For TTC ladies planning a Caribbean/central/south america travel

jolydan · January 2016

***** Lurker, TW signature*****

Hello ladies! this have been discussed on my BMB and I remember reading that some girls here are planning vacations and cruises in a few months so I thought it might be important for you to know. There's currently a virus in the Caribbean/central/south america area that cause a serious threat to pregnant women and the government advise against travelling. Also local authorities have advised women living in the are to not to get pregnant. I know some girls on my BMB are losing money by having to cancel vacations. I know it's not recommended to act pregnant before being, but this might be a game changer for some
here's some link.

tw some are disturbing

https://www.caribbean360.com/news/dominican-republic-advises-women-against-pregnancy-while-zika-threat-continues
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/u-s-health-officials-consider-travel-warning-zika-virus-spreads-n496521

MRSCORKER · January 2016

Thanks for posting! I'm headed that way in February. I can't open the link on mobile but I'll check it out!

beforeyou · January 2016

Just heard about this on NPR. Thanks for sharing!

jolydan · January 2016

@MRSCORKER someone on the July BMB said there's a map on the world health organization website.

virginiaham · January 2016

So scary, thanks for sharing this.

Megzb510 · January 2016

This is crazy!

brambles1 · January 2016

DH and I were planning on going to PR in June to visit a friend

Ugh...we've been planning to visit for almost a year.

MrsDho11 · January 2016

Yeah, it's called the Zika virus, and I emailed my OB/GYN to ask her about this yesterday! Depending on what she says, DH and I will have to have a talk about Puerto Rico.

Mlight28 · January 2016

Ughhh. I've got a pretty much non-refundable trip to the USVI in April. Hope this settles down, or we will be cancelling if I'm KU.

MRSCORKER · January 2016

I really don't wanna TTA next cycle but it looks like we'll need to. I guess it's just one cycle but

sarah0985 · January 2016

That's awful.
I think a good compromise since we always advice "don't live like your pregnant" is pay the extra bit for a good coverage travel insurance. (I have never bought it but in this case, it'd be warranted. Better to be out a bit of insurance money, then to get a bfp and lose your trip and money or to not book and then not be pregnant either)
I hope for those of you that have already booked and can't refund that this settles down.
Also, @Mlight28 if you booked it on a credit card, some cards offer built in travel insurance in their terms. Would be worth looking into.

Otherwise this definitely doesn't seem to be something to mess around with if anyone gets pregnant.

housewifehobbyist · January 2016

I'm in the same position @MRSCORKER. We have a trip to Mexico booked for the end of February for my best friend's wedding, so I really wouldn't want to cancel. I have to talk to H about TTA for a cycle, even though I really don't want to, but if we did get KU this cycle I don't know that we could do the trip. Ugh.

Xstatic3333 · January 2016

For those of you who are going in a few months, it's probably not too late to get trip cancellation insurance. Lots of policies cover cancellation for even a healthy pregnancy. I looked into this pretty heavily when we did a dive trip a few years back. You just can't be pregnant yet when you buy the policy. Cancellation insurance for our plane tickets to Europe coming up was only $100, though that policy only covers pregnancy related medical problems, not healthy pregnancy. There are lots of companies, but I usually use Allianz.

Good luck to all with tough decisions to make...

PennStateCait · January 2016

I've been following this... Scary. My husband's family is going on a cruise in March and I can't go because of work, which I guess is turning out to be for the better.

I'm so sorry to everyone who has to make a decision to cancel a trip and/or TTA. I would be devastated.

SnobunnieMel · January 2016

Hopefully this calms down! My brother is getting married in the Dominican in July. Hopefully already KTFU by then, but if not, would be a shame to miss trying for a while. I have already emailed our agent about insurance just in case it's still a threat

DisneyIsabelle · January 2016

Always get travel insurance if you are planning an expensive trip! That way you can cancel without losing money if you do need to. I never bought it until my husband who never gets sick got really sick and ended up in the hospital on one of our trips. When we went to Italy a few months ago I was sure to get a good policy (didn't end up needing it), but peace of mind worth paying for it.

hupp0013 · January 2016

Thank you for posting this @jolydan.

penelope4612 · January 2016

Be careful to read the fine print if you do get travel insurance. Some will let you cancel for any reason. Others have specifications (i.e. Medical issue, death, disaster). DH and I have insurance for an upcoming trip and it specifically states that a regular healthy pregnancy is not a qualifying reason to cancel.

