Traveling while pregnant can be daunting. I have been fortunate to travel quite a bit during pregnancy with my first and third pregnancies(second was during COVID, although we traveled a little then too). Based on our experiences, I was inspired to draft a post on things to consider when booking your trip when you are expecting.
Key Things to Consider:
Healthcare Provider:
Consult with your regular healthcare provider: Before making any travel plans, consult your obstetrician or healthcare provider. They can assess your specific health condition and provide advice on whether it’s safe for you to travel, especially if you have any complications or medical history that could impact your pregnancy.
Take medical records: If you’re traveling far from home, request your healthcare provider to give you a copy of your prenatal medical records and any relevant ultrasound images to take with you in case you need medical attention while away.
Take any medication: Ensure you have an adequate supply of any prescribed medications, prenatal vitamins, or other supplements you’re taking and keep them in your carry-on bag.
Do research on destination’s healthcare providers: Research the doctors/hospitals in your destination. It will feel good to be aware of these details in case an emergency pops up.
2. Timing of Travel: Whether you’re travelling or not, the risk of miscarriage is higher in the first 3 months. Many doctors recommend traveling during the second trimester (weeks 14 to 28) when the risk of miscarriage is lower, and common pregnancy discomforts like morning sickness have usually subsided. Generally, women are not allowed to travel by air after 36 weeks, although the recommended international cut-off is earlier. However, individual recommendations may vary, so consult your doctor for personalised advice.
3. Choose the Right Destination: Opt for destinations with good healthcare facilities and infrastructure. If you’re traveling internationally, research the quality of medical care in your chosen location and ensure you have access to medical professionals who are familiar with managing pregnancy. Also, look at the type of city you are visiting. For example, I visited Lisbon while pregnant with my first, and although I managed, it was a lot of uphill walking, which was not always easy.
4. Travel itinerary: Standard travel activities for pregnant women might be limited due to fatigue or safety restrictions. Research the activities in the area you are visiting so you can mentally prepare for what is feasible. Steer clear of activities that could pose a risk to your health and the health of your baby, such as extreme sports or activities with a high risk of falling.
Activities to avoid include:
Adventure Sports and Extreme Activities: Activities like riding speed boats, bungee jumping, skydiving, zip-lining, and other high-adrenaline sports carry a risk of falls and impacts that can pose a danger to the pregnancy. Experiences like horseback riding, speed boat rides, or many theme park rides will be off limit for a pregnant person.
High Altitude Activities: Engaging in activities at high altitudes, such as mountain climbing or hiking at high elevations, can lead to decreased oxygen levels and altitude sickness, which can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby.
Scuba Diving: Scuba diving should be avoided during pregnancy due to the risk of decompression sickness, which can harm both the mother and the baby. The pressure changes underwater can have adverse effects on fetal development.
Excessive heat and hot tubs: Prolonged exposure to excessive heat, such as spending too much time in hot tubs, saunas, or heated pools, can elevate the body temperature to levels that may harm the developing baby.
5. Travel Insurance: Purchase travel insurance that covers pregnancy-related complications. This can provide peace of mind in case unexpected medical issues arise during your trip.
6. Transit: Choose comfortable modes of transportation.
Air travel is generally safe for pregnant women, but many airlines have specific policies regarding pregnant passengers, such as restrictions on flying after a certain gestational age. For more legroom, try to get a seat in the bulkhead or pay for an upgrade.
Road trips via car, bus, or train are fine for pregnancy as well. If you’re traveling by car, make frequent stops to stretch and move around.
Stretch your legs and flex your feet as often as possible to minimize swelling. Pregnant women who sit still for long periods have a higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. Wearing compression socks can help prevent clots bc they keep the blood moving in your legs.
7. Hydration/Food: Adequate hydration and nutrition are crucial for the health of both you and your baby. Be cautious about the quality and safety of the food and water you consume while traveling.
Water: Keep a water bottle to stay well-hydrated and avoid dehydrating effects. Depending on the destination, it is key to know about water safety, and whether the tap water is safe. If it is not safe, be cautious of even the produce that is washed with it. For example, when I visited Pakistan during my first and third pregnancies, I only drank bottled water, and I avoided eating salad and fruits, unless I personally washed them with bottled water.
Food and Dairy: Keep a balanced, health diet by carrying healthy snacks and staying away from foods that could cause food-borne illnesses. Avoid eating raw or undercooked seafood, eggs, and meat, as well as un-pasteurized dairy products, which could increase the risk of food-borne illnesses. Often times, in Europe the milk is not always pasteurised.
Caffeine Intake: Pregnancy changes lots of aspects of your life. For me, one of the biggest challenges of pregnancy was the reduced caffeine intake. I had previously relied on two cups of coffee per day and a diet coke to function. All of a sudden, I had to limit it – despite my newfound pregnancy fatigue. I actually told my boss when I was five weeks pregnant, and was drinking a cup of coffee, and she immediately had me throw out. In retrospect, I’m grateful she made me realize how important it is to reduce your caffeine intake during pregnancy.Doctors recommend no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day for pregnant women. Some women prefer to cut it out completely; and some prefer to stay within the 200 mg mark. I fell in the latter group. I was constantly googling or asking others “how much caffeine is in ___”. To make it easier for moms like me, I created a cheat sheet of popular homemade caffeinated beverages with approximate milligrams of caffeine per 12 oz cup! Hope this helps!
Drink | Caffeine (Per 12 oz) |
Coffee | |
Regular Brewed Coffee | 144 mg |
Decaf Brewed Coffee | 3 mg |
Regular Instant Coffee | 93 mg |
Decaf Instant Coffee | 3 mg |
French Press | 161 mg |
Drip Brewed | 120 mg |
Cappuccino | 77 mg (per single) |
Espresso | 64 (in 1 oz shot) |
Latte | 77 mg (in 1 oz shot) |
K Cups | 142 mg |
Tea | |
Black Tea | 47 mg |
Green Tea | 30 mg |
Red Leaf Raspberry | 0 mg |
Matcha Tea | 70 mg |
Chai Latte | 75 mg |
Chai | 50 mg |
White Tea | 45 mg |
Other | |
Coke | 32 mg |
Diet Coke | 42 mg |
Sprite | 0 mg |
Hot Chocolate | 10 mg |
**Based on the sources I used, these figures are approximate numbers, and not exact. Exact numbers are based on brand and amount used. Please consult with your healthcare provider if you have any questions.
Sources:
8. Maternity Attire: Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and supportive footwear. Swelling in the feet and legs is common during pregnancy, so comfortable shoes are particularly important.When prepping for a vacation as a pregnant person, it can be frustrating to find appropriate attire that fits and flatters the way you would want to for a holiday. What I liked to do starting from my first pregnancy was buy a handful of maternity pants, along with a few maternity shirts, but mostly size up in non-maternity shirts and dresses – so that I could leverage them after. There was extra bonus points if it was nursing friendly, so I could get more of a use out of it.
Some of my favorite maternity/postpartum items are from Seraphine! I love the baby-carrying postpartum down jacket, maternity leggings, and postpartum leggings.
9. Go with your gut: Always remember, even with research, health care guidance, advice from family and friends on their own experiences – the way that you feel should be considered!
While pregnant with my three pregnancies, I traveled to Pakistan, Doha, Amsterdam, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Vienna, Paris, Budapest, Lake Bled, Munich, Copenhagen, Dublin, and Sicily. The only place I needed to see a health care profession for a pregnancy related issue was Pakistan, and I was fortunate to see a quality physician. To see my itineraries on each of the cities, click on the blog posts (linked with the city name)!
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