Zika

leslieathmer · February 2017

I am 8 weeks and my doctor will not let me go to Florida (Orlando) for a work trip in two weeks. He discussed the risks with me for 45 minutes and strongly encouraged me not to go. It's a work trip and I was also visiting family so I am very upset about having to cancel although I know it's better to be safe than sorry. I ended up having to tell work I was pregnant earlier than I would have liked to. Just curious if any others have experienced the same or if my Doc is being overly cautious?

lap018 · February 2017

It's pretty well known that when pregnant you need avoid travel to areas with known Zika infections, including Florida (though I have heard it's mostly limited to Miami so Orlando would be at your own risk type deal). I wouldn't call it overly cautious since your doc is trying to save you a world of worry. I am currently awaiting testing for the Zika virus since my husband was in Mexico the month before we conceived and I would give anything to be able to skip out on a work trip instead of sitting here worrying if my baby will have long lasting neurological damage or microcephaly

sableeg · February 2017

Better to be safe and take care of yourself and your growing little one! Zika is of huge concern to pregnant women. I can see it's a bummer that it interfered with your plans though. Hopefully your employer was understanding!

ColoradoHiker · February 2017

Check the CDC website for Zika. After reviewing the data they had listed prior to my trip to Disney at the beginning of the month, and talking to my midwife, I was comfortable with going for a week. As of that point (I haven't checked since late December), there had been no Zika cases in Orlando, the real concern is the Miami area, which is quite a bit further south. I used bug spray and happily ran around Disney for a week. It is all about your comfort level. If my midwife had felt that strongly about it, I would have reconsidered going on the trip as well.

ashley2824 · February 2017

My dr didn't want me traveling to the places that have had cases in the year leading up to TTC. From what I understand it's fairly new so they're being overly cautious.

jessieR358 · February 2017

Miami was declared Zika free. Orlando is no where near Miami. We are planning on going to destin in June. I guess I better go ahead and ask.

msashley2010-2 · February 2017

Current Florida resident here! I live in Lakeland which is very close to the Orlando area. This time of year it is a bit colder (for Florida standards) so there really haven't been any mosquitoes out where I live. Also the only people in my county and Orange County with Zika are those who traveled to the Miami area before the advisories were lifted.

We received a zika packet on my first appointment and it relieved a lot of my concerns. I would say to do whatever you feel comfortable with. I understand your doctor being cautious. As a medical professional, they probably aren't going to recommend you do anything even remotely risky to you and baby.

jessieR358 · February 2017

jessieR358 said:

Miami was declared Zika free. Orlando is no where near Miami. We are planning on going to destin in June. I guess I better go ahead and ask.

Wow those were some choppy sentences! lol

MyNamesTaken · February 2017

My doctor okayed me to go to Orlando next week and told me to stay away from Miami, which was scrapped from our vacation plans a while ago anyway. I will be obsessively using bug spray!

jessieR358 · February 2017

Sawyers fisherman mosquito repellant is supposed to be a really good one. I bought it last year when we were going to Florida, but cancelled.

satuttle1014 · February 2017

I feel like Orlando wouldn't be too bad, more of cases from those traveling to other places. Miami was the worst and is 3 or more hours away. I mean Orlando isn't near water, it's all man made lakes. Hopefully your doctor will let you go if you have all the essentials like bug spray and maybe some clothes that cover you up more.

lap018 · February 2017

satuttle1014 said:

I feel like Orlando wouldn't be too bad, more of cases from those traveling to other places. Miami was the worst and is 3 or more hours away. I mean Orlando isn't near water, it's all man made lakes. Hopefully your doctor will let you go if you have all the essentials like bug spray and maybe some clothes that cover you up more.

being next to an ocean has literally nothing to do with the mosquito that carries the Zika virus.......

jillibean0871 · February 2017

I asked my OB about Zika, as we are going to Delaware in July. Her advise was if the CDC says their is Zika mosquitoes there you will not be going to Delaware. She also said that 5 years ago she'd recommend against DEET while pregnant but right now with the uncertainty of Zika that DEET is a good idea bc we understand the affects of DEET and Zika is still a mystery.

