Where to travel while pregnant?

You take a pregnancy test, see two lines and your life changes dramatically :) And what if you have plans for some trip, travel?

Are you wondering whether to cancel it? Or maybe you just want to take advantage of your blessed state and relax away from home? This post will be a bit about where to travel while pregnant.

As I mentioned in my previous post (here), if there are no medical contraindications, traveling during pregnancy is possible and worth it! Only with reason should you choose destinations and attractions locally.

Pregnant abroad?

Yes, as much as possible! I have already written about the fact that it is possible to fly by plane during pregnancy, but it is better to choose shorter flights (up to 6 hours), mainly for the comfort of the traveler. So in fact, all of Europe is open to you :) Warm destinations? You are very welcome: the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Madeira or Portugal.

However, you must remember that during pregnancy you should avoid a lot of sun exposure and approach swimming in the water with caution :) So it’s worth choosing a place where there is something to do besides beachcombing and frying. How about some sightseeing? Trekking trails, walking trails?

You can also go abroad by car, bus or train. However, be sure to make frequent stops and be comfortable and convenient.

If you want to fly somewhere in more exotic directions, it is worth asking yourself, what if I need medical care on the spot? In Mexico or Cambodia, for example, can I imagine medical assistance when there will be any danger to the pregnancy? Or even if it happens to be there…. be born?

To me, it appealed enough to let go of further trips. Of course, you can go, but you should definitely be more careful about hygiene, safety or at least food.

Leaving aside the issue of exotic products (even such as seafood!), to which the body of a pregnant woman can react differently, the most important thing is their purity and origin, because they can be a source of various bacteria. Bacteria that will not harm the woman, but for the fetus can even be fatal.

It is also worth taking into account the possible costs of treatment or hospitalization: within the EU, it is essential to travel with an EHIC card. It is also worthwhile to have additional insurance (not only during pregnancy, by the way).

Have you already bought a ticket and are wondering if you can/should fly while pregnant? It depends where and what form the trip is planned. You can always minimize the possible risks to your pregnancy or plan your trip so that you feel most comfortable: take a better hotel with an in-room bathroom and better food, rent a car locally, get an idea of what the medical care is like and where the hospitals are located. It is also important whether there will be a resident or consular unit on site to help in times of need.

In general, pamper yourself, this is the time when luxuries and better treatment are due to you :)

As for us, we have been abroad several times: Portugal, the Canary Islands and England. These are places where there are plenty of attractions, there is no problem getting along in English, and medical care is of a high standard as well.

We always looked before we left to see where the hospitals were located in the area of our stay and there was never a problem. Once, our overnight stay in Portugal was even to word next to a maternity hospital ;)

How about locally?

By all means! If you are afraid of flying or traveling further, pregnancy is the perfect time to explore our beautiful Poland:) For us, this condition motivated us to get in the car and see places we had not seen or those we had already seen, but wanted to rediscover.

We recommend you, for example, castles in Lower Silesia, Cracow, Wieliczka, Malbork or even a quiet cruise on the Elblag Canal:) It all depends on how you feel – whether, for example, going down to the mine will not be too tiring or whether you can handle a boat cruise.

However, when choosing a place, avoid places that are too crowded and pay attention to what conditions you eat in :)

Do you dream of relaxing in a spa? Check the treatment offerings of the resort you are going to, as there are often disclaimers that treatments are not given to pregnant women (hedge, what the heck!).

The sea, lakes, swimming pools? If you want to go into the water, it is where it is allowed, clean and safe. I guess you don’t want to catch any infections?

To the mountains while pregnant?

It is possible to travel to the mountains while pregnant, but as always, it must be done carefully. It is known, you may not have to go to Nepal right away, but walking in the mountains is possible, just (I know, I repeat myself) safely and sensibly :) The condition of a pregnant woman may be worse, there may be problems with catching your breath, so take some time reserve on the trail. Better shorter and lower, always with someone.

We went to the mountains at the very beginning of my pregnancy, when my condition was quite good. I was a little worried about whether I would be able to make it, but we walked with the assumption that if anything, we would just turn around. All in all, it turned out that the worst thing for me was getting by car along the mountain serpentines to the beginning of the trail, not the trail itself to the top :)

This is how we conquered the Spanish Teide on Christmas Eve morning! :)

Pregnant to the sea?

Pregnant women should avoid the sun, so go to the beach with an umbrella :) We were in Portugal and the Canary Islands in the off-season, and it was still quite warm and sunny, so I didn’t go anywhere without a hat. The water was icy, so I didn’t even feel bad about not going in to get wet (although I did go into the water a few times, symbolically). If into the water, then where it is allowed.

As for boats, ferries, yachts, etc. – depends what and how. We took a ferry and a boat, but they were very calm, steady and short rides. We were denied once – it was in the Algarve, when we were interested in exploring the caves off the coast. It turned out that the motorboats that carry tourists are not very stable, and often drive into the sand, which can be too harsh a jolt for pregnant women.

In general, any water attractions where you can fall violently into the water are out (also kamikaze in the water park ;) )

I hope we have inspired you a little to travel :) Pregnancy is a beautiful time and it’s a shame to deny yourself travel during this time, so this time can be even more beautiful :)

Disclaimer: always, but always, consult your doctor about whether it is possible to travel while pregnant in your case. Above we describe how our travels were 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.

We also recommend you other texts about traveling during pregnancy:

• How, when and what is the best way to travel while pregnant?
• 7 reasons why it’s fun to travel while pregnant