by Zelma Lewis
For as long as a women is pregnant, it is safe to assume that she will go somewhere at least once. Just because you are expecting doesn't mean you can't leave the house or neighborhood anymore. You just need to be a good planner when it comes to travel now. Travel is generally considered acceptable up to about the eight month of pregnancy. However, you doctor can advise you on travel safety. Make sure you know what is going to happen and how long your trip is going to be before making the commitment.
When traveling by plane, make sure you get a seat close to the bathrooms. Try to upgrade to first class if you have to in order to have extra seating space. Sitting in a cramped space with no way to go to the restroom every 3 minutes will be torture, especially if you have a long flight. If you are concerned about morning sickness if your flight is early, bring along a good, nutritious snack or ask if a meal will be served. You may find that even if they are giving you food, your tummy will reject it and you must bring a food of your own choice. Ask if they have a microwave on the plane, some do. The stewardess will be able to pop a dish in the microwave for you. Also, try to have a flight with a plane change or layover. This is a normally undesirable, but while pregnant you must consider how uncomfortable you are and your need to move. A layover will allow you to leave the plane, grab a snack, go to the restroom, and stretch your muscles. When traveling overseas where there is a non-stop flight, go first class so you have more room to stretch.
If you are traveling by car, don't be the only driver. Make sure you make frequent stops and if you are prone to car sickness, take a Dramamine, which is generally safe for all stages of pregnancy. Make sure that if this is a long car journey, you budget time in a hotel or inn to make sure you have plenty of rest and lots of exercise. If you are traveling in a car, you might find that your nausea is worse. It is a good idea to trade off driving with your partner so that you are less likely to get sick. More women feel better while driving and get sick as a passenger. So while you feel energized, drive, and be the passenger when it is naptime and you can sleep through it all. Don't be mad at the time you make in a car, you will be stopping frequently to go to the bathroom and need to travel a road that has rest stops or some place to stop if needed. This is also a good time to stretch your legs and back. Whatever you do, don't bring a book or crossword puzzle to do in the car as a passenger, you will get sick. Pack snacks and drinks with you so you don't have to spend as much and have on hand refreshments as needed. Restraunts are great, but you may find that you are limited and can't find anything that works for you. Pack enough to get you to your first major stop or to get you to your destination.
The cheapest way to travel, and the way to travel the farthest in the shortest distance, is to go afoot, carrying a dipper, a spoon, and a fish line, some Indian meal, some salt, and some sugar.... Any one of these things I mean, not all together. I have traveled thus some hundreds of miles without taking any meal in a house, sleeping on the ground when convenient, and found it cheaper, and in many respects more profitable, than staying at home. So that some have inquired why it would not be best to travel always. But I never thought of traveling simply as a means of getting a livelihood.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
Before traveling at any time you must plan ahead. During pregnancy, you need to double check everything and think before you book your trip. You never know what might happen during any phase of you pregnancy. Here are some trimester tips to help you think about what you might need and want when traveling.
First Trimester
Avoid traveling in the early morning, which can make pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness and nausea worse. If you don't feel well, don't bother to travel if you can avoid it. You can try carrying a lemon slice with you and smelling it, but that might get a bit rough after a while. Try using Sea Bands. These little wristbands trigger a pressure point on the wrist that stops nausea. Many ladies just don't want to leave their doctors at this time because of the higher risk of miscarriage in the first trimester. You may not want to see just anybody if an emergency comes up.
Second Trimester
This is the golden trimester to travel. Your frequent bathroom breaks have died down and morning sickness should have passed on by now. Miscarriage is not a huge concern and the risk has dropped tremendously. Just make sure to bring plenty of healthy food and drinks with you and get plenty of stretching time. Other than that you should be feeling pretty good and really might enjoy a good vacation about now.
Third Trimester
The chance of premature labor is the main concern of pregnant women traveling by air during their third semester. It is essential to have a medical contact at your destination. A mom-to-be should make sure her health insurance is valid and will cover her newborn before she leaves home. You also may find that sitting in any cramped confined chair really blows and not in the cards. Being cramped in a car or tiny airplane seat 8 months pregnant is not in the least bit comfortable or relaxing.