SE Asia 5 Months Pregnant

[lpmaynard]

Hi All,

I finish grad school in April and have to be in Hong Kong for a week as part of the program. I am going to travel to Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei prior to Hong Kong - as they are all big cities I am comfortable with travel there.

I would like to head to Vietnam/Thailand/Cambodia/Laos for 10 days afterward. I will be with my husband and friends, with good travel insurance, and am able to stay in good hotel/choose comfortable travel options. That said, I want to make smart choices about destinations based on healthcare and generally smart health options.

Does anyone have any good suggestions on destinations and strategies, or any must-avoids? Insights would be appreciated! Thank you.

Hi OP, there is a pregnant expats thread on the antenatal clubs section. Someone on there may have some advice for you.

Don't live there but have travelled quite a bit in the area. If you want to make sure you are near decent medical facilities then basically the whole of Laos is out and most of Cambodia and Vietnam other than the big cities.

If you only have 10 days I'd personally stick with just Thailand - Bangkok followed by either a beach break in one of the bigger resorts or heading north to Chang Mai. I was in Thailand last summer having backpacked there quite a few years ago and it was noticeable how easy it was on the main tourist trail particularly if you can pay for more upmarket options. Remember also the heat factor - think about how well you generally deal with it and that being in high heat/humidity is pretty knackering if you're not that used to it, ie don't try and pack too much in!

The important thing to do is check the immunisations recommended for each destination and whether you are in date for them.

Also, what malaria prophylaxis is recommended (this can be quite area-specific within countries, so check carefully).

It's probably best to avoid any area which needs jabs you have not already got, or is malarial at all.

In your shoes, I'd probably stick to Thailand/Malaysia.

I agree. immunisations and anti-malarials would be the first thing I would check out and plan around those.

If you can speak to your local gp or 'well travelled' centre to find out about immunisations.

They would probably suggest you don't travel around too many areas but if they can give you all needed injections etc have fun!

Most of Cambodia and Laos is high risk for malaria, as is some of Vietnam. Antimalarials in pregnancy are a tricky business and you would need to speak to a specialist travel health centre.