Early Pregnancy

[uchi]

I just found out I'm pregnant and we are leaving for WDW in 3 weeks. I will be about 7 to 8 weeks pregnant when we are there. I don't have any morning sickness and don't feel any discomfort, I don't know if I might later on.

I've had my ADR's picked on the 180 day mark, we are going to lots of different places to eat. We are also doing SWW for the first time, which I know with he heat and crowds can be very hard.

I've been told by the nurse that there are some rides which I can ride because it is an early pregnancy, such as test track, big thunder mountain, star tours and kali river rapids; but I won't be able to ride RRC, ToT, space, splash or EE. Any advice or recommendations from anyone who has been to Disney at the start of their pregnancy? Did you feel ill? What can I do if I feel ill, do the first aid stations have care for pregnant women?

Thanks!

 

[Golf4283]

just got back from a trip and my wife and I just literally found out last week. She didn't ride anything other than the kiddie rides for our son. Our thought was better safe than sorry with the new little orange seed.

 

[mom2rtk]

We visited Disney when I was 7 weeks pregnant with our first. What I remember was my stomach being very unsettled the entire time and having a hard time finding anything I felt like eating. I remember buying some expensive meals then not being able to eat much of anything on my plate. Morning sickness set in for me around 6 or 7 weeks. So have a plan in place in case you start feeling it when you are away from home.

Nobody can tell you what is truly safe and what is not. I'm sure you are about to read loads of stories from people who did all the big rides and everything was fine. But the truth is that miscarriages happen for all sorts of reasons, especially in the first trimester. If you (perish the thought) were to have problems when you get home, do you want to be wondering if there was something you should have done differently? I skipped all the big rides, but had just been through years of infertility and a miscarriage so wanted to take no chances.

Best of luck to you!

 

[MartDM]

Many the nurse said were OK were rides that I would avoid if pregnant. I'd avoid any that WDW posts as not being appropriate for pregnancy. My philosophy is that the rides will always be there and a few minutes of fun on them is not worth risking the health of that little human you are now responsible to protect. Congrats on the baby! Stay hydrated at the parks and enjoy all the many non-ride attractions there are to take advantage of!/5/-2

 

[ferd]

I'm a Florida native and visit the parks very often, and have a two year old. My best advice is to stay hydrated, and snack frequently. Early on you should feel 'normal' but morning sickness (which usually can be all day sickness) can strike at any time. If you feel nauseous eat bland foods like crackers, bread, etc. And generally (even though it seems the opposite of how you feel) if you are nauseous, it's best to eat. An empty stomach can make you feel worse. Luckily you won't have to deal with the really fun symptoms of pregnancy which will come in the later months (like frequent urination in public bathrooms) and swelling and what not, but I would still recommend taking it easy and if you have any doubt or concern about whether it's safe, don't ride it. The worst will be the heat (if you're not used to it) so again, stay hydrated, sit down and take it easy often and listen to your body.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Lilly Belle 84]

Congrats, how exciting!! With my both my pregnancies we were DL AP's, with my first I rode splash, space, BTMR, etc for weeks before I found out. Same thing for my second, I freaked out both times and my doc told me I was fine in the 1st trimester, she didn't/wouldn't recommend riding after we knew of course!
My advise to you would be to drink lot's of water, whether you feel thirsty or not and you'll probably be very tired around 8 weeks, try not to go to hard also, bring some saltines or something in case the 1st trimester nausea kicks in while you're there. And most importantly, have fun, relax and enjoy yourself. Best of luck!!!!!!

 

[wuzzy6]

Congratulations!!! I want to echo an earlier bit of advice... stay well-hydrated, eat frequent small meals/snacks, and listen to what your body is telling you! If you feel tired - rest!

 

[imthemamahere]

First of all, congratulations!

Like others have said, you may find that over the next two weeks, some queasiness will set in... and you may also get tired more easily than usual until the end of your 1st trimester.

In addition to eating frequently (small meals/snacks are ideal, keep a bit of bread or some salty crackers in your bag at the parks in case you need something to settle your stomach quickly), and keeping hydrated (lots of water - which is thankfully provided free at any quick service restaurant in the parks), I'd add that it's particularly important that you stay cool.