NamelessAria · January 2016

Wait so... if DH comes home sick from his cruise down to that part of the world... does that mean we have to TTA this month?

ETA: Ya know, because if he's sick there is a pretty good chance he'd regift the virus to me.

LadyMillil · January 2016

NamelessAria said:

Wait so... if DH comes home sick from his cruise down to that part of the world... does that mean we have to TTA this month?

ETA: Ya know, because if he's sick there is a pretty good chance he'd regift the virus to me.

Zika virus is a vector borne virus, spread by Aedes mosquitoes. There are two cases where potential sexual transmission occurred. The virus can't spread through the air.

NamelessAria · January 2016

LadyMillil said:

NamelessAria said:

Wait so... if DH comes home sick from his cruise down to that part of the world... does that mean we have to TTA this month?

ETA: Ya know, because if he's sick there is a pretty good chance he'd regift the virus to me.

Zika virus is a vector borne virus, spread by Aedes mosquitoes. There are two cases where potential sexual transmission occurred. The virus can't spread through the air.

Good to know! This makes me feel better. Now I don't have to worry about DH getting sick.

NordyMN89 · January 2016

I've been stressed about this since it was posted on Friday. Going to Mexico the last week of February and really don't want to cancel. But getting an IUI this week and after 13 months of TTC we're beyond ready to get KU! I'm seeing my doctor in an hour for my follicle study and going to ask what she thinks I should do. I'll let you know what she says. I'm hoping it's just an over abundance of caution and that I'll just have to load up on bug spray.
@MrsDho11 - did you hear back from your doc?
@Housewifehobbyist - have you made a decision yet?

MrsDho11 · January 2016

@cwirth89 - not yet, but the office is closed today. I expect I'll hear from her tomorrow, and I can update here if you ladies would like.

momtoleo · January 2016

@MrsDho11 Yes! Please do. I'd be really curious to hear what they say. My in-laws have a place in the Virgin Islands that we go to. Holding off on our February vacation there for other reasons, but was hoping to go in a few months. Really debating this given Zika.

Itsnotyourturn · January 2016

I can't seem to find if this is affecting the west coast of Mexico yet. We are going on a cruise there Sunday. It's too late for me to TTA and also too late to cancel and get any refund. Grrrr. I guess I'll just slather myself in repellant. Dammit.

housewifehobbyist · January 2016

Good luck ladies! @MrsDho11 and @cwirth89 I'm interested in hearing what your doctors have to say! Please come back and post!

As for me, I plan on going on the trip. I'm not missing my best friend's wedding and being out $4K because I *might* get pregnant this cycle and I *might* get bit by a mosquito in Mexico and it *might* carry the zika virus, but I will be TTA this cycle and loading up on the deet bug spray in Mexico. My February fertile week falls right when we're supposed to be on this trip, so I haven't decided if we'll TTA the following cycle as well. I'll be interested to see how this story develops.

MRSCORKER · January 2016

I'll be in my FW next month on our trip too @housewifehobbyist. We will be TTA this cycle but not while on the trip. I will just load up on bug spray and avoid the jungle.

chloe97 · January 2016

We are going to Puerto Vallarta next week during my TWW. I haven't been able to track down anything that warns of a single case of Zika on the west coast of Mexico. It's a big country and from what I understand the brunt of the issues are in Brazil, which is far away from Mexico. If we hadn't already booked our trip and started to TTC, I may have done something differently, but I'm with the other posters who say I'm not going to completely change my life based on the very very very small chance that I'm pregnant, get bitten by a mosquito at a resort that sprays for them, and one of those mosquito just happens to be one that transmits the Zika virus. That's just crazy- such a small small percentage that all of these would happen. If I was going to Brazilian rainforest or another area that's been hard hit by the virus, however, I would cancel my trip for sure! Before you cancel your trip, research what's going on in the area where you are actually traveling.

