Long-haul travel pregnant – UK to Hawaii?

[SoftSocksPlease]

Hello! :)

DH and I are currently TTC, but we are also hoping to plan a holiday for May. If I'm pregnant, it will be our babymoon, and if I'm not, it will be a welcome distraction. We know TTC can take a long time, so a May holiday feels like a nice balance, as I definitely will not be too far along when I do become pregnant.

In an ideal world, we would both absolutely love to go to Hawaii. We got married in 2021, so thanks to travel restrictions (and also money, lol) we weren't able to go. So, we are now considering whether it is doable.

If we are able to get pregnant in Jan or Feb, I would be in my second trimester in May, which my research suggests is generally the best time to travel. Equally, if I am in my first trimester, I know it could be difficult depending on how my body copes at that stage. Obviously, every pregnancy is different and nothing is guaranteed, but I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has done UK to Hawaii (or similar) whilst pregnant. We know it is two flights and 20 hours, so we would take all the necessary precautions for comfort and safety, but I would love to hear your experiences. Was it doable and worthwhile?

We are also considering alternatives with our own preferences for pregnancy safety in mind. The Caribbean feels less suitable due to the risk of Zika, so Greece is currently our main alternative. We have already been to Athens and Corfu, which we loved, but we would be interested in going somewhere new. Does anyone have suggestions for warm, beautiful destinations that feel sensible for pregnancy, please?

Thank you so much! :)

Yes I’ve done it and it’s fine. It wouldn’t have even occurred to me to worry. Maybe consider the Indian Ocean (Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius). Closer, no Zika and places to relax and enjoy.

I did it a few times. Went to Barbados at 28 weeks and flew back at 30.

Can’t remember zika being a thing then. But I’m inclined to stress only if absolutely necessary.

I wouldn't have thought twice about that. Unless you're unlucky enough to have really debilitating morning sickness then you'll be totally fine.

I flew that length ( one 13 hour flight, 4 hour layover, plus another 4 hour flight) at 22 weeks and then 24 weeks back. It was doable but honestly horrendous. We were in premium economy so more comfortable than standard but to sit for that length of time was horrible. My tailbone and my back and my hips were killing me. One leg swell up a bit and we ended up spending the first day of the holiday at the doctors to rule out a blood clot.

On the way there, at least there was excitement. But back was torture. They also told us AFTER we boarded the 13 hour flight that sth happened to their food and there would be NO food served at all. Thank god I had bought lots of snacks from the airport. I basically ate all the food presents and was sick from so much sugar (they were obviously mostly biscuits and cakes).

We actually did it to visit family, we live abroad. If it's just for holiday....I would revisit the destination. Keep it simple and comfortable.