Should I go to Val Thoren when I'm 5 months pregnant?

[Fairy2011]

So I booked to go skiing on a family holiday for the first time in February 2023. But I've found out that I'm pregnant and will be around 5 months whenever we are due to go. I've come to terms that I'm not going to be able to ski, but my question is whether it will be safe to go and spectate, or do I need to cancel altogether?

Absolutely fine to go! You can either potter around the resort in the shops and cafes or go up in the ski lift and meet people for lunch. It's not really a spectator sport though so don't expect to see lots of skiiing unless you are going with lots of first timers who might be on the nursery slopes at the bottom of the mountain.

Also a normal skiing day ends at about 4pm so you won't be on your own for ages. The traditional set up would be to come off the slopes late afternoon for a cake and coffee at the chalet or straight to apres ski which you could join for either way.

I went on a pregnant ski trip, I would have a leisurely morning, make my way to meet my husband for lunch and then shop/go swimming/ general relaxing. Then we would go out for dinner. Not as fun as a normal trip and much less apres but I still love being in the mountains and had more fun than being at home!

I had got my skis out thinking I would have a little scoot about (was 4 months and not showing much) but even walking in the deep snow at altitude was tiring enough so I left them in the locker.

I've done a pregnant ski trip too. Obviously not as much fun as skiing but I'd have a leisurely morning then meet up with family for lunch. Then sit in a deckchair with copious amounts of hot chocolate and cake and a nice book. Back for a wee nap and then get ready for dinner. It was lovely and relaxing!

If it’s just your immediate family I’d probably see if you can postpone by a year. If it’s extended family and there’s no way you’re getting the money back then may as well go, if nothing else it’s a change of scene, but I would expect to bored.

You can mooch around shops that mostly sell ski wear, go for a swim if your accommodation has a pool (but will probably have to skip the hot tub and definitely the sauna), sit on a deckchair reading and drinking a hot chocolate is nice if it’s sunny but no so much in a white out, getting a massage if you can find somewhere that does pre natal will pass an hour. You can meet the skiers for meals and that will be nice… That’s kind of it really…

If she postpones it will need to be for longer than a year because an under 1 year old would mean she will be even more restricted!

You can get childcare… I’ve been skiing with kids under 1 4 times and we’ve used nannies through the chalet co, resort daycare (in North America) and the scott dunn kids club. If that’s not for you then there’s still the option of tag teaming with DH, so you can do 50:50 mooching and skiing each which I still think would be loads better than he does all the skiing and you have to do all the mooching!

I would not consider postponing the holiday until you have had the three month scan. At that point if everything is fine I would probably go ahead with the holiday and not ski although maybe Val Thorens is not the best option as I don't know if the high altitude would make your pregancy symptoms worse - check this with GP. Maybe change to a lower resort with more to do for non skiers if possible. Although if you can't change resort I expect you would be fine.