Traveling during pregnancy is a great introduction to traveling with baby as it requires a level of preparation that you may not have considered before. Before booking any vacation, check with your doctor as some advise against traveling by air during the first 12 weeks and after week 28 of pregnancy. Most airlines also have their own restrictions against letting pregnant women fly in their last trimester so make sure you know your airline’s policy before getting to the airport. Cut-off varies by airline but it may be in your best interest to have a doctor’s note saying you are cleared to fly, especially on international flights. Additionally, if you plan on flying out of the country you want to check and make sure there aren’t any health warnings specific to that area
When choosing your destination some key points to think about are:
How long is the travel time? Due to the increased risk of blood clots it’s crucial for you not to sit in one position for too long. Every 45 minutes to an hour try to get up and walk around and stretch your legs. Chances are you will have to go the bathroom before the 45 minute mark, so it may not be too difficult to stick to this schedule.
What to pack: Pack lots of snacks for your journey. You never know if you will be delayed or if you will be sitting on the runway. Pregnancy hunger can turn the most placid of women into ravenous animals. Try packing granola bars, string cheese and other healthy snacks. If you’re flying keep in mind that many flights only offer limited or no food service at all so you are better off being prepared. Buy water at the gate for your flight since air travel is extremely dehydrating.
Is the food and water at your travel destination safe to consume? Unfortunately some exotic vacation spots are known for their “not-so-good” quality of water. Also think about the type of food that will be available at your location. Certain, meats, cheeses and fish aren’t safe to eat in pregnancy. Traveling to rural areas where the water is known to be unpotable or the local delicacies are not on your pregnancy-approved list is best saved for another trip. But with babymoons on the rise, some hotels cater to expectant couples. You might let the hotel concierge know about your needs in advance so they can be prepared to tell you the options on check-in.
Sunscreen: Since your skin is more sensitive during pregnancy this is the time to slather it on. Melasma or hyperpigmentation, is an extremely common issue for women due to your increased estrogen levels. You may think you’re just getting a healthy tan but you could end up with the dreaded “pregnancy mask” which may not fade for months and could even require a topical skin lightener to fade. We love Belli’s Anti-chloasma facial sunscreen spf 25, it’s formulated to be safe during pregnancy and is non-comedogenic so it won’t make you break out.
Drink Water! Make sure that you stay hydrated.
Clothing: A pregnancy beach trip is one trip you can shop for guilt-free. Maternity beach wear is definitely not something most women have hanging in their closet. Be smart when shopping for cruise wear and buy items that can do double duty. For example, buy a tunic to wear beachside over a bathing suit and wear it the next night with pants. This is not the time to be shy when it comes to wearing a bikini, enjoy the freedom of showing off your cute bump! Lots of designers also make non-maternity swimwear where you can mix and match the sizes– so you can buy larger on the top or bottom to accommodate your growing body.
Bring lots of stretchy clothing with you as you never know when you will wake up and all of the sudden your belly popped. Trust us, it happens.
The Just In Case “Stuff”:
*Keep a list of emergency names and phone numbers to be contacted in case of an emergency.
*Familiarize yourself with the local hospital/physicians.
* Bring any paperwork orspecial instructions just in case you go into labor early.
Finally take lots of pictures and enjoy as this could be your last relaxing, diaper-free trip for a while.
Resources:
World Health Organization http://www.who.int/ith/en/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
List of all airlines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines