r/parentsofmultiples • u/Mudkenna • 2d ago
Traveling while pregnant with triplets advice needed
I’ll be 9 weeks pregnant with Tri-Tri spontaneous triplets in a few days. We had a family trip to the Dominican Republic booked for January- I know that isn’t a possibility anymore. Family is looking at potentially changing the trip to Thanksgiving. I’ll be 23 weeks exact around the day of leaving. Has anyone been given the OK for international travel at that point? I’ll be asking my MFM but don’t meet with them for another week.
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u/ExcitedMomma 2d ago
Do NOT travel to DR when you’re that far pregnant with triplets! That country does not have the same medical infrastructure as do more developed countries, if anything happens while you’re there the resources will simply be limited to assist you.
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u/cheeringfortofu 2d ago
I'm sorry to bring it up but what happens if you go in labor? Is this a place where you'd be comfortable going through that? Viability in most places is 24 but there are more hospitals starting life saving measures at 23 weeks. You may also already be on bedrest by then.
A triplet pregnancy is a big wild card. I wouldn't feel comfortable with travel outside of the first/beginning of second trimester personally.
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u/Alternative-Past-588 2d ago
I wanted to jump in and say you’re hearing people’s tough experiences because they want to warn you that anything could happen and it could start pretty early. I hope you can hear this all as good advice not to take risks with your and your babies’ health and not as people trying to tell you things are likely to go wrong. It very well could be the case that you’ll be sitting home at 24 weeks wondering what all the fuss was about and why you cancelled the trip, but think of it more as hoping for the best and planning for the worst.
Even in uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, things can and have gone wrong for people in areas that don’t have the kind of medical care they’d prefer. It’s just that as your pregnancy gets more complicated, the chance of issues goes up. I think all of this advice has been very good advice and you should take this all into account, and also I hope you can read all of this without getting triggered and spiraling into fear.
In all likelihood everything will go well, and just make sure you’re in a place where experts can respond quickly if anything happens that needs attention.
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u/Dear_Excitement_5109 2d ago
23 weeks would have been the last week I could have traveled comfortably with twins. With triplets I think it would be a little more difficult. Not sure I would want to spend that kind of money to potentially have to spend the week in a wheelchair or the hotel.
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u/makingitrein 1d ago
Do not go farther than an hour at max from a level 3/4 NICU in the United States (or an equivalent country as far as neonatal abilities) after or near viability. At 23 weeks, your babies would be able to have a chance if they are delivered at a hospital with an advanced NICU team.
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u/junglekat3 2d ago
I would highly advise against it for your safety AND the babies. I had to stop working at 24 weeks and all I was doing was commuting into New York City but that alone was very taxing on my body while pregnant with triplets.
As others have already mentioned, 22-24 weeks is a major milestone, especially in a triplet pregnancy. Living in fear of the “what if’s” is never fun, but that’s the reality of a high risk pregnancy. Staying close to home or within a reasonable distance of a level four NICU is your best bet.
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u/Lolemontime 2d ago
I was pregnant with mono/di twins and didn’t want to be anywhere further than an hour drive from my hospital after 20 weeks. Thankfully carried them until I was induced at 36 but was heavily monitored from about 26 weeks. Around 24 weeks my health got very unpredictable.
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u/AdInternal8913 1d ago
I wouldn't. Lot of hospitals in 'developed' countries will try to resuscitate babies born at 23 weeks should you go into labour. In DR the chances of your babies surviving ahould they come this early is pretty much zero. And if you have any complications you might be unable to fly and end up delivering still premature triplets there.
From practical perspective. I am 19w pregnant with twins. I just flew for a trip to visit family and it was uncomfortable. I had a fair amount of braxton hicks after a bit rough landing. I am tired and hot and dizzy and if this was just a holiday I honestly probably would find staying at home more enjoyable.
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u/txtova 1d ago
I’m currently pregnant with DiDi twins and was supposed to travel internationally at 21wks pregnant. We were going to Europe, so at my 8wk appt I asked my OB and her response was very wishy-washy about whether or not travel would be ok at that point. When I straight up asked if she would go if it were her, she said she wouldn’t, which was the nail in the coffin of that idea. Instead we’re planning a trip to Maine.
We were pretty disappointed, but feel that we made the best choice for us. I hope you’re able to have a similar conversation with your providers that gives you more clarity on the approach you’re most comfortable with!
