Zika virus? Barbados

[payton96]

So looking for advice, or just reassurance?

Before I fell pregnant myself and family booked a Christmas holiday to Barbados, everyone is going. Not knowing I was to fall pregnant. We have it booked and I will be roughly 30 weeks. But now worried because of the Zika virus. The risks at the moment in Barbados are ‘moderate’, but are currently being changed to low as one case in over a year. I’ve spoken to GP , midwife and doctors at the hospital and neither seem concerned, only about the fact I’ll be big and tired etc, but I’ll uave my whole family there for help. . But the internet scares me to death. Have spoken to the hotel and they will takw extra care in room etc using sprays and will mostly likely not go off site. They are 5 star and very clean.
Has anyone travelled or planning to travel to a destination like this whilst being pregnant? I’m at a stump and don’t know what to do  what would you do or any advice from anybody knows about this situation?

I’m really stressing out about this to a point I cry and it’s silly!

Gosh hard one, but I'd say don't go as you are likely to be uncomfortable and restless due to:
Long flight, heat, inability to lie and sunbathe, hormones may be driving you to nest and you can't do that in Barbados.
Never mind Zika which is a risk albeit small, your brain and instincts about motherhood will be kicking in at 30 weeks and when it comes to the time, you may feel it's the last place you want to be and you could be itching to be home before you get to the end of the runway

I'm currently 13 weeks and we were due to go to Barbados in Nov for our wedding anniversary we are now going to Tenerife, the risk maybe slim but I always get bitten and although I'm not a natural worrier I wasn't prepared to take the chance. Chances are I'd have been fine but the what if and the awful possibility of it not being ok wasn't a gamble on my babies health I personally was prepared to take. Having said that a lot of women live in Zika countries and only a very small percentage of the population have had babies with birth defects.

I love Barbados and put off our honeymoon to Barbados as it wasn't worth the risk. I have read the advice that it's going to be downgraded and know an expat who had a baby during the height of the media coverage. Baby was fine, but as previous said, proceed with caution.

You have a high chance of been bit. I've always suffered and on our last trip my husband needed medical treatment. The only time my mum wasn't bit was when she stayed on the south-east corner. It's non touristy, but very windy. Everywhere else, she is bitten to shreds.

Not going off site won't stop bites I'm afraid. Barbados hotels are not 5 star standard with lots of air con in public areas. Mossies linger in corners, the awful trip to my lift on my last holiday was a mossie haven.

Another point of caution, the airport, if you are there at dusk, make sure you spray as soon as possible.

I do know someone who got zika last year whilst on holiday and my uncle who has just returned has flu like symptoms at the moment. Personally, if you I was in your position, I would cancel. (But re-book for next year, its bloody amazing).

Hi there, I was just wondering what you decided to do??! We are booked to go in May and il be 20 weeks. I'm so nervous. There are so many contradicting report atm over there about Zika (such a nasty diesese!) Has anyone been lately who is pregnant? Thanks for any advice x

Aware it's an old thread but keeping an eye on it for interest. We'd booked for the Dominican but recently found out I'm pregnant and will be around 28 weeks by then providing things go well!

2 weeks before we were due to fly to the Maldives, I stumbled across information online that mentioned it was a moderate risk for zika. We had chosen the Maldives as it was a belated honeymoon and I’d seen loads of adverts for the Maldives being the perfect baby moon location.....

After much research we decided to go anyway. As nuts as it now sounds, I searched all social media platforms and found loads of pictures of pregnant women who has recently been and gone on to have healthy babies. The last case of Zika was on the mainland in 2016 and the islands all smoke for mozzies daily. I bought loads of mozzie spray and mozzie wipes for my hand luggage so I could put it on and keep it topped up from the second I got off the plane and regularly throughout the day. I was incredibly lucky and didn’t get one single bite although I usually get bitten. My husband got loads.

I can’t advise doing the same but wanted to share my story. You may spend the whole holiday worrying about being bitten or worrying if you do get bitten.... I (rightly or wrongly) felt that I’d done enough research to reassure myself. Had I been staying on the mainland, where the case had been, I may have made a different decision though....

I was 23 weeks pregnant at the time.

Not sure if that is helpful or not!

I was in Mexico, pregnant and did not know it. We have been 4 years in a row. Only managed to get bitten the first year. Here are my tricks !

** Buy plug in insect repellent. I bought two and immediately plugged them in

** Buy a citronella coil burner if you have a balcony and light it every time you are outside there

** I buy a little bottle of citronella oil and mix it in with our shower gel (about 6 drops) but check with this as certain oils aren't good for pregnancy.

** Avon Skin So Soft oil spray. Spray on yourself as soon as you are out of the shower and before you leave the room. The mossies hate it.

** Citronella insense sticks too .

May seem a bit extreme but it does work. X

Oh! And Jungle Formula spray.

Can't comment on the holiday, but when we were in Guatemala and Honduras with our kids we used jungle formula and Smidge. Hardly any bites at all!

I think the country I live in is a moderate risk for it. I'm not really sure. It honestly has never ever been mentioned to me - not by my doctor here or by my doctor in a non-UK European country. When I first got pregnant I was getting bitten all the time - I suspect pheromones made me more attractive. I had some awful huge bites - obviously my immune system was having a real moment of glorious activity. But then at around 20 weeks it suddenly stopped and, touch wood, I have barely had a nibble since - they just don't come near me. I used citronella patches and kept arms and legs covered. When that wasn't possible I used 20% DEET on exposed skin. We also plug in a mozzie machine - one of those with the hot plate and blue tablets you put in. They are the best thing for in the room. I prefer them to sprays which we don't use at all.

Actually, the post from the person who lives in a Zika virus country has reminded me I also calculated the number of babies that had been born in the country since the last Zika virus (in 2016) and then thought about the fact that none of them, despite being pregnant for a whole 9 months in a Zika country, had any babies effected by Zika....

Thank you so much for all your help and advice. If you hear of anyone who's been recently and has any other info it would be greatly appreciated. I'm still in two mind whether worth the risk. I don't want to be worrying and not going out for 10 days straight. Prob not even safe inside?

The issue with Zika is that if your partner gets it (and you don’t) in Barbados, it can still be sexually transmitted to you later. So you should use condoms / barrier protection until the end of your pregnancy as well as mosquito repellant etc during your time in Barbados.

Some countries don’t like to admit they have Zika. It’s very likely that most Middle Eastern and East Asian countries have it but it’s not reported; and very likely that in some countries where it is being reported (India, West Indies etc) it’s being overreported by the media.

Oh yes for sure we'd be careful until end of pregnancy..do you think I should still go?? Obviously il use every precaution going but can't help feel worried.. Maybe il be fine when there just the thought of constantly looking out for mosquitoes!!

Honestly I don’t think you should. It’s more stress than it’s worth; especially when there are comparable destinations elsewhere at low risk for Zika.