Pregnancy at WDW?

[brightspark]

Hi there... may I let you in on a little secret? Dh and I are just coming to the end of an IVF cycle and we're off to WDW with my sister at the end of November. Of course we have a couple of weeks (ok 13 days) to wait yet until we get to do the test... but I'm wondering if anyone has advice about coping at WDW at 10 weeks pregnant (which is about what I'd be). We really don't want to cancel (not just because of the non-refundable flight tickets) but because I think that even if I'm feeling rough I'd rather do it somewhere sunny and fun than sitting at home thinking about how I'd cancelled our holiday... I think

Trouble is that this will be our first (or first and second ;) ) and so I have no idea how my body will cope with pregnancy.

The doctors etc have all said that there is no reason why I shouldn't go (I had wondered if a long haul flight from the UK would be OK) and that I can even enjoy the gentler rides... (both the nurses I've been under at the clinic LOVE WDW) but I'm worried about tiredness, and sickness... oh and just trying to cope.

I'd really l like some encouragement, and positive words, but I guess that if you think it's a totally stupid idea, then you can tell me, but please do it gently, I'm quite emotional!

Thanks in advance :goodvibes

[SharkyGoddess]

Pregnancy affects everyone differently. For me there was no morning sickness and I was only mildly tired. When I was 7 1/2 months along with my last I went to US & IOA in July and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I would advise pacing yourself, staying hydrated and follow the warnings on the rides and you will have a wonderful time. Good luck!

[brergnat]

I took a solo trip when I was 11 weeks pregnant with my second.

I went in September and it was VERY hot and humid, and I think the pregnancy made me a lot less tolerant than I usually am. ;)

I never had morning sickness, but I had to eat light meals, because I would get full quickly and feel all bloated and yucky if I ate too much. I got tired a lot, but rather than napping midday, I let myself sleep in SUPER late (till like 10 or 11am). NO early mornings for me! Since the parks closed early, I would arrive around 11 or 12 and stay until closing, and that worked out great for me.

I would say, count on being TIRED (cause it's the worst in the first trimester) but other than that, don't worry at ALL!

I would certainly not cancel the trip. If this is your first pregnancy, even at 11 weeks, you will hardly "feel" pregnant. You will still be able to fit in "normal" clothes and all you will feel is tired and a little bloated. Enjoy yourself! WDW while pregnant is a LOT more relaxing than WDW with kids. :D

Oh, and sending you conception vibes!!!

[3littleHalls]

Best wishes with your IVF!! pixiedust: Sending some extra pixiedust your way for the 2week wait!!

[OneLittleSpark]

Firstly, good luck with the IVF! I hope everything goes well! :hug:

Now, down to Disney. Any rides that are unsuitable for pregnant women will be marked with a red triangle icon on the map and outside the ride. If you have any questions about a ride, just ask a CM at the attraction and they'll be able to help you out.

Know your limitiations and work within them. Be prepared to take breaks as and when you need. Disney can be a lot of fun without having to run around. There are plenty of shows to enjoy, one of the best ones being the other Guests! Sitting in a restaurant or at an outdoor table with a drink, just watching the world go by can be good entertainment. If you need a sit or a lie down in the air-con, all the First Aid stations have beds that you can use for as long as you need.

Make sure you eat well and drink plenty. It's very easy to get fruit and veg, you just need to know where to look. The Land is one of my favourite places for veg, but pretty much everywhere except the burger and chips places will have something. Also, as others have said, stay well hydrated.

Following on from the above, know where the nearest restrooms are at all times! They're all clearly signed and marked on the maps.

Depending on how you feel, you might want to consider renting a set of wheels. A wheelchair or ECV (scooter) can really conserve your energy, so you can spend more time enjoying the parks, rather than staring at the ceiling in your hotel room. It may seem a little drastic, but Disney has a LOT of walking (6 to 10 miles a day is the normal estimate) and it's silly to wear yourself out just getting to places, when you could save the enery for fun stuff! :yay:

Just to let you know, I've never been pregnant, but have done Disney with fatigue issues, and have picked up a lot of tips from everyone here on the forums. Basically the key is just to take good care of yourself and your little passenger, and not to over-do it.

Have a great trip! :goodvibes

[Earstou]

I traveled to San Francisco when I was 2 months pregnant. The things that bothered me were smells, and eating immediately when I felt hungry!

I had a little morning sickness, but more feeling sick than actually being sick. I couldn't get anywhere near Fisherman's Wharf (this was 23 years ago, it's not so smelly now:rotfl: ) without feeling sick because of the fish smell. I also had trouble when they served the meals on the plane. Being in an enclosed space with all the food smells around me was hard.