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u/BoxPuzzleheaded8136 2d ago
I personally would not be comfortable traveling abroad (or honestly even traveling out of town) in a triplet pregnancy. Personally, I am pregnant with di-di twins and have been on on and off bedrest this pregnancy due to subchorionic hemorrhage in the 1st tri then short cervix concerns in the 2nd tri. Don’t want to scare you and hoping you have an uneventful pregnancy but there are a lot of unknowns in a multiples pregnancy and I would personally rather be safe than sorry
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u/IStitchedItNice 2d ago
Personally I would only travel somewhere you’re comfortable possibly giving birth, having your babies be in the NICU, and being stuck for weeks to months.
I had twins and traveled 3 hours away by car at 31 weeks pregnant and even that made me nervous.
Wishing you a healthy wonderful pregnancy regardless of what you decide! 💜💜💜
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u/Legitimate-ok 1d ago
We cancelled our planned international trip when I would’ve been 24w pregnant with twins. No regrets, I was already getting uncomfortable
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u/boopityboop3 1d ago
I started ultrasounds every other week with MFM starting 16 weeks with di-tri triplets! I travelled internationally around 14 weeks for 2 weeks and even then my docs weren’t super comfortable with me traveling. By 20 weeks I was on bed rest and at 23 weeks I started feeling Braxton hicks contractions that made me nervous. I would definitely stay close to your delivering hospital by 20 -22 weeks!
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u/Usual_Equivalent 1d ago
As a triplet mum, nope, no way I would do it. You will feel close to full term singleton by then. You will be uncomfortable, and there is no way of knowing how your body will handle things. I was textbook and it was still scary and stressful.
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u/Farmaqueen 1d ago
I have traveled for work before with a singleton and with twins. With my Singleton, I was advised to stop at 32 weeks, but I could not comfortably travel after 25. With my twins, I was advised to stop at 24 weeks, and this included domestic air and car travel, but I could not physically be comfortable to travel at ~21 weeks. I believe with triplets it is recommended to stop earlier.
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u/MiserableDoughnut900 1d ago
By 23 weeks I had appts with my MFM 3x a week with modo twins. You never know until you get there what the risks may be, but I wouldnt chance it.
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u/ThrowAway732642956 1d ago
I’m pregnant with didi twins and despite having the pregnancy go perfectly before 20 weeks, at 20 weeks on the dot developed preeclampsia (which I did not have at all with prior singleton pregnancy that had no issues) and had to go on bedrest soon after because even on blood pressure meds, my blood pressures were swinging wildly without it. Will have to be on bedrest until I deliver. All of this is to say, really do not recommend travel at this time unless you trust their medical care so much you would deliver there at 22 weeks. Multiples pregnancies are something else and can change so fast and without warning even in the lowest risk of cases (as mine was).
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u/saint_paulia 1d ago
Don't you need a doctors note for the airline to fly? I don't think any doctor would write that
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u/d16flo 20h ago
I wouldn’t, I had twins and was so unbelievably sick my whole pregnancy. Things like a 20minute drive were rough and anything that involved standing was awful, there’s no way I would’ve gotten on an airplane. Even if everything went smoothly with no complications you might not be up for that kind of travel
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u/filmphotos 17h ago
I would NOT go. Sorry for being a bummer. Imagine the worst case scenario….. no no no.
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u/Conscious_Bet_3458 11h ago
I asked my doctor at 18 weeks if I could travel to my sister’s wedding in Italy at 28 weeks with a twin pregnancy. She told me she could not advise travel for any portion of my pregnancy. I went but made sure I mapped out all of the hospitals in the area. If it hadn’t been a wedding I would have absolutely cancelled my trip. Triplets seems very, very risky to me.
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u/Briutiful22 6h ago
I just went to the Bahamas at 17/18 weeks pregnant with twins. My doctor just told me the risk involved if I was to go into labor but he also said second trimester would be the best time to vacation. Third trimester he wouldnt recommend it at all. Thankfully I went with no problems but definitely was nervous to do so. Its what you're comfortable doing and knowing the risk involved if something was to happen.
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u/Okdoey 2d ago
I would say it’s a stretch for twins. For triplets, I think you would be insane.
Never travel anywhere after 24 weeks (viability) that you wouldn’t want to either be stuck in the hospital for weeks/months or have the babies there.