Cruising and pregnacy

[kathanderik]

Hi,

 

I just found out I'm pregnant. My husband and I ae booked for back to back cruises in Nov, which means I'll be 25-26 weeks along. This is still in the time frame where it is ok to travel. I have a few concerns about taking this trip so far along- will it be fun, and what if i have a problem on board. Another concern is is clothing. I've gone out and bought some shorts/summer clothing on sale. I live in the northeast, so I really need to invest my dollars in work clothes. I may be a bit more causal in the dining room than usual ( I will buy a dress for the formal nights and send out to be cleaned if needed). I've seen some of the critics out there about attire. My husband says noone will care what a 6 month pregnant woman is wearing- and I'm being silly ( plan on raiding some of his t shirts! LOL) . Any input would be appreicated. Would love to take this trip because it will be our last solo adventure.

[cruiseco]

Hi,

 

I just found out I'm pregnant. My husband and I ae booked for back to back cruises in Nov, which means I'll be 25-26 weeks along. This is still in the time frame where it is ok to travel. I have a few concerns about taking this trip so far along- will it be fun, and what if i have a problem on board. Another concern is is clothing. I've gone out and bought some shorts/summer clothing on sale. I live in the northeast, so I really need to invest my dollars in work clothes. I may be a bit more causal in the dining room than usual ( I will buy a dress for the formal nights and send out to be cleaned if needed). I've seen some of the critics out there about attire. My husband says noone will care what a 6 month pregnant woman is wearing- and I'm being silly ( plan on raiding some of his t shirts! LOL) . Any input would be appreicated. Would love to take this trip because it will be our last solo adventure.

 

<< will it be fun >>

 

I've known women who didn't slow down a bit when that far along. I've also known a couple who were really having a tough time. There's no crystal ball that can answer that question.

 

<< what if i have a problem on board >>

 

The ship will have a doctor and a few nurses. They may or may not have any experience with unforeseeable complications of a pregnancy.

 

You husband is probably right about the clothes -- no one will care what a pregnant woman is wearling.

[Druke I]

Congratulations!

 

I've been told that cruising is the cause of many pregnancies!

[Jennifer823]

First of all, Congratulations! :) I was 14 weeks pregnant on our last cruise. (My fourth baby, though, so I was kinda big at this point!) Since you will be "visibly pregnant," you should alert the cruise line of this and also carry along a note from your doctor saying how far along you are and that you have his/her OK to cruise.

 

Just be prepared to take it easy on the cruise. I wasn't able to stay up too late at night because of all the walking, etc. during the day. It's not hard to relax when your on a cruise though!

 

I wouldn't worry about the clothes issue. Just get a few casual warm weather outfits and wear your work clothes for dinner. I had one black skirt that fit well and just brought a few different tops to wear with it for dinner. Nobody will care what you're wearing, really! Just be comfortable.

[Toto2Kansas]

I would definitely make sure I had insurance if cruising when pregnant. The ships infirmary is really not equiped to handle an emergency in this type of situation.

Other than that, I would say, wear what you can find and just take things slow.

[derf5585]

deleted

[derf5585]

Carrier may refuse to embark You if, in Carrier’s sole opinion, You are unfit for any reason or You will enter the third trimester of pregnancy by the end of the Cruise. If Carrier refuses to allow You on board for any of these reasons, any refund of the Cruise Fare will be made based on the timing of such refusal in accordance with Section 6 and Carrier will have no further liability.

from

http://www.princess.com/legal/passage.html

 

Check out

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=3516339

[ashleytera]

there was a pregnant lady on our ship., visibly at least and she wore capris and nice shirts. it did not matter though she was pregnant and that was the important part. she attending late night shows and everything.

[Hello, Newman]

Hi,

 

I just found out I'm pregnant. My husband and I ae booked for back to back cruises in Nov, which means I'll be 25-26 weeks along. This is still in the time frame where it is ok to travel. I have a few concerns about taking this trip so far along- will it be fun, and what if i have a problem on board. Another concern is is clothing. I've gone out and bought some shorts/summer clothing on sale. I live in the northeast, so I really need to invest my dollars in work clothes. I may be a bit more causal in the dining room than usual ( I will buy a dress for the formal nights and send out to be cleaned if needed). I've seen some of the critics out there about attire. My husband says noone will care what a 6 month pregnant woman is wearing- and I'm being silly ( plan on raiding some of his t shirts! LOL) . Any input would be appreicated. Would love to take this trip because it will be our last solo adventure.

