Can I travel to India for 2 weeks at 13/14 weeks pregnancy?

[connyrabbit]

Hi all,

Here's my dilemma:

• I have just found out I am 5 weeks pregnant
  
• I lost a baby 4 months ago (found out at 1st scan that he had been dead for 4 weeks).
  
• I was sick 4/5 times a day that first time - I am not sick yet for this second one but too early to say
  
• I am supposed to be going to a wedding in Dehli and two weeks subsequent holiday in Northern India in mid-November. That will be during 13th/14th week of preg.
  
  How risky is it to do this sort of trip (heat, travelling from place to place, health/food risks...) when you're before your 3rd month?
  That is without mentioning that there is a high chance that I will be very sick again... Please tell me that you don't have to be so horribly sick at each pregnancy!
  
  I don't want to call the whole trip off because this is our big holiday for this year we've been planning it for months (no hotels booked yet though) and my husband would be too disappointed (and so would I).
  We are really not at the stage where we are so excited to have a baby that we would change everything in our lives for it (that will come, I'm sure)!
  
  In short - can I go there without too much risk for the baby and me, and also enjoy it?
  
  Thanks pals!
  
  Conny

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

Do you need any extra immunisations?

[orangehead]

some women are not sick so hopefully u lucky this time, i was never really sick all times. i think u need to get ref 2 midwife and talk 2 her and if she says its fine 2 go she probably try and get yr scan done b4 u go (some hosps dont do till 13 weeks)and she give u lots of health advice ie avoiding salads as it would of been washed in thier water which can make u poorly. Another thing 2 consider, do u need jabs 2 go there?

[connyrabbit]

Yes - hepatitis via Gammaglobulines

[aikigypsy]

I would go if I were you, but be VERY careful about food and water. Even some bottled water over there can be unsafe, or at least it was 10 years ago when I was last in India. No unpeeled fruits and salads, everything hot and freshly cooked, etc. Also be sure to stay hydrated, drink way more water than they want to give you on the flight over, and when you're there you'll probably need much more than usual due to the combination of pregnancy and hot weather. Wash hands frequently. That kind of thing.

In addition, you will probably be more tired than usual. People say you get an energy surge in the 2nd trimester, but lots of us just get a little less tired. You'll probably be fine for some traveling, but if I were you I would pick just a couple of major destinations, and make at least one of them someplace relaxing where you can just hang out for 4-5 days (Darjeeling? Someplace in the mountains anyway).

Have fun!

[orangehead]

have u already had the jab? i wouldnt want one while preg

[aikigypsy]

Gammaglobulin should be safe, but ask your doctor. Malaria isn't a big problem everywhere in India, and I think you should be able to plan a nice trip without hitting those areas.

[MotherofZ]

I personally wouldn't risk it. I've been to India (non pregnant) and when we went both my hubby and I got bad 'travellers tummy' and didn't get on to well in the heat.

Since you are going to a wedding, you have to be careful about the food you eat (they tend to do mass cook, loads of people making the dishes - not all wash thier hands! and the food hygine in India isn't the same as here). Plus you have to be mega careful of the water, and ensure you are covered up properly so that you don't get bitten. Plus given your history, won't travelling place to place be too dmenading on your body?

I went to the Far East when I was 3 mths pregnant and I was so paranoid about the water, food and making sure I wan't bitten that it sort of took the fun and spontaneity out of the holiday. Plus the 18 hr flight just completely took it out of me...

Everyone is different, but if it was me, I would not go. I'm sure there are other's who would suggest otherwise. Best to speak to your M/W or GP for travel advise or look it up on line.

[notlongnow]

I went to Pakistan at about seven weeks pregnant last April. It didn't even occur to me not to go - am quite used to travelling/working in South Asia. I had already had all of my vaccinations ie they were up to date and do not normally take malaria medication (depends where you are going - I was in lahore). I was just careful to avoid food that can make you sick |(ie salad, ice cubes etc...) and stuck to bottled water, coke etc...

[mirry]

hi there

it's really tricky - I travel a lot to South Asia & Africa for work, and have looked into this as I'm 9.5 weeks pregnant. I have to say that I've just cancelled a work trip to Ghana, but that's because I would have had to take malaria tablets which are not allowed in pregnancy.

India - you won't need malaria tablets for Delhi or north India, so long as you are up to date on jabs you'll be ok with that. The key thing is as others have said to be super careful with food/ bottled water etc.

The heat shouldn't be a problem at that time of year as it's the cool season (it will be pretty chilly at night up in the mountains and there may be snow).

I'd take MW/ dr advice and see what they say - it's so hard as the benefits of a holiday for the 2 of you are really important, but obviously so is your health...

