Need advice for Saturday's game
So, I am in a bit of a dilemma. I have two tickets to the game on Saturday and plan on driving the seven hours from my home with some friends down to Dallas on Friday. However, my wife is 8 months pregnant with a due date of approximately September 21st. This is going to be our first child together, so I really want to be there for the birth. Should I roll the dice and go to Dallas this weekend with the hope that she doesn't go into labor, or should I stay back to cover myself in case something happens?
My wife wants me to go so I don't hold a grudge against her if she doesn't go into labor (jokingly of course, I would never really do that), and before she was even pregnant, she knew I would be going to the game. Not sure what to do as the clock begins to wind down.
Any suggestions?
August 28th, 2012 at 10:13 AM ^
Well, the only bad outcome stemming from making either choice (going vs. not going) is missing the birth of your child.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:10 AM ^
It's only the birth of your first child....not that important of an event....
August 28th, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 10:17 AM ^
Just be willing to fly back right away if she does. Spare the expense. Have your friends drive.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:40 AM ^
Even better, give them the heads up that if she pops, you're driving home. Unlikely to happen anyway, but even if she did, most first labors last more than 8 hours.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:19 AM ^
Go to the game, 3 weeks early not likely to happen for a first child.
Is your wife ok with the name Denard? After watching him light up the Alabama D on Saturday it would be a very fitting name for your first born!
Oh...and congrats on the upcoming future Wolverine fan.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:24 AM ^
Agreed - 3 weeks early is rare for a 1st child, most 1st children come after the due date not before. With any luck your future Wolverine fan will arrive on the Wifeday after Notre Dame.
And also, Congrats!! Fatherhood is a ton of fun.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:32 AM ^
Being born on wifeday 2012, would be the most unselfish act the child will ever do.
Your are fine as far as time goes. GO to the game!.
Congrats on the little guy I will be looking for the hello post in 2030.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
She hates the bye week as much as I do.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:42 AM ^
With some extreme luck, she will be 4 months late and you won't have to deal with annual Saturday birthday parties. Kids are great, but live it up these last few weeks...
August 28th, 2012 at 11:30 AM ^
1) 3 weeks is early for a 1st, generally 1st baies are born late. If your wife has had another child, they usually follow the timing of the 1st.
2) You may be able to fly back to AA, especially if it is right before or during (gasp!) the game.
3) 8 hours should be doable from a driving perspective, especially if you are called after her 1st contraction.
August 28th, 2012 at 1:43 PM ^
My wife and first child vehemently disagree with you on this one. Exactly 3 weeks to the day early
August 28th, 2012 at 10:21 AM ^
When my wife and I had our little guy, she was in the hospital for almost 20 hours before our little wolverine was born, and the grand majority of that time was sitting around waiting to dilate more, where I wasn't really able to do much beyond footrubs or conversation. As long as you keep your phone on you and check it regularly in case she calls or texts, you should be able to drive back in time if she goes in to the hospital for labor. Just make sure she has an alternate way of getting to the hospital - a friend or family member that can get her there if her labor does begin while you're in Dallas. I'd vote go.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:34 AM ^
MOST first births take a while, my wife was in labor 22 hrs, and yes, most of it was just sitting around bitching about uncommunacative doctors.
Make all the plan B/emergency plans you can ahead of time, she'll appreciate it & you'll be able to enjoy yourself guilt free.
good luck
August 28th, 2012 at 10:37 AM ^
Plan B... well it's a little too late for that.
/kidding, congratulations. Tough call, but as others have said, if you go, be prepared to fly back.
August 28th, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^
But everyone's different. 6 hrs start to finish with my first baby, 1 1/2 hour total for 2nd and third. I say go. I went to Disney World 36 weeks pregnant and was fine. 1st babies are usually late.
Go! When will our Wolverines be in Jerryworld again???? Once in a lifetime opportunity...
August 28th, 2012 at 12:25 PM ^
My SIL flew across the Atlantic for one weekend (literally) when she was 35 weeks pregnant, and she was fine, and that was with her fourth. Of course, by then she knew she is always late.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:22 AM ^
I have 3. Besides, even is she does by chance go into labor, you will have 20+ hours to get there! The first is the toughest, the rest pop out like pumpkin seeds!
August 28th, 2012 at 10:23 AM ^
wife tells you to go to a Michigan football game...you go!! Just make sure you're sober enough to get home quickly if you need to. Go Blue!!
