We are currently 11 weeks pregnant with twins and are considering doing a 7 day cruise to Alaska about the 18, 19th or 20th week. I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations or precautions to throw our way? I'm wondering if I'll be sea sick the whole time or if our timing is bad. I've been on a cruise before and after the first day was not sick. Our doctor told us not to travel after 24 weeks and I didn't want to travel during the first trimester. But I'm just concerned about the things that could go wrong.
I did check and the cruise ship has 2 doctors and 3 nurses on each ship and we would get trip insurance in case I was put on bedrest prior to departure. Is there anything else we should be thinking about?
I want to thank everyone for their feedback. We ended up waiting too long to decide on the Alaska Cruise and the "cheap" rooms were sold out when we decided to go. Instead, at 19 weeks we took a 5 day carribean cruise. We took things very easy, took only direct flights and planned a nap in every day. I stayed well hydrated and out of the sun. And, I have to say it was the best thing for all four of us. It gave my husband and I a chance to relax and enjoy each other and the pregnancy. While we didn't do any zip lining or cave tubing, we were able to feel the babies movements for the first time! It will be a trip to remember. Thankfully, nothing went wrong with any of us. I agree 9 months is not long and our health comes first but the relaxation and mental break the vacation gave us was one of the best things we could do! Thanks again for all the responses!
Congratulations! I actually grew up in AK and it is beautiful and-well worth the cruise. The only thing I would think about is that if you needed to get to a hospital for any reason you will have to be air-lifted which is very expensive. In Anchorage you will be fine there are plenty of hospitals there but once you get out of that area there is no easy access to hospital care.
Wow, HARD decision. A singleton pregnancy is VERY different than a pregnancy with twins (I've done both). BUT, every person is different.
More things to consider: How are you feeling? What do you plan to do on your cruise? In Alaska? If it's mostly relaxation and eating, that's the perfect recipe for a good twin pregnancy. If you want to do lots of hiking and touring, put it off for a few years.
My situation: My husband and I planned a 10th anniversary trip to New York during my second trimester with twins and canceled it. I was too tired to do the touring and walking I wanted to. I had nausea and exhaustion through the first trimester and on. I never got my energy back like I had with singleton pregnancies.
Sounds like you are really thinking it through. I wish I could have had a week of relaxation during my pregnancy-I did find a great massage therapist that worked with pregnant women and I highly recommend that.
Good luck!!
PS If you need anything to read on the cruise, may I recommend "Juggling Twins" and "On Becoming Babywise"-I read lots of crummy books during my pregnancy, these were the good ones.
I went on a Caribbean cruise at 20 weeks with a single. I just relaxed and ate and everything was A-OK. While I am not familiar with a twin pregnancy, if your doctor gives you a green light and you are feeling well, then you should probably enjoy yourself. Go with your gut instinct. Whatever you decide, be at peace with your decision. Congratulations on your twins!
Personally I would postpone the trip until after the babies are born if you could. You will be more relaxed and you will be able to enjoy the trip more knowing that your health and babies are not at risk. I would consult with your doctor and take his/her advice on what is best for you and your babies. Good Luck. I am also a Mom of twins. They are 12 years old. The years go by fast so enjoy them while they are young. It's a lot of fun. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Tough call H.. I have a single and twins and the twin pregnancy was VERY different than a single. By 5 months you are already equal to about 6-7 months pg with one. It all depends how you are feeling. As long as you are not sick and will get a lot of rest on this cruise, then it might be OK. I had lots of issues with mine (mostly because identical), so i was having ultrasounds every two weeks. However, it will be a long time to do anything like this, so if you feel up to it, go for it!
I did an Alaskan cruise while 19 weeks pregnant with a singleton, and it was TERRIFIC. Sea sickness is usually not a problem on a large ship--we did Royal Caribbean's Serenade, I think, and it was fine. You can also still use those wristbands that put acupressure on your wrist to combat nausea, just like a lot of women do with morning sickness. As long as your doctor agrees, you should go! With twins, you might not feel up to the more vigorous excursion options. I'm so glad to have gone then--we just blew up some of the photos I took on that trip, and my now-17-month-old gets excited to look at them. The best part was going from a hot hot July to Alaska's cool temperatures, where a surprise 70-degree day made us peel off layers of clothes.
We went on an Alaskan cruise last year when my sister was 5 months pg with one. We did the same and got trip insurance in case, and the cruise line required her to travel with a dr's note stating that she was in good health. She didn't have any problems with the movement of the ship, and I'm sure they wanted to throw her out of the buffet! Have a great time- it's gorgeous there!
Hi H.,
I don't want to be an alarmist, and I do hope you'll take my two cents in the context of what others have to say. Based on a recent experience I had, I would have to say suggestion that you err on the side of caution and reconsider the cruise.
I was pregnant with triplets until a week ago (at my 17 1/2 week mark) when we lost one of the babies and nearly lost the other two. Thankfully, by no small miracle and with the help of a host of specialists and nurses, I am still carrying twins. Our only saving grace is that we had immediate access to top notch health care.
