It’s August and that means it’s the perfect month to escape for a bit of much needed R&R. If you happen to be pregnant whilst planning a holiday then you may have a few questions about what the safest things for you to do are. Here are our top tips, no matter what your plans.
Think about your destination
While you may well have always longed to go to South Africa or the Dominican Republic, and you may see this as your last opportunity sans children, give it serious thought before you book the flights. Long haul destinations can make for uncomfortable travelling, depending how far along in your pregnancy you are. Equally, if you are in the early stages, you may suffer more with travel (or morning) sickness.
Try to stick with locations that are within a two or three hour flight, and don’t bring with them a long wait for a transfer at the airport. Equally, try to stay in well populated and built up areas. Should anything happen you will want to be close to medical support if needed, rather than stuck in the back of beyond with nothing but your rack sack.
Pack sensibly
Packing is probably one of the most tedious parts of planning a holiday (though it’s more exciting than unpacking when you get home!) but it is essential to plan ahead. If you are going to a warm climate make sure you are packing clothes that are lose fitting.
Think about your footwear too. While you may have escaped the joy of swollen feet and ankles so far, pop yourself in an unfamiliar climate and you may start expanding. Rapidly. Have easy to slip on/off shoes (ballet pumps are ideal) that will allow your feet room to breathe. Flip flops are also ideal, although it depends on the terrain you will be navigating.
Use your common sense
While your original idea of a perfect holiday may have included horse riding, bungee jumping and scuba diving your pregnancy will no doubt put an end to most of that. However, that doesn’t mean your holiday is a wash out. Use your common sense (or doctors advice if needed) to determine what you can and can’t partake in when on holiday.
Pregnancy may be a perfect excuse to slow down a bit, enjoy some pampering at a spa and just relax. However, while warm baths and hydrotherapy pools may be acceptable, saunas and hot tubs are likely to be a little excessive in terms of heat, which can cause complications. Just be careful.
Food and drink
For the most part holidays offer an opportunity to try new and exciting dishes – and it’s often easier to maintain a healthy diet with all the wonderful local produce that’s naturally available. However, do be careful what you eat, depending on where you are travelling to.
If you have any concerns over the local water, or know that you tend to suffer when you make a change of water, revert to bottled over tapped. Equally, avoid salads, ice cream and ice cubes in drinks as these are likely to cause problems too.
Pregnancy proof your insurance
You may well have booked this holiday before you found out you were pregnant, so make sure your insurance policy covers all aspects of your pregnancy. Some insurance providers can be reluctant to offer insurance/care to women travelling before or after a certain point in their pregnancy, whilst others demand a doctor or midwife note to confirm you are fit and healthy prior to travel.
Make sure you have all the information you need before you go, so there are no nasty surprises in case something happens whilst you are abroad.
If you already have children check out my blog – 5 things to make traveling with kids easier
