To book a holiday in early pregnancy?

[poppylou27]

Hello,
I'm just shy of 10 weeks pregnant and will be having my 12/13 week scan on 26th July.
DP and I have been talking about going on a city break for a few days after the scan but for the price, it's much cheaper to go abroad for a week!

The only problem is, I'm so anxious about going abroad for a week in early stages of pregnancy. I've read that it is safe to travel etc but I just can't help the anxious feeling. Has anybody else travelled abroad (sunny destination) around the 13 week mark?

I know I'm probably being stupid but would appreciate advice/experience.

Thank you

Hi,

My DH and I travelled to Portugal for a music festival when I was about 14 weeks pregnant. We booked it long before I became pregnant and decided to go as we'd gone "VIP" at the festival and we're staying in a nice hotel so it seemed to make sense.
In terms of the journey itself, I found the flight awful but then I did have HG so it was never going to be pleasant. I also found I slept a lot more than I had done at home (temp mix with hormones etc) so I'd just say to make sure you look after you and have a nice relaxing time - careful what you eat too for obvious reasons x

Yeah I went to Nice at 14-15 weeks with a friend. Had a great time, no changes to normal travel except that I had horrific bloating most evenings after dinner, which was uncomfortable and ruined my outfits Book it, and enjoy!

Yes went to tenerife at 14/15w preg

We booked it when we came back from tenerife in the year and then was doing ivf

Baby was our 5th private ivf and tbh we assumed would fail again 😢 so holiday was our something to look forward to iyswim

Well 5th attempt worked and have to say didn't have a great preg due to severe hg so spent every day throwing up /feeling nauseous

Weirdly enough at home 6/7am - 1-2pm was my worst and laid in bed

Holiday was fine all day tho always severely sick 9/10pm

Didn't enjoy the heat much. Always wore a hat and in the shade

Luckily love the sun now - dd is 3.5mths and in sept taking her to Tenerife

I did wear compression socks and was also on fragmin due to previous dvt

Make sure you have good medical insurance and take notes and have fun :)

We're in Turkey right now. It's too hot for me but I have had a great time. I'm 6 weeks so we went super early :) I would say don't book somewhere super hot and be prepared to spend a lot of time sleeping in your room!!! Also...watch the sun cream. I burned REALLY easily here despite having a high factor sun cream.

Do it!!
We went to Corfu for a week when I was 13-14 weeks, best thing we could have done. It was all inclusive too so ate plenty and just completely chilled out. I work full time as a HCA in a busy hospital so for me personally it was nice to have a genuine week of rest (especially when you're so exhausted all the time) and time for me and dp to just enjoy each other's company. We've actually been to Cyprus recently too (I was 18-19 weeks then) and apart from the heat, again, it was much needed! Once bubba is here I doubt we'll get much time to just chill out haha so make the most of it whilst you can
All I would say is my skin has become very sensitive in pregnancy so needed a kind to skin suncream because I ended up with horrendous heat rash the first time we went away.
Go for it and enjoy it!

Take your notes - this is a definite!

We went to Paris when I was 11 weeks and suffering from sickness. We did too much on the first day and due to the Heat (I'm a peely Wally Scottish person) I fainted in a long queue. We then took it easy for the next few days and loved it. Very chilled out holiday. So different from our usual hustle and bustle.

If going away so early again I would want a chilled, pool based holiday as I was so so tired.

Thank you all so much! I've gone ahead and booked it! One week in Ibiza starting when I'm 13 weeks - will make for an interesting story to tell DS/DD when he/she's born heheee!
Thank you all again!

I went to Greece a few weeks ago and turned 12 weeks with twins over there. And I'm a worrier! The only thing you have to worry about is any nausea ruining your mornings! I was sick once but was fine the rest of it! Oh and I napped every afternoon lol was shattered first 12 weeks! Xxx enjoy!!!

I went to Spain at 14 weeks during my last pregnancy, it was fine. I was paranoid about everything but still had a great time. Ask when you check in for an aisle seat on the plane if you haven't already prebooked, then if you need to stretch your legs/pee every 5 minutes etc you can. Just be prepared to sit in the shade, take lots of naps etc and you'll be fine.