Up until the moment of my miscarriage my pregnancy had been incredibly smooth and we had no reason to worry, until suddenly, we did. I realize triplets are higher risk that twins, but still...
By all means, take a vacation; just consider staying on land and do a little research on the hospitals nearby so you'll know where to go if, God forbid, anything does happen. I recommend San Diego. I live there currently and am about to relocate to River Forest (once I'm cleared to fly). It's a beautiful place, and there are excellent hospitals here, including UCSD, which took care of me.
Hey First-timer, congratulations on the twins. It appears as if you have taken all of the necessary precautions. You might be a little sea sick and you might not. Every person and every pregnancy is so different.
You have set some guidelines, so you won't travel until after the first trimester and your doctor doesn't recommend it after the 24th week. You still have that time in between to live it up (so to speak). God only knows when you will have an opportunity to travel after the twins arrive.
The most important thing is not to stress out about it. The stress could do more damage than the cruise ever could.
Enjoy life, enjoy your husband and then enjoy your twins.
God Bless you and your family.
Definitely take a break while you can - it may be the last for a while :) Enjoy
I would not go. Most mothers with twins will be on bed rest and you should definitely limit the amout of time you stand walk, let alone fly, flying causes blood clots and if you get a blood cot in you rplacenta it can be over with. If you do go I would suggest taking an aspirin a week before flying and a week after. you can also have an ultrasound done of your cervex. it has to shorten before it starts to dialate. if it is shortening before you go then you know you will be on bedrest soon, if it is normal and at least 6 cm long then you should be fine. I believe at 3 cm you will be told to slow down and anything less than that i believe you will be put on modified bedrest, strict if you are sooner than 24 weeks. What does your dr say? have you had anyother pregnancies? Did you go the fertility route and were you on progesterone and for how long did you stay on it? The longer will help you have a better chacne at delivering a premature baby. great studies out on that now. You are only pg for 9 months, i would try to enjoy it and take care of you and those precious babies every way you can it is only for a short period of time why risk anything? SOrry I just have way too much experience with premature babies and have seen too many sad stories up close and personal, so if i should harsh unfortunately I knwo too much. Take care and Congrats! you will know what is best.
J.
Congratulations on the twins! As several other posters mentioned, go with your dr.'s advice, they are definitely looking out for your best interest. If they are ok with it, then go for it. Ask if they have any advice regarding extra precautions you should take or be prepared for. Be sure to bring a dr.'s note stating that you are pregnant with twins, and just go into the trip planning to relax. See if the ship offers pre-natal massages or anything else geared toward pregnant women. A week of soaking up the sun by the ship pool with a non-alcoholic beverage can't be too bad for you!
The only thing I would check into otherwise would be the cruise line's history with issues such as salmonella, etc. Obviously in recent years this has been a problem on board some ships with passengers getting sick. If your cruise line has a clean record, I'd say you are probably good to go.
And be prepared with your own stock of medicines in case the ship doesn't have them. By that point in a multiples pregnancy, you may be having some issues with hemorroids - ask your dr's permission to use Preparation H suppositories if you do experience that, and just have them with you. I know, not terribly lovely to talk about, but I've had issues with that in both of my pregnancies. Also be sure you have your own stock of regular strength Tylenol for any headaches that might come on, and of course, enough pre-natal vitamins to last the trip. Otherwise, I'd say just be sure you are always well hydrated, and have fun!
Hi H.!
When I was 27 weeks pregnant with twins, I flew to Dallas and walked around for 4 days. I was exhausted, but medically I was fine. My doctor was seeing me every two weeks at that point, and he said I was absolutely fine to travel. Honestly, I say go for it! It will be awhile before you can travel again. Most moms of twins I know didn't start experiencing problems until around 27 or 28 weeks, and I never did experience problems. As, long as your doctor has cleared you, enjoy a vacation while you still can.
Good luck!
I went on a 7-day Alaskan cruise when I was 16-17 wks pregnant with a single (my first). We had a great time. I had no issues with motion sickness, though I also brought along the wristbands just in case. If you are feeling up to it, and your MD is okay with it, it is an amazing trip. And as a previous poster said, you need to enjoy this time - it may be awhile before you can travel easily again :) There were plenty of excursions that were low intensity, and there is no shortage of food! I hope you don't have the aversion to fish that I had while pregnant - everyone kept telling me how amazing the halibut and salmon were, but I could not eat them. Enjoy it if you decide to go!
If your doctor says its okay for you to go, I recommend the accupressure seasickness wrist bands at Walgreens.
Its nice that your cruise ship has doctors...the doctors on your boat probably won't have the expertise of your ob-gyn so DO ask your doctor about what your doctor suggests if you get a headache etc while on your trip (so you are prepared)...If you're going for a massage, expect to be positioned on your side (unless the table has special cutout for your belly) and ask ahead of time about the massage therapist's experience in working with prenatal massage clients...If you're in good health and your doctor agrees, enjoy your trip...I agree with the earlier posts about considering the sanitation level of the cruise ship and planning to rest and avoid rigorous hiking...I travelled while pregnant and found that napping was a great thing.
C. L - mom of 3
prenatal yoga teacher
