Thoughts on cruising/flying 5 months pregnant?

[Ocruise]

Hi everyone. We are thinking of taking a cruise on Presidents Day week in Feb. At that time i'll be 21 weeks, around 5 months pregnant. Has anyone ever flown or cruised at that time in their pregnancy?

I'm really divided about it since this will probably be our "last hurrah" for a while, but at the same time I would'nt want to do anything to jeapordize my pregnancy.

 

I'm going to ask my doctor next week when I see him, but I wanted feedback from anyone who has ever vacationed while pregnant. I usually am a nervous flyer & I know I cannot take a valium on this flight!! But I flew 6 times last summer, and I think that really helped me dispell my fears. I actually miss flying a little!

 

I really would like to go away since DH feels that he would prefer not to vacation with a little one untill they are around 4 or so!

 

Any advice would be appreciated,

Marina

 

 

Celebrity~Horizon~Bermuda 6/03

Carnival~Paradise~Exotic West. Carrib. 8/03

Disney~Wonder~Bahamas 4th of July Cruise, 2004

RCCL~Explorer OS~ West. Carrib. 7/04

Princess~Golden~ South. Carrib. 8/04

[CabinForFour]

First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy!

 

I cruised twice while pregnant. I was 13 weeks with my first when we flew to San Juan for a Southern Caribbean cruise. Other than still having mild residual morning sickness, I had no problems. It sounds like you're more concerned about the flight portion of your trip than the cruise, but just do what you can to relax and enjoy the flight as much as you can. I don't get terribly anxious before flying, so I can't really help with that.

 

I also cruised when I was 23 weeks into my second pregnancy, although we drove to the port because the ship sailed two hours from our home. Again, no problems. (But OMG was the food INCREDIBLE that time! :) ) As you mentioned, you'll want to get your OB's blessing before you go. Also, ask the doctor for a copy of your OB record to take along in case there are any medical questions or issues arise. Otherwise, just use common sense in being sure to get adequate rest and stay hydrated.

 

Hope you have a great trip!

[dianelevene]

Hi,

I flew during both of my pregnancies. I was just fine. I did remember to take an extra snack because I was very hungry one time when our flight got diverted and I had nothing to eat for several hours. I also take along an extra bottle of water and make sure to use the restroom before getting on the plane. I cruised during my second pregnancy. I was around 22 or 23 weeks along when we went on our cruise. We had booked the cruise before I was pregnant and when I checked with my ob he said that it was the perfect time in my pregnancy to get away. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and that you really enjoy your last hurrah.

Diane

[elaineo]

well, you should be fine. just remember to walk to back of plane AT LEAST every hr on flight. pregnants are more prone to blood clots---slight risk and walking every hr virtually eliminates the risk. I flew at 19 weeks preg. with twins, no problems. Also, at 21 weeks preg., if you were to go into labor, no place in the world could save your baby. I only say this b/c if you were further along (24+ weeks) you might reconsider. I had 29 weeker twins and I know first hand that a top notch medical staff and a great NICU make a HUGE difference in saving a preemie baby. But at 21 weeks, assuming you are having an uncomplicated pregnancy, go and enjoy!!! Elaine

[Onessa]

I travelled for business until the beginning of my eighth month throughout both pregnancies. No problems. Drink plenty of water, move about the cabin when you can and/or flex your arms and legs, have plenty of small healthy snacks in your carry-on. Wear shoes you can easily slip on and off.

[katondeck]

I cruised 17 weeks pregnant. I did not get sick once while I was on my cruise!! It was the only week that I did not get sick between 3 and 6 times a day. It was wonderful!!! I slept more than I usually would on vacation and got virgin drinks (which is not that unusual for me). I still went snorkeling and picked up turtles at the turtle farm etc. I did not go on a unimug tour or anything like that and I could not go scuba diving.

 

We are going with my IL and taking DD at 10 months old. Yes, it will be a hang out on the beach vacation but I can not wait to bring her. We live in New England and it will be so nice to let her spend some time outside in the middle of the winter (Jan).

[savdoc2]

I flew many times while pg with DD, the last being at 32 weeks. I will be doing the same this time. I cruised at 8 weeks pg last time, was planning on being on a cruise this week at 17 weeks (but had to cancel due to a death in the family) and we are considering a cruise (to replace this one) at 24 weeks. I did get my midwife's OK for the cruise.

[KandMGIn]

A word of advice, when I was out of the country at 5mo pregnant, I was very suseptable to tummy problems. I am not otherwise. They (Mexico :p ) promised the ice was pure and would not give us Montazumas revenge. Well, it was fine for everyone but me. We had to leave two days early. Be very wary of food, and drinks away from the ship! With pregnancy, you just never know how your body will react!

