Forum Index
»
Expectant and Postpartum Moms
Travel during second trimester
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| My wife and I have an 8-day trip planned for India during her second trimester. Does anyone have any recommendations or warnings? |
Anonymous
| Just enjoy! For the vast majority of women, second trimester is the best part of pregancy and therefore also the best time to travel! |
Anonymous
| Get a letter from your care provider certifying that she is okay to travel. Make sure to stay hydrated (that applies to you too!) etc. |
Anonymous
Why do you need a letter, I am asking b.c. I will be traveling at around 19 weeks and it never occurred to me to get a letter. |
Anonymous
| Ugh...where are you going? I travel to both Calcutta and Bangalore for work. I have been a total of 6 times and only once without getting a parasite (and I was very cautious). I might reconsider the timing if that's at all possible. |
Anonymous
|
Has your wife gotten all the necessary vaccinations? Some vaccinations are not advisable for pregnant women, and you need to get them a certain # of days in advance of traveling. Also, I would look into what malaria drugs are okay for fetuses, if you haven't already.
India is a wonderful place--it will overwhelm the senses in good and bad ways. |
Anonymous
OH PLEASE!!! My husband is Indian and we travel there every year. Nobody ever got sick. Like we do here, make sure you wash your hands and drink boiled cooled down water. (yes there's bottled water and it's very cheap!) You'll be fine. Bring the letter just in case. It was very helpful for me since I got to chose my seat using the blessed letter! 
Ask her to seat by the aisle and make her walk every 2 hours. Drink lots of fluids!!! If you're flying through Indian companies enjoy the food! It tastes like home-made!!! Getting there, their fresh squeezed orange juice is the greatest! enjoy all the fresh juicy fruit!!! Are you flying straight to India or you're stopping over somewhere? |
Anonymous
It never occurred to me either. I just flew to visit family on the west coast and my midwife suggested it. She said that sometimes airlines get uppity about people who are very visibly pregnant traveling and that having the letter forestalls any sort of conflict you might have with them. She also said that she usually just writes the letter because that ensures that the lady won't actually need it. I think it's only an issue for women who look a lot more pregnant than they are (like my friend who looked like she was full term when she started her first trimester), but since the OP is traveling really far abroad, it seems like a good precautionary measure, especially since it takes them like 10 minutes to write. |
Anonymous
oops, PP here, i mean when my friend started her THIRD trimester. starting out at full term would probably also be an issue though 
|
Anonymous
Um, I wasn't making anything up. Maybe I've just been unlucky but I take all necessary precautions and almost always and up with a parasite. |
cmkeough
Member Location: Arlington, VA
Offline
Member Location: Arlington, VA
Offline
|
We travelled during my second trimester (in December) to Cancun. OB wasn't concerned about my going at all. I would agree with one of the PP to make sure to drink bottled water or boiled (same for brushing teeth), and make sure to eat (as you would here) only cooked foods. ie: no undercooked meats if you're not a vegetarian.
We stayed at the Ritz (didn't eat anywhere else either) and I came back with a case of what my GP called "Travelers Diarrhea". Yeah, not so nice! Not sure if it was from ice in my drinks or salad or what exactly. Have a fantastic trip! |
Anonymous
|
I've been to India every other year since I was born, and I've always gotten sick. Maybe I just have bad luck.
Make sure you don't step in any stagnant water, don't eat salads or drink anything that's cold (or has ice in it), and don't eat any meat. Avoid stir frys (my BIL got this horrible worm from some indian chinese stir fry from a restaurant). Even if you're ridiculously careful, you'll probably still get sick, so you might want to ask your doctor for some safe for pregnancy antibiotics/anti diarrheal medicine before leaving. The doses of medicines there are much stronger than anything allowed here, and most of the doctors if you're not in a big city don't pay attention to medicine warnings. When I was eight I remember I took this medicine and the warning in English on the package said not to give it to children under the age of 12. |
Anonymous
| OMG!!! why such people leave their bubbles???? |
Anonymous
|
My MIL goes to India for 6 months out of the year (my husband's family is from India so she goes to stay with her brothers and other family). She always brings extra medication to avoid Delhi belly.
My husband is convinced that this must be a fake post because no one in their right mind would go to India when they are pregnant. |
Anonymous
|
I travel to India about 6 times per year for work, and that included the 2 yrs that I was pregnant with my kids. Seriously OP, you'll be fine. (Or rather, your wife will be fine.) Wash your hands a lot, take Immodium with you. Brush your teeth in bottled watter if you are more susceptible to problems, and keep your mouth closed when you shower. (Yes, I'm serious, that's when most people ingest water without noticing it).
Enjoy the trip, India is fascinating. People are very friendly--if your wife is visibly pregnant, people will likely go out of their way to help and accommodate you everywhere. Indians are very family oriented, and you'll have to endure everyone trying to figure out if it's a boy or a girl.
Have a great trip!! |