Travelling while Pregnant
From when we found out, I knew I was going to continue travelling while pregnant. We had booked a few trips before we found out so I was keen on fulfilling all of them. My only prayer was to have a sickness-free and low-risk pregnancy so I could travel without worry. This post will focus on tips for travelling while pregnant.
It was very important for me to enjoy being pregnant and that included doing things I loved to do. Travel, being at the top of that list. So as soon as that test came back positive, we started researching.
In traveling while pregnant, precaution is going to be the order of how things will play out. There should be nothing like surprises or unplanned experiences. Everything should be planned and anticipated to a T. In my experience this was the only way I was able to enjoy all the trips I took.
Disclaimer – I am not a healthcare professional. As always, this post is based off my experience and research, having had a low-risk and relatively healthy pregnancy.
Related Post: Tips for Travelling with a Baby
TIPS FOR TRAVELLING WHILE PREGNANT – THE CHECKLIST
1. Check with healthcare professionals that it is safe to travel
At any point in your pregnancy, the healthcare professional in charge of your checks should be aware of potential travel dates and locations. They are able to give advice based on the information provided. We found out I was pregnant around week 6 and our 1st trip afterwards was around week 7 – 8. It was booked ages before and we contemplated cancelling it but after our 1st midwife appointment, we were more confident about travelling.
2. Obtain a "fit to fly" certificate
Depending on how your pregnancy develops and when exactly you plan to travel, this might not be necessary. Most airlines will require this towards the end of 2nd trimester and during the 3rd trimester; usually when you start to show. In the UK, the midwives provide this except when the pregnancy is high risk, then the Consultant/Doctor will be in the best position to provide it.
3. Calculate how long the flight will be
Some of the reasons why travelling while pregnant can be annoying include fatigue and peeing every minute. So this means that a 12 hour flight, which might have been a breeze pre-pregnancy, can now feel so tiring. It is also essential to plan “walk breaks” to keep your blood flowing to avoid blood clots. Staying hydrated is also very important throughout the flight. Travel is fun but health is more important.
4. Purchase compression socks to wear in flight
This was recommended to me for long haul flights over 3 hours. I got mine from Boots and wore my pair even on my short 2 hour flights as it made me feel like I was taking all the precautions necessary to avoid clots. It is also advisable to pick an aisle seat as it is more comfortable and easier to get up multiple times throughout the flight.
5. Confirm that destination is zika free
Now this is one that shocked me. “Is zika virus still a thing?“, I asked my midwife and she confirmed that yes, indeed, it was very much still doing its rounds. She sent me a link of countries that I needed to avoid and I silently prayed all the trips we had pre-booked would not be affected. I remember looking at the zika-free list on gov.uk and was shocked to see how many of the popular babymoon destinations were on it. So, yes, you need to tick this check off your list.
6. Buy new travel insurance to include pregnancy
Travel insurance is a BIG deal. We are in 2023 so I want to believe everyone buys travel insurance now before they travel. Most travel insurance packages will include pregnancy but double-check your terms and conditions. If not sure, call your insurance company to verify.
7. Google maternity hospitals near my hotel
This is one of the most important tips for travelling while pregnant. It will automatically help to ease any possible anxiety. I made sure to research closest hospitals and even contacted my hotels beforehand to recommend maternity hospitals I could use in case of emergency. Yes, this seems quite extra but it did put my mind at ease especially for my long haul trip. Remember to take all your medical documents with you!
8. Cancellation Policy
Book travels that you are able to amend or cancel. Pregnancy is a very uncertain time in your life and it is important to be very flexible. No matter how much plans you make, there is a possibility it will not go ahead. For every trip I went on, I made sure I could amend each even as last minute as the day before.
TRAVELLING WHILE PREGNANT - WHERE I WENT
I went on 4 trips in total during my pregnancy. There were 3 in 1st trimester and 1 at the end of 2nd trimester.
Paros and Mykonos, Greece at 7 weeks pregnant
We had booked the trip to Greece a few months before we even knew about the pregnancy, of all the trips in this period, this was the one I contemplated cancelling the most. I had just found out I was pregnant a week before and we were not very confident about travelling. However, it turned out to be a wonderful trip. I did feel sick once when I had a dodgy roadside milkshake. I am not sure who told me it was ok to drink milk shake with ice cubes from a roadside kiosk. However, I learnt my lesson!
Milan and Lake Como, Italy at 9 weeks pregnant
I was still in the phase of not knowing if everything was ok. This is where I admit that I did not do a scan until 12 weeks via the NHS. Usually, most people find out they are pregnant and go for a private scan to confirm heartbeat. But me, I decided to wait for the NHS. Partly because I was worried – this came with the fact that I did not have any symptoms except that I could not stop eating. So from finding out I was pregnant at around 6 weeks until week 12, it was constant anxiety!
Lake Como Blog Post: Travel Guide to Lake Como
Venice, Italy at 12 weeks pregnant
At this point, I was fairly certain the pregnancy was going ok. We also scheduled our 12 weeks appointment for when we came back from this trip. I’m sure it was because I wanted to enjoy myself and then come back and face the music lol. Anyway, it was a wonderful trip with lots of food dates, sleep and downtime.
Mauritius at 27 – 28 weeks pregnant
Now I was well and truly visibly pregnant. This was our babymoon and we were determined to go away before baby was born. Of all the trips, this was the one where I felt my best. I was approaching 3rd trimester, felt quite beautiful, already felt her kicks and even had energy!
We had a final trip which we cancelled last minute, It was to Paris, I would have been around 33 weeks but by week 32, I had started to slow down a lot and knew Paris won’t be as fun so we cancelled.
Mauritius Blog Post: Mauritius Travel Guide
TRAVELLING WHILE PREGNANT – GETTING TO YOUR LOCATION
- Consider your activities. This is not the time to be spontaneous. Google activities associated with your location & make an informed decision on what you should avoid.
- Avoid tap water while away. This might be one where you’ll have to stick to bottled water especially when you’re unsure of source.
- This is also not the time to experiment with food – eat familiar things, make sure eggs are well cooked, wash all fruits before eating etc. You want to avoid food poisoning.
- Know what foods to avoid. For me, it was some types of cheese, cold meat and some species of seafood including sushi. Again, eat foods you recognise. I used the list on the NHS website as a guide and this made me more comfortable in my food choices.
- Clothes should be comfortable. As much as travel is a fantastic excuse to slay, travelling while pregnant means comfort has to come first.
There is no doubt that travel can be stressful especially in pregnancy and I totally understand why a lot of women would rather avoid it when pregnant. Sometimes, just the anxiety alone can drive one mad and it is not far-fetched to wonder if this is all worth the hassle. I remember getting to Milan and having to queue for 2 hours at passport control. This was after I had worked all day and jumped on a 6.30pm flight. I ended up getting to my hotel past midnight and was so tired. On a normal day, this would not have been too bad but I was totally wiped out because I was in my 1st trimester of growing a human.
It is important to remember that travel is not going anywhere. It will be there even after your baby is born so if you don’t feel up to it, skip travelling while pregnant. I promise that you are not missing anything. For me, travel is a huge part of my life so it was a no brainer to me. However, the privilege of having a relatively “easy” pregnancy helped cement my choice.
Bisous, Bugo x
