the scenery.
Just make sure you have a mobile phone,plenty of fluids,something to eat,stop when you have to and I am sure you will be fine.
Have a good trip
Take Care
Michelle

Ryn I did a car trip at 32 weeks.
I know you won't know the destinations, but they and the hours in the car are as follows:
Home to Merimbula - 6 hours of driving time with half hour break after 3.
2 days later we drove from Merimbula to Albury via the mountains which took almost all bl**dy day with half hour for lunch and the odd leg stretch at a petrol station.
3 days later it was a 4 hour drive home from Albury.

We were transported in our lovely 1961 model holden so it wasn't the cushiest ride!

It is doable but I was stiff and sore for a few days after. Make sure you stop and stretch and go for a little stroll when you make the nescessary loo stops ;)

As Jillian said, make sure you pack a pillow for your back......have the car seat as straight as possible so you don't get a crazy sore back....
If your DH does any driving make sure he stops when you want to! Things like waiting for a toilet stop can take forever when someone else is driving.....
And pack some great music!

Thanks girls. I'm never sure what I'm over-reacting about and what I'm doing as "normal" that I shouldn't be doing!

I've managed to scrounge some DVT stockings, or rather get someone to scrounge them for me at a DVT meeting next week, so good news on that front! A pillow will be extra fab because I usually sleep when I'm not driving and now I have an excuse to be comfortable.

:

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Oooh, the beautiful thromboembolic stockings! They'll look sweet with my girdle. I'll be fighting DH off all the way up now! LMAO I can just see his face when I get changed for bed that evening.

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I know they are highly attractive aren't they? LOL :p

Travelling 32 weeks pg is not fun!!

In the last week i had to do 2 trips to Melbourne, each at 10 hrs a go. But DH stopped every 2 hours for me (some times less cos of my poor bladder).LOL.

As already advised, move your feet, wiggle your toes, and try keep comfortable as much as u can in a car....

Big bottles of COLD water and some sweets to suck on got me through the trips!

Good luck :)