Crete at 10-11 weeks pregnant
Replies: 9 - Last Post: Aug 17, 2012 2:13 AM Last Post By: TOT_sally
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Crete at 10-11 weeks pregnant
Hi,My husband and I decided to postpone out honeymoon in Crete until mid-September and are now on the verge of booking it. We've booked the time off work, just need the flights now!
However, I recently discovered I'm pregnant and will be 10-11 weeks at the time of the trip.
As I have never been pregnant before and have never been to Crete I am not sure whether to go ahead or not. My husband wants to and says I'm just making a fuss, but I am pretty scared of having a miscarriage and if I was abroad that would make it worse!
Basically, my questions are:
1) What are medical facilities like in Crete?
2) Can anyone suggest things to do/places to stay in Crete? We want to do a few days in Iraklion and visit Knossos then we were planning to get a hire car and use another place on the island as out base for the rest of the week. Somewhere suitable to our situation!
3) We were really wanting to do some intrepid walking but that's probably not going to happen now. Can anyone recommend anywhere that's not too difficult or remote for some pregnant-lady friendly hikes (I'm a decent walker so it doesn't have to be too gentle, just not dangerous or cut off)?!
4) Has anyone else been in this situation before and if so what did you do? We are thinking we could pospone until I'm further along but then the weather would be colder (baby due 30th March) or postpone until our second wedding anniversary but could we travel there with small child in tow? Or shoudl I just, as my husband says, stop worrying and go for it anyway?
1
just go!!! the chances of miscarry are so slim as to make it completely pointless to worry about!the biggest thing i would be worried about would be morning sickness and being tired. but i'd go anyway!
at 10-12 weeks you should be physically able to do anything you were doing before you got pregnant (using common sense!) and some nice walks around the place would be no exception.
Just drink plenty of water and get a good nights sleep and ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY!!!
2
I went to Crete many years ago and even then the infrastructure looked excellent. Why not post on the appropriate branch and find out exactly what is available and where you should go in the case of an emergency.How much you do when you are at that stage of pregnancy really depends on how you are feeling (assuming you carry no medical risks) - if you are not ill and exhausted you should be able to take on a decent walk. I was working in a forest all day carrying a backpack at that stage. I had to have lots of naps, but there was no reason I couldn't be active. Of course, you also have to feel comfortable with what you take on (no point doing it if you will be stressed all day).
The second trimester is usually the most comfortable time to travel. Later in the pregnancy you are carrying more weight around. I think you should go now - travel with kids can be alot of fun, but you will never have a time when it is just you and your husband again (or not until you are considerably older). Why not make the most of it and enjoy one last holiday? Figure out where a good hospital is, stay within your comfort zone and enjoy!
3
just go. You are pregnant, not ill. You might be throwing up in the morning but if you feel up to doing things after that, do them. Greek food will also be fine for you.Crete is a big island and has good medical facilities - make sure your travel insurers know that you are pregnant an that you are covered, and like anywhere, unless you camp out in the hospital car park there would always be a delay getting there. To be brutally honest, if you are going to miscarry there's no stopping it wherever you are, but why worry about it as there's nothing you can do anyway?
no reason not to walk the Samarian Gorge at that early stage. just take plenty of water and snacks.
don't put your life on hold, and enjoy the trip. Now go get your guidebook and decide where to stay.
4
Congratulations!The risk of miscarriage goes down at about 8-10 weeks so your timing sounds good. If the pregnancy isn't going well, you'll know by then. Talk to your doctor but s/he'll let you know if you're headed for problems or not.
There are no hard and fast rules but generally, what you do doesn't really effect the pregnancy. A little hiking, if you have the energy should be fine. You'll need to drink more and not push it too much but at that stage, the worst problem is having clothes get a little tight.
Enjoy your last vacation as just a couple (for a few years)!
5
Thank you! I do feel like a bit of a panicking idiot now, but at the same time reassured! I know some women who are very like 'oooh, you won't want to do anything except lie down' but as you rightly say I'm not ill, I'm pregnant.I felt totally chilled until I started reading a book about a chap walking in Crete and while it sounded wonderful it sounded really remote and backward, which was a surprise. Before that I was thinking it's totally fine! Maybe I should stop reading it...
I do really want to go and I've always been quite active on holiday so I really feel we can give it a go now.
6
Great! When you book, make sure you can squirm out of it in case of bad news. Unlikely but still...Also, try to get a hold of the name of a good English speaking Ob over there, just in case. Most medical professionals in Greece speak very good English so this shouldn't be difficult.
You might also find that you're more sensitive to the sun now so follow the usual instructions. Pregnant women also risk dark patches in general and sun can make it worse. Ask your doctor or just use it as incentive to keep the hat on and the sun screen slapped on.
Like I said, your biggest "problem" will be your wardrobe. You'll be too early for maternity things but thanks more to water retention and hormones, your normal clothes might be a bit snug. Buying roomier clothes is a good idea as you will probably need them next spring, after the birth when again, you wont be in maternity anymore but very few of us can pop back in our old jeans postpartum for awhile.
Keep hydrated, sun protected, don't over do anything and have a great time!
7
I just got back from a trip to Crete. Both Chania and Heraklion are nice cities that seem to have all the major amenities of any large city you'd find in North America. I can't speak specifically to the medical facilities though.If you're looking for a nice relaxing vacation, check out Southern crete. We spent three nights in Loutro (here's my review) on the beaches and it was very relaxing.
You can take both Chania at a slow pace as well. It's a beautiful town and you can spend a lot of time taking it in if you take your time. Here's my review of each of that as well.
8
Brilliant, thank you. Chania is certainly emerging as a favourite. In the end the dates we wanted in September had gone because we faffed around for too long and I am also already suffering really badly from nausea and vomiting that would, frankly, ruin the holiday. We're going early-mid October instead when the sickness phase should be over. Really looking forward to it!9
Hi,Congratulations.
As others have mentioned if something is going to happen it will regardless of where you are so don't stop yourself, and hopefully by 12 weeks the morning sickness will have ended and you will have entered the wonderful 2nd trimester where you feel great!
Before heading off just check your travel insurance. There is a clause about "not covering pre existing conditions" and this includes pregnancy". Thus if you do need medical attention for whatever reason you may not be covered. Also check if there is a reciprocal agreement with your countries health care system and Greece and then you can use the public health care if required.
Happy travels and enjoy your last holiday as just a couple.
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