To sn. I have also heard good things about Martha's Vineyard Hospital - and it does a fine job of serving routine medical needs of the island.

However, it is (according to their own website)just a 15-bed hospital. All high-risk maternity patients are air-lifted to Boston. As I said in my post, I was commenting on what I thought would be comforting to most first-time expectant mothers, not on the medical competence of physicians, nurses and other staff of hospital.

Since now it appears that Ed may be traveling with his wife withing 2 weeks of her delivery date, I also advise him to check their insurance policy very carefully. Ours does not cover out-of-area maternity care within 2 weeks of EDC (due date). Make sure you know what is considered out-of-area and what is official due date. Many women find some biological urge to "nest" close to their due date, and I would suggest a trip sooner rather than later if you can make arrangements in time.

Since most northeast schools start around Labor Day, I hope you can find a place without a herd of loud kids - in our area (Boston), the end of August is one of the busiest times at resort-type places since many camps end and school has not started, so parents take vacation time with kids.

Okay, Ed, with that additional info (that your wife will be within 2 weeks of her expected due date), I think a resort near to NYC is in order.

How about Mohonk Mountain Lodge -- www.mohonk.com.

Another choice is the Sagamore at Lake George -- www.thesagamore.com.

Both are full-service resorts with wonderful dining, relaxing adirondack chairs, etc.

Good luck.

The Ceasars Resort in the Poconos is wonderful. All inclusive, no kids allowed, all you can eat breakfast and dinner, activites on grounds that are a blast. Pool, sauna, whirlpool all in your own room (pregnant people are a little nervous about being seen in a bathing suit). We have gone the last three years for our anniversary and love it each time.

Good luck.

Her due date is Sept. 8th? That was my due date with my first baby. His birthday is September 30th. I suggest you get going....

I think the whirlpool and sauna are irrelevant because pregnant women are not supposed to use them for medical reasons! That aside the Ceasar's Poconos Resort and especially Paradise Cove are VERY nice. We went there for our anniversay (sans children) 2 years ago.

OOps! Meant to say his birthday is August 30th! My second baby had a due date of October 10th, his birthday is September 30th.

I highly suggest these 4 resorts if you are not on strict budget-
In at Perry Cabin - www.perrycabin.com Point Resort in NY -www.thepointresort.com or
Greenbriar in WV - www.greenbriar.com. Skytop Resort in Poconos

These are our favorite local getaways when we do not want to fly.

Inn at Perry is fantastic, right on water on Chesapeake. It is very classy, quiet and the finest dining options are all around you. There are also other less expensive lodging options in St. Michaels. Be sure to dine at Perry Cabin though. St. Michales is a yachting town. You could go out on boat for day. You are around 1.5 hour drive to Annapolis/Baltimore areas if you get bored. St. Michaels is a quaint town with adorable shops, the best rest's, etc.

Just to let you know Ed, if you're planning to travel when your wife is two weeks from her due date, you can cross off flying because no airline will let her fly. She should also consult her doctor to make sure that it's okay for her to go away for awhile as it is not uncommon for pregnant women to give birth 2 weeks before their due date. I think the final say on this vacation should come from your wife because believe me, she would feel a lot different when her due date is near.

Ed,if money is not a problem, try Basin Harbor Resort on Lake Champlain in Vergennes, Vermont. Reserve a cabin. You won't have a TV, but you'll have a stone fireplace, bedroom, wet bar, fridge, living room, deck or screened porch. You can't help but relax here. The food is included (breakfast and dinner) and is wonderful. If you golf, there is a perfect (even for beginners) 9 hole course. You can go on lake cruises from the dock. Lots to do, but you may find sitting in a chair on the porch and breathing the fine country air is what you crave most!

Ed-funny, but we've loved Bermuda, Captiva, and Mystic too, so you may love Basin Harbor!

try the mirror lake inn or the sagamore in upstate ny. Both are beautiful , private resorts that offer great dining.

Many valid points
- You can't fly
- You don't want to drive too far
- You need to be near Medical Care...

How about getting a weekend hotel at the Plaza. You'd spend the same amount of money, and I bet it would be a whole lot less stressful. But still fun, and still a getaway.

The Breakers at Spring Lake, New Jersey or the Pineapple Inn in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Cape May is really great, and if you want to see a live show, Atlantic City is only an hour away. Also, Cape Cod - so much to do or so little to do, it's really up to you.

How about Canyon Ranch Health Spa in Lenox, Mass. Right next to Tanglewood. You can sit and do nothing or swim, exercise and receive those fabulous spa treatments. All meals are prepared and delicious....very healthy for mom and baby. Not too far from NYC, approx. 3 hours. And there is superb medical care on site. Your wife will be trated like a queen.

Congrats on the new home and the new baby.

tothetop!

I can't believe with the number of replies there have been that no one has suggested to Ed that he is NUTS to travel with a wife within 2 weeks of her due date. Number one, she may not feel the greatest, and number two they are running a great risk of having their baby in a strange city, in a strange hospital, delivered by an unknown doctor, with no friends or relatives to visit because they are not in their home town. Then, what fun to try to get a newborn home on that five hour drive. I think Ed needs to use his brain and doesn't show much intelligence.

I have never "been there", but I am with been there.
I am a nurse, and most OB's highly discourage any travel over 1 hour DRIVING DISTANCE for the last month of pregnancy. With your first baby, why take the chance?
Let's evaluate what is going on in your life:
1-New House
2-House problems
3-New baby very soon
4-Lots of stress
5-Wife in the most difficult stage of pregnancy

...all this adds up to probably not a good time to have a vacation!
But if you must-I second the Plaza in NYC! If not, then take your money and send your wife to a spa! SHe will love you even more for it!
I see people travel with children all the time! Having children does not condemn you to never having a vacation!
By the way, good luck with your new baby...

Well, I think this is a very sweet and romantic idea that would do your wife a world of good. I would look for a resort/spa close by and concentrate on relaxing and pampering. My first baby was born 2 days before our moving day (a month early). I think it was the stress. Sorry, I can't help with the location.

Ok, I will admit, I think Ed is nuts, and slightly dumb, to even think that it is a good idea to go away 2 weeks before his wife's due date. If they really feel that they have to spend the night away from the house, then they should just get a hotel room locally, like the Plaza as suggested. My first child was born 2 weeks early; my second was a week early. And as the nurse said, you shouldn't drive any more than an hour away from home at that point in the pregnancy. Anything can happen. Why take the chance?