Currently pregnant again and have a holiday booked for about 16 weeks pregnant and I can't wait!

Went on ny honeymoon at 14 weeks to Tunisia. Im not a sun fiend anyways so sticking to the morning sun / shade in the afternoon would have been my plan regardless.

I went to Faro, Portugal at around 6 weeks pregnant (without knowing it) and then Italy at 26 weeks. Both were lovely holidays and baby is completely fine, don't worry!

I went to Crete at 5 months pregnant. It was great. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time - def make the most of a final holiday without children!

Make sure you are well covered by travel insurance before you leave. It's very unlikely that anything will happen, but if it does you'll have access to very good healthcare. I've ended up in hospital abroad twice - once in Spain and once in Mexico - and both times I was incredibly well looked after.

Don't think twice! Just make sure you have good travel insurance.

I travelled loads for business and pleasure when I was pregnant - France, the US, Middle East, Maldives. I had a huge bleed in the first tri and it was an ivf pregnancy but getting on a plane was not going to have any effect on anything.

Holidays will never be the same again so go for it!

Yep do it! So far little bean has been to Berlin, Prague, Madrid and Majorca and he's only 18w 5d!
I would say I needed to plan in more rest during the day than usual though- we had apartments so popped home each afternoon and put my feet up -had a little hour snooze- each day.
Enjoy!

Thank you so much everyone! Made me feel loads more at ease now 😊 I am a sun worshipper usually but I've bought cost full costumes rather than bikinis and plan to seek shade (and nap time) when needed - got a high SPF bought already and travel insurance is all booked, dug out my EHIC card too so as organised as I can be hehee!
Thank you all again xxx

I'm not long back from Florida, travelled at 10 weeks. Just make sure your insurance knows and I gave the airline a heads up just incase! It was fine though. Just normal yucky early pregnancy feelings!
I say go for it x

I went to magaluf for 10 nights at 13 weeks. It's absolutely fine x

I went to the Seychelles at 6/7 weeks which was just when my nausea hit hard and it was amazing although the journey was not great (non direct flight via the Middle East and 45 minute boat ride to the hotel on very choppy waters 🤢). Once I was there it was so nice being somewhere hot and relaxing - lie ins and no cooking were just what I needed!

My friend came to Ibiza last year in a group of us at 14 weeks and loved it. No clubbing but nice restaurants and beach clubs etc. It's actually a great place for relaxing as well and I intend to go back when my baby is here. She had a bit of sickness when we got a boat to Formentera but otherwise was absolutely fine. Have an amazing time!

Thank you everyone! I'm really looking forward to it now! Does anybody know what the protocol is on sunbathing? i intend to take it 30 mins at a time and seek shade during the hotter hours but what about covering the (very small) bump? Does anybody know whether it's advisable to cover up or would a bikini be ok still at this stage? I'll be 13 weeks..
Thank you
Xxx

I sunbathed in a bikini as normal and it was fine. I don't think there's any NHS advice to cover your bump. I did find that I burnt more easily (the NHS guidance mentions this) so I used a higher SPF and spent less time in the sun than usual. Your plan sounds very sensible.

I've just come back from a city break, I needed far more rest than usual and I feel like I've been hit by a truck today! Make sure you factor in lots of stops, plenty of shade and tonnes of water.

I'm in Cyprus at the moment and 19 weeks. Wearing a bikini, using usual sun cream and laying out in the sun slightly less than normal. I've got a nice tan, not had any issues and I'm quite fair but usually tan well. Just drink loads of water to keep hydrated and regular dips in the pool so you don't over heat.

Enjoy

Currently in Asia, 16.5 weeks pregnant. It is HOT, and we're doing about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the things we would normally do on holiday, taking it very easy etc. I'm lucky my nausea and vomiting have finally started to ease - you can't guarantee they will though. So definitely go on holiday but book somewhere with clean toilets, clean water, good transport etc, and don't plan on doing a very packed itinerary!