Pregnant and planning an India trip

Jozi

I am 15 weeks pregnant and have planned a 2-week trip to Kerala in late August with my husband when I'll be 20 weeks (ie. 2nd trimester).

Have seen the doctor and been given relevant non-live jabs for Hep A and typhoid, and been prescribed Chloroquine + Proguanil for malaria. Has anyone else been to Kerala/India while pregnant? Any useful tips apart from usual recommendations on bottled water/ hot, freshly cooked food, using plenty of anti-mozzie protection? The doctors have really terrified the s**t out of me...

Nick-H

Welcome to IM

Good grief! Is it really that frightening? I would have thought that if if a healthy woman with a normal pregnancy is fit enough for the flight she would be fit enough for India!

Only thing is to check any contra-indications for any of the innoculations/anti-malarials, and I would check that myself on the internet: doctors do make mistakes!

Look, the worst that is likely to happen to you is a severe stomach upset. And it is not compulsory: many visitors never suffer anything!

Watch out for dehydration, with or without the tummy upset! Drink plenty of bottled water.

<none of the above (apart from the welcome ) is proffesional advice, which I have no qualification to give: it is just my opinion>

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capt_mahajan

i would get hold of a good doctor just in case around the part of kerala i was staying, avoid travelling on bad roads in autorickshaws and take the usual precautions if pregnant.

but then, that is unlikely to happen in my case

Merchant

In a country of over a billion people, at any given time there are TENS OF MILLIONS of pregnant women in India. I'm sure they can welcome one more.

Nick-H

And next year you'll be needing the breastfeeding thread

Digital Drifter

Do Airlines allow you to travel, I thought after 4 months, you're NOT allowed to travel in Airplanes? is that true or not?

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Merchant

How can an airline bar you from flying?

Shaktipalooza

My wife was in her second trimester when we were there last February. Worst part of the trip hands down was the crowded flight home.

We stuck to pretty comfortable accomodations and didn't have a crazy travel schedule. Always spent at least two days in one location.

I'm trying to nail down some facts about bottled water. A report came out last year where various bottled water brands were tested for fecal coliform and other nasties. All of them had measurable pathogen counts. What wasn't reported was if the companies UV treat their water. If so then I'm guessing the counts would still be there but they'd be meaningless since the water would be absolutely sterile. Anybody who knows please comment.

One thing I can't recommend enough would be the steripen. Tap water brought to your table can be treated discreetly in just a few moments. Freaking brilliant.

Food is a tough one. Yes it's important to find restaurants that are serving fresh food but in the end I think it's a bit of a crap shoot (pardon the pun). We brought 11 people with us as part of our wedding entourage a couple of years ago. They all ate from a WIDE variety of restaurants. Some quite nice, some not so nice, many times at road side food stalls. The only illness was someone who went to a nice, locally patronized restaurant in Bangalore. He had food poisening that resolved itself in a night.

We read this from babycenter.com before we went: "DEET has been shown to increase the risk for birth defects in chicks, but not in rats or rabbits."

Great, now was our unborn child a chick, rat, or rabbit? We avoided repellents altogether. Indian brands often fail to list the active ingredients. I believe the popular "Odomos" does contain deet. Bug netting is absolutely essential. I recommend a free standing net like the Skeeter Defeater. Easy to put up, especially if you want to use a ceiling fan.

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Shaktipalooza

Airline policies vary quite a bit on traveling pregnant. They don't want to get stuck with a woman delivering on the plane.

Common medical advice is to travel prior to the third trimester. Here's a quick sampling of some airline policies...

SAS
* No restrictions during first eight months of pregnancy.
* A medical information form, MEDIF, is required for pregnant women traveling between two to four weeks of expected delivery date, and travel must be approved by the SAS Medical Department. Travel during this time of pregnancy must be limited to four hours per flight on SAS.
* Within two weeks of due date, pregnant passengers are not permitted to travel.

Lufthansa
* No restrictions for pregnant passengers during the first eight months of pregnancy provided the pregnancy is considered free of complications.
* Lufthansa advises against travel if a pregnant woman is expecting more than one baby, has cardiovascular health problems, or has previously suffered a miscarriage.
* Suggests consulting a medical professional prior to travel at any time during pregnancy.
* Because the threat of thrombosis (blood clots) is increased during pregnancy, Lufthansa suggests wearing compression stockings and elevating feet during flight.

British Airways
* No travel restrictions for pregnant travelers up to the 36th week of pregnancy except for pregnant passengers expecting multiple births, where travel restrictions begin after the 32nd week.
* British Airways requests that passengers traveling beyond their seventh month of pregnancy bring along a letter from their medical professional stating that the pregnancy is free from complications, and the expected due date. It should also state that the pregnant passenger is fit to travel.

