Pregnant and Disney?

[JennySmith]

My husband and I are planning a trip to WDW in August/05. We are currently trying to get pregnant- so I could be as much as 6 months prego when we go. Anyone go to Disney while pregnant? This would be my first pregnancy.

Any suggestions?

 

[Wondrmom]

No I have never been to Disney while pregnant, but there is the possibility that I might be too when we go this year. However, the answer to your question really just depends how your pregnancy is going. I was so sick my entire pregnancy that there is no way that I could have handled Disney.

 

[dtsaos]

I went to Disney when I was pregnant with my first. I was about 6 1/2 mo. pregnant and it was July! My advice is to go for it. You can still do lots of things even though you can't go on all the rides. Just do the obvious-take it easy, drink lots of water and relax, don't try to do too much. Also keep in mind that this will be the last time for a long time that you and DH will be able to enjoy Disney by yourselves. I'm sure you're thinking of how great it will be to bring your little one along in the future, but believe me, you'll be wishing for the days that you two could vacation by yourselves! And this is from somebody who's taking DS 5, DD 3, and DD8mo. to WDW in a few months-which IS insane even though lots of people do it. Do all the adult, romantic things on this trip, you'll be glad you did! Good Luck with all your plans!

 

[Mr Poohbrain]

I was there in May and was 6 1/2 months pregnant. It was pretty darn hot, even then.

My advice would be to take it easy, drink plenty of water and don't overdo it. That being said, if this is your first time at Disney, you may feel like you'll be missing out on a lot of things b/c there are a lot of rides that you wouldn't be able to do.

But, all in moderation, right? Just go there with the thought of relaxing and not conquering "the World" on this trip.

Mrs. PB

 

[Munchies]

I am having the very same worry/dilemma! My dilemma is whether to hold off on 'getting pregnant' until after the trip even though i had hoped to be 3 or 4 months pregnant by then.... but the child in me wants to go on all the rides! (Pardon the pun!!)

 

[all4fun]

You might want to consider what the weather is typically like in Florida during August. According to weather.com the average low is 73 f. and the avg high is 92 f. And you have to take the humidity into consideration as well. It's definitely not a "dry" heat, which is generally considered more tolerable.

I went when I was just 8 weeks pregnant and it was cool (December). I was pretty tired most of the time (pregnancy fatigue) but thankfully I didn't have morning sickness. Like the pp said you will have to forgo quite a few rides while pregnant so if that is going to bother you, then you might want to wait until after baby comes (and then bring a grandparent along to "babysit" while you ride the rides - that's what we did!)

Good luck to you!

Cheryl

 

[Medic193]

Our last trip my DW was 8 months pregnant. She did pretty well. Coure she is military and I never see anything that she can't handle. When she went into labor I got called home from night shift at work. I walk in the door and she is walking around the house feeding our little girl breakfast, getting things ready. I had to stop her and ask if she was really about to have the kid. I honestly couldn't even tell. We get to the hospital and she has it shortly there after. OK I got side tracked.
You should be fine.

 

[mommyrom]

We went in May and I was 6+ months along and HUUUUGE! Some people passing by me on occasions actually commented "She's cutting it kind of close, huh?!" ( Helloooo, I am next to you and just heard that!!!!!). Any-hoo, drink lots of H2O and grab any bench you find, especially in the heat! We had high 80's the entire trip and I survived (travelled with DH, DS12, DS 5 and DD 20 months!) amazingly well, considering! The cast members were great as far as shooting me in the direction of the closest restrooms and letting me hang out in the Baby Centers to cool off . Those expensive comfy sneakers I bought before the trip were a good investment, as my feet (although REEEALLLY swollen from the plane trip onward) hardly hurt at all! And those afternoon rests in the hotel worked wonders for my stamina as well! Good luck and have fun...Don't forget, what else is there to do in WDW but enjoy yourself no matter what??

 

[OceanAnnie]

I was 7 1/2 months pregnant and huge! HUGE. All belly. We went in October. I do advise a maternity belt. It helped relieve the pressure. Comfortable sneakers are a must. Light weight clothing. Drink lots of water. DH & I left the group a few times and napped in the afternoon. Spent time at the resort pool. Staying at a monorail resort helped.

Towards the end of the week, I was having a real hard time keeping up, and felt bad about holding up the group for my frequent and long rests. I got a wheelchair from the resort and was good to go! I didn't even miss not being able to ride the rides. I was so glad to be at Disney World!

Everyone was great. I loved every minute. It was one of our best vacations ever.

 

[lclark0621]

When I was 6 months pregnant there is NO WAY I would have wanted to walk around Disney World in AUGUST in FLORIDA. Dear God, the heat! No thank you! Heck, when I was 6 months pregnant, I did not even want to walk around the mall...LOL! I was constantly exhuasted, and uncomfortable.

We did a cruise during my pregnancy right before the 24 week cut off on Princess Cruise. Now THAT is a vacation for a pregnant woman. Completely pampered & catered to, enough food to actually satisfy an pregnant woman , and since I was pregnant I did not care or worry about competing with the perfect 20 something stick in the tiny bikini next to me.

Also remember you NEVER know how a pregnancy is going to go. God willing everything will be perfect. But you could have complications, be on bedrest, have reasons you can't travel, etc, etc, etc. You just never know from pregnancy to pregnancy.

And in Disney while there is a lot a pregnant woman can do, there are a lot of rides ya can't.

Personally I stay away from Disney in Aug when I am not pregnant...I could never imagine doing it pregnant.

Just my opinion though.

 

[grlpwrd]

I'm about 22 weeks pregnant with my 5th and I ache so I think you need to consider how your body will react, especially if this will be your first. Yes, you never know how a pregnancy can go. Though they call it morning sickness it can strike at any time, leg cramps are common and that's why I have to elevate my legs a lot, and you take frequent bathroom breaks as your pregnancy progresses.