[MandM'sMama]

I was 6 months along and cruised with my 19 mo old daughter and husband, along with other family members. We caught the tail end of a tropical depression and had some major rocking the 1st day. I was surprised that I actually did well. Most of our party were having a tough time. They had to warn those sea siackness patches.

 

My OB warned me about gaining too much weight on the trip. As most people tend to do. I ate healthier meals at the Aquaspa Cafe on Celebrity's Millenium. Even the buffets offered lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Saved my weakness for desserts for dinner. ;)

 

We ended up walking a lot during the excursions so I didn't feel too guilty about eating dessert. Also brought bottled water during port stops. It was hot and I wanted to make sure to stay hydrated.

 

Bring comfortable shoes that are broken in -- just prior to your trip. I made a mistake of bring sandals that I wore all summer just fine but did not bother trying them on before leaving. Our trip was in December. Well, needless to say, my 'fatter' feet were not too happy after a day of shopping in St Maarten.

 

Lastly, I had a 'tough' 1st pregnancy and was considered high risk then. Even with my OBs approval, I had some concerns. Anyway, our travel agent recommended the travel insurance just in case I needed to be seen by the ship's MD. The coverage was decent. Better than no coverage. But the 1 thing that I wanted to be covered for is just in case things went badly and I had to be medically transported by air to closest medical facility. It was covered! In case we had to cancel the trip for medical reasons, we'd get our $$ back. Fortunately we did not have to use this but it was comforting to have the back up. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING THE TRAVEL INSURANCE.

 

(PS Follow up OB checkup went well. She was really surprised I didn't gain any extra weight!)

[dianelevene]

We just came back from a cruise two weeks ago. My sister in law was 6 months pregnant and did great for most of the cruise. The only problem for her was the food. She does not usually eat red meat and now that she is pregnant the thought of poultry makes her sick. Her OB told her not to eat fish more than twice a week. She does not eat pork for religious reasons. That left her with very few options after she had eaten fish twice. I guess it is also a problem for her at home too so at least on the cruise she did not have to cook. She ate a lot of pasta and several times she ordered the mini pizza off of the children's menu. There were a few times that she ordered two or three of an appetizer to be her main course. The wait staff was very, very accomodating for her. Besides the food issue she had a wonderful time and being pregnant was not a bit of a problem.

[CASkippr]

I flew when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant from Los Angeles to Scotland. Like previous posters have stated, make sure that you walk every hour on the flight and drink plenty of water.

 

This pregnancy was a 'surprise' so we actually had plans to travel to Italy during the summer. When we told my OB/GYN our plans, she asked that I give her a list of prospective locations and then she weighed in on how comfortable she was with each destination. We all agreed that Scotland was the best choice. She did require that we print out and bring along the area hospital locations just in case something did happen. I also visited her the day before we left and she gave me a letter granting me permission to fly. One of the airlines we were on didn't allow women over 5 months to fly and we wanted to make sure there would be no problems.

 

Have a great cruise and have fun!

[Cruisin' Chick]

The second trimester is the best time to travel for most pregn. women. I was almost at 5 months when we went on a 3-day cruise and the only problem was with the smokers and the fact that I had a temporary crown on a molar that wouldn't stay put. Found a nice maternity long dress that worked for the formal night.

BTW, my hubby was like yours when it came to vacationing with the little one. We didn't go on a trip until ours was 1 year, 11 months, and that was on a cruise and then a trip down to San Diego. She couldn't join in the kids activities but other than that went great and he changed his mind about traveling with a child. We've gone on several cruises with her since (last August went to Alaska the week after her 7th birthday) and she loves the kids' program.

[CaptData]

I second the one about eating food or drink in the ports. My DIL was 26 weeks when she went on a cruise with me. She found a Bar tender who made Shirly Temples for her all the time. They brought her milk for supper at no charge. When she had a craving in the middle of the night Room Service was great at making it up. Do talk to your doctor and ask for motion seaness stuff. Bring some Ginger pills too to help. You will not be able to horseback ride, scuba, or para sail. Snorkling was one of her favourite things as she got to move arms and legs easily. Everyone was very friendly to her on the ship and made sure that if she fell asleep in the sun that they put towels on her so she would not burn. She really enjoyed her time on the ship and it was some of the best rest she got.

[mtd716]

I actually flew at 35 weeks to my sister's wedding. Had I been 1 week further along, the doctor (and airline) would have said no way. As it was, I had to back out of being a bridesmaid because the doctor would only let me go if pregnancy was 100% completely normal with no complications. But interestingly, he did prefer that we fly rather than drive. It's about a 7 hour drive from Orlando to Atlanta, much of it in the middle of nowhere. But only 1.5 hours by air. Much closer to a major hospital should something go wrong. So you should be totally fine flying at 21 weeks. As a previous poster said, it's probably the best time to travel during pregnancy!

[Vyhanek]

Heck yes, go, go go!