Obviously, you're heading to the parks in warm weather, so that could mean taking a break somewhere indoors/air conditioned every now and then... maybe staying out of the parks during the hottest part of the day... and maybe it would be a good idea to carry a cooling towel. I've seen the Frogg Togg brand recommended here a few times, but there are other brands if you have a hard time finding that one.

And as for the rides... like any other issue that pops up while pregnant, the best I can suggest is to do what you're comfortable with. I went to Disney World while in my 2nd trimester, but I was on bedrest through my first trimester. I didn't do ANYTHING that was even remotely risky - after the worries of the first trimester, there was no way I was running any risk at all at Disney. It meant I skipped a lot of the rides, but I was okay with that - for me, Disney's about the whole experience, soup to nuts. Crowd-watching, character-meeting, slow-riding, Disney-dining... that was enough for me. But of course, others had different experiences, even riding the "thrill" rides at the World while pregnant. YMMV!

Generally speaking, listen to your body's cues as best you can - don't push yourself too hard - but most of all, have fun!

 

[katilac]

I agree with the ones the nurses have listed, except possibly Kali, b/c it spins a lot (so safe but likely to make you sick). I would add Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl to the ones I would not ride, because they both jerk pretty hard. Oh, and Mission Space is probably a very bad idea.

It would not bother me to ride something just b/c it says expectant mothers should not ride. Almost ALL of the rides say that, including quite mild stuff like Thunder Mountain. I didn't do Disney whilst pregnant, but I did leave the country and go parasailing (and other active, outdoorsy stuff) at about 4.5 months.

One should take sensible precautions, but it doesn't help to take unnecessary precautions, imo. Pregnant moms and their babies are pretty strong, and they take a lot more than It's a Small World

 

[princessallegra]

Congrats!!! I was 13 weeks when I was there and I was very sick. We took it super super easy. I threw up every day for pretty much my entire pregnancy. One awesome tip was I stopped and got a cup of ice water at almost every counter service spot we passed. We did all the rides except most things with height restrictions except test track because I was so early on it's no crazier than a car ride and I was happy I did it. It was right after it was re done. We definitely changed a bunch of ADR's on the go through the app or calling, we never had a problem with the penalty because we were always changing to another restaurant. I spent a lot of time napping in the room but that's ok, we've gone a lot. Have a great trip and congrats again!!!

 

[nalajms]

Congrats! I was 7-8wks with my first when we went to Universal! I opted to go on the rides (this was pre Harry Potter).

If you look at the signs, most rides will have warnings for pregnant women. Two in particular I remember are Dumbo and the Speedway. Use your judgement. Stay hydrated, don't wear yourself out, and have fun

 

[Dan Murphy]

Best wishes, congratulations.

 

[ruthies12]

Right around 8 weeks is usually when the nausea hits the hardest for most women. You might want to consider whether you are going to use a nausea medication like Phenergan and/or Zofran and then go ahead and get the script filled before you leave for vacation.

If you haven't researched the meds yet I will tell you Phenergan can make you sleepy so best to avoid it during the day. Zofran was wonderful for me and you can ask for it in an orally dissolving tablet so it just sits on your tongue and melts and you don't have to swallow it with water- best medication ever!

I don't want to start a debate about meds during pregnancy- I'm just saying it will be a lot harder to get a prescription filled from a doctor who doesn't know you while vacationing in a different city, if you tell your OB or family doc what is going on they will likely be okay with giving you a script before you leave if you want it. so if you think you are going to want it, get it before you leave home.

 

[AshleeH]

I was 8 weeks pregnant on our last trip. I never got sick with any pregnancy, although I did have to go to Celebration Hospital on our first night (symptoms that made us worry it was an ectopic pregnancy - the hospital is horrible!!!!).

I stayed away from any ride that had a height requirement. After a scare so early in the trip, I never would have forgiven myself if anything had happened.

 

[JillyBean1899]

My mom and dad went to Disney for his birthday March 15, 1979. She rode everything, including Space Mountain. They lived in Daytona and she'd been going to Disney literally since the day it opened, and loved thrill rides, she considered Space Mountain "tame".

