Cross country move a week after labor

[silverrein]

There's no real way around it, DH has to report back to Ft. Bragg soon after our LO is born and me staying behind for ample recovery time is not really an option. It will probably be about a week after the birth that this will need to be done. We will be driving from Texas to NC. What do we need to do in order to prepare for this move? We will be driving, so I know to factor in double the amount of time to get there in order to stop for feedings, diaper changes, etc. I've never had a child before so I don't know how I will be feeling physically. Any tips?

 

[lisaf]

yikes!!! what if you have a c-section?! I don't think you can drive for weeks afterwards and a car journey would be VERY uncomfortable. Newborns often need to feed up to every hour (esp if you are breastfeeding).
Honestly, if you can stay with somebody, family etc for a little while it will be worth it.

Also might want to fly and have a friend drive for you if you can?
I know I wasn't getting enough sleep to safely drive much at all either.

What if you go past-due? Would you then be risking going into labor on the road? If they induce you just to try to get the baby out in time for your drive you will raise the risks of needing a c-section.

I would strongly advise having backup plans!!!

 

[silverrein]

yikes!!! what if you have a c-section?! I don't think you can drive for weeks afterwards and a car journey would be VERY uncomfortable. Newborns often need to feed up to every hour (esp if you are breastfeeding).
Honestly, if you can stay with somebody, family etc for a little while it will be worth it.

Also might want to fly and have a friend drive for you if you can?
I know I wasn't getting enough sleep to safely drive much at all either.

What if you go past-due? Would you then be risking going into labor on the road? If they induce you just to try to get the baby out in time for your drive you will raise the risks of needing a c-section.

I would strongly advise having backup plans!!!

Yeah, they want him a week out from the date of birth, not necessarily the due date. I'm worried about whether I have a c section as well, if that's the case I'm going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I'm currently at home with family right now while he's deployed but at this point I've overstayed my welcome, and once he's here for the birth he's going to have a limited time here.

 

[lisaf]

crap.. Will all your stuff be moved over ahead of time? Is there any kind of spouse support that can somehow help you either with the move or with a place to stay for a few weeks?
If you had someone drive you over in a motor home, I could see it being possible.

 

[lisaf]

also.. if you can move over there sooner that might be a better idea!

 

[silverrein]

All of our stuff is already over there in a storage unit. I'm sorry, I probably should have provided a little background info, my mistake. Ok, basically, DH is stationed out of Ft. Bragg, we both lived there, found out I was pregnant, found out he was deploying, so I moved to Texas for the duration of the pregnancy. We put everything in storage up there, so moving a whole bunch of stuff (besides baby things) isn't much of an issue, since it's all already up there.

When they send DH home for the birth, they are going to want him to report back to Ft. Bragg about a week after LO is born, therefore us needing to go back with him.

I probably made the mistake of moving home to begin with at the beginning of this pregnancy, but I would have been alone in NC and pregnant during the deployment. I probably could have handled everything by myself though, now looking back on things. Hindsight is 20/20 though.

If LO has medical issues which need to be attended to after he is born then I will stay behind in order to make sure he is going to be ok. But if he is healthy then we really do need to move back with him, or else we are going to be separated as a family for an indefinite amount of time, as I am not keen on flying with a young infant and DH will be driving the vehicle back with him.

 

[lisaf]

I figure the stress of flying is a limited stress vs. the stress of driving for several days. Might be a good backup plan if you have a c-section? Maybe ask women who have had a c-section if they could handle a flight a week later?
Then have your DH drive back and meet you there?