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Say a woman is 3-4 months pregnant. How safe and reliable is to visit countries such as Nepal or Cuba?

I did some research on vaccines to be injected (Asociación de Médicos de Sanidad Exterior - Viajeras embarazadas (in Spanish)) and apparently:

  • Some of them are not recommended to be injected in expecting women: flu, for example.
  • For many others it is stated that the risk should be ballanced with the need: polio, yellow fever, typhoid fever.
  • Finally, others should not represent any problem: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B.

Regarding the altitude (in case of Nepal), I read that until 3,000 - 3,500 m above sea level there should not be problems.

Regarding the heat, apparently it is dangerous if it is extreme.

So, what other aspects should be taken into consideration? How possible is to visit countries like Nepal and Cuba at this state of pregnancy?

I could not find information about pregnancy in the following links from Traveler's health website:

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    Also realize that flying is not always encouraged for pregnant women. As this is more a medical issue, I would also like to encourage you to consult a doctor (if this is a non-hypothetical case)
    – Bernhard
    Nov 24 '14 at 20:39
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    I was about to vote to close this question as off-topic because I think it should be asked to a medical professional, it highly depends on the pregnant woman's health itself, some might be able to handle it while other's can't, I think a doctor should determine that..
    – Nean Der Thal
    Nov 24 '14 at 21:12
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    @MeNoTalk indeed, the definite answer must be given by a medical professional. However, as I saw the tag [pregnancy] having similar questions, I though somebody could give some basic, general suggestions.
    – fedorqui
    Nov 24 '14 at 21:58
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I will note up front that I'm not a medical professional so I can only offer what I'd consider common sense tips that my wife and I used while we were expecting:

  • How likely are you to get illnesses that might be a cause for concern? Gastroenteritis, for example, is nasty at the best of times but can be more of an issues while pregnant.
  • How confident are you in the local health care if something goes wrong with your pregnancy? What about language barriers? If something, god forbid, goes wrong, your first point of contact will likely be a local health care centre. Will this be an issue?
  • You appear to have covered the physical extremes (altitude, heat) but obviously what activities you hope to do in the destinations will play a part in whether it's an enjoyable trip.
  • Most countries do not offer restrictions on the travel of pregnant women, but it doesn't hurt to have a doctor's certificate stating your due date in case of over-zealous airline attendants (most airlines have restrictions on travel of pregnant women after a certain date) or customs officials (countries that give out citizenship upon being born on their soil can have restrictions to try to ensure pregnant women will return home before giving birth).
  • Are you experiencing any nausea during pregnancy? This can be exacerbated at altitude (Nepal) or in flight. My wife went from next to no nausea during the rest of her pregnancy to crippling nausea while in flight. This can be very tough on long flights.
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  • Sorry I didn't reply on your answer. This was quite helpful. It is not an answer but a good guide, so in fact it is a very good beginning point. Thanks!
    – fedorqui
    Dec 12 '14 at 13:46

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