healthy habits

If you're not careful, the most exciting and rewarding time of your life could be marred by disease.

T

he trip is undoubtedly the most exciting part of an adoption process. You'll be meeting your child for the first time, touring their native country and making all kinds of memories for your new family.
But if you're not careful, the most exciting and rewarding time of your life can be marred with misery.
When it comes to traveling an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure...consider taking these steps to head off getting sick while overseas.

1. If you're traveling to a developing country, consider getting immunizations against diseases like hepatitis or typhoid and make sure childhood vaccinations are up to date to protect you from illnesses like diphtheria, which can still found in poorer countries.
2. The old saying, 'Don't drink the water' still applies. Chances are, the country you are adopting from will not have the same water safety standards that we are used to in the U.S. If you drink the water, you run a pretty good risk of spending a lot of time in the bathroom plagued by Travelers' Diarrhea. Stick with bottled water to not only drink and cook with, but also to brush your teeth.
3. And finally, stay on top of health issues unique to your country of travel. Check out the websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization for the latest health information and advisories on the region you're traveling to.