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2nd Trimester
aostrows
member
Zika Virus - Advice?
aostrows
member
Hello all -
Due to the zika virus, my husband and I scrapped our babymoon to Turks and Caicos and decided on something in the mountains here in our state. At this point, the virus hasn't been found in either Turks and Caicos OR our other favorite Grand Cayman. Now that we're getting closer, I am struggling a bit because I am SUCH a warm weather person and have wanted to go to these two places so badly for our trip. My husband says we can make it happen. What would you do? The sensible part of me is saying I don't want to worry about every little bite I get or eating outside etc. it's better to be cautious. But the other side of me is saying - it hasn't been found there are you going to lock yourself at home due to this? Stupid zika. Thanks for your kind thoughts and working through this with me ladies.
Amanda
Due to the zika virus, my husband and I scrapped our babymoon to Turks and Caicos and decided on something in the mountains here in our state. At this point, the virus hasn't been found in either Turks and Caicos OR our other favorite Grand Cayman. Now that we're getting closer, I am struggling a bit because I am SUCH a warm weather person and have wanted to go to these two places so badly for our trip. My husband says we can make it happen. What would you do? The sensible part of me is saying I don't want to worry about every little bite I get or eating outside etc. it's better to be cautious. But the other side of me is saying - it hasn't been found there are you going to lock yourself at home due to this? Stupid zika. Thanks for your kind thoughts and working through this with me ladies.
Amanda
Re: Zika Virus - Advice?
I'll give the opposite input here...I do not know much about the Zika situation in Turks and Caicos, but I recently went to Riviera Maya for vacation. I researched at the time and found that there were no reported cases in the area I was visiting, so I concluded the risk was very low, despite mass histeria around the topic (airlines were even offering full refunds in my home country). I get the "better safe than sorry" concept, but if you go by actual data and statistics, the risk may be much lower than other threats in you own home.
I am very happy that I went. I didn't see any mosquitos during my week there, or any other bugs for that matter, and certainly didn't get any bites at all. The resort was extremely clean and completely bug-free. I took repelent from my home country and planned to buy more there with the recommended DEET concentration, but it wasn't even necessary. In hindsight, I would have felt very silly if I had cancelled, and I completely enjoyed my trip.
If it is an area with no reported cases and you're planning to stay at a good, well-kept resort that is not close to still water bodies, mangroves, etc., I would totally go.
Here was my situation: I went on a cruise to the Caribbean back in February. Zika Virus was there at that time. I was definitely worried, but because it was a family trip (13 of us) and we had been planning it since before baby was even conceived, I decided to still go. We mainly stayed on the ship at the 3 ports (well...got off for a little while in Cozumel after putting on a TON of DEET bug spray.) Saw no mosquitos and baby is currently perfectly healthy. I don't regret going at all. I took the precautions. Getting in a vehicle every day is more dangerous these days. lol
If it were a place with no documented cases, I personally think I would still go. My doctor said that there are still SO much people don't know about it all. Also, she said if it IS the Virus causing Microcephaly, it's most dangerous if you get it in the 1st trimester when baby is still going through major brain development.
But once again...there is SO much unknown and I personally don't want to live in fear. Take the necessary precautions, but don't let it freak you out.
Met: 2005 | Started Dating: 2009 | Married: 2013
Surprise Pregnancy #3; BFP: 01.11.2020; Due Date: September 19, 2021
After reading this, yeah no, when people who science say it is scary. It is damn scary.
For real. I live in NC and I read that this morning and immediately emailed DH about getting our yard sprayed for mosquitoes this summer. I am not even currently pregnant. but until such time as there is either a vaccine for Zika, or I am completely done having children, I'll be spraying our yard. It's not a question of if it will make it to the US, it is a question of when. And the research on sexual transmission is the scariest part - apparently the virus can live in sperm for MONTHS after the virus leaves the rest of the body, and then it can be spread sexually. NO. NO THANK YOU. NO MOSQUITO BITES FOR ANYONE.
MAXIMUS POWERS 8♥5♥16
Shaking my my head at the lack of common sense.
I feel for you, we wanted warm and tropical too but as a million other people have said, not worth the risk to your child. Is it worth risking it for you to have 1-2 weeks of fun, but your child to potentially deal with a serious medical condition for the rest of his or her life? As pp said, take your dream trip after baby is here.
We are going to the beach in NC and super excited about it.