Pregnancy on Board

Heath&Nick · #1 (**permalink**) 09-03-2004

My husband and I want to liveaboard a 30'' - 38'' sailboat but we are also hoping to start our family, too. We look forward to raising our children on board, but what I want to know is what I have to look forward to, being pregnant on a boat. We will most likely be in a slip or at anchor in familiar waters. Anyone had this experience and have any advice?

starcresttoo · #2 (**permalink**) 09-03-2004

my own opinion is that even the slight gentle rocking and rolling motion even at a marina might trigger premature contractions.My suggestion would be to consult obgyn professonals.Even if eveything was successful,the damp marine environment might not be healthy for newborns.I think the whole thing would be physically challenging with all sorts of problems,and I see a future 30-38 foot salboat for sale.

msl · #3 (**permalink**) 09-04-2004

Dave and Jaja Martin have written several articles and books about their livaboard adventures. They have three children, all born during their world cruising aboard a 25 foot Cal and later a 33 foot steel hulled cruiser.

ghostsailors · #4 (**permalink**) 09-08-2004

I have gone through 2 pregnancies while living aboard. We stayed in our slip most of the time with the 1st one because I was so nervous and had such horrible morning sickness, I couldn''t imagine going sailing. I didn''t have any problems and the doctors were never worried about me living aboard. We had a very healthy little boy. During the 2nd pregnancy we went cruising for a little over a month. I still had the morning sickness, but I dealt with it. Our little girl was as healthy as could be as well. The only thing that was any problem was the 8 1/2 months of morning sickness for both pregnancies and I think that was hereditary. Please email me if you have any other questions. It''s a wonderful life. My kids love being onboard.

Angela

P.S. My kids have been extremely healthy. They actually got more colds/ear infections when we moved off for a year to do work on the boat.

seame · #5 (**permalink**) 10-11-2004

Hi,
I was pregnant and had both of my children on board. The first I made the crossing from Hawaii to Seattle at 7 months pregnant. I don''t recommend that. Wow! It is amazing how much you use your stomach while sailing. My second I was in a berth most of the time, though we did some small trips.

There is no reason why you can''t be pregnant and raise your children at sea. After 20 years of sailing both of our kids are now in college and better people for having lived at sea.

Follow your heart and trust in yourself. You will be fine.

seame

Heath&Nick · #6 (**permalink**) 04-17-2005

Thank you for all the positive response. Even starcresttoo''s; those are all things that I have considered as drawbacks. I don''t think we could bring ourselves to sell our boat, even if the live-aboard pregnancy didn''t work.

We are packing up our landlocked lives and getting a slip in San Diego. We have family there with welcome homes incase things get to be too much for me during the not-so-distant pregnancy. Personally, I can''t think of a more relaxing place for mother-to-be, baby and all than a quiet cove off Catalina, rocking, periodically reading to my belly, hearing the water slap against the side.
We have our dream of cruising, homeschooling and more ahead of us, and I can''t wait to get started.

Thank you all again.
Heather

Surfesq · #7 (**permalink**) 08-20-2006

This was a great thread. I would love to hear from the women who talked about having children on board and where they are today.

Cruisingdad · #8 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006

Heath & Nick,

We have been there. Chase was on the boat 5 days after birth, we lived aboard soon thereafter, and I can tell you that it made many positive memories (and some not so positive ones... but that is life in general).

We had boats before kids, and after. We are moving back to FL soon in our newest boat and will very likely live aboard again (now with 2 kiddos). Go for it. Make it work. But let me warn you, it is very very different with the boys on board versus just a couple of furry children. Kids require space and things adults don't: Lying around the floor and playing cars, formula, baby food, diapers (OH LORD, THE DIAPERS>>> WHEW!!), etc.

I know there are going to be many people (and a lot of good advice) about how to avoid many of those things... but keep in mind that everyone is different. I think the hardest thing to get used to living on a boat with kids is the lack of private space. We set out certain boundaries for the boys(their own personal space) and for ourselves (Don't bother Daddy, he's in his chair).

This will be a very contentious subject, but I will throw out an opinion that many people on this forum may dissagree with (and you may too): Buy a big, fat, production cruiser that is basically a floating condo (yes, I am prepared for everyone to point out the fallacies of this, and I know them very well, but it is still my OPINION). There is nothing wrong with them, as long as your basic destination is not more than a few days from land. They are comfortable. They are less expensive than the typically same size Bwater thoroughbred that is better built (yes better built), but the dreams of distant shores and remote destinations with no access to a Pedi or any real medical care should not be taken lightly. For us at least, our kids made several visits to the hospital.

I have noticed there are many people out there with more kiddo-blue-water experience than what we have and may have many differing opinions; I happily open the forum to them. I am not the expert. But I will say, some of the best memories and pictures of our lives have been (and still are) surrounded by water. Cruisers with kids have to work harder at it, but you can do it and it is worth it.

If you have some specific questions, drop me a VM and I will throw it off to my wife. She had some motion sickness with our second, not our first. However, I think once your body gets used to the movement, the only motion sickness you will get is when you step on Terra Firma. That sounds like a joke, but I am not kidding. Once your body gets used to the movement, it has a problem when it stops.

- CD

PS I would wager that your kids will be healthier any month on the boat than ANY day in a daycare.

sailingdog · #9 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006

Yes, some people do get seasick after getting off of a boat, after a long time aboard. The human body is amazing at adapting to various conditions, and compensating for them.

nnelson1 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006

We just experienced this after just a short time on our boat this weekend!

After a couple of days of being at sea, when we were back on land, I kept asking my wife, "Do you feel like we're still moving?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, yeah.... I thought it was just me."

Weird.