Traveling -- 6 Months Pregnant + 1.5 Year Old

Well first off I would talk to your doctor..........they may not feel that it is a great idea...........which would give you an out....

As for the baby and you going......just take toys, and munchies for the baby and make sure she can get up and walk around a bit, as you will need too as well...........

Personally I would be thrilled to go, if you get along with his family......and yes, I would look at this a great time to spend with your hubby and your daughter before number two comes along.......your daughter will love the attention and get her something to remember the trip by, maybe make a scrap book for her later to show what fun you had before baby #2 came....

Good Luck and take care...and Congratulations.

First, talk to your doctor and see what he/she says about your making such a long flight past your 2nd trimester. You might need a note from your doctor before the airline will let you fly. You will definitely need to get up every hour and walk to prevent blood clots.
If your doctor gives you the go-ahead to fly to Hong Kong, I would definitely get your toddler a seat of her own. You will not be able to or want to have to hold her on your lap (or anyone elses) for 14 hours. It will be more expensive, but if she can rest, play and sleep in her carseat in a seat of her own, everyone will be much happier.
Good luck!

I have to admit I have an only passing interest in Hong Kong and I feel like I got a lot of international travel "out of the way" during my single days, so I would not see the destination as worth the toll on my six-month pregnant self and a toddler who will likely still be too young to really remember the experience. Yes, there will be lots of photo opps with your husband's side of the family, but I just don't see the local justifying the possible negatives. This will be a lot of stress, and not something you need at that stage of pregnancy.

You may enjoy a getaway with your husband before baby comes along, but I would keep it more local.

Of course, if Hong Kong is someplace you've always wanted to go, and you feel this may be your last shot.... Go. It is your mental status that should be the greatest determining factor. Without more details on your feelings, I really can't begin to guess what you should do.

Absolutely talk to your OB as soon as possible, as his advise may be to stay stateside thus making all other arguments mute.

I was exactly in your position a year ago… 18 mo old daughter and 7 months pregnant – flying to Italy to visit my husband’s family. To be honest, the trip was difficult (ok, awful). Mostly because my daughter is very active and hates change. She was a little monkey on the plane and had trouble sleeping in a strange room once we got to Italy. She hated the car seat so traveling around the country was almost impossible. BUT – we had to go. These are the only grandkids and my husband’s parents are in their mid 70s. His entire family lives overseas. There’s no way I would not go with the kids to be with his family. We’re going again a week from Sunday. Of course, this time with two. Ugh.

If you don’t have one, buy a DVD player for your 1.5 year old, crayons, books, stickers, snacks etc., Ask your doctor for your medical info in case anything happens to you while traveling. They’ll put your blood type, months pregnant, medication your using, etc., If your child is comfortable with others in the family it might take some of the pressure off you. My daughter didn’t remember my husband’s family so it took some time for her to warm up to them.

Hello,

What a wonderful opportunity! However, I think a lot depends on your energy level. I flew overseas at 34 weeks and flew back at 36 weeks!! My pregnancy was going well and I had good enough energy levels to enjoy myself. Granted, it was my first so I didn't have a toddler in tow. Nevertheless, it your husband (or someone else) will be with you to help out on the long flight, I think it could be a very wonderful and memorable experience before your second is born. :)

As much as no one wants to deal with flack from the family you need to seriously consider how much of a toll will this take on you and your little one. Is a place like Hong Kong really a safe place to be in your condition and is it going to end up being harder on you and the little one? So you miss this vacation - there will be other vacations.

My husband, two children and I moved to Japan (for 3 years) when my daughter was 20 months. Its a long trip! From the time we left our home in Illinois, drove to the airport, flew, layover, flew and drove to our new home was over 24 hours. Needless to say, we were exhausted. That being said, we chose to make the trip back and forth 4 times in 3 years but only because we learned a few things to help.

My advice is, if your OB says its safe and you and hubby would like to see Hong Kong, then definitely go. Don't miss out on a trip because of what could go wrong.

If you choose to make the trip to Hong Kong here's a few suggestions:
1. Definitely get your little one a seat. My daughter sat on my lap a lot but it was nice to have the extra room. She can kneel on the floor and play on the seat even.

2. My pediatrician actually recommended this so dont freak out about it. You can mash up half a Dramamine pill, mix with a little juice/milk and give to your daughter. It'll help in case of turbulence and make her a little drowsy too.

3. I found during our travels that the more you sleep on the plane, the better you adjust once you get there. Encourage your daughter (you and hubby too) to sleep as much as possible. Having an overnight flight, if possible, would be best.

4. Take as much food as allowed. I have found a lot of flights serve food from the country your heading towards. My little one didn't like Japanese food much so we always packed food we knew she'd like. Some flights have special kid's meals but you'll have to check and just because they say a kid's meal will be there for her, doesn't mean it actually will be. I've had it happen more than once.

5. Pack more diapers in your carry-on then you think you'll need. Also pack a change of clothes for everyone. You never know when turbulence can cause a spill or a nasty diaper that makes a mess on her and you. Also pack large baggies to put the potential wet/soiled clothing in.

