Sailing During Third Trimester

[Katiusha]

Did you, or any of your friends, sail during the third trimester (before 34 weeks)? Even more curious about long (1 week +) passages. Did you [or they] use any extra precautions or a specific setup? How did you find your balance?

I'm thinking that packing the sail is out of the question. It might be worth it getting a life jacket/harness combination that fits above the belly. Pillows/lee cloth for sleeping. Lots of herbal teas.

What did you setup on the boat/catamaran?

[Red Charlotte]

Hi there, judging by the date of this post, you may have already had your baby. We are liveaboards and went sailing on the day I went into labor (39 weeks 4 days). We were out for about five hours and within two hours of being back at the dock my water broke.

So, I knew that going out at that time in my pregnancy I could go into labor at any time. We stuck to the harbor and knew that we could call for medical help if really needed but figured even if I went into labor I'd have time to get back to the dock on our own (which would have been true if my water had broken out on the water that day.)

Since we liveaboard I had all my creature comforts onboard already (pillows, tea, etc) but I was so busy entertaining guests (and sailing) that day that I wasn't laid back or chilling.

If it were me, I would not recommend week long passages that kept you away from quick access to land. You never know when your baby will come! Would love to hear if your little one has arrived already. Oh, and if you want to read the full account of Cora's birth story after the sailing trip, I have it here: Rebel Heart - Sailing, cruising, liveaboard blog and website - Charlotte's Blog - Cora's Birth*Story

[Red Charlotte]

Oh, the second photo will show you the kind of life jacket I use (just loosened it to fit around the belly.)