 

Are you planning on just one child? No judgement here at all, I am just thinking about your dh's comment about waiting until the child is 4 years old. By that time, most families have added another baby. Believe me, traveling while pregnant is a piece of cake as compared to traveling with one or (gasp) 2 or more children! Go while you are free and can relax. Relaxing vacations and children don't go together so go one last time and relax.

 

My dh and I travel a lot with our children and before children took several cruises. This is our first cruise since having children and our oldest is 6! We waited this long because my youngest just turned 3 and I wouldn't consider bringing a baby/toddler or 2 year old on a cruise. Just my own opinion based on past travels. They've been on many vacations with us including over seas all-inclusive type things but I just wouldn't take a young child on a cruise because it would be hard at the pool, difficult in the tiny rooms with cribs and no real place to just let them run and play.

 

Since having kids I dream about being able to lay on a lounge chair, look at the ocean read a magazine and have some exotic drink (even non-alcohol). I am not the only mother of small children who have this dream! Go while you still can, I don't think you will regret it at all.

[katondeck]

Heck yes, go, go go!

 

Are you planning on just one child? No judgement here at all, I am just thinking about your dh's comment about waiting until the child is 4 years old. By that time, most families have added another baby. Believe me, traveling while pregnant is a piece of cake as compared to traveling with one or (gasp) 2 or more children! Go while you are free and can relax. Relaxing vacations and children don't go together so go one last time and relax.

 

My dh and I travel a lot with our children and before children took several cruises. This is our first cruise since having children and our oldest is 6! We waited this long because my youngest just turned 3 and I wouldn't consider bringing a baby/toddler or 2 year old on a cruise. Just my own opinion based on past travels. They've been on many vacations with us including over seas all-inclusive type things but I just wouldn't take a young child on a cruise because it would be hard at the pool, difficult in the tiny rooms with cribs and no real place to just let them run and play.

 

Since having kids I dream about being able to lay on a lounge chair, look at the ocean read a magazine and have some exotic drink (even non-alcohol). I am not the only mother of small children who have this dream! Go while you still can, I don't think you will regret it at all.

 

 

I know I already replied, but I somehow needed to make sure everyone was telling you to GO. I also have to say that I just got off an NCL cruise with my 10 month old daughter (cruise line was okay - but I have had better cruising expereinces). I still have to say that it is the most joyous vacation I have taken. My Dh and I have been married over ten years, we have been on 4 cruises, and several land vacations. We do a ton of stuff while we are vacation. Seeing my DD look at new things and her reaction to the crowds and people's reaction to her made this cruise great. I would never wait to vacation with a little one. She even sat in the high chair for at least an hour and a half every night and let us eat dinner. It was just an amazing experience to be with her in a relaxed environment.

[michelle10863]

Go and enjoy yourself. I cruised at the same time in my pregnancy, 20-21 weeks on the Carnival Pride and had to fly from WI to CA to get to the ship. It was WONDERFUL. The 2nd trimester is really the best time of pregnancy for most, no morning sickness but you're not so huge that you are uncomfortable every second of the day.

 

We got my OB's blessing to do it and brought along a copy of my OB record just in case we would of needed to seek medical attention, which we didn't need. We also got travel insurance for the first time just in case something happened and we did need medical attention.

 

You will get tired quicker so don't plan any hiking excursions but snorkeling and swimming is wonderful. Really takes the weight off the back and lets your legs and feet be less swollen.

 

I picked up a few nice maternity pieces for the formal nights and we had a great time.

 

We are looking to possibly cruise again next Nov. when our DS is 20 months old.

[savdoc2]

Just an update: We are recently back from our cruise. I was 24 weeks pg and we took our 16.5 month old dd. It was a wonderful cruise. I never had any pg problems or toddler problems.

 

I have to disagree with one of the other posters about cruising with children though: I highly recommend cruising - even with children. We have cruised with and without children and I can't imagine not having my little girls there with me. It was no more work to have her with us and she loved it. Also seeing all the crew's faces light up every time they saw her was an added reward.

[Cruisin' Chick]

So true. And we can't wait to take our girl on our next cruise, too. It'll be her sixth!

[Ocean Spirit]

I too flew across the US to Settle for a cruise when I was 6 month pregnant.

Had no problems except for one..... the helicopter rides were sold out and so I took a small airplane tour.....MISTAKE! Our piliot thought it was fun going down and up and then around as much as he could. All I could think of was "pregnant women aren't to be on roller coasters" LOL

 

On my last cruise we had to fly 11 hours and so I made up a little bag of stuff.

I took some hand lotion, eye drops, a exercise band, small bottle of water. Every hour I took it out and did a few exercises with my feet etc. used the hand lotion etc. I also purchased a pair of Travel socks... "Travel Sox" that someone recommended. They did help, no swelling etc.

 

Go on the cruise and enjoy! (When my son asks me all the places he has been, I always tell him he went to Alaska!)