Backpacking?

[scarymary]

Hi - I've jsut found out I'm pg and was planning a year's backing trip round Asia. Obviously can't go for a year but was thinking of going until I'm 6 months gone. Has anyone done anything similar in same area? Any advice greatly appreciated.

Phone NHS Direct, or book an appt with your GP to ask about immunisations. Some are reluctant to give you many immunisations until you are over 12 weeks. If you are going anywhere that has Malaria, they def won't want you taking malaria tablets until you are over 12 weeks either. In theory, being pg shouldn't stop you, some people get pregnant whilst travelling and know nothing about it! Just take extra precautions. Can you not put it off until after 12 weeks and then travel until you are 7 months gone?

I would definitely advise a chat with your GP first.

scarymary, is it your first pregnancy? when you say backpacking, do you really mean staying in hostel dormitories and carrying all your own luggage, tent and provisions, taking local crowded buses and trains, walking where there is no transport, and roughing it like a student/ hippy? I did a lot of travel like that around Asia and Africa when I was younger, and I could not recommend it during pregnancy. If you have got the money, you could still go travelling, but in a much classier way, ie always in a safe and clean hotel, always within few hours of medical services, staying in bigger cities, and that would mean avoiding going off the beaten track, which for me used to be the fun of backpacking. At various times when travelling I did get parasites and illnesses which needed treating with strong medication, as well as stomach upsets which made me lose a lot of weight, despite all the usual precautions. If it is any consolation, in my experience, you can get back to more adventurous travelling once your child is 2-3, so if you do tone down what you were planning to do this time, don't feel that it has been a huge lifetime sacrifice. Ds has been to various parts of Asia now and adjusts well to camping, being hot and tired, and rouging a little. Having said that, I don't think I would be comfortable ever taking him more than 2 hours from medical services, or to do some of the quite risky things I used to do when backpacking.