Swimming while pregnant

[VixFromThe6ix]

Hi mamas and mamas to be,

I am wondering if anyone got any caution from their doctor in regards to swimming while pregnant.

I know swimming itself is excellent exercise while pregnant, I am more after swimming in water that is not clean.

For more context, I am going to Mexico and I was worried about swimming in a pool and in the ocean. I asked my obgyn and was given the green light for swimming. However, when I googled, it said to preferably avoid the ocean as the water isn't clean and can cause issues especially in first trimester. It said pools are safer as they have chlorine.

Did anyone's doctor say it wasn't safe or can I ignore google and go enjoy my holiday? :)

You're going to Mexico in the first trimester? Are you not worried about Zika?

I can't see how swimming in any water can impact the baby tbh, it's very well protected. Maybe it means if you swallow some? Then you have the potential to become ill yourself.

I swam a lot when I was pregnant, sea and pool. I would be more concerned about Zika tbh

A pool is only "better" if properly chlorinated and maintained. A clean ocean would be absolutely fine, IMHO.

You've already had a green light from your Obgyn, but still googled. I'm not quite sure what more you want mn to add.

Use your common sense once you are there and can see it.

Just go for a vaginal swab and urine test when you get back to check for infections (your midwife will do this as part of a routine appointment if you ask - the urine test is standard but you have to ask for the vaginal swab).

If you don't get an infection then you're fine. If you get an infection they'll give you antibiotics and you'll be fine.

So it's fine.

And there we have the reason why you shouldn't rely on randoms from the internet for advice.............

Anyone with common sense wouldn't be going to a Zika area when pregnant.......

Wow some strong opinions. I use my common sense just fine, thank you. There are no current Zika outbreaks which is why it's been OK'd to travel.
Go take a chill pill.

I would say go and enjoy that holiday to the absolute most! Enjoy the water (either kind) and live life. I think you can over worry sometimes when pregnant ♥️ enjoy your holiday!

There literally is a Zika risk though. Look it says "risk" next to "Mexico". Why endanger your baby? For an Instagrammable holiday? And why did you ask for people's advice if you were going to be so rude, we're trying to protect your baby FGS!

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/zika-virus-country-specific-risk

@SisterMichaelsHabit I didn't ask anyone if I should or shouldn't go to Mexico. You're out of your damn mind if you think I want to endanger my baby. Clearly you're going to assume what you wish and link me to an article from 2019. If my doctor had said, you shouldn't go or had any concern whatsoever and voiced it, there would never be a discussion about going any further. However, they cleared it with advice to use bug repellant, which is common sense to do anyway. So again, I didn't ask for advice on whether I should travel or not. I asked about swimming and instead got some rude responses that are questioning my intelligence and safety of my child.

'Zika virus in Mexico
There is a risk of ZIKV in this country. Pregnant women should consider avoiding travel to this country until after the pregnancy. In the event that travel is unavoidable, the pregnant traveller must be informed of the risks which ZIKV presents.'

Don't worry op. There's a whole population of Mexican mums and their kids and birth defects are rare. As you say, take precautions and monitor symptoms. Even if you catch the virus there's treatment available.

I grew up in a place with dengue fever and internationally there was great panic but no one I knew locally caught it because we used repellent like we always did. Job done

@Mummymummy89 thank you for a kind reaponse! I'm not in UK so maybe it's different and while there is caution around Zika, it's not a panic. Many of my friends traveled while pregnant and last time we were in Mexico I saw tons of pregnant women there. I plan to be as careful as possible.
It just crazy that they think I've done zero research and never spoke to a medical professional.
In Canada the government site says to get cleared by your physician which is what I did. And she said have a good trip. Use a repellant. She was more concerned with blood clots and advised me to move on the airplane.
Sucks that I can't come and ask a question without people tearing into me for a completely different issue.

Not sure why you would trust your physician on Zika but not on swimming?

Bonkers that you'd be happy to go to Mexico where there has been zika - even if no known outbreak at the moment - rather than go somewhere safer - and be stressing about the much smaller risk of swimming. But you clearly don't want to hear advice so have a good trip and fingers crossed for your baby.

I always find this odd too.

Like when people say my midwife has offered me the flu vaccination but I want to ask random people on the internet if I should have it or not because I trust their opinion more.