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Original poster

Travelling to Malaysia

21 replies

Lalli35 · 09/01/2009 21:55

I'm currently 7wks pregnant and my husband and I were thinking of having one last holiday. We were thinking of going to Malaysia for a beach holiday in March/April when I'll be around 20wks. The airline have said they'll take us but are we mad to travel on a 12hr flight and is it harmful to the baby, I know I have to be extra careful about DVT? Are we better to stick to Europe? thank you x

OP posts:
PuzzleRocks · 09/01/2009 22:28

Bumping for you.

mumoverseas · 10/01/2009 13:24

Hi Lalli and congratulations on your pregnancy.
I don't think you are mad to want to have one last holiday.
To be honest, the second trimester is probably the best time to travel as (in theory!) you should be feeling better.
Most airlines will fly you up to at least 34 weeks and you don't normally need a medical certificate until you are around 30 weeks.
I have flown many times whilst pregnant as I live in the Middle East at the moment and I last flew back here a few weeks ago when I was 31 weeks pregnant with no problems. I have a history of DVT having had one a few years ago after surgery and therefore have to be a little more careful. You can reduce the risk by taking an aspirin (recommended to me previously when preganant by a consultant at the hospital) the day before you fly and the day you fly, make sure you drink plenty of water and move around the cabin during the flight. Also, you can buy special tights/stockings from Boots which can help prevent a dvt.
Malaysia is a bit of a long flight for you from the UK but if you fly Emirates they always stop over at Dubai on the way so you'd get off and stretch your legs or why not even consider a few days in Dubai on the way out/back which would break up your journey a bit.
We are actually going to Malaysia (KL & Langkowi) at the beginning of April when our little one should be around 7 weeks old (fingers crossed we get the passport in time!)
If you have any more concerns, talk to your GP/midwife and hopefully they will reassure you

Original poster
Lalli35 · 10/01/2009 19:55

Hi Mumoverseas,

Congratulations to you too!

Thanks so much for your advice, I really appreciate it. It's Langkawi and KL that we were thinking of going too. I'm still up for it but I think my hubby is really beginning to get cold feet and wants to go somewhere in Europe in May when it's a bit warmer! I'll give the Dr a ring on Monday and see what they say.

I hope you get your passport in time and have a good trip yourself and get to chill out a bit!

L x

OP posts:
mumoverseas · 11/01/2009 12:33

Hi Lalli,
tell him to make the most of the opportunity whilst you can! You can do Europe with little one tell him! Hopefully your gp will give you some reassurance.
Hope to see you on the beach in April! x

Original poster
Lalli35 · 11/01/2009 19:57

oh believe you me i've tried that tact. It's my answer for everything these days, 'in 9 months time...' hee hee. But hopefully I'll see you on the beach in April! x

OP posts:
mumoverseas · 12/01/2009 05:46

I'll be the one with the HUGE 'post baby' belly quaffing gallons of pina colada (you can tell I live in a 'dry' country!) good luck x

savoycabbage · 12/01/2009 05:52

I would think that you would be fine in your second trimester. If you don't go now then you will be waiting one hell of a long time before you feel like going on a lovely beach holiday

I have just flown from the UK to Melbourne last week through Singapore. The first flight was 12 hours I think and it was not bad at all as we went at night so pretty much everyone went to sleep.

leothelioness · 12/01/2009 06:08

around 20 weeks sounds like a good time to fly it the second trimester is best (as long as you have no complications) and you will not be big enough to be uncomfortable on the flight.
I flew at 25 weeks and 32 weeks long haul on a 14 hour flight and short haul at 35 weeks too and it was fine just remember to move around often and drink plenty of fluids I tried a pair of DVT tights and found them really uncomfortable and my doctor did not think they were necessary as I was in good health so best talk to your dr and midwife and see what they think.

FenLondon · 12/01/2009 08:41

I did Singapore around the same time and it was fine - lots of nice fruit juices to drink (though I did allow myself a couple of glasses of bubbly!). Make sure you take your yellow book, and have the contact numbers for your insurance firm printed and in both your wallets.
It'll be hot, but at least in Malaysia you tend to get a daily tropical downpour to freshen things up, but take a fan and maybe a facecloth from the hotel that you can dampen with water for a quick neck-cooling during the day.
Happy travels!!

blueshoes · 12/01/2009 09:25

Lalli, of course the airline will take you -lots of pregnant women have flown when they were further along. I myself flew at 18 weeks to Singapore (same 13 hour flight, if you are travelling non-stop) and it was uneventful.