August 28th, 2012 at 10:25 AM ^
I agree, goto fly back immediately if she goes into labor, but goto the game in case cause nothing might end up happening
August 28th, 2012 at 10:28 AM ^
From a purely statistical standpoint, first children are delivered pretty much on time (one study pegged it at 39 weeks and some change, I think), at least that was the case when I last saw data. If you wanted to play the numbers, they should be in your favor. Especially if there have been no issues related to the pregnancy to date, the chances of anything happening this weekend would be fairly remote, I would imagine. Keep in contact and have a plan to get back if needed, of course, but I would side with going.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:29 AM ^
that you'll have cellular service in the stadium. At UTL it was impossible to call out for a good 25 minutes after the game and we had a medical condition to deal with.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^
This is a good point, but checking in before the game to make sure she's not starting labor should allow you to be safe for 3-4 hours without reception.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:31 AM ^
Arithmetic is your friend. Shoulda thought about this before you put the bun in the oven, my friend.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:32 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^
Agree with MGoBrewMom - it sounds like you're probably good to go, but just make sure. It sounds like you and your wife have thought things through pretty well, either way, congrats in advance.
slightly OT: I was going to make a smartass comment about how the kid wouldn't remember who was there at his or her birth - I don't have any memories of my birth at all - but that got me thinking: What kind of capacity do people have for remembering those things? I remember having a normal infancy - I'd never heard otherwise - but most of what I "know" from the first years of my life is informed by secondhand stuff from my parents rather than anything I'd classify as experiential.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:47 AM ^
I think he is more worried about his wife being upset with him not being there.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:33 AM ^
There could be a chart involved somehow. We do love us some charts
OP best of luck either way!
August 28th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 10:33 AM ^
First child? Pregnancy?
This is Alabama man!? Man up and get to that game. This team needs you!!!
August 28th, 2012 at 10:33 AM ^
but be careful. For my first born, my wife and I went to the hospital 3 hours before my Son popped out. We (she) thought labor was going to be worse than it was, I guess, so she ended up doing most of the laboring at home, not really knowing it was real labor. When she decided it was time to go in, we both thought that there was a good chance they were going to send us home.
With all the stories of 20 hours in the hospital, warm baths, and halking up and down the hallway, just know that it doesn't necessarily go that way. Still, I think that you would be safe given that the due date is 3 weeks away.
Good luck!
August 28th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
until you offer us the chance to name your kid. where is your team spirit?
August 28th, 2012 at 10:37 AM ^
All joking aside, like everyone said... It will more than likely be fine. If she's saying to go, go.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:38 AM ^
I think the real sticking point is the friends you're going with. As others have pointed out, unlikely to be 3 weeks early. The other thing about first deliveries is that they do not tend to be quick... if she goes into labor, it will likely be longer than 8 hours and should give you time to drive back for the actual birth. But if you end up leaving early, that might put your friends in a big lurch.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:43 AM ^
first child is usually over by a few days...
unless you're wife is high-risk, i don't think it's too much of a concern.
that being said, you may cash in the goodwill later in the season for the national championship game... mich vs. usc. will be a great game and i'm definitely going to that one!
August 28th, 2012 at 12:06 PM ^
if we go undefeated this year, taking out alabama, notre dame, nebraska, michigan state, akron tech, wisconsin, and usc, we'll be standing atop a pile of skulls the likes of which an 8-team playoff could only hope to one day reproduce.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^
random question and i don't have enough points to post new thread.
do season tickets for other sports (like soccer, volleyball and baseball) get you the "ticket loyalty" victors club points. I already have a pair of football and basketball tix, but i wanted to see if i can get more points by getting season tix to other sports as well.
in addition, if i get 2 season tix instead of 1... do i get 2 points per year instead of 1?
August 28th, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^
sorry to hijack the thread, but i really am curious as to the answers to these questions.... if anyone knows, i will happily share my priority points strategy w/ the mgoblog community....
thx!!
August 28th, 2012 at 11:32 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 11:39 AM ^
nice, well the reason i was mentioning is now they have numerous $35 tickets....
so $35 for 1 point is far better than $100 for 1 point...
just wanted to know if this was a way to get points for 65% off and it seems like it has some merit.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:56 AM ^
If you are driving, worst case is you jump in the car and are only 7 hours away...any sign of labor, you bolt, and will probably get there before "touchdown"
August 28th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^
and set them up in a hotel near a hospital in Dallas for the night.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^
If she gives birth on 9/21, you will still have time to drive to South Bend the next day for the Notre Dame game. Win-win!!!
August 28th, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 4:28 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 11:01 AM ^
Thanks everyone for the advice. I think I am going to pull the trigger and go. DFW has direct flights to a regional airport near my home twice a day, and with the info provided on 1st children being born after statistically, I am comfortable going.
We are having a girl, so I doubt she'll be part of the 2030 recruiting class for football or have a name like Bo Howard.
August 28th, 2012 at 11:03 AM ^
just name her taco
August 28th, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^