Cruising in Mexico while Pregnant

Extended travelling while pregnant probably isn’t for everyone. However it also isn’t so hard.

We decided to go on our Pacific tour about one month before we found out I was pregnant with baby number two. Surprise! A baby wasn’t going to stop our plans so we had to work around this little bean.

The first thing that had to be re assessed was the 6 day leg to San Francisco. I would be in my first trimester and I was already feeling pretty nauseas and tired, so we rounded up some friends for crew and Kolby set sail. Fynn, Kyber and I flew to San Fran the following week to meet up. I had a visit with my midwifes right before I left and we discussed my pregnancy for the next 2 months. As it was still early days there was little that would be done other than wait for my next appointment.

My next appointment was at 20 weeks for my detailed ultrasound on December 8. I decided to fly home with Fynn for this as it was close to Christmas, and it would be nice to see family. I also wanted to see my midwifes again for some consistency. Additionally, given that I don’t pay out of pocket in Canada for my pregnancy care, there were no additional costs. An ultrasound in a private hospital in Mexico would cost a good portion of my flight home, something worth considering. Of course this is still oodles cheaper than our American counterparts. My ultrasound was normal and everything looked happy for my second pregnancy. My first had also been quite easy, so I am fortunate that way. My next appointment will be about 3 weeks before my due date, leaving about a 3 month gate without medical care.

This never really bothered me. Personally I don’t see pregnancy as a medical condition, more as a part of life. Of course many things can go wrong, and medical intervention can save the lives of both babe and mom, and I am certainly not against that. Given that my pregnancy is considered low risk, I was only ever mildly concerned about being in remote locations and quite far from neonatal care.

Like mama

My biggest concern travelling in Mexico for an extended period of time is getting sick – like e coli or some other nasty stomach bug. We are super careful with or fresh produce, everything is washed before it is stored. I watched first hand a lady at the market weight raw chicken on a scale then proceed to put veggies on the same scale. It happens, so we wash everything. I have been eating in hole in the wall restaurants and taco stands though, so I can’t say I am being 100 percent cautious. I do want to experience the trip, not just watch from the sidelines. So far none of us have gotten sick, so I guess we are doing ok.

Just hanging out

Being pregnant itself has some challenges on board as well, but I am sure you can guess what that is – as I enter my third trimester my belly is starting to get in the way, making it more difficult to manoeuvre on a moving sailboat. I am also more hesitant in physically demanding situations as I do not feel as strong or competent.

Sailing

We considered having the baby in Mexico- however several reasons pointed us to having it back home 1. The due date was right around the date to sail to Hawaii, and I wasn’t going to do that trip with a newborn, so we would be flying home to wait for Asunto to arrive in Hawaii anyways. 2. Having a baby costs around $2-3000 in Mexico and was free at home. 3. My research indicated the the Mexican healthcare system was heavily medicalized for birth with a very high rate of C-sections, which is not my style. There were a few women centred midwifery care style options, but these were quite far from anywhere we would be.  So Vancouver it will be, then we will carry on our adventure with a 2 year old and a newborn, which will certainly be more intense then pregnancy and a 2 year old!

Still hiking at 30 weeks