On a recent trip I sat next to a lady who had just returned from India. It reminded me of how many of our clients these days are traveling to India. In our experience, most of the pregnant women traveling to India are either business travelers or visiting friends and relatives (VFRs). If you are visiting friends and relatives and will be staying in their homes there is a whole range of special issues that you may encounter. I have discussed these in my blog on VFRs and recommend that you read that. In addition, here is a list of the most important things we cover in our consultations.
• If you are new to India, expect to be overwhelmed when you first arrive. The combination of vivid colors, loud noises, pungent aromas, population density and intense climate hits you like no other place in the world.
• Monsoons occur from May to early October. Be prepared for a deluge!
• The traffic can be quite dangerous if you are not used to it. Traffic is supposed to move on the left, so always look RIGHT before crossing the street. But when things get busy, chaos reigns and it is wise to be accompanied by a local.
• Try to never travel the roads at night.
• Delays are inevitable. Always carry a snack.
• Depending on the time of year and the details of your stay, you may need to take malaria prevention. And India is the most important destination for which typhoid vaccine is recommended.
• Other important insect-borne diseases are dengue fever, zika and Japanese encephalitis.
• Traveler’s diarrhea is common and can be very serious in pregnancy. Be especially careful about what you eat and drink.
• If you should have any medical issues, top notch health care is available in any major city.
If you need more details just contact us and we will be glad to give you a personal consultation.
Happy travels…until next time.