[chickibud]

I went to India when I was 6 months pregnant, also in November. It's definately the best time to go as it's cool, but like the others say.. just be careful with the food, although most illnesses are actually caused by the change in climate.
Stick to bottled water (make sure the bottle is opened in front of you!), and avoid any cut fruit, ice, salad, paneer (cheese), oily breads etc, and you should be fine. If you can do without eating meat - even better. Daal and rice is delicious, aloo (potato), and any veg dish should be safe. Drink Lassi's and bottled drinks only.
Have a great time. It would be a shame not to go, especially for a wedding.

[connyrabbit]

Thank you all - My GP is useless so this is v helpful!

Another question, how do you deal with diarrhea (bound to happen over there) even minor, if you can't take pooh tablets such as immodium during PG?

[aikigypsy]

Ha ha! Immodium! Pregnancy hormones work just like immodium on me, I've been constipated nearly the whole time!

Seriously, though, if you do get the runs, just stay hydrated and rest, and don't get on any long-distance busses. Should run its course in a couple of days.

[excitedm2b]

I went to China at 8 weeks pregnant and it was all fine. I was obviously worried about the same sorts of things (and it was also mid Summer so the heat was pretty unbearable!) As everyone else has been saying, be careful what you eat, particularly with things that you might not notice ie ice in drinks etc. If you can afford to stay in decent hotels as well that is likely to help as at least you can have somewhere to relax if you start to get really tired/feel sick (we upgraded once we realised I was pregnant and I was definitely grateful).
I also took lots of antibacterial wipes which were great for pre-meals and horrible toilets!
Be sensible but enjoy your holiday!

[Peachy]

Personally, I'd say nope- firstly there's no guarantee you'll get the MS at all this time around BUT you have a higher chance of what does sound like fairly severe MS than the average person, I would be concerned about your risk of dehydration with MS at that level, especially with the food poisoning risks etc involved in a trip to India- my Uni recently ran a trip there and even with really strict hygiene, 90% of them came back with good old dysentery. I ahve been prescribed avomine by my GP for my MS and you might find a GP willing to do that if you get abd (fairly universally available travel sickness remedy, one of the few drugs considered OK for use in PG)

The only people who came back from the Uni trip OK were the two men who were used to a diet of spiced food, and had followed the medical advice to cut their nails ridiculously short- apparently the women had decided it was unnecessary. No idea why that worked, but the Uni Nurse who went swears by the trick to rpevent bacterial coloniies forming and then being transferred to the motuth. They also took gallons of that anti bac handwash and amde sure they used it dilligently and often.

if you do go (enjoy!) be sure to move frequently on the plane- risk of thrombosis is of course elevated on flights whilst pg

[chickibud]

I would just like to say that I have been to India 5 times, and (touch wood!) have never fallen ill.
I think it's one of those places that you should visit if the opportunity arises as you probably won't get another chance for a while.
Peachy..what time of year did you go? Guess you must have stayed in budget accommodation?
Conny..if you stay in good hotels, and eat in good restaurants you should be fine - of course there is always a risk of food poisoning but there is in any country so don't let Peachy put you off.
Just get medical advice from GP about curing diarrhea just in case, and make sure you take all your medical supplies with you. Doctors there are always available when you need them.

[Peachy]

It wsn't me, it was the rest of the class (the date wille xplaina s a mother)... they went over Christmas / New Year last term, the hotels they stayed in were good BUT... you might cringe... they travelled by sleeper train.

Quite.

[Peachy]

(wasn't trying to put off btw- thats why Is aid personally at the start- and enjoy at the end!)

[bluejelly]

I have had horribly tummy bugs every time i went to india.
i wouldn't go pregnant. If I HAD to I would go vegetarian.

[nicm]

hi. i would go. just be really careful about hygiene and food. i'm in hong kong at the moment and found out i was 6 weeks pregnant with my 1st-the day i was to get my injections!! but the only time i have felt bad was today with the dirty toilets on an island-all i could think of was, mmm this is what the hep A would have been for!! just used tissues to touch everything and didn't touch the sinks after just used wet wipes to wash my hands i'm carrying everywhere with me. drink plenty and stop to rest in the heat if you need to. enjoy!

[NoNameToday]

Not knowledgeable enough in this area to offer advice/support!

Doesn't stop me from offering best wishes and good luck.

[aikigypsy]

I'm not a big fan of antibacterial wipes/hand gels, because studies show that plain ol' soap and water works better.

Otherwise, I second everything hanaflower said.

I've been to India... 3 times, all in the early-mid 90s, and I got some mild stomach upsets, but only once (on a 2-month trip) for long enough (over 3 days) to bother seeing a doctor. Straightened me out right away. I'm not one of those persistently healthy people, either, but I did keep my hands clean whenever possible and was careful with food and water. I stayed in cheap backpacker hotels/hostels and spent lots of time on trains. In my experience the food on trains and most of the stuff from the platforms (apart from pre-peeled, pre-sliced fruit, etc.) was quite safe because they have high turnover. Frankly I don't see what the problem is with sleeper trains. I always felt comfortable (apart from the time my bunk reservation didn't exist) and reasonably safe on them, and I was traveling alone.