GL!

 

[lovethattink]

It would really depend on how your pregnancy is going. The time of year your are traveling. As another poster said, the summer is HOT here. We have PAP's and I went to WDW throughout the prenancy. We did not stay the whole day. 5 hours was the max I could handle a day at the parks. By the end of that 5 hours, my feet were swollen and I was tired. My biggest piece of advice when you go is this. Do not ride HM. I did and when it turns around and goes backwards, it does so fairly quickly. Man did I feel those ligament pull!

 

[JennySmith]

Thanks for all of the responses.

I have been to Florida in August before and wasn't really bothered by the heat (I'm sure that could be different when pregnant though).

My husband and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon for two weeks this past July/August and again I didn't have a problem with the heat.

I guess the heat doesn't bother me that much.

Keep the suggestions coming, they are really helping me to make my decisions. (Where to stay, if we should camp, how long a trip, etc.).

 

[lclark0621]

(Where to stay, if we should camp, how long a trip, etc.).

Camping while pregnant?!?! Dear god woman you are Brave if you try that!

 

[SouthFLMommy]

Being in Florida in August and then going to Disney in August while pregnant are very very different. Just keep that in mind. You'll have to take some breaks and keep yourself pretty hydrated. I live here and I've gone through 3 pregnancies here, I'm a pro at this. LOL

We did go to Disney when I was pregnant in August and I would never ever do it again. I had to leave the park by 11 am and couldn't go back until 5pm. The humidity was awful, and I felt like I couldn't breathe.

If you do decide to go, just make sure you drink lots of water.

 

[Carol Ann]

I did Disney in late June of 2002, late in my 2nd trimester and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT if your pregnancy is going OK. I had an easy pregnancy(slept a lot in the first trimester but otherwise smooth sailing) - I probably went on a couple rides that Disney would advise you not to but I got the OK from my Doc (ps - most docs will give you the flat don't go on anything remotely fun line mainly to avoid malpractice suits, I don't know why she was sohonest with me). We stuck to the midday naps and had a great time.

 

[kschmidt]

I am going in June to WDW 7 mos pregnant with my second. Just knowing what it was like last time being pregnant, I can't say enough to find a good exercise program and keep it up while you are pregnant, especially if you continue your plans for your trip. Also, I think it's the same as going to Disney with little ones in that your productivity level is just not going to be what it would be without little ones (in the womb or out). So relax and enjoy and don't worry about how few hours you are in the parks each day or how long nap time is.

 

[esk]

I went last Sept at 7.5 months pregnant. My OB just said listen to your body and rest, with your feet up, when you can. I let DH take DS (3) on a lot of the rides while I found a bench in the shade, put feet up, and drank from the water bottle.

I did find that I had to keep a snack on me becaue it would just hit me out of the blue......only at Disney, for some reason.....and I had to eat NOW. Couldn't wait to unwrap it sometimes, had to eat.

We didn't stay out late (again, DS is 3) and came back to the room for a "nap" every day for a couple hours so that is very important. Actually, that was very important when we went in July of 02 and I was not pregnant!

Can't ride a lot of stuff, though. No POTC, no Maelstrom, can't fit into Dumbo or Aladdin, no Buzz, no Tomorrowland Speedway, obviously no Space Mountain or RR Roller Coaster........so you'll have to decide ifyou want to do it or not, knowing you can't ride a lot of stuff.

I had a great time, but then, I always do at Disney......

 

[copper68]

Well as a male, I cannot attest to the pregnancy part, but I do know about the heat...we have been to Disney 3 of the last 4 years in August and the heat is oppressive!!!!!!!

DW just told me yesterday that she is prego with our 2nd!!!!
We are going this week (3-10 thru 3-13) and we are going again in August as well (8/18-8/24) so she will be about 6 months also...

I will make sure she reads this post before we go...sounds like some good advice so far...

 

[gopherit]

Camping while pregnant?!?! Dear god woman you are Brave if you try that!

Sorry, but after I wiped my Pepsi off my monitor from THAT, I had to respond!
(As someone who used to camp as a kid and loved it but has gotten realllly soft in my decrepit late 30s and loathes it -- I find that too funny!)

Anyway -- I've done August at WDW, I've done pg at WDW (10 weeks). I've also done travel at various stages of my pgs with my 3 kids, including a big conference in New Orleans that involved oodles of walking while I was 6 mos pg. I overdid it (the walking) a few days and REALLLLLY regretted it. Leg cramps / swelling and such (and I am a relatively fit person). THose babies can do wacky things to your body, and when you push the envelope, those little suckers PUSH BACK!!

Based on all that, and knowing all pgs are so very different, I'll agree with the poster who said doing August and doing August while pg are 2 different things. Your body will run "hotter" with a extra body in tow; it will require definite diligence on your part to stay hydrated and thermally regulated. In early pg, some folks can be really nauseated, and humidity / opressive heat can make that worse. I tended to have mild to moderate all-day nausea through the 1st trimesters, so on our rainy Oct trip that I was 10 wks along, I was able to see the sights and tool around with the gang. But I didn't exactly feel stellar, either, and I needed a constant supply of munchies to stay reasonably pleasant about it!

If this will be your 1st pg, and you have no idea how your body will respond, I would really be hesistant about making major plans for August. It's such an intense time of year. Just last year, we even had a hurricane on our trip (Charley) -- now THAT would be an interesting camping trip! (Just kidding, because of course they evacuated all the FW folks.) Any chance you could shift towards, say, early May or October? THose would at least have a chance of more moderate temps, and also the lower crowds (than say peak season 4th of July, Easter or xmas).

Either way -- Good luck with your planning (Disney and family!)