International Travel in Third Trimester

Knottie42089123

So DH is wanting to plan a weekend trip to Mexico to see family. This just stressed me out because we've gotten nothing done and April is going to be cray with our two baby showers, a bachelorette party and what I assume is the beginning of taking classes and doing everything else for baby prep. I've never been preggo before so I have no clue how I will be feeling as third tri progresses. I'm currently 28 weeks. Also don't know how Drs feel about third tri travel. Thoughts? Thanks for hearing me vent. 

silliegirlie143

FWIW: My OB advised me that I shouldn't travel anywhere after 32 weeks if I wouldn't want to stay/deliver there. Juuuuuuuust in case I went into labor early. 

delujm0

Isn't Zika present in Mexico?  I was advised to avoid areas where Zika was present for the entire pregnancy.

I traveled from NC to NJ at 32 weeks and even 38.5 weeks (sister's wedding) with DD but I had a doctor there I wouldn't have been opposed to using if it came to that.  32 weeks is a little late to risk an international trip...especially if your insurance wouldn't fully cover you in case of emergency, which many would not.

mombod

Im pretty sure most if not all of Mexico is a zika region. Also youll want to check with your dr/midwife on flying. My midwife prefers no unneccessary flying in the third trimester after a certain number of weeks (want to say 30 or 32?).

awoodruff27

Yeah my Dr would probably not be too happy about that idea. She said only short flights/drives after 32 weeks till 35 weeks then she advises to stay put. 

mtvkv5

My doctor cleared me until 34 weeks, But I do so much flying I am pretty used to the demands of air travel. I just got back from Europe and that 8 hour flight was more miserable than I expected it to be (at 27.5 weeks). If I had to do it over again I would go earlier and keep my travel to shorter flights later. However, as PPs said, I would avoid anywhere with a chance of Zika. 

wifeinraleigh28

I wouldn't go anywhere in 3rd trimester because I'm too paranoid and want to be close to home in case I need medical care. I don't want to risk anything! But I'm also high risk.

mirdamae03

We changed our third trimester Mexico plans after my OB expressed her concern over Zika and the lack of info on the safety of exposure at any point of pregnancy. The international flight would be NBD for me up until 32-34 weeks, but the Zika is the deal breaker.

Knottie42089123

Thanks ladies. I told him he's stressing me out. Better to let him know than bottle it up

merrylea

@Knottie42089123 echoing everything everyone else says.  Here is a link regarding Zika transmission in Mexico, but regardless of where you're intending to go, why take the risk? https://www2.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=35106&Itemid=270

lmudra

And it's not just you being exposed to Zika, your husband can pass it to you as well so he shouldn't go either.

merrylea

@lmudra There are ways to prevent that. Full Disclosure- My DH is leaving for Jamaica on Wednesday for SIL's wedding. We can either use condoms or abstain for the remainder of the pregnancy. We are choosing to abstain. My Dr had no problems with DH going. I, on the other hand, plan to use it in my favor for at least the next year......

JessyKV

I personally would not go that far third trimester.  It sounds miserable.  Plus I had contractions at 33 weeks with my first that had to be stopped.  So I've been more conservative with travel with my next pregnancies.  

My I turned down a 5 hour drive to a wedding at 34 weeks with my second.  Just a miserable time for travel for me and I didn't want to risk being away from my doctor. 

The whole zika thing would freak me out too much too.  

delujm0

merrylea said:

@lmudra There are ways to prevent that. Full Disclosure- My DH is leaving for Jamaica on Wednesday for SIL's wedding. We can either use condoms or abstain for the remainder of the pregnancy. We are choosing to abstain. My Dr had no problems with DH going. I, on the other hand, plan to use it in my favor for at least the next year......