Edited for clarity

hupp0013 · January 2016

My doctor basically said to check the cdc.gov website and this: I am not terribly familiar with the zika virus. However, in my experience, mosquito born illness can cause febrile illness and can increase the risk of problems in pregnancy. This is what I found on the cdc website. https://www.cdc.gov/zika/pregnancy/question-answers.html.

Ally0221 · January 2016

Great, I was reading this the day it was posted and now watching the news apparently there have been at least two confirmed cases of Zika where I live (South Florida) I knew it was only a matter of time since we have so many travelers in and out from the Caribbean and South America. Now I'm just curious to see how long it will take for me to see a case at work.

chloe97 · January 2016

Also, I just want to add that if you read the CDC guidance, they just advise that if you are traveling to those areas and could potentially be pregnant to wear bug spray! I just invented in a spray bottle and a tube of lemon eucalyptus natural insect repellent. I lather myself up In sunscreen anyway, may as well do the same with bug spray!

letyourheartbeyourguide · January 2016

Ally0221 said:
Great, I was reading this the day it was posted and now watching the news apparently there have been at least two confirmed cases of Zika where I live (South Florida) I knew it was only a matter of time since we have so many travelers in and out from the Caribbean and South America. Now I'm just curious to see how long it will take for me to see a case at work.

I haven't looked into the Florida cases, but the Hawaii case was someone who had been living in Brazil. My guess is that the Florida cases are also people who lived in or travelled to Latin American countries. It's only transmitted by the mosquito bites, so even if someone gets it in, say, Brazil and comes to Florida they're not spreading it to anyone else.

sarah0985 · January 2016

letyourheartbeyourguide said:

Ally0221 said:
Great, I was reading this the day it was posted and now watching the news apparently there have been at least two confirmed cases of Zika where I live (South Florida) I knew it was only a matter of time since we have so many travelers in and out from the Caribbean and South America. Now I'm just curious to see how long it will take for me to see a case at work.
I haven't looked into the Florida cases, but the Hawaii case was someone who had been living in Brazil. My guess is that the Florida cases are also people who lived in or travelled to Latin American countries. It's only transmitted by the mosquito bites, so even if someone gets it in, say, Brazil and comes to Florida they're not spreading it to anyone else.

I was wondering if the 2 in Florida had been to any of the areas where it's confirmed in mosquito. I'm certainly not an expert in this field (or close to it) but even if an infected mosquito (most likely single) were to "travel" here (say in a suitcase) id imagine that it would take more mosquitos than one to create a larger issue.

Does anyone know how the mosquitos are carrying/contracting the disease?

NordyMN89 · January 2016

Well, kind of as I expected, my doc said that she's not going to tell me to cancel my trip, but that DH and I should talk it over and weigh the risks. Like PP have said, I might get bit by a mosquito that might have this virus that might have this particular strain, etc. Going to load up on the bug spray, the resort sprays for them too so that will help. ATM we are not canceling, but we just entered the TWW, so we'll decide more after that.
@Sarah0985 - I've read that mosquitos have carried this virus for quite some time, much like West Nile, but that there's a new strain of the virus that's causing these birth defects.

jolydan · January 2016

Here some new information from this morning paper: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/health/cdc-urges-zika-testing-for-some-who-are-pregnant.html

MRSCORKER · January 2016

This is so super scary. We'll be TTA this cycle before our trip next month. I'm even a little worried about getting KU while on our trip as I'll be in my FW at the time. I'm going to LOAD UP on bug spray.

missteacherlady16 · January 2016

We're planning a trip to Nassau in May for my friend's wedding (I'm MOH, actually). We haven't booked our travel arrangements and after talking with a CSR from the travel insurance, I'm really not sure we will.

I know it seems like a gamble because I am not currently pregnant, but i've been trying long enough that I am not putting it off any longer. I'm really not sure what to do.

Canceling due to perceived threat of Zika virus falls under "fear of traveling" which is only covered by a "Cancel for Any Reason" policy, in which the insured is still required to pay 50% of the total trip.

