HELP- Advice Needed!!!

Hi There,
I just received a confirmed pregnancy yesterday- 02/07/07 and my mind is whizzing.
Overall- I'm happy about the news, and have been happily married for a year and a half. However, hubby and I are currently on a working visa living in the UK- and not due home until late Nov for a family members wedding.
Now the hard part is this- the main reason we are here is to save up and do a trip of Europe before we go home, and we have planned to leave our jobs at the end of July to do this in a campervan- for 3 months. We have then planned to jet to India for a couple of weeks to chill out on the beach in Goa/Kerala attending yoga classes etc, before flying back to Oz.
Please tell me- is this idea mad now that I am preggers?? Am I dreaming to think I can do this?? I am very particular about what I eat normally- with a 70% organic diet, which I would like to improve on whilst preg, but I realise that this would be nearly impossible whilst travelling. My main concern is India- I know it poses various health risks (hepatitis, tummy bugs, malaria, etc) but my husband keeps trying to assure me that we will take precautions and that it will all be fine- although I am not convinced. I mean- I love spicy food but I don't think the baby will!! The problem is we have already booked our flight home from India to Oz- assuming that it will be our final destination.
Then there is the issue of flying whilst pregnant- increasing the risk of miscarriage and exposing the foetus to low-level radiation- not to mention the fluid retention- agghh!
And lastly- what upsets me perhaps the most, is that I decided long ago that I would opt for a midwife as soon as I found out that I was preg- but I don't know how to go about this or if it is even possible when I am not planning to get back to Oz until I am 5 months preg??
I am away from my closest friends and family now so am feeling very isolated. I have not told anyone back home and think I will keep it a surprise as I don't think my family will be able to cope knowing they are missing out on my pregnancy- I fear they will put the guilt trip on me to come home early.
Any thoughts, words of advice are most welcome!!!!!!

Hi
Just reading your thread about your travels and thought Id let u know a couple of things. Im currently on my lunch break eating chicken vindaloo (if thats how u spell it) and Im almost 30 weeks pregnant. All that spicy food has never bothered me. It probably would bother some people though.

U often hear about people looking for a "babymoon" before they have a baby so you could look at this as your babymoon. Not real sure about all the diseases u can get over there though. If it was me Id see an English doctor and ask what they think about your trip.

There is also morning sickness that u might want to over come before going on any trip. Morning sickness can last a few days to weeks to the entire length of your pregnancy. It can also go away and come back too so u would have to take it very very easy. When I had morning sickness it made me feel like throwing up all the time, light headed, wanted to get as close to the floor as possible and was pretty much bed ridden and unable to move or I would throw up however not everyones is like that and not everyone gets it either so dont be affraid.

I personally think u should go for it. Just plan on lots of breaks and u will be fine. Get a doctors opinion though.

i am certainly no expert, but this is what i reckon.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

secondly, i think you can still do all of your current plans no worries. Flying only usually becomes an issue in the last stages of pg. i think the only thing that would stop you from carrying out your plans is if you have terrible m/s, goodluck with your pg and have heaps of fun in your travels, i am wishing you a very healthy and happy pg with absolutely no m/s.

About going to India whislt pg, i would just go to a GP and ask them what they think is best.

Also im pretty sure that you can still get your midwife at 5 months pg as thats only half way, still plenty of time to get to know a midwife

congratulations!
like little sproket mentioned eating spicey foods might go down ok with you. Its other risks like listeria etc that you would be more concerned about.
It sounds like you have thought things out really well so far, i think if this is what you guys still want to to do go for it also.
Travel in the first 12weeks you may have a higher risk of miscarring but many women also fly within this period (i did interestate a few times within the first trimester)
And as with travelling in the last trimester yes that can get a little tricker. Most airlines will allow you to travel up to 36weeks some may need a doctors certificate though.

Maybe if there are worries on your travels you could just modify them some what?
Pregnancy does things to your body youve never even condured so it may be a matter of just going with what you feel like and how you are coping with your changing body at the time?

and in regards to not having someone look after you, many woman move ineterstate or overseas's whilst pg. I myself moved interstate so i know not the same but i rang an OB i wanted to see in Syd when i first found out i was pg. Booked in for a date i knew i'd be up there (4months pg) then seen an OB in Melb up until i moved.

good luck with your decisions but i think your definatley going to make the right choices for you, your bub and your partner as your thinking things through well!

Hi JellyBean,

I reckon you should go for it too! My morning sickness stopped at around 12 weeks, and like Elissa said, flying usually only becomes a problem in the later stages of pregnancy.

My baby doesn't like spicy food! She goes crazy kicking! I had spicy Indian last week and she was kicking for ages! But all babies are different!

Also you said you will be 5 months when you get back, I'm at that stage now and i've only just started to show, so you should still be able to do relatively normal things in India (because you won't be too big!) and the yoga would be great for you and bubs!

I think you should go for it and just be careful! Good Luck JellyBean!

Congrats to you both!

One thing I immediately thought of was - do you need to have any immunisations before you travel to India? malaria etc? They would be the only thing that I could see posing a problem for you, but you would easily be able to check with a Dr.

India is somewhere I'd love to go , but I personally wouldn't do it while I was pregnant.

Ryn's right in her comment in your other thread, all those Indian mums don't stop eating curries when they are pregnant.

That said I would be more concerned about water than food. I'd boil it.

p.s. my baby loved spicy food!

Thankyou so much all of you for your prompt replies. I shall ponder on all your words of advice. We are definitely going to do Europe now (thankyou for the encouragement- it was what I wanted to hear!!) as my morning sickness is very mild and the only thing I seem to be suffering with is hunger!!! I never thought I'd say this- but its getting annoying having to eat so damn often just to shut up my grumbly tummy!! ha ha. Regarding India- we are still not sure, but are considering just booking a relaxing week in a reputable 4-5 star hotel just to make use of the flight we have booked home from there, but it wont be anything like the adventurous, rural, rich cultural experience that we were originally after. Can't have any immunisations whilst preg but I'm anti-vaccines anyway- (see www.avn.org.au for some frightening info!!!), however I would be taking the more gentle homeopathic anti-malaria and anti-diahorrea medicines with me- PLUS loads of tea tree essential oil and body wash- apparently the mosquitoes hate it! Still- that doesn't make me immune from things like food contamination... it is definitely still a risk. Basically my heart says yes but my head says no. Oh well, whatever I decide, I will definitely be tucking into some of my favorite Indian food sometime soon to see what the bubs thinks!!! Cheers again for all the info!!! XX