India at 28 weeks experience

[Newhere1993]

Hello

My partner and I are off to a friend's wedding in India for 10 days when I'll be about 27/8 weeks pregnant I just wondered if anyone's done this or similar themselves.

Also for those who have travelled to places that require travel vaccines I think I'm just looking for reassurance as felt completely fine until I went to my vaccine appointment and starting to feel guilty (even though midwives, Dr's ect have all said I'm safe to go)

Thanks in advance!

I have travelled around India a lot (I am 1/2 Indian), and have never become unwell.
I was there most recently for a conference and the vast majority of delegates stayed well.
Very nice hotel used to Western guests, conference food bubbling away.

Bottled water with a plastic seal will not have been tampered with.

All that said, I would be wary of being so far away in a country that can be challenging to navigate in my third trimester.

I’ve travelled to plenty of countries and I’m fairly relaxed about things but I absolutely would not go to India when 28 weeks pregnant.

The best advice we received was to use hand sanitizer every time you touch any money. Don’t eat the rice - it’s been kept warm a long time, don’t touch salad or ice cubes unless you can be sure bottled water was used. Personally, I wouldn’t fly anywhere 26 weeks pregnant. People try so hard to conceive, why risk your health and that of the baby>

I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. Going to Portugal at 23 weeks was plenty for me, with the flight, walking etc. I’d be far too nervous of the food / water / Zika; and if you have the baby early.

Thanks to those who gave the advice! I will be going as I said its a wedding, as I didn't say I'm actually going with about a total of 10 doctors, midwives and nurses to this wedding with some of them being local.

Taking some advice from here, advice from another forum and from a travel specific nurse I think I'll be as best supplied as I can plus its up north as Zika was something i had researched but the nurse today surprised me with her reassurance!

95% said they wouldn't go; OP goes anyway.

There is Zika in the north... also, please please please consider that poorer countries won't be testing much for Zika. Who would spend $X going to do a doctor for a non-life threatening illness? Also, 3/4 cases are asymptomatic. So, if 1 case is reported, how do you know it's not really in the thousands?

I don’t see why it being a wedding means you have to go. Especially for ten days. But you do you I guess. You seem comfortable with the risks.

Well be prepared to be incredibly uncomfortable. Or you could be fine. It's really 50/50, how far off is this wedding? If you're already like 24 weeks and you're not having any issues at all, then there's a higher likelihood you'll be fine.

At least book business class tickets so you can lie flat, that will make a huge difference.

I wouldn't go. Every time I've been to India I've become ill (mainly vomiting). And I was careful about what I ate.

I've spent a lot of time in India, and I've also had premature babies (entirely unrelated).

I wouldn't go if I'm honest.

My biggest concern would be feeling uncomfortable on the plane! Can you book/upgrade to business class?

So why did you ask for advice when you are going with 10 medical people - what a waste of time asking travellers for their advice when you had the answers within your own group.

@FishPie2 - my thoughts too. Feel like I've been catfished 😂

You’re not. My husband always gets constipated when we go to India.

Despite what other posters have said, an upset stomach isn’t inevitable. It depends where you stay. There are some very upmarket hotels in India that are gleaming and have very high standards of food hygeine. The only time I’ve been sick from a trip to India has been from the food on the British Airways flight back (though to be fair, that meal would have been prepared in Mumbai).

If you have cleared up the Zika risk, I would just be careful to eat in reputable places, don't take ice, the usual advice. We went travelling around northern India with our baby and everyone thought we were mad but had a great time and no one got sick. Just be super careful with hygiene. Healthcare in India is meant to be fantastic.
Re the vaccine, why do you feel guilty? My baby had to have an extra vaccine which I did worry about at first but the nurse said they would have wanted it anyway as no doubt would have wanted to travel to these kind of places when older (and it lasted 25 years). Will your baby get immunity through you?

If you do go, keep your mouth shut in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water…

I wasn't ill in India. But it was a week 5 star and I ate veggie food. Even 20 years ago they had massive continental breakfasts so I made sure I was really full of carbs to start the day.
I still wouldn't go if very pregnant though.

Friends stayed at the Sheraton hotel in Agra and 3 of them were terribly ill and had to cancel their tour so it can happen anywhere.