How to travel internationally when 32 weeks pregnant?

[Sanne Panne]

I'll need to travel to Holland with my toddler (who will be 21 months old when we travel) in late April - I'll be about 32 weeks pregnant with #2. My husband will travel back with us but on the way out it's just us. We have to go, it's a close cousin's wedding.

Our options are:

Eurostar - seems a bit tricky to be heavily pregnant and get a suitcase, buggy and baby into and out of a train twice as it's 2x2 hours on the train with a 1 hour stopover in Brussels (and stress about missing the connection if there's a delay in the first leg).

Ferry - either directly to Holland (6.5 hours on boat from Harwich and very little driving - 2 hours on this side of the North Sea and 1 hour on the other) or the hoover craft to France (45 minutes on boat but a 4 hour drive to our final destination). Driving is easy as you don't need to lift your luggage in/out at any point (will have people help me on both sides) but my daughter will probably get impatient if she has to spend a lot of time in the car.

Plane - just 45-50 minutes in air, still allowed when 32 weeks pregnant I believe, and no real issue with radiation as it's a short flight that's not even that high up. I wouldn't know how to fit my daughter on my lap for take-off and landing though as my bump was pretty impressive when I was 32 weeks pregnant with #1. And in spite of having flown lots and lots for work and pleasure I still have a slight fear of flying.

What would you do? Can you recommend anything else, e.g. swimming?

[sanity girl]

To be honest if it was me I wouldn't go. I think being 32 weeks pregnant, having a toddler in tow and having to travel one way alone is a pretty good excuse. I could understand if it was a sibling, but I think as it's a cousin it is fair enough to say you can't make it.

[Sanne Panne]

sanity girl Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> To be honest if it was me I wouldn't go. I think

> being 32 weeks pregnant, having a toddler in tow

> and having to travel one way alone is a pretty

> good excuse. I could understand if it was a

> sibling, but I think as it's a cousin it is fair

> enough to say you can't make it.

Maybe I should ask my husband to fly out with us and fly back to London the next day (daughter and I are going a week before the wedding, husband can only come for the wedding itself)... I still don't like flying but it may be the most drama free option when accompanied by someone who can look after suitcase and toddler...

Anyway, still curious to see other replies, I find it very hard to judge how tough the trip will be.

[Sanne Panne]

Another thing is that at Schiphol airport they don't give your buggy back at the gate, you have to walk to the hold baggage caroussel with your hand baggage and your toddler.. not very attractive when alone. Maybe one of those beeping/flashing granny cars can pick us up from the gate ;-)

[candj]

I travelled many times when very pregnant with a note from my consultant which none of the airlines (BA) asked for. When I was 37 weeks pregnant with my first the latest I flew was going and returning from Dublin. With my second pregnancy and with a toddler (and husband too) the latest I flew was also 37 weeks to and from Rome. So both very short haul flights and again, no one asked how pregnant I was. It's much faster flying than taking Eurostar although much more pleasant and relaxing taking Eurostar and not having airport security to deal with, IMO. For a long haul flight, I didn't fly later than 34/35 weeks pregnant, but again with a doctors note which no one asked for.

Just ask for assistance on the flight and at Schipol airport. They should have someone help you with your carry-on bag if they aren't able to give your pushchair back at the side of the plane. Or if you have a quinny zapp take it on board with you - we usually have to convince them that it fits in the overhead compartment, but they always have let us keep it on board even in smaller planes (Boeing 737 or Airbus 300s).

Hope that helps and good luck.

Edited to say, the ferry would be completely out of the question!

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Sanne Panne,

I flew to Spain and back for a 3 week holiday, returning at 36 weeks pregant, with hubby and 5 year old both ways I admit, but it was fine. If I were you I would fly.

Two things I would recommend you do;

1) See your doctor or midwife a day or two before the outbound flight and get a letter confirming how many weeks pregnant you are and what your due date is

2) Check your travel insurance, I found my normal insurers would only cover me up to 20 weeks pregnant, so had to take out cover with a different company (IHI) who were very good, I know more than one lady who has used them for travel insurance during pregnancy and have only heard good things about them. If you google you should find them if you need them.

Also, I'd see if you can get cheap enough flights (Easyjet?), in order to buy a seat for your 21 month old for the bit where you will be on your own travelling, as I don't think you'd fit her on your lap as you say! Would be well worth it.