JustBored10 · February 2017

We are going to Orlando for a week in May. There are no cases of Zika thus far in that area. Also, my husband did quite a bit of Zika research on how it is actually transmitted and yes there is still a chance but it is very small. I would be more scared for my baby because of all the chemicals they have sprayed in the Miami area.

mrsmarygs · February 2017

jessieR358 said:

Miami was declared Zika free. Orlando is no where near Miami. We are planning on going to destin in June. I guess I better go ahead and ask.

Destin shouldn't be a problem. I live in Pensacola, which is fairly close to Destin and we haven't had any local cases on the Florida panhandle. We are, in essence, more a part of Alabama than part of Florida. Plus we have had cool weather and I have yet to see a single mosquito.

wannabeamongoose · February 2017

jessieR358 said:

jessieR358 said:

Miami was declared Zika free. Orlando is no where near Miami. We are planning on going to destin in June. I guess I better go ahead and ask.

Wow those were some choppy sentences! lol

At first I was like "what a jerk to point out someone else's choppy sentences. That was uncalled for. I don't want to be her friend." Then I realized you were talking about yourself. Baby brain. Anyway, I have a pregnant friend who just visited family in Destin for a week and Tallahassee for another week and and her doc wasn't worried at all (but also Jan. is not June so things might be different in the summer).

leslieathmer · February 2017

thanks! That's exactly what I said to my doctor - I'm pretty sure there are pregnant people living in Florida

my family down there said the same thing that it's been pretty cold lately. Well I already had to cancel my trip and my family and work were understanding. But still a bummer. Didn't even cross my mind! I'm going on a ski trip tomorrow I thought the doctor was going to say no skiing so I didn't even think about Florida hahaa. Doc says skiing is totally fine! Whew.

DPandMB · February 2017

@Lizlann I totally thought the same thing. I had to read it like three times before I realized.

mrsmarygs · February 2017

@Lizlann I didn't realize @jessieR358 was talking about herself until you pointed it out

jessieR358 · February 2017

LOL. I'm not a mean b*tch I promise. I just read my post back and was like dang my english sounds awful and felt the need to let people know!

nattn · February 2017

I live in Texas where it's heavily populated with mosquitoes usually and there are pretty much none right now because it's "winter". Even on our 70+ degree days I don't see mosquitoes. I would think Florida would be similar and if so, I wouldn't blink an eye traveling there.

Texafornian · February 2017

@nattn I'm in the Houston area and got a mosquito bite last week!!!

I was told not to go to Florida and if we start seeing mosquitos here to use DEET or better yet, Avon Skin So Soft (has Picarin)

mercury94 · February 2017

I'm also in south Texas. Haven't seen a mosquito in a few months, but I have the DEET ready. I used it all spring and summer last year when we were TTC.

kelseyrayay · February 2017

I am going to the Suwannee river tomorrow. (In Florida.) and I'm not worried a bit. Mainly because it's cold and skeeters don't like the cold.

BecauseLove · February 2017

Darn Zika....I am finding it to be putting quite the kibosh on my dreamy vacation ideas. Mexico is where I wish I was traveling to but the CDC has big warnings out about it right now. We had looked at FL and South Texas as options but with what seems like an additional risks compared to some other southern states we are avoiding those choices. It means we won't be getting to enjoy a super warm winter vaca but long as it keeps bebe potentially safer that is what we are going with (especially after spending roughly 30k to get pregnant). I would say if your planning travel talk to your Dr and follow the CDC site and then make a decision that is best fitting for you and your family. To each their own.

labby18 · February 2017

@mrsmgsee i live in gulf breeze/navarre! Small world.

I used to live in south florida (palm beach area) about an hr north of miami and have had friends with healthy babies during all the zika craziness down there. Orlando like a lot of other PP have said is over 3hrs away from miami, and the zika zone has been lifted. Destin is up on the Panhandle (10hrs away from Miami) and is safe. I live 45 min away from Destin.

mrsmarygs · February 2017

@lahearn18 So cool to have a fellow Floridian here! My husband actually goes shore fishing in Navarre quite often.

