Would you travel abroad at 26weeks pregnant?

[Randomgenericusername]

Well, just that really - is 26 weeks too late in a pregnancy to travel for a 2 week holiday?

We have a family holiday booked and have decided for various reasons we would prefer to not delay trying for baby #2. However I would like opinions on travelling that late into gestation, as it's recommended to travel in the 2nd trimester if possible.

Of course I'm conscious we could decide to try and be unsuccessful, and I'd be beyond grateful if we are able to get pregnant again. I'm just curious to know if it's silly to try now, know we are holidaying in July and if I would struggle, or be putting myself or baby at risk.

Hypothetically speaking, would you want to get pregnant now knowing it would mean a holiday abroad at 26 weeks, if able to conceive when planned, or would you wait until closer to the holiday to try for 2nd baby?

So further details are:

• Would be 2nd pregnancy
• 5.5 hour flight each way (return is overnight)
• All inclusive holiday
• 2 weeks duration so (26 weeks outgoing, 28 return)
• Travelling with (would be) babies father, 2yr old toddler and 14yr step son.

Have you travelled at that point in gestation and would you recommend or avoid it?

I also discussed it with my GP who advised I'd need a fitness to travel letter of course but she also said she would recommend travelling no later than 2nd trimester.

Thank you

Yes I would and actually did (long haul)
make sure you’ve got the right travel insurance and anything else you may need to show you’re fit to fly

Thank you for such a prompt response. That's very reassuring. We've looked into insurance and have found we'd be covered for everything except a normal birth, so assuming that means we shouldn't travel around due date.

I'm pleased it went well for you.

My partner is excited and wants to start trying, but I do have concerns as we can't foresee if there will be any complications with a future pregnancy.

NHS guidelines say fit to fly letters aren't needed until 28 weeks. My SIL recently holidayed at 30 weeks. I'm going on holiday when I'll be 25 weeks (5 hour flight). You'll be fine at 26.

Yes I thought that too. But my GP said I would need one as I'd be 28 weeks travelling home, but that she would give me one providing all was well and no complications. Not sure if she's correct but can't hurt to have the letter prepared just incase.

Thank you for sharing about your SIL and your own plans to holiday of similar gestation and travel times, and congratulations too. That's reassuring to know you are planning to travel. I hope all goes well and have a wonderful tour.

I would absolutely love to start trying now.

@Randomgenericusername ah that makes sense about the return flight. Go for your holiday - ours is a babymoon before we'll be too busy to do it for a while!

I haven’t but I would have gone anytime before 28 weeks. Providing there’s some level of good medical care there. From 28 weeks I would have found it too risky personally. (I had preeclampsia from 30 weeks with my first, but even without that I wouldn’t have risked it). The latest I actually went abroad was 18 weeks.

I’m currently 28 weeks with my second.

Get good insurance that would allow you to cancel or postpone for a year if you needed it. Then it helps incase something happens or you become high risk (hopefully wouldn’t being your second but you never know).

First pregnancy I would have, second successful pregnancy I would not have. By 26/28 weeks in my second successful pregnancy, I was the size of a house and exhausted!

I took a two week long haul holiday at 26 weeks last year, it was lovely. I wouldn't have wanted to do it much later in pregnancy but it was the perfect time when I wasn't huge, didn't have swollen feet yet etc.

Check at what point your airline wants a fit to fly certificate (they aren't all the same) and allow plenty of time to get it if you need one - my GP practice took two weeks to do them. Get decent travel insurance and check what pregnancy related conditions they cover for cancellation - no insurer will cover you just changing your mind because you're pregnant, but they will have a list of complications and will cover cancellation if you are diagnosed with any of them.

I’m travelling this weekend for a week holiday at 30 weeks which I have to say felt apprehensive about originally but speaking to my midwife and others everyone’s opinions was to go! (Obviously with the right insurance). Hopefully that gives you some reassurance too!

Yes I want to the US at roughly that stage in DC1's pregnancy. Bought lots of baby bits there. It was fine.

I’d cross that bridge when you come to it as you’re not even pregnant yet. But in principle I’d say it would be fine (depending a tiny bit where you’re going!)

Check what your insurance covers in terms of the baby - we looked into traveling around the same time and some policies covered me, but not baby once they were born (and neonatal care at that age would be very expensive). And check healthcare at your destination.

We ended up travelling earlier anyway to avoid summer heat, but I would have been comfortable on the plane still at that gestation.

Yes I did, not long haul just to Ibiza. It was absolutely fine and we had a fantastic time

Most of my friends have so if it’s a straight forward pregnancy enjoy your holiday and don’t feel guilty!
I can’t as I am high risk which is fine but bloody hell i would love to just sit in the sun and do SA

If doctors, midwifes and insurence say ok yes, I would.

You are massively overthinking for someone who's not even pregnant yet.

I understand that, as it could take months to concieve, however if the general consensus was don't do it, I'd be happy to wait several months before we even tried. However, it's also playing on my mind that we attempted to concieve our previous pregnancy once, and were successful, so I'm preparing for all instances.

We are travelling to Egypt, where it'll be around 40c I expect, which usually isn't a problem for me as I'm a sun worshipper. But I can imagine there being any major concerns from a location perspective. There's a maternity hospital 30 mins from the resort too.

Well I’d check the travel advice for Egypt if I were you. I am a very seasoned traveller but I wouldn’t be going there at the moment.

That's good to know others have also had a great experience at that point in their pregnancy, thank you for sharing, and I'm sorry to hear you're high risk. I hope all goes well.

But I suppose you've highlighted another of my concerns, whether I'd be classed as high risk as I'll be 37 and whilst my first pregnancy was a bliss, there were complications during birth, including significant injuries and hemorrhaging, which I've been told could make me high risk, although I'm not sure how exactly as my midwife said she would talk to me about it if I were to become pregnant again. I guess I'm delving into deeper territory here as I can't really get an answer to these questions until actually becoming pregnant, and if that wasnt covered on the insurance then we would lose the money - our holiday is has been booked since september.

I suppose I'm trying to make a sensible and informed decision, rather than rush into it and then finding out, risking losing the cost of the holiday, which is no small amount.

Of course have the option to wait until after the holiday to try, but we've already postponed baby #2 for reasons out of our control and now feels like the right time for us.

Nope

I wouldn’t do it personally, but it really is up to you. I made the decision not to travel abroad at all whilst pregnant. Perhaps it’s overthinking but I couldn’t think of anything worse than something being wrong and being stuck on a flight or being in another country not knowing the language etc (and I have had a really straightforward, textbook pregnancy) that I just never wanted to take the risk. It’s highly personal, but I’d also consider the heat and any dangers in the country you’re travelling to, as well as the fit to fly note that may or may not be necessary depending on the airline’s conditions. We’re doing our babymoon in the UK just to ensure we’re near a hospital should we need but it’s entirely your choice and may depend on how your pregnancy progresses when you do get pregnant.

What gestation did you labour last time? Was it a spontaneous labour?

Thank you, we have done and travel to our location is fine, as far im aware. We stayed there last summer and had no issues.

Yes
I went abroad at 32 weeks

I did at 29/30 weeks and it was fine. I wouldn't go on a big activity holiday but a nice beach break was fine.

However babies do come that early, so I made sure I knew where the nearest neonatal unit was just in case.