Also, when I felt hungry, I had to eat then, and not wait for a table service restaurant to take my order, cook it, and then serve it an hour later (Cliff House in SanFran). I should have carried some small snacks with me to take the edge off of my hunger.
Pregnancy affects everyone differently, so just watch your hunger levels and energy levels, see what affects them before the trip, and keep in mind that all that will probably be more of a concern during the trip.

[brightspark]

Thankyou everyone for your best wishes and kind words. Everything sounds very wise. Thankfully dh and I are used to the 'I have to eat now' thing, as I get low bloodsugar if I haven't eaten recently enough.

I'm interested at the thought of hiring wheels... I shall bear that in mind as we go from day to day.

I think my biggest issue will be trying to get DH to slow down, but my sister gets very tired and will help me with that I think. I've also been studying Tour Guide Mikes info and spent yesterday and today looking at our itinery in order to have a plan where we see and do lots, but without doing the commando thing....

The tips about the first aid centres are also very welcome... I hadn't thought of that, but suspect I may well make use of them. I can send dh off to ride a tower of terror and rock and roller coaster, while I lie down... PERFECT!

If anyone has any more tips, then I'd still love to hear them.

xx

[Ellielovesdisney]

I went to WDW last year when about 10 weeks pregnant. It was great. Luckily I didn't have any nausea issues...but we just took it easy. I also had a good excuse to eat a mickey bar at 10:30 each morning!! I would be careful on the plane and walk around every hour or so to avoid blood clot issues (of course that won't be a problem since you will have to go to the bathroom that often!)
Good luck!!! I hope it takes.

[brergnat]

Well, if you want some good places to catch a nap:

-Hall of Presidents
-The American Adventure
-Tomorrowland Transit Authority (GREAT way to put your feet up and enjoy the scenery for a bit)---and it's sort of easy to fall asleep on this one too.

-any bench in the shade.

Seriously, you'll have a great time. I do second the "when you're hungry, you need to eat NOW", so I would keep that in mind when planning for sit down meals. Character meals might be the way to go, buffets are good for immediate gratification.

[lisaluvsmickey2000]

Sorry I don't have any tips to add, just looking because I hope to eventually make it to WDW in the pregnancy state, and I wanted to see what people had said!

I'm sending lots of "sticky vibes" your way! And how many times have you tested already??? Only 6 more days until your official test date :cool1: I'm a 3 year vet of TTC :headache: , DH and I are going to see an RE after our LAST Disney trip as a couple...our next one needs to be a pg or family trip :rolleyes1

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread to see your positive results next week!

[missypriss19]

Peolpe sometimes forget that pregnancy is not a disablitly. It is a very normal occuring state. Anything you did before pregnancy you can continue to do. I have a friend that ran the Houston marathon while pregnant. Go and enjoy. And by the way; most of the rides that say dont ride if pregnant only say that to prevent lawsuits.

[bopper]

If you are pregnant and have morning sickness, carry ziploc bags with you for portable/sealable barf bags.

[Ellielovesdisney]

I have to disagree with the poster who stated that pregnancy warnings were just to prevent lawsuits (but I agree that pregnancy is not a disability). Although this may be the reason for some warnings...I don't think being thrashed around on space mountain or test track would be very healthy for the baby and may cause placental abruption. Please pay attention to these warnings..they are for your protection. Good luck!
Holly (obstetrician and mom)

[SueM in MN]

I have to disagree with the poster who stated that pregnancy warnings were just to prevent lawsuits (but I agree that pregnancy is not a disability). Although this may be the reason for some warnings...I don't think being thrashed around on space mountain or test track would be very healthy for the baby and may cause placental abruption. Please pay attention to these warnings..they are for your protection. Good luck!
Holly (obstetrician and mom)
::yes::
I agree.
The warnings are to advise you that you might want to think about that attraction before getting on.
While some of them may look tame, there is a reason they put the signs up. While some people have posted that they rode Splash Mountain while pregnant, riding it could very easily lead to problems.
Even if just for peace of mind, it's best to avoid anything that is at all questionable. As the parent of a child with multiple disabilities, I can attest that I have gone over and over in my mind anything that I might have done that could have caused her disabilities. I didn't do anything I can think of, but if I had, it would be much more difficult to deal with.