Closer to the time, get a doctor's letter, just in case to confirm you are fit to fly. I was hardly showing, being my first child, so there was nothing to worry about anyway.

Langkawi is lovely . It will be really relaxing. The Banyan Tree resort I went to was the last of its kind for me and dh for more than 5 years now .

It will be hot and sweltering, so remember to bring a water bottle with you at all times and try to stay out of the sun. Enjoy.

bossykate · 12/01/2009 09:31

hello lalli. i went to malaysia on the last "child free" holiday when i was pg with ds. i was about 23 - 24 wks pg at the time. in langkawi and kl there is no malaria risk. excellent medical facilities in kl and good in langkawi. in terms of the flight - i would say get some dvt socks and move around the cabin regularly.

we had a marvellous time in malaysia and hope you will too.

hth and good luck.

Original poster
Lalli35 · 16/01/2009 12:41

Hello everyone, I just wanted to say a big thank you to you all for responding to my message. I've priced up the holiday and for some reason it's cheaper than 2wks in greece and looks 10 times nicer too!! So I shall wait for my 12wk scan and then let you know where we've booked... Butlins in Bognor knowing my hubby and mumoverseas, I'll buy you a Pina Colada! xxxx

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mumoverseas · 19/01/2009 06:56

yay, hope all goes well at your 12 week scan and your husband lets you go to Malaysia.
We found a fabulous looking hotel in Langkowi that was only £68 per night (the last place we stayed in the Maldives was $700 per night so we were shocked how cheap it was)
Also, our internal flights up there from KL are only £154 for ALL SIX OF US! (loads of money left over for above-mentioned pina coladas!)Fingers crossed for you x

Original poster
Lalli35 · 19/01/2009 20:36

ooh where are you looking at in Langkawi? we were thinking of the Westin (I'm dreaming of the 4 Seasons or Datai, hee hee) and Traders in KL. We looked at Maldives but that was silly money, probably because I wanted a water villa! It was Greece though which gave me a hernia, the brochure said 7 nights from £495 and extra nights from £73 and the quote for 2wks was £3300 and it's only Easyjet who fly there! You got a really good deal on the internal flights, bring on the coladas.... xx

OP posts:
mumoverseas · 20/01/2009 05:54

Hi Lalli, thats why our last trip to the Maldives was so expensive, we stayed in one of only two watervillas on the island. At the end of the 10 day holiday the cost was roughly the same as the new car we'd bought the previous year. Stupid money (but it was my 40th birthday whilst I was there)

The place we are staying at in Langkawi is the Berjaya Langkawi Beach and Spa resort. We have to book everything separately as can't do package deals from Saudi and normally pay well over the top for hotels as opposed to package deals but looks like a good result this time. Fingers crossed!

Can't believe the cost of Greece. We had that with Hurghada, which is just a stones throw from here. We found really cheap packages from the UK but the price from here was about 5 times as much for the same place. The funniest thing, was that to fly from Saudi to Hurghada would take 15 hours (including stop overs) and would involve 3 flights. I could swim there in less time!

rosbif · 21/01/2009 13:03

Went to the Westin twice, was lovely and I think they have redone the spa now. Have a great time, recommend the yacht club for dinner just down the road.

Original poster
Lalli35 · 21/01/2009 18:16

Hi everyone,

thanks for your comments, unfortunately I lost my baby today so everything is just.... I think we'll still go to Malaysia to get away from everything so mumoverseas you'll get your colada!! xxxxxxx

OP posts:
rosbif · 22/01/2009 05:41

So very sorry to hear your news, thinking of you and hoping you get a good break away from everything. Hugs

leothelioness · 22/01/2009 06:48

I am so sorry lalli {{{hgs}}}}

mumoverseas · 22/01/2009 07:17

oh lalli I'm so very sorry to read this. I'm sending you huge hugs from Saudi Arabia. I do know how you feel as DH and I lost our first baby 3 1/2 years ago. Be good to yourself and each other. You will get through this honey but make sure you talk and hug lots xxx

ninedragons · 22/01/2009 07:25

You poor thing. I'm so sorry.

I think you should go to Malaysia anyway, you deserve it after this.

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