Remember you don't need Speedy Boarding, as when travelling with a child you get priority boarding the plane anyway.

I think if you got a pull along bag for your hand luggage, with toddler you might be OK, if she's a fairly good walker? Or maybe one of those pull along suitcases that toddlers can sit on would be a good option?

My Doctor said to me that as it was a short flight he didn't see any real issue with me going on holiday, and babies are born in Spain too.....which I thought was very sensible advice. In the event DD2 was 8 days late, which I fully expected as I went a week over with my first too.

Good luck with it!

Molly

[sillywoman]

Why out of the question candj? We went to France on the ferry when I was 38 weeks with my last one. It was fine, in fact being on the ferry meant I could move about & stretch a bit rather than being confined to a small airplane or train seat. Also the kids could run about, play in the play zone, & generally be entertained rather than being cooped up in a train, plane, or car. The ferry journey was only an hour, but I wish it had been longer (& I'm not a good sailor) as traveling by car was much harder for me at that stage.

Does your daughter have daytime naps still, if you do the 45minute ferry option can you time part of the drive so that she'll nap during it? I found mine could (can) all do about 2 hours in a car then they needed a break. If you broke up the 4hr car journey into 2x 2hr journeys it might be more do-able?

I think though I'd consider whichever plan gives you least time in the car. And having defended strongly the ferry option, I have to say in your case I'd probably go for the plane, but buy your daughter a seat too (cos you won't fit her on your lap!). I had sensibleman with me the whole time, so it made the ferry really do-able, doing it on my own though, hmmmm, well that's a different matter . . .

Good luck with whatever you do.

[Sanne Panne]

Thanks all, I think I'm going to convince my husband to "escort" us to Holland (by plane) and then fly back the next day and join us again the week after... a bit decadent (just checked and it's only ?87 actually...) but it will make life sooo much easier. We always fly from City airport when we go to Amsterdam (it's my original home town hence the frequent visits) because it's such a simple/pleasant/fast airport. The type of plane we'll be in won't hold any kind of buggy but if my husband is there we won't need it as much. Hope we can make this work.

A 2-3 hour ferry ride would be peanuts but 6.5 hours is probably a lot. Especially if you add the boarding process etc...

Sensiblewoman, my daughter currently still does a 1.5 to 2 hour nap around midday but when we're travelling she improvises with short naps and seems ok so I'm not too worried about that (although I'm not sure I could "schedule" one nap for the car ride from Calais).

[sillywoman]

I think your decision is a wise one. It would all be so much easier with another adult with you.

[Smiler]

Sounds good, but check the airline's policy on flying during pregnancy - some are mean about it if later than 28 weeks.

As well as health insurance, it'd be worth taking a European health card (has now replaced E111 forms), just in case.

[sanity girl]

I'm sure going via city airport will make a big difference - the one time I used it, it was blissfully quiet

[Sanne Panne]

Thanks for all the advice, I'll get the health card as well as a note from the midwife/GP and will check my insurance. We're flying BA and I'll check their policy regarding flying during late pregnancy.

We've come to the perfect compromise where I don't go a whole week in advance of the wedding and my husband isn't arriving last minute - instead we're all travelling together two days in advance.

Should be peanuts! (famous last words)

[apenn]

A quick note regarding travel insurance when flying - I had problems getting coverage when flying at 32 weeks. Egg will cover you regardless of how many weeks pregnant as long as the airline is willing to carry you. I did a lot of searching and this was the most liberal policy I could find.

-Amanda

[bawdy-nan]

Man in Seat Sixty One has some very good options.

Train (from Liverpool Street) / ferry / train looks good to me, especially with small child, and very cheap

[newcomer]

You've probably already planned this all by now (as I see that this post is quite old) but, in case your husband isn't able to accompany you and you have to travel alone, perhaps you could ask him to bring the bulk of the luggage with him later so that you can travel as 'light' as possible?

Also, perhaps your cousin/family in Holland could get you the name and contact details of a doctor or midwife in Holland, just in the unlikely case that you need one while you're at the wedding.

Finally, don't forget your maternity notes (or at least a photocopy of them). Again, just in case...

Hope you have a great time.