Holiday abroad

[SunSparkle]

Hi

I'm prepared to get all sorts of responses to this, but is anyone considering a trip abroad before baby arrives/while pregnant?

I'm due end of Jan and was looking at holidays in Europe (Greece mainly) for end of September/early October. I will be about 22/23 weeks so well within 'safe to fly' as per pregnancy guidelines.

Coronavirus obviously adds another layer of complexity to the decision.

It's been a shite year, I'd love a break before we become parents (FTM here) and I think an all inclusive break in an underbooked hotel might be ok.

If I need to quarantine (no current requirement for Greece, but that can change in days), there's no issues as I work from home fulltime and can get some groceries delivered and stop at home for two weeks just fine.

Is anyone else considering a holiday abroad while pregnant? Has anyone discusses this with their midwife?

Personally I'd book somewhere nice in the UK. Easier, safer and you should be able to get somewhere decent as it's off season.
Save Greece for after the pandemic.

Would you be able to get travel insurance? That would be my biggest worry. But then I also wouldn't get on a plane at the moment whilst pregnant - there have been spikes in infections all over Europe that aren't likely to stop by September/October and you'll be exposed to a lot of people at the airport etc.

I know that feeling of wanting a break, I'm currently pregnant and FTM and really wanted a last holiday in Greece with DH before the baby arrives but unfortunately it just wasn't to be. I'd do a UK break instead, I know it's not the same but would still be nice for you.

I’m desperate for a break too but will hopefully do something UK based, Covid permitting, in the next couple of months. Personally I wouldn’t risk the plane journey etc while pregnant; too many people in an enclosed space for me.

A big fat no from me! It's the airport and plane journey that would concern me as you can't socially distance on a plane!
I'm not even letting anyone touch me, except my DH let alone considering travelling.
At the end of the day it's what you feel comfortable with and what you deem acceptable to you, but I'd seriously reconsider OP!
Maybe a log cabin in the UK somewhere? Still get a nice break and you don't have to come too close to anyone 🤷‍♀️

Goodness knows, I’d love a holiday! But in the current circumstances, travelling abroad is not something I’d consider. Hoping to get away in the UK once the kids have gone back to school though.

I am 26w and currently abroad. We took the train here but I also flew (uk domestic) at 20w.

I think it really depends on how you view your risk at home vs abroad. I found the train journey quite low risk and now in the towns we are in I am probably more comfortable with risk than in London restaurants etc. Def make sure you can access medical care if needed.

@SunSparkle I'm planning a ski trip (obvs will not be actually skiing now!) in January.
This was booked before I knew I was pregnant (FTM too, but got lucky far, far quicker than we expected).

Assuming there's no major change to advice by October, I will pay the balance and hopefully have a relaxing trip before DC arrives in March.

I won't plan to go if there's a real surge in cases, but I feel like the risks are the same as travel at home. I intend to continue with current precautions.

If you do go away, enjoy your break!

Whilst I completely understand why you would want to I personally wouldnt. I'm not precious about the virus, been out to dinner etc, the thought of going near an airport fills me with horror. I dont think things will have changed that much by October sadly.

Sorry probably not what you want to hear!

Could you potentially wait to book and see what happens in the next few months. That way you can decide how safe you’d feel. I was quite cool about the whole covid situation at the beginning as I felt safe. As lockdown has been lifted and I’ve got well into the 2nd trimester, I’m getting more and more anxious as I go to certain places, some people are being reckless (not wearing masks/no social distancing etc). You might decide to go in the UK somewhere instead. I think I’m late September/early October you’d definitely be able to get somewhere (probably cheaper last minute too).

Hi,

I'm 24 weeks and we are considering going in two weeks time (also to Greece). I was really nervous about the virus in the beginning but we've just been away for the weekend in the UK and there was no social distancing anywhere. I feel like everyone has just gone back to normal. We will book a quiet apartment on the outskirts of a town just to sit by a pool and relax. For the dates we want at the end of August there is literally no accommodation in the UK. We are just going to wait till a few days before to see if any guidance changes although we know it could whilst we are away.

Hello, I'm due to go on holiday for one week to Turkey on the 26th August, where I'll be 23 weeks pregnant. I have been going to the same small boutique hotel for years and feel completely at ease going-I have a friend just back who says they felt more comfortable abroad than here, as other posts have said some here have completely forgotten how to social distance. I will be sitting next to my partner on one side and friend on the other, and personally don't see how sitting in a pub (maskless) with strangers is deemed okay but flying with a mask isn't. It's all down to you and how you feel but holidays are a massive part of our life and for me the benefits of getting this last break just us will outweigh the small risk. Abroad the restaurants are outside, there is more space and some vitamin d does pregnant women the world of good. You will have folk who are full of opinions but it's no difference to anything else in pregnancy! Have a fab time if you do go x

I’ll be 31 weeks pregnant when ( if) I go on my trip to Italy in September. That will depend on the situation of course and if I’m fit to fly by my midwife . I’m fine with it but mostly because I take public transport into London daily , I work in a people facing role as it is and my son is in nursery exposed to kids every day . I’m very careful but I’m exposed everyday as it is so I’m not too concerned about travelling as long as it’s still safe to do so and my midwife gives me the okay 👌.