I was born full term on April 1, 1979 at around 2PM. Probably a little on the small side, 19 inches and 6.5 lbs, but mom was only 5'2" and 120 lbs herself (10 of that she'd gained while pregnant ... at 32 ... yes, I hate her lol). She didn't find out she was pregnant until December, so about 5 months along. She'd been smoking and drinking beer up until then (she quit both when she found out), and was even bowling 5 nights a week in various leagues. She bowled the night before she gave birth to me, and was back bowling 4 days later. Heck, her average even went up 25 points when she was pregnant (said it made her pay more attention to her body). She didn't look pregnant when she was in normal clothes (she said a football jersey, probably Redskins to annoy my Dolphins loving father, and jean shorts) at Disney, nobody said a word.

Yes, I know people are going to scream at me because "OMG you have a horrible mom, taking chances like that!!" I don't care. Doctors always say that you know what your body can and will do. She'd been on Space Mountain hundreds of times before, and knew what it did and how her body reacted. Rides now have tons of warnings on them as a CYA for the parks. Pretty much everything at Universal Studios has warnings about heart conditions, my granddad rode everything except BTTF when he was there in 1998 at age 80, no problems.

You know yourself best. If you're feeling fine, and you've been on the rides before, you'll know if you should ride them or not. Yes, there is a slim chance that something could happen, but something also could happen on your flight/drive down there. You're the only person that knows the risk/reward comparison in your head. Listen to your gut.

 

[denneg]

Congratulations! So exciting!


When we returned from our trip last May we stopped to buy milk, and I had a TV show moment when I walked by the aisle and thought "huh, that's odd, I packed all that gear and never used it...", bought a test and shocked DH and myself when we saw the results! Needless to say, I had ridden everything during our 2 week visit, and DS was born in Jan and is perfect! When we returned in October I skipped everything, including the Safari, to keep him safe. I would be hesitant to ride anything if I knew I was pregnant, even with my doctors blessing, because I have a history of miscarriages. Obviously there is no way to know what causes them, but I know I would regret that one ride if something happened.

I agree with all the other posters that hydration is SO important, and honestly getting dehydrated could be a bigger risk than a spin on BTMR. Try to drink at least a bottle of water per hour, more if you can. And yes, you can go to First Aid, there are nurses there who can help you if you feel off, sick, or anything.

Enjoy your trip and all your ADRs! Keep in mind that you will tire more easily than you normally would, so get as much rest as possible.

 

[Eliza'sMom]

I went at about eight weeks pregnant with my second child. It was a really wonderful trip. The pregnancy exhaustion (and the almost-3-year-old we already had) forced us to slow down and relax. I took a nap everyday. We took things at a leisurely pace and had a great time. I didn't ride anything with a pregnancy warning except the safari. I did have quite a bit of morning sickness, but I packed granola bars and crackers and made sure I ate something immediately in the room as soon as I got up, which helped. I think the distraction of the vacation made the morning sickness easier to bear, actually. We had to cancel one ADR for Cape May Cafe. We walked by earlier in the trip and the smell sent me running for the bathroom, so there was no way I was going to be able to handle a meal there. Other than that, I didn't have too many issues. Have a great trip!

 

[mousefan73]

That early I'd still do the rides. I did. I was you g, healthy and jogged until 5 months. Back in the days most women were only starting to maybe realize they might be pregnant that early. I was still drinking the first 2 months ( moderately) Before i realized i was carrying.

I was lucky with morning sickness. Recall being REALLY tired, like fall in my chiar while eating tired, and peeing ALOT. Hormone changes. Drink alot, take your prenatal and rest when needed.

 

[Rosemc2011]

I did pirates when I was 5 months pregnant and threw up right after lol

 

[Asnell]

Congratulations!

Mostly, do as much or as little as your body tells you to do. That likely means extra rest, extra water, and having something on-hand that you can eat quickly, like crackers. Pregnancy nausea tends to occur to most people on an empty stomach, and if you start to feel the beginnings of it, get something in your belly quick and you can often avert it.