Guillemette and Vianney are 33 and 35 years old. In order to live fully as a family with their three boys, aged 7, 5 and 3, they decided to leave their busy jobs and go sailing for three years. What they did not foresee was that after two years of preparation for the departure, a little guest would show up!
Leave or abandon the project?
When the news arrived of this pregnancy, the project of leaving on a sailboat was already well underway. Guillemette and Vianney had left their jobs, the boat had been bought, and changing everything is not so simple when the machine is launched.
The young couple explains, " So we were a bit lost the first few days. We had to take the time to put all the options on the table, and to ask several opinions and advices from sailors and medical professionals ."
A well thought-out departure
Finally, after much reflection, life on a boat, pregnancy and welcoming a new child on board do not seem so incompatible, if the events are well anticipated. Guillemette being a midwife, she knows well the risks of a pregnancy. She also knows how to play down this stage.
The couple decides to continue the adventure. Confident but cautious, they will move forward step by step, advising as events unfold. The itinerary of the trip will be secondary to the real objective of this trip: to spend time with their family and on a sailboat.
Careful preparation of the pregnancy on board
To face the specificities of a pregnancy, the on-board pharmacy is largely completed. It must be able to deal with the risks of premature delivery, unplanned delivery, pregnant vomiting...
As soon as the boat leaves Brittany, it is equipped with a satellite connection to contact a medical service at any time. A file has also been opened at the Medical Consultation Center at Sea (CCMM) of Toulouse containing all of Guillemette's obstetrical information.
Finally, while the pregnancy was well underway, two crew members joined the team for the Atlantic crossing.
Anticipated pregnancy monitoring throughout the sailboat's journey
The first pregnancy follow-up appointments made in France are reassuring! The next ones are anticipated before the departure. Guillemette can easily consult professionals in the Canary Islands, and even finds a French-speaking gynecologist by chance!
To facilitate the formalities and her care, Guillemette requested a European social security card. In addition, the couple took out a frequent flyer insurance policy for the whole family. However, they specify that all of them do not take into account complications related to pregnancy, and none of them covers follow-up consultations.
Then, upon arrival in Guyana after the transatlantic crossing, the pregnancy follow-up is done by a midwife friend of the couple: consultation, ultrasound of the third trimester and blood test.
Finally, the Fort de France maternity hospital had been contacted beforehand to organize the last appointments before the birth: consultation with a midwife to create a medical file at the hospital, anesthesia consultation and blood test.
