5 lessons you’ll learn travelling whilst pregnant

Taking a vacation with children is one of the most rewarding, yet stressful things you can do as a family (although there are some ways to make it easier). However, when the child is still in your belly, you are presented with a whole load of other challenges to overcome! Here are five lessons you will learn traveling whilst pregnant.

Choosing where to go isn’t simple

Whereas pre-pregnancy you only really had to consider where you wanted to go and what you wanted to do while you were there, it’s not quite as easy when you are pregnant. One thing you need to really think about is whether the country you are going to requires vaccines before you travel. Generally, these are not a problem, however, it’s important to speak to your GP or midwife about these before you book your trip as some vaccines are risky while pregnant.

 

Source

You can’t just eat and drink whatever you want

Trying new foods is often a really exciting part of travelling to a new place, however, when you are pregnant you need to be careful about what you are ingesting. When you’re pregnant, you are advised to stay away from certain seafood, soft cheeses, pate and. of course alcohol. However when you are in another country, it’s best to avoid tap water too. Opt for bottled water, and ask for no ice in your drinks as these can cause stomach upsets which can be more dangerous when you are pregnant.

There are some things that you absolutely cannot do

It can be easy to forget about the things that you are advised not to do when you are booking an exciting trip in advance, however it is important to be aware of these. For example, a theme park might not be the best destination to visit while pregnant as most, if not all, rollercoasters and rides are unsuitable for pregnant women; they can also be incredibly dangerous for the unborn baby. A lot of adventure holidays will also be unsuitable for similar reasons, so leave the skiing, abseiling or kayaking for when the baby is here!

It’s okay to ask for help

Whether you are in the first trimester, where you might not be showing but will likely feel exhausted and nauseous, or you are further along where walking far can be a struggle, being pregnant can be difficult at the best of times, and so it is okay to ask for help. You might need to ask to be given a seat, a hand with your luggage or stop for a rest while on a walk. All of these things are in the best interests of you and your baby, so don’t be worried about asking for help.

Source

Making memories with your bump will be amazing

Depending on when in your pregnancy you go travelling, you might find it difficult to enjoy every second. This is probably why a lot of experts recommend the second trimester as you will be past the risky first trimester, but before the struggle of the third, and pregnant ladies tend to have a little more energy at this point. However, being able to look back at photographs of you travelling with your little baby bump will be magical and something wonderful to share when they are old enough; telling them all about their travels before they were even born.

Travelling can be difficult, as can being pregnant, so doing both is quite ambitious, but absolutely worth it! It might be the last time you can get away as just the two of you before your little one makes an appearance so it’s wonderful to be able to make the most of that.

Let me know in the comments if you have travelled while pregnant and what lessons you learned.