[brightspark]

Hi there,
I totally agree that pregnancy is not a disability! I posted on this board.. because it seemed the most logical place to put this question... If pregnant I shall be unable to do some of the thing that I used to do (go at commando speed around parks) and whilst we can do things that we regularly do normally, riding coasters is not a daily or weekly activity for me and doesn't come into that category... so I shall be taking FULL attention of any signs on the rides... I'm not doing anything that would jeopardise my pregnancy, especially after the fact that it's taken such a long and difficult journey to get there!

However, I do think that zip-lock bags are a good idea... I had wondered where to buy sick bags, so big thanks to bopper for that suggestion!

Please do keep the tips coming!

[lisaluvsmickey2000]

:flower1: Only a few more days!!! I would suggest that after you get your BFP ask the doc for his/her suggestions on anti-nausea medicines both over the counter and prescription. Bring a copy of your paperwork with you...just in case...along with the prescriptions!

[brightspark]

Hey Lisa, that's a really good idea! Wouldn't have thought of that!

[OneLittleSpark]

Ooh, nausea reliefs I have known and loved ;) (not from morning-sickness, but from other health issues):

Ginger beer (ginger ale may work as well, never tried it)
Ginger biscuits (cookies)
Green tea
Peppermint infusion
Burnt toast (sounds like an odd one, but it sometimes works for me)

I don't know which, if any, of these will work for you, but I do hope they help (better yet, I hope you don't need to use them)!

[3littleHalls]

Just wondering if there was some good news to share?? popcorn::

[penguincrazie]

Any update??

I've suffered with infertility and miscarriages so I know what you are going through (been TTC #2 since I stopped BF DD over a year ago, took over 3 years to have her).

When flying drink A LOT of water before, during, and right after the flight. Also, try to sit in the back near the bathroom. Flying dehydrated you and its easier to get dehydrated when pg and dehydration while pg can cause spotting (I learned from experience!).

Good luck!!!! Lots of sticky baby dust!!!! :wizard:

[brightspark]

Just wondering if there was some good news to share?? popcorn::

Well now... should I let you in on our little secret I wonder...? :cloud9:


Um, YES! The test was positive and there is a little Sparky on the way... :yay:

Nervous in case anything goes wrong, but we get a scan at around 6 weeks (31st Oct) where they will check that everything is ok. Am very tired, and taking lots of time out to rest!

Thank you for all your best wishes, comments and suggestions :goodvibes

[SaratogaShan]

Congratulations!!!!!party:

[Mickiethepooh]

For nausea relief you can also buy the relief band looks like a watch and send a small electrical impulse that blocks the sensation. you feel a slight tingle in your finger thats all. it is expensive but it works well, was developed for Chemo patients then marketed to pregnant women and for all manner of motion sickness. I swear by it on all the cruises I take and even find it helps during stomach flu.

[brightspark]

Shan, thanks for the congrats... and Mickiethepooh, I'd never heard of thee relief band... will have to look into it if / when I start getting sick. Thank you

[penguincrazie]

That is so awesome! I am thrilled for you!

[sheilag]

Hi there - congrats! I went to Disney when I was six months pregnant with DD (now 1.5) and DD6 and DH. We stayed at a monorail hotel, which we love anyway, but the proximity was really welcomed at that time - when I was tired, we just zoomed back to the hotel for a swim and/ or nap. I left the bumpy rides to DH and DD, even though my doc advised that Disney warnings were there to protect them, not me - but she advised me to use my judgment, which of course I did. I did go on Kali River Rapids (DD6 favourite ride) but at one point the rubber tube jerked against a rock - it made me uncomfortable, so I didn't ride it again. Also found tea cups (which are safe) made me nauseous. But, other than drinking lots of water and resting, didn't change my WDW habits too much. Had a great time, and found out where all the bathrooms are (which was great when just went with new toddler - knew were to look for diaper changes).

Have fun!

[3littleHalls]

pixiedust: Many Happy and Healthy baby wishes!!:cheer2: Glad to hear your Good News!!! I remember thinking 'now what do I do?' after I found out I was pg after 5 yrs of TTC. Enjoy the pg ride it only lasts 9mos!

[SueM in MN]

Congratulations.
We had a 6 year 'wait' before we got our first DD, so I can imagine how excited you are:yay: :yay:

[OneLittleSpark]

Congratulations!!! :woohoo: :cheer2: :hug:

[LisaFB]

Congrats!!!!!!

I went to Paris DL when I was about 9 weeks PG with DD (who's now almost 4) and I was tired but did fine. I rested whenever I needed to and had no problems. I'm now 22 weeks PG today and we're leaving in 1 1/2 days. My Ob already said I can go on any rides my kids can go on (DS is 2) and I plan on doing just that!