By Wishes Diva
In January this year, my husband and I got the magical news that we would be welcoming a new bouncing baby into the world in September. We were beyond excited!
The Disney Diva in me immediately thought ahead to our upcoming Disney World trip that would be in mid-February. I knew I needed to start planning ahead for the changes to my normal Disney routine that I would have to make. When we went on our trip I was in the height of my first trimester at 9 weeks. I knew as I was planning that there were some serious adjustments I would have to make.
Here are my tips for those of you who may be in the same situation!
- Water- I am usually pretty good about making sure I am hydrating at Disney. However on this trip it became more important than ever. To keep that idea in my head I decided to go out and buy a water bottle that had a cross body carrying case with it. This allowed me to have my water on me the whole trip and was a constant reminder to take care of my body in that way! I also packed some Vitamin Water as well and drank that with my meals and snacks throughout the day.
Water bottle I took on this trip.
- Snacks- We usually take snacks into the parks with us. This time I had to be a little more thoughtful about what snacks I packed. I was very fortunate to not have really bad nausea throughout my first trimester, however I did have to be very careful about what snacks I ate because there was very little that I could eat without it making me gag. I ate a lot of oatmeal and other carbs throughout this time. The snacks I took with my into the parks were oatmeal squares, granola bars, various different types of crackers and raisins. I kept a huge bag of these in my backpack at all times throughout the trip. I was definitely on a schedule of needing to eat at least every 3-4 hours so this helped me maintain that without spending too much money or making my group stop all the time. We also utilized the kitchen area of our room to make food when we were there too!
Kitchen area in the Lion King Suite at Art of Animation
- Shoes- This is a tip for anyone visiting the parks, not just pregnant visitors. Be very aware of what shoes you wear! I made sure to pack 4 pairs of shoes for the 4 days in the parks we had. My feet usually hurt every night so I wanted to make sure I did not have to wear the same shoes two days in a row. I also made sure I packed good thick socks to wear as well. My feet definitely thanked me.
- Rest- Typically when we do Disney trips, we like to take a break in the middle of the day. Because this trip was so quick, we opted not to because we wanted to get everything in (we also visited Universal in the 4 days we were down there). This decision was very difficult for me. I was dealing a lot with the exhaustion that comes with pregnancy and I struggled with energy in the afternoons. So my advice is even if it is a short trip, find a way to take a break. If you are staying on property, take the bus back to your room. Even it is for an hour. Laying down and resting will make you feel so much better to finish out your day. If you aren’t staying on property, then find a quiet spot to rest for a while during the afternoon!
- Rides- When I found out I would be going to Disney while pregnant, my initial reaction was that I needed to start researching which attractions I could do, and which were not safe for me. I started by doing some reading online but I was finding mixed responses. I knew I needed to ask my midwife before I made any decisions. Luckily I had an appointment about a week before our trip. I had the conversation with my midwife and asked very specific ride questions to ensure she had all the information to advise me. My midwife told me at the point where I was that I was safe to ride anything I felt well enough to. My initial reaction was concern but she assured me that everything surrounding my growing little bundle of joy was very protected and would not be in danger on any ride. That being said, I definitely did not feel well enough to ride some things. Since I had been to Disney recently I opted to skip the rollercoasters and big thrill rides like Mission: SPACE and Star Tours. I made this decision because I did not want one ride to make me feel miserable the rest of the day. Instead I opted to take advantage of some of the slower rides and Character Meet-and-Greets! So don’t overdo it and go with your first instinct on whether or not you want to ride. And above all listen to your doctors! They obviously know best.
Overall my experience at Disney World during my first trimester was enjoyable! But I am very glad that I took the steps in planning and preparation that I did. It made my trip go very smoothly!