I am currently abroad and pregnant and flew 15 hours to get here. I wanted to visit my mum especially before getting big and all.
I was very careful in airports and plane and made sure i changed masks and washed hands regularly... same for DP.
It's a personal choice obviously. I'd rather my family lived close 😅

The only thing I'd be concerned about going in an all inclusive resort is eating outside food all the time and having someone come into your room daily... perhaps the risk is here rather than on plane?

I Don't know..

My main worry would be if there was a small spike and I needed medical help and the small local hospitals couldn’t cope. A lot of country’s healthcare systems buckled with Covid.

My thoughts would be what would you do if Greece shut their boarders with very little notice and you got stuck there? This happened to loads of people travelling in the beginning of Covid and could happen again. Being pregnant would add another level of complication to this scenario and I wouldn't personally take the risk.

If you travelled and caught the virus medically speaking you would almost certainly be in a worse position than if you caught in the UK. If there were a negative outcome in any way I think I would always view things as out of my control in the UK because it's home and I can't do much about that but somewhat self inflicted because I chose to travel if it happened when away.

As the parent of a toddler, DO IT! Nice, relaxing holidays abroad are at least five years away for us now....

We had a wonderful summer break in Croatia before DD was born at the end of the November. I have fond memories of whiling the days away reading and swimming at my leisure!

Absolutely no way would I even consider going on holiday whilst pregnant in a pandemic!!

Greece's healthcare system is dreadful at the best of times!

Book a beautiful spa hotel somewhere in the UK that is quiet and restful in the middle of September so you can drive, socially distance and take care of yourself and the baby.

Greece's infection rate is also going up quickly.

Obviously Covid makes it trickier, but with solid insurance and booked through a proper agency you shouldn’t be too much at risk of losing money.

We have planned two weeks in Greece next month and I am hugely looking forward to it. We chose it because they have quite low rates (going up like everywhere, but not drastically), and we're visiting smaller, less touristy placeswhere we can essentially be all alone if we want. Obviously we understand therules canchange on a dime right now but are keeping everything crossed.

Our first baby is due in February (I'll be 16 weeks when we go) and with the possibility of a second wave and further lockdowns in the Autumn/Winter, it felt like this was our window to go.I rang my midwife to check re: my 16 week appointment and could we do it the week before instead, and her reaction was basically "oh how wonderful for you", no judgement at all. In fact she was also off on holiday the same week so she doesn't seem worried! My understanding is that pregnant women aren't high risk but moderate, and even that is based on evidence re: the flu, which may or may not translate to covid - there is really not enough evidence yet.

I understand that manywon't feel comfortable travelling right now, and I totally understand. But honestly, travel is hugely important to both of us and probably the one thing I'm terrifiedI won't get to enjoy anymore (in the same way at least) once I become a mum. I'm an expat and part of the reason I've lived in the UK for the past 15 years is the proximity to so many amazing holiday destinations. This is also potentially the last real (ie baby-free) holiday we are going to have in years, so that was a factor for sure.

I should add that both of us already had the virus back in March - DH felt ill for a few weeks, me for just a few days. Obviously this doesn't guarantee immunity but it does somewhat take the "scary unknown" fear of contracting it down a bit.

I just can not believe that anyone that is pregnant would do this, who cares if you 'hugely love' travelling?!

The health and wellbeing of your baby should be coming first. Pregnant women are more at risk, this has been known for some time, so you are taking on extra layers of risk in a country with substandard healthcare, and you think this is a good idea?!

We are clearly more in need of a nanny state than i ever thought possible. Jeez.

I’d be very tempted. But I don’t think I would. Purely the risk of lockdown happening again in Greece and you being stuck there a lot longer.
Good luck whatever you decide xxx

A practical tip, if you can:

• book your Greece trip, but make it refundable as late as possible (1 week in advance?)
• book a backup fully refundable UK trip

Make the decision at the last minute.

This way if you arent comfortable with Greece, you will still have something good booked - rather than trying to book something last minute and being disappointed.

Just got back from Greece, in my experience felt 100% safer there than our visit to the overcrowded coast the other week! The airport was deserted, we flew from a local one and on the plane they kept making announcements about how much the air filtration system filters out , think it was something like 99.7%? Everyone kept their mask on as well.

In my opinion I’d say go for it, as long as your ok if the quarantine rules change. I’ve got a toddler and relaxing holidays are a thing of the past!

oatmilk I tried that, and both options were cancelled!! one because all flights were suspended and it was still on the naughty list, the other because they decided to open at the end of July instead!
Still at least we tried, in September there will be much more choice.