KLM
* Suggests consulting a medical profession prior to embarking on air travel at any time during pregnancy.
* KLM advises that pregnant passengers should not travel after the eighth month of pregnancy, or after the 34th week of pregnancy if expecting a multiple birth.

Virgin Atlantic
* Travel is permitted without restrictions until the 28th week of pregnancy provided that the pregnancy is free from complications.
* Virgin Atlantic asks that their Special Assistance department be informed of pregnancy so that they can supply appropriate inflight health advice.
* Between the 28th and 34th weeks of pregnancy a doctor's certificate is required. The certificate must state that the passenger is safe for travel and the expected due date. Beyond the 34th week of pregnancy, travel is only permitted for medical/compassionate reasons and the pregnant passenger is required to be accompanied by a nurse or doctor. This travel is subject to the approval of a Virgin Atlantic doctor.

Easyjet
* No restrictions for pregnant passengers traveling up to the 27th week of pregnancy.
* Doctor's certificate required if traveling between the 28th and 35th week of pregnancy. Certificate must be issued by a doctor, Easyjet does not accept medical certificates supplied by a registered midwife.
* No travel is permitted beyond the 36th week of pregnancy.

sriven21

We at Asha Medical Foundation conduct a 6 weeks class called Positively Pregnant, an educational prenatal program for expecting parents on the care they can take before, during and after the delivery of their child to ensure good health of the two. Started initially at Pune, we are now conducting classes at Bangalore also. Batch one will be conducted from the 25th of August 2006 (3pm to 6pm). You can get a lot of information on the exercises, nutrition, relaxation techniques, pregnancy, labour & childbirth, post partum, parenting, changing body, rhythmic breathing techniques, breast feeding and delivery.To register yourself contact

shriram@ashafoundation.org

haritha

Good

No Auto rikshaws

Avoid city pollution

Avoid ghat roads

Trains advisable

sriven21

Asha Medical Foundation, a non-profit organization was founded in March 2001 to provide quality rehabilitation for people suffering from cerebral palsy (a birth disorder), stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neurologically challenged patients.
At Asha Medical Foundation, we understand the many questions & concerns you have as your baby’s delivery date approaches. Our reputation as a high quality health care system for women is built on solid medical & prenatal educative expertise.
Our commitment to teaching ensures that our customers & their families are well informed about their health & health care options. At Asha, we are committed to caring for mothers and babies. That commitment is evident in every aspect of the Positively Pregnant Classes.
Today’s woman seeks information as it increases her confidence levels and helps her de-stress, which in way lessens the perception of pain and helps her have a better childbirth experience.
We conduct the classes in a cohesive manner. The classes are a forum to help pregnant women get information and support, and to find their comfort zone after exploring various aspects of pregnancy, labour and childbirth. If you are a working mother ‘Positively Pregnant’ will help you learn better management skills to cope with the complex tasks you are going to handle.
We at Asha Medical Foundation conduct a 6 weeks class called Positively Pregnant, an educational prenatal program for expecting parents on the care they can take before, during and after the delivery of their child to ensure good health of the two. Started initially at Pune in 1999, we are now conducting classes at Bangalore also. You can get a lot of information on the exercises, nutrition, relaxation techniques, pregnancy, labour & childbirth, post partum, parenting, changing body, rhythmic breathing techniques, breast feeding and delivery. For details regarding date, venue and time contact

shriram@ashafoundation.org

notfito

Hi-
I am going to spend a month in Goa with my family during October 08. With that, I am 12 weeks pregnant.
I would appriciate tips regarding traveling during pregnancy- what to avoid, recommendations etc.
Thanks,
Inbal

mousourik

Be very particular about water. Buy mineral water from a good reliable source, not from just any source.

alouise

Hi Notfito, and congratulations. I totally understand your concerns as I was pregnant first and second trimesters when traveling in India - and I had a beautiful healthy daughter who is now 27. My main tip is to eat plenty of curd, not just for the calcium but also to fortify your digestive system. It saved me, after some explosive you know what/ intestinal illness. Onions in curd is great, cause you get the vitamin C as well, which is good for the immune system ....as is all the lovely tropical fruit. Make sure you keep up the fluids, too, and just be easy on yourself when getting around by taking the more comfortable options. I don't know about obstetric care in Goa , but Mumbai is excellent. Besides, Goa is such a beautiful, relaxing place to be , I'm sure you will enjoy this time