Mothering Forum banner

Travel during pregnancy

921 views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  butterflies 
#1 ·
Please help me figure out what's realistic! My 1st two pregnancies were healthy and uncomplicated and I didn't feel the need to restrict a lot of activities. But I'm not not sure what to expect with twins.

We were thinking of flying to San Diego (from the east coast) to visit the in-laws when I'm about 18-19 weeks. I feel comfortable with this and I even think I'll get some extra rest while the kids are playing with Grandma.

I'm also scheduled to give a talk at a conference in Germany when I'll be 22 weeks. It's a nice career opportunity but I'm feeling nervous about traveling alone in a foreign country (which is odd to me because I've traveled quite a bit and generally love it!) I also wonder if 2 trips within a month will just be too much.

So far I've gotten a "non-answer" from the perinatologist's office-- basically they said that different drs within the practice have different recommendations. I haven't yet seen "my" dr so I'm not sure of her opinion. But I do need to make some decisions, look at tickets and let the conference organizers know my plans either way. Thanks for any insight you can provide!
 
#2 ·
My OB cleared me to travel from NY to Hawaii around 20 weeks. It wasn't that bad, though I did get some really bad edema on the way home and then ended up vomiting half the night and going to the ER to be checked out. (I was fine.) Who knows if that was really a pregnancy issue or something I ate.

Can you call your preferred OB and get an opinion based on your particular health situation?
 
#3 ·
I think it'll depend completely on your pregnancy but I felt great until about 32-33 weeks. And, if it hadn't been for PUPPP, would have been great right until the end.

I did a five-hour car ride at 30 weeks pregnant. I was fine.
 
#4 ·
I think it's so personal and individual it's hard to say based on others' experiences.

I went on a short flight/ four day trip with my husband when I was 18 or 19 weeks, and it was fine. I couldn't walk as fast as usual or stand for long periods, that's all. But by 22 weeks it would have been a different story. (Even though I carried to 39 weeks with no bed rest, I had to take it REALLY easy during the second half of the pregnancy, stop working, etc.)

Going on a longer, international flight abroad at 22 weeks would give me pause.
 
#5 ·
I would also be wary of an international flight at 22 weeks. The early one seems totally reasonable, if you feel up to it. But to fly internationally at 22 weeks takes you far away from your doctors, and if you had any issues while overseas, getting back might be difficult. More than that, agreeing to give a talk at that point might be problematic, because of the increased possibility that you will actually be unable to travel at that point. You might also feel more pressure to go because you have an obligation, and ignore an instinct not to go and to take it easy.

I am generally not a pessimist, and don't like to plan based on the worst case scenario, but I do think extra caution is advisable with multiple pregnancies.

(My personal experience was that I was on bed rest from 20 weeks on. But I consider that the exception, and if I were ever pregnant with twins again I would certainly plan on remaining active the entire pregnancy, to 38+ weeks. At the same time, I was glad I hadn't planned to go to my BIL's overseas wedding at 23ish weeks, since by that time I had been on bed rest for 3 weeks!)
 
#6 ·
I took two trips while pregnant; one at 19 weeks (right before I found out I was having twins) and again at about 23 weeks. The trip at 19 weeks was no big deal, but the trip at 23 weeks really took a lot out of me. By that point that my back and hips were already killing me and I was having lots of BH contractions; also I was exhausted.

If you decide to go, make sure you carry with you a letter from your OB clearing you to travel and stating your due date. By 23 weeks I was massive; I definitely looked seven months pregnant and I was nervous about some over-zealous flight attendant kicking me off the plane. That didn't happen but I was glad I had that letter.
 
#7 ·
Thank you all for your responses. It's so helpful to have this information-- not knowing what to expect is sometimes the hardest part! I've decided to cancel the international trip and continue to plan on taking the earlier family trip. (As long as nothing arises in the meantime to concern my drs, of course. )

I also poked around and found some belly pics of twin pregnancies... that definitely helped me put things in perspective!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top