6. When checking into your flight, request seating in the bulk head. Its the first row and always has more leg room/play room than the rest of the seating. (Unless you decided to upgrade to business)

7. Rest when you need to rest. Don't push you and your daughter too hard to see everything you want to see. If both of you are tired, its best to go back to the hotel and take the afternoon off from sightseeing. Even if everyone goes on without you.

Hope this helps. Sorry its so long. :-)

I don't know if I misread your posting, but it sounds like the trip is only for 1 week? I don't think it's worth the toll on your daughter. By the time she gets used to the time difference, it will be time to head home. You should check with your OB, but it will probably be fine for you to travel. Hong Kong is a very modern city. It would be a great opportunity and get-away for you and your husband before your baby is born....so is there any way your family could watch your daughter for the week?

My son will be 2 in October, and we've taken 2 flights with him since he was 18mos old, and it's extremely difficult. He's not as mesmerized by DVDs as my older son and is super active and curious on airplanes, so it's tough to constantly entertain him and keep him from kicking the seat and pulling on the tray table of the seat in front of him. We've gone through our bag of tricks in a couple of hours. His behavior is entirely age-appropriate - it's just a tough age for a long flight.

Hi,

I've flown back from Hong Kong with a one year old. It's a very long flight and I wasn't pregnant at the time. We flew business class which made the trip bearable because we actually had leg room so my daughter could play on the floor. Those that were in coach, hated every minute of the trip as there is no leg room and you could only walk in your area of the plane. Think small aisles and lots of people trying to sleep. Not the best place to let a toddler run around.

Jet lag is also not fun and you'll have it both ways. It took us about a week to adjust going to Hong Kong and two weeks coming back. Each day gets a little better but the first few days were horrible. Just remember that your daughter is also probably still napping at least once a day which has to be factored into the plans. I spent a lot of time sitting in the hotel room while others were out because she was napping.

All that being said, I love Hong Kong and look forward to going back next summer with my now 10 and 7 year old daughters. I've put off going back this long because I just wasn't ready to face the flights until they were old enough to keep themselves entertained!

Is there any chance you could do a mini vacation with his family before the baby comes? Somewhere closer that wouldn't be so hard for you and your daughter?

Sue

I personally think you should go. Check first with your doc but otherwise don't hold back by not going. Have a fun and safe trip!

Congratulations on being pregnant! Do talk to your doctor to understand the risks of flying during pregnancy. While you feel wonderful right now, there are some women who get swollen ankles during pregnancy. I agree with the suggestion of having a separate seat for your daughter because your belly will be bigger at six months than it is right now. I believe your family wants you and your child to be happy and healthy so you will pick the best choice to make sure things go well for you and your baby (after talking to your doctor). Each pregnancy is different. There are many hormonal changes and you may feel wonderful (oh, goodie, I'm going to have a baby) or there may be some fatigue or other emotions.
A friend of mine skipped a trip from Illinois to PA at 8th month of pregnancy because of wanting to be safe for her baby - long drive or flying were risks and she wanted her baby to be born with her doctor in Illinois. (The rest of her family understood that even though grandma in PA was celebrating 90th birthday, it was not a good time for her to travel.)

Are you crazy?!!?!?!? Have you flown with your daughter yet? Some kids are good fliers (my daughter, thank goodness), and some are not. A 14 hour flight is a hard way to find out. We've been flying with our daughter since she was 6 months old, but never more than 4-5 hours at one time. At 18 months, nothing much holds their interest for long. Definitely DVD player with lots of variety of DVDs, but most 18 months old won't watch much. New books, new toys, forbidden snacks and pace yourself breaking them out. Absolutely 100% you must buy her her own seat. You need the space for diaper changing, jumping around, etc. I warn you now: it's going to be awful. I've done the 14 hour flight to Beijing and it's a best. I can not imagine doing it with a toddler. It took me maybe 5 days to adjust to the time change. If you're only staying a week, it might not be worth it. Her naps will help her adjust faster, but you will be wiped. Also, your pregnant feet will swell like dolphins. I'm a hard core traveler, love Hong Kong and would consider it for a longer stay, but I'm not sure I would go through it for a week long trip. Only you can say what the family fall-out will be, but I think you can just pin it on your OB and say they wouldn't let you make such a long flight. That being said, Hong Kong is AMAZING. And you should go. Just, maybe not now... Tell us what you decided.

I'm impressed with all the women who said they would go. Maybe I'm just not the adventurous sort, but personally there is NO WAY I would do it. I spent two months in Europe last fall with a 2-year-old while I was 6 months pregnant because my husband was working over there. We had a good time while we were there, but the flights back and forth were not fun even though my daughter has flown to Europe several times and is a good traveler. (And the flight to Europe is nothing compared to the flight to Hong Kong!) Plus the jetlag -- on all of our trips to Europe it has taken my daughter a full week to adjust on either end -- I haven't been to Hong Kong but I imagine it takes even longer. If you were going to be over there for a while it might be worth it -- but since it's only a week the hassle of getting over there and dealing with a tired, cranky child would take all the fun out of it for me. I would think your husband's family would understand -- if not, I second the idea to blame it on your OB. Your doctor actually might have some concerns about it anyway. Hong Kong will always be there -- I say go when the kids are older or, better yet, old enough that you can leave them at home!