Yeah I wouldn't have a problem with DH going to a Zika zone at this point either.  You just want to make sure he's down with COMPLETELY limiting contact (as in: in no way can his semen come near you without at least a barrier method - no BJs, no pulling out, condom on any time he goes near you) for both the remainder of the pregnancy plus the 6-8 weeks that you'll be on pelvic rest afterwards (not to mention the time after you're off pelvic rest when you still don't want to have sex, which for me was like an additional month).  If I said to DH "sure, go to Mexico when I'm 32 weeks pregnant, just as long as you are aware that it could be up to 18 weeks before we are even allowed to have sex again after that" he'd be like "ugh hard pass."  I have zero sex drive when I'm pregnant though, so I'd probably be like "no, go!  definitely go!" hahaha.

Knottie42089123

Thanks guys. I totally forgot about Zika so that is an excellent point

email2ash

I have to go to Vegas next week for our company trade show. I will be 30 weeks and had to get a special note from my doctor. A lot of flights don't want you on past 28 weeks. My doctor said this should be my last trip.

I also would not go to Mexico due to Zika. There are so many cases popping up. My sister lives in Miamia-Dade area of FL which is a Zika hotspot and I wouldn't go to see her either.

wifeinraleigh28

@email2ash The FL health department declared their entire state Zika-free in December. I'm not sure of the latest now that spring is encroaching, but from what I understand FL is safe right now.

email2ash

@wifeinraleigh28 good to know! I just looked on the Florida Health Government site and it looks like there have only been 8 reported cases in Miami-Dade for 2017 so far. Last year they had 348!

wifeinraleigh28

@email2ash Were those 8 cases infected internationally or locally?

email2ash

@wifeinraleigh28 it says 2017 travel related by county. So maybe they acquired it somewhere else and it was filed in Miami? Here's the link where it dives into cases by county and 2016 vs. 2017. https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/zika-virus/ 

awillis13

@wifeinraleigh28 I've been following the Zika reports for FL for our Disney trip.  Only 2 confirmed locally transmitted Zika cases in FL.

https://www.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2017/03/032017-zika-update.html

wifeinraleigh28

@awillis13 Good to know! Orlando is definitely safe. I did the same kind of research before we went on our baby moon to Disney in January. And I came home Zika-free Have a wonderful trip!

Knottie42089123

So we went to the dr today and second the word Mexico came out of my mouth she said absolutely no travel for me there. And that if DH went alone to use condoms the rest of pregnancy. I expressed my concern of him going alone and something happening w the pregnancy over here and she acknowledged that there is always a risk. Now he is really upset. I'm having a hard time even getting him to talk to me about it. Is my concern invalid about leaving me alone in my third trimester? I've never been through this before. Granted I hope nothing happens but one of my closest friends did have a preemie at what I believe was 30 weeks

awillis13

I don't think you're being unreasonable.  Chances are, nothing is going to happen while he is away.  But how is he going to feel if it does and you are by yourself for that?

ellie111227

@Knottie42089123 I don't think it is invalid at all. Obviously if he is going to go, the sooner he goes the less likely you are to go into labor while he is gone. It's pretty unlikely that anything will happen before 35 or 36 weeks, but it's still a possibility you have to talk through, and he needs to be willing to do that. Here's some things I would be considering if i were you: Do you have a strong support system where you live? Would you have someone to take you to the hospital and stay with you (or he'll you at home if you are on bed rest there) if something were to happen while he was gone? Could the trip be canceled at the last minute if you were on bed rest or otherwise needed him home at that time? How long would it take him to get home to meet the baby if you went into labor while he was gone? How would each of you individually feel if he missed the birth because he was on this trip? 

My sil had her son at 35 weeks when my brother was on a business trip. Fortunately, she had her parents there to help with their older son and take her to the hospital, and my brother was close enough to home that he got there just a few hours after the baby was born. It wasn't disastrous for them, but it definitely wasn't the birth they wanted either, and I think my brother is still a little sad he missed it. And that is pretty much the ideal scenario for something like that to happen in. 

Knottie42089123

I guess I have to wait and see when he stops being so upset and is willing to talk about it. I'm a bit caught up in my feelings right now because this is making me feel like he is viewing this as my "fault." I see this pregnancy as nothing but a blessing and so has he, but I have not put myself first since Oct 1 when I got my bfp. At that moment my child became my priority. And this situation makes him look like he's being selfish. But I can only go on assumption bc he's not talking about it