Traveling While Pregnant

Hello ladies. This is only my 2nd time posting on this message board and I need some advice. I'm thinking of booking a cruise and wondered what you ladies thought. I would be 18, almost 19 weeks at the time of the cruise. I'm getting travel insurance, so I can always cancel if I have any health problems. I'm just wondering how I'll feel at that point. I'm 10 weeks now and I'm just starting to get over m/s. I can only imagine I'll feel even better by then, hopefully. Do you think I'll be up for a vacation at that point? I know if I was only having one, I wouldn't even hesitate. I want something to look forward to. I thought it would be relaxing to get away and be waited on hand and foot. How did you all feel at that point in your pregnancy? Do you think it is a good idea or not? Thanks for any advice.

-Christie

 

I felt great at 18-19 weeks. However, I'm not sure I would have wanted to spend money on a cruise at that point. Plus there are some people who are already on bed rest at that point, sometimes you just don't know what is going to happen. Have you spoken to your OB about this? I would get his/her opinion, they may not even want you going just in case something were to happen.

 

I felt okay at 18-19 weeks and we went to the beach. I think as long as you feel okay and your OB agrees to it, I would vacation away. HOWEVER, a cruise(IMO) would not be my first choice because if you would happen to go into PTL or have any major problems, you may be in the middle of the ocean. Even though they have Dr's on board, he/she may not be prepared or have the equipment/supplies you need. Also if you would happen to need hospitalization, you may not want to be stuck in a foreign county. I think you should choose something on land, maybe a city you'd like to visit, a week at the spa.

Have fun!

 

I'm nervous that I might be put on bedrest or something like that too. I figure I'll have travel insurane, so I can always cancel last-minute. I'm going to call my OB tomorrow and see what she says. I have a bunch of cruise points to use up before they expire, so the cruise isn't going to cost me much. I'm more nervous about how I'll feel at that point. I'm also worried about anything going wrong while I'm away. I don't know what to do. I'd love to get away and relax, but I can't help worrying. If this was a singleton pregnancy, I'd go in a heartbeat. I have seen lots of pregnant women on cruises I've been on in the past. We'll see what my dr. says. She may say no way.

Thanks,
Christie

 

I traveled to Paris when I was 19-20 weeks with my son… I was over nausea and felt great EXCEPT I got food poisoning at the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel… I lost 15 pounds in 4 days… and all my OB could say was get home… he did not want me cared for by the Drs there (I never asked why, just got on a plane) it was the most miserable plane ride of my life I had to either do one of 2 things in the bathroom every 15 min… and 10 hours on a plane doing THAT… he*l I tell ya, pure he*l. So just keep in mine, will you be some were that if the unexpected happens it will be okay… I would have NEVER thought I would get food poisoning…

 

The more I think about it, I think you are all right. I would be so worried that something would go wrong and I'd be in the middle of the ocean or a foreign country. I'm starting to think of maybe doing Disney instead. My parents are going at the end of January. I'd be 19 weeks at that point. I wouldn't be able to do a lot of the rides, but I don't usually anyways. I'm a big wimp It would be nice to get away somewhere warm. I'd feel better being in the U.S in case anything were to happen. I just need to ok it with my OB. Has anyone flown at that point in their twin pregnancy? I assume it would be ok. It's only a 3-hour flight for us.

 

I was on bedrest at that point, which is always a possibility with a twin pregnancy. But prior to my bedrest situation, I asked my peri if it was okay to travel for work and they said as long as I was traveling to a location that had a level III NICU hospital close by, but they wouldn't recommend "traveling to a Carribean(sp?) island or anywhere remote like that". I think I'd avoid a cruise mainly because if something happens you are in the middle of the ocean and the ship or closest island surely won't have the equipment to handle it.

 

QUOTE(christie76 @ Nov 18 2007, 02:15 PM) [snapback]501117[/snapback]
The more I think about it, I think you are all right. I would be so worried that something would go wrong and I'd be in the middle of the ocean or a foreign country. I'm starting to think of maybe doing Disney instead. My parents are going at the end of January. I'd be 19 weeks at that point. I wouldn't be able to do a lot of the rides, but I don't usually anyways. I'm a big wimp It would be nice to get away somewhere warm. I'd feel better being in the U.S in case anything were to happen. I just need to ok it with my OB. Has anyone flown at that point in their twin pregnancy? I assume it would be ok. It's only a 3-hour flight for us.