 

Just a suggestion here, but my wife is a Registered Nurse who has worked in the New-Born ICU of our local hospital for the past ten years. She also flies with an air ambulance provider on all of thier neo-natal flights. I think if you offered to pay for her cruise she would be more than happy to accompany you - just to make sure everything is OK.

[kathanderik]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for all the good info, esp. the links to the other boards dealing with the same subject. I will be just under Princesses cut off of 27 weeks. i do need to fax in a doctor's note that I'm not a high risk pregnacy and with my due date. We booked this a while ago, and bought travel insurance at the time, so I will double check that the policy will cover me. K.

[tamsocal]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I would agree with ths inusrance & the infirmary not being highly equipped to handle emergent situations related to pregnancy. I am sorry to say....but I personally would not risk travelling pregnant at that gestation. Likelihood is that nothing will happen but is it worth the IF and the risk. At 25-26 weeks there is so much medical care available IF something were to happen if you are near a hospital that can provide care for you. If you do cruise-- odds are with you that everything will be OK and I wish you a great time-- as to clothes I agree I would not be too concerned with this. Dress comfortably, take it easy & keep hydrated. Everyone is different-- I didn't start wearing maternity clothes until almost 30 weeks. Others grow rapidly early in pregnany and some grow rapidly the entire time :). It is hard to predict now how you will be feeling in Nov & what size you will be. Will it be fun-- can't predict now-- it depends how you personally are doing w/ pregnancy.

If you do plan to cruise & for whatever reason if you are not feeling up to going in Nov or if you have to rest the majority of your cruise, etc--

A cruise in relationship to the gift & blessing you are soon to receive... is of no comparison!:)

[ElsieToo]

Hi Kathanderik,

 

I'm just a couple of days shy of 22 weeks, and we leave on the 30th of this month for Alaska, at which point I'll be just over 23 weeks. I know it's obviously different for everyone, but I'm right at the stage where I'm showing the bulk around my middle, but I could probably pass for someone who's just heavy in the mid-section and not pregnant. I'm just about exactly on target with how much weight I've gained (11 pounds - even after morning sickness in the first trimester), and I think I'm a pretty good estimation of where you might be at this stage. I know my experiences won't be yours, but hopefully you'll have a similarly easy pregnancy and can enjoy your trip. The only thing I would definitely recommend is travel insurance that provides for medical visits if needed at your cruise destination and evacuation insurance in case of pregnancy complications.

 

I am most definitely in maternity clothing, though - I have just a few pieces of "normal" clothing that I can consistently wear. I don't think you will need to buy too much for a comfortable trip and you'll be able to use most of your work attire for your dinner attire so you are already covered in that respect except for the dress you mentioned (I suggest going to the store to see which size you wear then peruse Ebay! I got a lovely formal-appropriate dress from Motherhood Maternity for a grand total of $10 + $5 shipping.). Otherwise, if you're anything like me by the time you hit around 18 or 19 weeks you'll want a couple comfortable pair of casual pants to wear on the weekends. I'm also budget conscious so I only have three - 1 pair of jeans and 2 of capris - and I think that'll be fine on board because I'll be taking some skirts I have for work and pairing them with inexpensive shirts for a more casual look. I've had good success with Target and with J.C. Penney's maternity clearance racks.

 

Personally, I'm feeling terrific these days (aside from being sooo hot here in So. Cal., but Alaska should help with that, no? ;) ), and I am really, really looking forward to this trip. We're taking it with his parents and my mom since, as you said, it'll be the last non-child-related traveling for a while. There's nothing I don't feel up to at the moment, and I can still move around easily and don't feel restricted except for getting tired a bit more easily and needing to have snacks and a bathroom at my disposal. I plan on taking a sports bottle filled with water on each of my excursions, and either some fruit or a muffin or a box of cereal from the breakfast buffet for when I get hungry... which is all the time these days, lol.

 

Honestly? I could really use this trip right now. I can't tell you how much it has helped me to have something to focus on besides this pregnancy. The cruise has been an anchor point for me for a lot of weeks (we also booked when I was newly pregnant), and it's been lovely to have this to look forward to. I'm certainly not an expert, but if you have questions I'll answer when I can for you. This is my first so I'm sort of muddling through it as best I can. :)