So just because you have a bump growing, that doesn’t mean that the travel bug has left your system.
I’ve just returned from my third pregnancy travel. I traveled during my last pregnancy to Thailand for a babymoon during my second trimester. This time around, I traveled during my first trimester to Vietnam and during my second trimester to Greece.
There’s nothing that should really stop you from traveling, travel won’t cause any mishaps, however, if anything does happen you may prefer to be closer to home.
Considerations during the first trimester:
I was a bit nervous about traveling during the first trimester in case anything did happen, as my first pregnancy had ended in miscarriage at 5/6 weeks. The chances of miscarriage are higher during the first trimester. Some women also suffer with morning sickness and more nausea and headaches during the first trimester, however I don’t generally get morning sickness so thankfully did not have to deal with that.
One thing that I did make sure to do before travel to Vietnam was to ensure that I had a full list of recommended hospitals for each of the cities which we would be visiting.
I also made sure to pack insect repellant to keep mosquitos away, although malaria was not prevalent in the cities I would be visiting I wanted to be safe.
However, halfway through our trip the first case of Zika virus was reported in Vietnam which did send me into a bit of a panic and out came the long sleeve pants and tops, with bug spray over it to try to keep myself safe.
I had no issues with food, just made sure to stay away from street foods and raw foods, otherwise enjoyed the Vietnamese cuisine and stuck to drinking bottled water.
Considerations during the second trimester:
The second trimester is generally considered the honeymoon phase, as most women are over morning sickness, energy levels are back up, and you aren’t quite so heavy yet. The drawback however, is that with the added weight, blood volume and hormones you tend to feel warmer. Both of my second trimester travels were during the summer to warm places, Greece and Thailand.
The main adjustment was to spend more time exploring in the early mornings, and evenings, and keeping cool in the afternoons by relaxing and napping!
Things to keep in mind for air travel:
- First of all getting the OK from your Dr. that you don’t have any complications to be concerned about
- Making sure to move around from time to time on the plane, walking up and down the aisles keep circulation going as pregnant women are more likely to develop blood clots
- Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
- Fit to fly letter – some airlines might require this
Other tips:
- Travel insurance
- Staying in areas accessible to hospitals
- Taking it easy, planning for down time, realizing that you may not have as much energy as previously. For me that meant no diving, no intense hiking and more time spend at the spa and beaches relaxing and catching up on some reading
- Staying hydrated!
Happy preggy travels!