I hear you on the get away, except… I want to go visit snow… we usually got to Colorado this week, but my nausea hasn’t gone away… and it can get bad… like need to go to the hospital bad… so we decided to let it get rented…. And now I just can’t get I the holiday spirit… I usually have snow to get me going… though I just look at the Steamboat report and they have no snow… so I guess I would be missing it if I went anyways… everything happen for a reason… Next year I will have 2 seven month olds :shok: … hmmm well we will see

 

I felt great at 19 weeks, but was put on bedrest at 19w1d. I wouldn't risk it.

 

I felt really good as far as my morning sickness being gone by then, but other things started happening around that time. I started contracting and while I wasn't put on strict bedrest until 23 weeks, I was told to take it very easy, and had a prescription for terb. If I weren't on bedrest right now, I would love to get away for a weekend, but personally for me I think I would want it to be somewhere pretty close to home maybe like a bed and breakfast or some fancy hotel in the city. That sounds SO nice right about now!

 

I have felt great for the past 6 weeks. I would feel fine going on a cruise. Talk it over with your doctor - let him or her tell you what to do.

For me, a cruise would have been just fine.

 

Traveling might not be the part of a Disney vacation to worry about. There is no way to do Disney without miles and miles of walking. At 19 weeks I couldn't have done it for one day much less for several days in a row. That being said the Disney hotels have nice pools and most have spa services which could be really nice at that point.

 

I too would not venture into the ocean...Someone I chat with who was preg with twins got the ok from her dr to go to Hawaii...Well-that vacation was much longer than expected and she delivered there like 2 days later! She was further along than you...but still. They are all home now and doing well btw. So I guess-even if you do get the Dr's ok...you need to do what is best for you and the babies...

 

Well, after thinking about everything last night, I think I'm going to hold off on any big vacation plans. I want to wait and see how I'm feeling. I think I'll plan some long weekends closer to home instead. Disney sounded like fun at first, but I think I'll save that trip for another time when I'll be able to do more. Thanks for all the advice. I really appreciate it.

 

I traveled at 26 weeks, and again at 28 weeks. I did visit L&D at 26 weeks while out of town, but my doctor cleared me to travel again by 28 weeks.

 

Can you go sooner??

I, too, would not do a cruise. I was in PTL at 19 weeks and bedrest at 21....but take a trip nearby or a weekend away. A nice spa woudl be a treat. normally my OB said Ok for airplanes until 24 weeks- but in my case no way. I did take a trip to the Ozarks at 15- 16 weeks and felt great!!!

Hope you find something that would work for you!

 

I travel a lot - for work I am on a plane to a different city every week.

For my singleton pregnancy, I traveled until I was 35 weeks. For my twin pregnancy, I traveled until I was 26 weeks.

During my singleton pregnancy, I won a trip from my company to Cabo. The trip was at 32 weeks. I was really looking forward to going - imagining sitting on a sandy beach having someone bring drinks and not having to think about anything or do anything for a week!

Well, then the week before the trip I got really nervous about being in a foreign country that late in my pregnancy for two reasons: 1) not being able to get to a hospital I felt comfortable with if I went into labor - I'm not familiar with where Cabo is; and 2) food poisoning or catching some traveler's bug that would affect the health of the baby.

Then I imagined how uncomfortable I would be in the sun, that I couldn't enjoy the alcoholic drinks, that I didn't really feel like wearing a bathing suit with only 2 months to go, and that I couldn't enjoy the boating outings or scuba diving as I really would have wanted to. I decided not to go.

Definitely talk with your OB and go with your gut. Both of my pregnancies were non-problematic (singleton went to 39 weeks, twins went to 38 weks) so my OB cleared me for travel until I was uncomfortable. But everyone is different and we have to be more cautious with a twin pregnancy. Keep in mind that those cruise ships do have access to helicopters for medical emergencies so make sure that the cruise line you choose provides all the details for this type of emergency.

Good luck!

 

I'm 23 weeks now and sitting 2,000 miles away from home. We decided to come to Florida on vacation. It's been great. The only thing I had problems with was swelling after the flight. I had a massage the first day we were here, and that helped a ton. Very glad we decided to take the trip. I say go for it!

Allison