MrsDho11 · January 2016

So, here's what the doctor (mine was out of office, so this is the doc that was covering for her) had to say:
"There is a lot we still don't know about the Zika virus and how it is related to these birth defects, so I think everyone right now is taking the most cautious approach. To be on the completely safe side, if it doesn't interfere too badly with your life plans, the safest thing is to avoid trying for pregnancy until you get back. If you actually do get pregnant before the trip the advice right now is to postpone your travel if possible."

I think this is something where we're all obviously going to have to make our own decisions, and I respect everyone's decision. For me, that very first sentence is what made me the most uncomfortable. If we TTC as planned this cycle, I'll most likely be at the end of the TWW (like in testing territory) for the trip, so I would just cancel and not go just in case I got a BFP.

But even if we TTA this cycle, I'm not really comfortable with going. I don't think that anyone yet understands the mechanism for why this is causing a problem for pregnant women. For me, when I'm in mosquito country, it doesn't matter how much DEET I put on, I get bit. I'm scared of going, getting bit, and getting Zika and it turning into having to wait for more than just the one cycle or getting the all-clear to start trying, getting pregnant, and then having whatever the effect of the Zika is linger longer than anyone realized, since there is a still a lot that isn't known or understood about the virus.

While I'm all on board with the "don't live like your pregnant until you are," mentality, personally, I'm also on the "but don't do anything that would make you doubt, feel guilty, or stress if something went wrong" train. DH and I talked about it, and he's fine with whatever I choose and will be going to Puerto Rico either with or without me. He asked me to take a few days to think about it, and I'll definitely take a couple more days before I do anything with the travel plans. But anytime I sit and think about it or try to work through it, I wind up drafting my email to our friends explaining that I won't be going, so I think that's a pretty good indicator of where my mind is at.

It'll be disappointing not to go, but I'm fairly certain that's what I'll choose. Anyway, I'm sorry this got long, and I totally understand anyone who still goes on their trips! I'm offering no judgment to those who do, just explaining the way I feel and why I am choosing not to go.

*hugs* to everyone. It's a crappy and stressful decision to try to make!

MRSCORKER · January 2016

@MrsDho11 I haven't heard back from my doc yet, she was out of the office today. We've decided to TTA this cycle. We leave 2/21 and I will hit my FW while we're away (as long as my cycle doesn't go crazy). I'm a little worried even about trying while we're on the cruise but I just don't want to live in fear. I mean, there's only a 20% chance we'll get KU anyway. I'm going to use bug spray when necessary and stick to the beach instead of hiking through the jungle which we were going to do. I feel like when I get bit, it's usually when hanging out outside at night and we'll be sailing at night anyway. I hope I'm not being naive, I've just been day dreaming about coming home KU and having a "cruise baby". I'm going to monitor the situation between now and then and see, maybe it will start to calm down in the next month.

MrsDho11 · January 2016

@MRSCORKER - I really and truly believe that is a perfectly valid, and possibly more emotionally healthy decision.

FX that you do get your cruise baby and all is well.

Honestly, there were other bits about the trip I wasn't wildly excited about (though I was excited about PR and finally getting to go to somewhere I might get to brush up on my rusty Spanish a bit). I think a different trip might have made me more willing to TTA and take the risk, but I'd be on the border either way, and it just kind of tipped me in the not direction. And when DH realized I was leaning that way, he was definitely like, "hey, does that mean I can change my flights and go for less time" because we were definitely battling over the length of the trip and the fact that being a start-up cofounder makes him want to never take vacation and get grumpy at me when he has to be gone for more than a couple (as in literally two) days.

So I guess what I'm saying is that there are other factors combined with my overly cautious nature that tipped me in that direction, but like I said, good for you! And I really hope you enjoy the cruise!

MrsDho11 · January 2016

andplusalso, I mean, the doc clearly said to TTA before, but go!

For TTC ladies planning a Caribbean/central/south america travel

Re: For TTC ladies planning a Caribbean/central/south america travel

TTC #1 --- BFP #1 5/15, loss at 5 weeks --- BFP #2 12/15, loss at 4+3 --- RE testing 3/16 normal, still trying for our rainbow

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