# can a high altitude induce labor?



## koalove (Apr 18, 2007)

My friend is getting married in lake tahoe when i will be 38 weeks pregnant and i really want to go to her wedding. i have heard that the high altitude can induce labor. is this true? it is 3.5 hours from our house and my babies come in less than 1 hour so i dont want to be too far away. anyone else ever heard of this? its 6225 ft. above sea level. is that considered terribly high? im pretty much at sea level where i live. thanks!


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## dogmom327 (Apr 19, 2007)

I don't believe so although the change will likely leave you a bit short of breath. I moved to Salt Lake City for grad school (5000 ft. elevation) from Portland (sea level) and it took several months before I felt like I could walk somewhere and not be out of breath.


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## dislocator3972 (Dec 27, 2008)

If you're unsure, check with your health care provider, if you have a good relationship and trust him/her, nothing will be as reassuring as hearing it from him/her.

Or, you can call an OB in a high altitude town. Someone who sees it all the time, and hearing a friendly knowledgeable voice in the city you're headed to might feel pretty good.

Just drink water, walk slowly, sit a lot and don't worry. And have fun! It's a wedding! And you're in your preggo prime!

Have fun!


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## Siar (Mar 10, 2008)

I'm not sure, but I believe that pregnancies can be shorter if you permanently live at higher altitude. My parents are friendly with a couple who live in a village high in the Pyrenees in France and they maintain that nearly all women in the village deliver their babies early! But I would imagine that there is a vast difference between visiting for a few hours, and living at high altitude permanently. It would be a good idea for your own peace of mind to check with a midwife or ob who works in such a location though.


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## snowmom5 (May 8, 2008)

I live at 6500 ft and we just bought a vacation home at 9900 ft. 6200 ft is not super high, it's just a tad higher than downtown Denver, except that you're not used to it.

In your case, yeah you'd be a bit short of breath but the much bigger issue is the distance. At 38w, with a history of fast deliveries, no way would I make that trip unless you usually go well past 40w.

My OB's rule is no going over 10000 (for me, who already lives at 6500), no exertion, and after 34 weeks no going more than 2 hours away - my last delivery was at 38w0d. Our vacation house is about a 2-hour drive in no traffic (probably 1:45 from the hospital), but traffic in the mountains here is very unpredictable (last weekend it took me 3 hrs). It means I won't be up there much this summer, even though there should be fewer traffic issues than in the winter. I too have short labors, though not quite as short as yours. I thought about what-if I had to deliver at the hospital up there, and I'd really rather not. OB asked if I'd mind delivering on the highway, in the major tunnel up there - no thanks!

If you are crazy enough to do it, make sure you drink a whole lot of water, eat plenty and do not plan to do any walking, dancing, etc.


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## koalove (Apr 18, 2007)

well all of my babes have been on date or late so i have no hope of being lucky enough to have an early kiddo. so snowmom, if your doc has that rule about not going above 10000 ft, does that mean it does induce labor? or just that the baby might not get the required oxygen?


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## coloradomama1 (Dec 31, 2006)

i would stay close to home since your babies come fast...3 1/2 hours in the car while in labor could be a looooong ride. my brother and his family are going to be in state (at a higher altitude also) when i'm 38 weeks and i'm hoping they come to me, i don't want to risk being on some mountain pass in the snow in labor! plus we're having a hb, might be different if you don't care about just going to the nearest hospital if birth is imminent!


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## snowmom5 (May 8, 2008)

He meant not getting enough oxygen. But keep in mind that not getting enough oxygen could be enough stress on the baby which, in its own mysterious way, could trigger labor.

I was just at the mountain house last weekend and I did too much, trying to get the kitchen set up - boy was I out of breath. It was a bad, creepy feeling (I have a history of PTL.) Even here at 6500 ft, I'm 17w, and I get out of breath for a minute just going up the stairs; much worse if I'm carrying my 8 month old. I'm pretty annoyed that he won't be able to get up the stairs by himself yet by the time I get close to term - or maybe he'll be able to crawl up with me behind him LOL...

Keeping in mind that I have my own set of different experiences and issues, if I were you I would not go for the following reasons:
1. The car ride is obviously too far considering your past experience with labor, unless you don't mind delivering in Tahoe or in your car.
2. The car ride is too far from a health perspective - both yours and the baby's. Long car rides can contribute to blood clotting. (personally I have a clotting disorder and even though I am on lovenox, a car ride of 3.5 hours at 38w is virtually out of the question, regardless of the labor issue.) You need to stop, get out, stretch, walk, etc. every hour and that will make your car ride probably more than four hours.
3. You will be exhausted from the trip and the altitude.

In other words, from my perspective it isn't worth the risk. Even if you plan to go at this point, you might feel differently by the time you get to 38w, so keep flexible.


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