JamieBH · February 2017

Broward County, FL resident here. Zika was only found in a 1 mile radius in Miami, FL. Orlando is approximately 200 miles north, I think you will be fine. And like others have said there are plenty of us knocked up Floridians down here and I have not heard of a single case of a baby being born in Florida to a mother who contracted Zika in Florida with Zika related complications. Use bug spray and try to avoid staying outside near open water at night when mosquitos are more prevalent and you should be fine.

Emeraldcity · February 2017

I'm moving to Houston in June. I'm scared of getting Zika. I plan to use bug spray and maybe find some breathable long sleeves to wear during the summer months.

mercury94 · February 2017

I believe Zika has only been in the Brownsville area so far in Texas. I have Off and will be using it every day (as will DH) just in case. I know my area didn't have the kind of mosquitos that carried Zika last year. Doesn't mean they won't show up this year, but made me feel more comfortable with TTC at this point.

LaceyC1020 · February 2017

I work with a girl that used to work down in Miami in OB-GYN. Unfortunately, she has seen and helped deliver babies with zika complications. It's really scary. I'm supposed to go to Disney in May but if my doctor has any concern, I'm going to cancel.

OmSweetOm · February 2017

We found out we were expecting (unplanned) 3 weeks before we were due to go to Riviera Maya.... we got engaged there 2 years ago and booked this trip while we were on our honeymoon last year. We had a particularly shitty year and had been counting down the days for months until we could just chill out and relax away from all our stress. Well, after we watched 5k spiral down the drain we learned our lesson on travel insurance. Feckin Zika! It's just one of those things... you "probably" won't have a problem but, in this kind of situation probably wasn't good enough.

Knottie1469136344 · February 2017

I work in public health, and it is definitely not worth it to travel to a country with Zika, and if I had the choice, would avoid nearby areas as well. It is a very scary disease, not just because of microcephaly (which is obviously the worst concern), but because of other less severe birth defects that seem to be associated with the virus.

Also, remember that Zika is sexually transmitted. If DH goes to a Zika zone, use protection until you know he doesn't have the virus. Remember that the effects of Zika will last the lifespan of your child. Take every precaution you can.

SSminnow426 · February 2017

I live in FL as well and talked to my doctor about this in length. They told me basically as long as I don't go into a Zika area (aka Miami) that I shouldn't stress about it. With all the morning sickness I haven't really been going outside but when I do go anywhere that is heavily wooded or near water (mosquito heaven) I put on bug spray and wear long sleeves/pants. Since I can't change where I live I'm trying to relax about it but I know that if I didn't live in FL I would probably be avoiding it just to give myself peace of mind. We all have so much to worry about without this it's not worth the unknown. That being said it's not stopping me from living my day to day

happylifex3 · February 2017

I live in South Florida and my doctor just tells me to wear sleeves outside and use lots of bug spray.

All these other Florida mommies make me happy:)

latershrader · February 2017

I'm heading to Panama City Beach in April. The trip was planned for my big 4-0 by my best friends, before we knew I was knocked up. I have not mentioned it to my OB yet, I will next week. But she better not say I can't go. I will be heartbroken!

BookitBoo · February 2017

I also live in Florida. We were given a pamphlet about Zika in the new pregnancy kit our OB handed out. Is that just a Florida thing?

mercury94 · February 2017

I got the Zika pamphlet in South Texas, but we have Zika in a few areas here too. My area is currently Zika free, but my OB is being proactive and cautious.

Texafornian · February 2017

bridge-and-wall said:

I got the Zika pamphlet in South Texas, but we have Zika in a few areas here too. My area is currently Zika free, but my OB is being proactive and cautious.

What areas have Zika? My OB said no cases in TX via mosquitos as of yet.

labby18 · February 2017

Panama City is wicked far from the previously "infected" zone of Miami-Dade County. Approximately 8 hours or so away. You should be fine @hopetobeashraderfam

All you can do to protect yourself has been previously noted.

mercury94 · February 2017

@Texafornian It was in Brownsville in November. https://dshs.texas.gov/news/releases/2016/20161222.aspx

I know that in my area we didn't have the kind of mosquito that carried Zika last year. I'm hoping it stays that way, but pretty drenched in Off just in case. My OB is very convinced it will get to my area this summer, hence the Zika packet.

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