https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Jul 2026 02:35:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1814249 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 14:19:10 +0000 Ms.Pumpkin 1814249@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: Yeah, 35 weeks seemed pretty strict to me as well, but I don't think that I'm going to be that strict myself- this might, however, be an opportunity to scale my commute back a little, which would be nice. I'd love to find a good compromise between being totally out at 35 weeks and being overdue and still commuting!</p> <p>Believe it or not, public trans is actually the quick &amp; easy option for me! My office is located in downtown Washington, DC, about a block from the Capitol bldg- driving actually makes my commute significantly longer and more uncomfortable, so I'll be staying on the train as long as I can! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1814021 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:54:57 +0000 kiddosc 1814021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That seems really weird to be that they put that strict if a travel restriction on someone. It's not like you go into labor and immediately need to be at a hospital for the majority of people. I had a two hour commute each way, but I drive my own car. My last day of work I drove home in early labor, though I didn't realize it at the time. Maybe you can drive instead of taking the train as a way to have more freedom about your travel. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813987 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:39:41 +0000 snowjewelz 1813987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely talk to your work about working from home esp if this is due to doctor's recommendation. They don't have to be happy about it but would they really feel good if you started laboring on the train?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813969 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:31:35 +0000 Ms.Pumpkin 1813969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Alivoo01: The hospital is about a 15 minute drive from the house, and DH works about 5 minutes away. So waaay closer, and even if DH were far away, I'd also be very close to my Mom and sister, who could get me to the hospital in an emergency.</p> <p>I'm chatting tonight with a friend who works in a university career services office, so she's got a great perspective on negotiation and work-life balance issues, so I'm hoping that she can help me develop my sales pitch! :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813928 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:12:03 +0000 Alivoo01 1813928@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms.Pumpkin: I like your plan about working from home part-time till 37 weeks then full time from home since your work is portable. I'm sure they understand especially if your delivery hospital is closer to home than it is to work! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813848 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:40:27 +0000 loki 1813848@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i didn't even think of this. i commute about 4 hours a day... a 1.5 hour train followed by a half an hour subway. my work is nottttt flexible about working from home so i have no idea what i'll do! there used to be a super pregnant girl on the same train as me so i imagine i'll just risk it and hope for the best. i can't afford to be off work and i really don't want to start mat leave early! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813837 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:38:04 +0000 Ms.Pumpkin 1813837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@autumnlove: That's exactly my concern! First babies usually come late, so if I go on FMLA at 35 weeks, and she's not born for another 6 weeks, then I'll have to go back to work after only 6 weeks at home with a new baby, which sounds awful! I'm interested in keeping in active work status for as long as I possibly can!</p> <p>@Kelley_lovelikecrazy: Haha, I also think it's probably pretty unlikely that I'll go into labor on the train at 36 weeks, but I'm already pretty uncomfortable. Fortunately my train line does have bathrooms on board, but they're pretty gross, so I prefer not to use them!</p> <p>My Agency does encourage telework, and I already WAH one day per week, so I'm just trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject. </p> <p>I may try to suggest that at 35 weeks, I only commute into the office 1-2 days per week, until 37 weeks or so, when I can just WAH full time until the baby comes. I'm just hoping they like me enough to have me keep working as long as I can, regardless of the mode of work! Fortunately I do a lot of writing/policy-type work, so it's fairly portable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813786 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:25:15 +0000 Kelley_lovelikecrazy 1813786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a car so it was a little different. My commute was 1 - 1.5 hours. But the hospital was about 45min to an hour from work. My theory was first labors take awhile usually, so I'll be fine. Probably ridiculous to think - but I ended up going into labor in the middle of the night - so no problems haha.</p> <p>BUT the thing I didn't think about was having to pee. By the end, I would have to stop on the way home to go to the bathroom. You might not be able to handle long train rides soon! Just a thought. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813775 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:21:26 +0000 looch 1813775@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep, that's why I went on maternity leave for a full 6 weeks before my son was born. I had an hour commute, via three trains! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813773 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:20:24 +0000 autumnlove 1813773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a long commute during my first pregnancy and I drove 3+ hours a day. I stopped working at 36 weeks at the rec from my Dr....I wish I made arrangements to work at home because my baby wasn't born until 41+2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/travel-restrictions-amp-long-commutes#post-1813763 Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:17:09 +0000 Ms.Pumpkin 1813763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just wondering if anybody else had a long commute (like 1 hour or more) while pregnant, and how you dealt with it!</p> <p>I'm 31 weeks, and at my appointment today, I asked the midwife about travel restrictions- my practice does not allow/recommend travel more than an hour away in the last month of pregnancy.</p> <p>When I asked her if my 1.5 hour commute counted as "travel," she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Um, yes." She said that I shouldn't really be doing my commute from 35 weeks onwards! </p> <p>My commute is by train, and sometime the trains can be severely delayed, so I can understand how I would NOT want to be in labor on public transport! I'm trying to figure out some alternative commuting and telework arrangements so that I don't have to spend so much time commuting, but I'm kind of worried about how work will react. I think they'll be supportive, but not particularly happy...</p> <p>Did you make any alternate arrangements towards the end of your pregnancy to allow you to keep working? I don't want to drain half of my FMLA leave before the baby even arrives! </p>