How, when and what is the best way to travel while pregnant?

How do you travel and can you fly on a plane while pregnant? Is it even possible to travel while pregnant? Well, after all, pregnancy is…. a disease? In this post we will try to summarize all our practical advice about how best and when to travel while pregnant, because there is nothing more beautiful than being able to explore our world in a two-pack ;)

Remember our 2015 recap post? We wrote there, among other things. about plans for the coming year, including the fact that there are a lot of personal changes ahead. If you follow us on FB or Instagram then you can probably guess what it was about :) Well, at the beginning of July we became the parents of the most gorgeous Olive – so we have Baby on Board! :)

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Probably every parent will agree with us that the birth of a child is a wonderful event that changes the whole life, and even makes it even more meaningful! :)

But this is not an entry about childbirth and life for three. Today we will describe to you how to travel during those 9 months leading up to the birth (although in our case it was only 8 months ;) ).

Should you travel while pregnant?

At the outset, there can be no shortage of disclaimers – always, but always, consult your doctor about whether it is possible to travel while pregnant in your case. Below we describe what our travels were like during pregnancy, but it is important to remember that every woman and pregnancy is different, and something that came easily to one person will not necessarily be so for another.

When I talked about the pregnancy, many people asked “What about your blog?”, “So now you won’t go anywhere for 9 mo?” etc. Nothing of the sort! Pregnancy was a period when we continued trips although they were closer and less intense. We flew planes abroad, drove cars in Poland and took ferries. What’s more, pregnancy has just been conducive to traveling and discovering new places, because it has effectively limited the range of locations where we can go ;-) Finally, we were motivated to look for places in Poland we hadn’t been before. Toward the end of the pregnancy, we replaced long-distance travel with many weekend trips.

Pregnancy is one big unknown – it’s impossible to predict how a woman will feel in each trimester, what will bother her, what she will crave, which can often be inconvenient for companions. All the more reason it can be difficult to plan a trip :) Nevertheless, it can be assumed that it is the second trimester that is the most sensible for traveling – the discomforts of the first trimester disappear, and the belly is not yet big enough to take away all the pleasure of traveling.

Pregnancy is not a disease, it is not a time when we are supposed to limit ourselves as much as possible and sit at home, which can only be more frustrating for the mother-to-be. You can continue to fulfill yourself professionally, find time for physical activity, travel and develop your own passions. However, it is necessary to measure your strength against your intentions and consult your doctor. Below we describe some tips on how, when and with what to travel :) We will write about where to go and the benefits of traveling during pregnancy later.

What to travel with and can you fly on a plane while pregnant?

The question about the possibility of traveling/flying onan airplane during pregnancy probably comes up most often. We traveled quite a bit, both by plane and car.

For the former, it is said that it is best to fly in the second trimester. In the first trimester, a lot of women have concerns that it may badly affect the forming organs of the little person (airport equipment, cosmic radiation, pressure changes…) or the trip itself for the mother may be tiring (nausea, nausea, headaches, swelling, etc.). In the last trimester, attention is drawn to the inconvenience of increased size and discomfort as well as the possibility of premature labor.

As for going through the gates – a pregnant woman has the right to refuse this type of inspection at the airport and will then be subjected to inspection by airport staff. It even happened to us that without our intervention they invited us to separate entrances, at least to avoid standing in long lines (the whole family benefits, of course :) ). Cosmic radiation is nothing to worry about, as we are actually exposed to it even while on earth.

In essence, the most important thing is the attitude of the woman, and I personally believe that it is the stress and nerves that can harm the baby the most. If we are going to have sleepless nights, we will not be able to eat anything and the very thought that we are to make a plane trip will keep us awake at night, we had better consider whether there is any point in traveling under such stress.

Before my first flight, I tried to find some reliable studies or information on the effects of flights on pregnant women, but no one seems to have undertaken such research, and I only came across studies on flight attendants. However, this is not a representative sample, because let’s remember that in addition to the flights themselves, one must also take into account their working conditions, changes in climate and time zones, etc., which can significantly affect the course of pregnancy.

Important! Airlines may refuse to allow women with advanced pregnancy to board or require an additional certificate, so it’s worth checking before you fly to see up to which week of pregnancy the carrier allows you to fly. E.g.. PLL LOT requires a MEDIF form above the 32nd week of pregnancy, and Ryanair may refuse to allow a pregnant woman above 28 tc to board without a doctor’s or midwife’s certificate of no contraindication to flying.

To ensure your comfort during air travel, it’s a good idea to inform the crew about your pregnancy (just in case, or so that we’re treated a little better), take care of food and water to drink (you can’t count on the food on the plane to respond to pregnancy cravings), you can choose convenient seats (with legroom, close to the toilet), get compression socks, move during the flight and, of course, don’t carry anything, just ask others for help.

I personally had no problems during the flights, and there were a total of 8 (!) during my pregnancy, the longest of which lasted 6 hours. The only inconveniences were the frequent need to go to the toilet, and in the 3rd trimester it was just uncomfortable to sit for 4 hours in a cramped chair ;) In addition, the doctor recommended that I sip something against blood clots before the flight, just in case, and recommended ginger-based drops for nausea.

While we’re on the subject of health, remember that an airplane is a huge breeding ground for viruses, so take special care of your hygiene and moisten your mucous membranes!

Traveling by car

As for the car, for me it was worse than flying by plane :) Mainly due to the fact that I developed motion sickness in my first trimester, so I was wiped out on the mountain roads in Tenerife…. And this was the biggest surprise for me among pregnancy ailments, because you don’t talk about it or read about it in books. Fortunately, the recommended ginger drops helped a lot :)

In the second trimester, the discomfort passed, and we were able to take further trips. It didn’t last long, because at 6 months it was already really uncomfortable for me to drive more than two hours in the car, mainly because of my back. So it’s worth getting a cushion for your back, or at least some kind of sweatshirt, and be sure to make frequent stops.

We definitely choose the car more often than the bus or train, and in pregnancy the independence that car travel gives is very valuable. You can stop at any time, take a different route or even lie down in a comfortable position. Of course, you have to be careful to drive safely, not on potholes and potholes, to save yourself extra shocks. So, for the duration of the pregnancy, we took slightly larger rental cars, drove more often on the highways, and when planning our route, we looked at the map to see how many gas stations with a restroom we had on the way ;)

If a pregnant woman feels well then it is also acceptable to drive almost until the moment of dissolution, and it is always advisable to wear a seat belt (not only as a driver, by the way)! Despite the fact that our Polish regulations allow pregnant women not to wear belts, but safety first: the lower part of the belt under the belly, and the upper part over…. if you are uncomfortable then you can also buy special belts for pregnant women, but I do not know how with their usefulness, because I have not had :)

Trains and public transport

We also took trains and public transportation (mostly in Poland, England and Portugal), but these were 2-hour maximum routes. On the train you can always walk around and straighten up, in the coach about it is worse or less stable, so of the two I recommend the train.

As for public transportation: girls, use the privileges and seats for pregnant women! They are for you :) I, at first, had resistance, or at least until my belly began to protrude significantly. Somehow I didn’t have the need, I thought there were people who needed the place more than I did, and I didn’t even expect anyone to give way to me.

Until. In fact, the issue here is not whether you have the strength to stand or not. It’s mainly about safety – imagine sharp braking or any maneuver during which there is a danger that a pregnant woman will fall over! Or at least some kind of blow to the abdomen or being hit by other passengers. It is better to really sit down and hold on to the railing.

My belly quite late began to stand out on clothes (or maybe it just seemed that way to me?), but as soon as it appeared many times people gave way to me. In fact, I have not once had a situation where I had to demand a place. Whether in Poland, England or Portugal regardless of age, almost always someone offered me a seat, which was very nice and I always took advantage.

Only in Portugal there were two situations where I did not have the opportunity to sit down – they were streetcars typically touristy and really crowded…. It’s worth it then to be with your husband, who always holds and belays :)

Ferries, ships, boats

Here, just as when traveling by car – motion sickness can annoy. Make sure you have a comfortable place, strategic in terms of toilets ;) We did not sail much: by ferry and small boats between the Canary Islands and a cruise on the Elblag Canal. There were no problems, however, as I mentioned at the beginning, you need to be prepared for many scenarios, because you do not know how a female body subjected to a swing of hormones will react to rocking, humidity and new scent sensations :)

Travel while pregnant! Yes!

And finally – if you go somewhere, of course, not alone. It’s always a good idea to have someone to help with your luggage, or to be more organized and focused (in pregnancy there are often problems with concentration, so you can easily confuse trains ;) ). It may also happen that you are weak, feel worse or whatever – it is better not to be alone then!

We also recommend you other texts about traveling during pregnancy:

• Where to travel while pregnant?
• 7 reasons why it’s fun to travel while pregnant

I guess that’s it when it comes to traveling during pregnancy, if you have questions -> ask! The comments are yours! :)

How about your experience?