Summer Travel Tips for Pregnant Women

Summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy a trip with your family, but doing so while pregnant can make things slightly more difficult! Here are some summer travel tips for pregnant women, to make sure you enjoy a safe and happy summer holiday.

Choose Your Destination Carefully

It is fine to travel while pregnant, but you should avoid going to locations where your personal safety may be at risk or there is a poor quality health care system. Your baby may arrive earlier than you expect, so the closer you are to your due date the more cautious you should be.

Be Careful About Sun Exposure and Dehydration

Dehydration can be dangerous for pregnant women so make sure you drink plenty of clean water while in hot environments. You should use also sunscreen and limit sun exposure to avoid melasma. Melasma is a skin condition where the increased oestrogen in pregnant women combined with sun exposure causes skin discolouration.

Take Your Records With You

If you are in the third trimester, take copies of your prenatal records with you while traveling. That way if you go into labour early and can’t get home in time, the obstetrician you use will be fully informed about your patient history.

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Take Precautions if Flying

If you are flying, frequently walk around the plane and stretch your legs to keep your circulatory system working well. Because you will may be frequently using the bathroom and getting up, ask for an aisle seat. Sitting for long periods can also worsen swelling, so keep moving as much as possible and look for opportunities to elevate your feet. Choose footwear which you can quickly take off to make your feet more comfortable.

Stay hydrated, take ear plugs and get some rest during the flight. You might find it useful to take your own comfortable pillow onto the plane. Finally, avoid walking through x-ray machines at airports while pregnant and instead ask to be patted down.

Dress Intelligently

While traveling you might quickly change between warm and cool environments. It is important to keep your temperature at a comfortable level, so wear layers of clothing that can be quickly removed. Choose loose clothing and comfortable footwear so the heat and pregnancy-related swelling don’t make you too uncomfortable.

Be Careful With Food Safety

Stick to safe and familiar foods when traveling while pregnant. It can be especially dangerous to have food poisoning while carrying an unborn child. Only drink fluids you know are safe and only eat at quality restaurants.

Get a Lot of Rest

Even though some family holidays can be action packed, you should set aside a lot of time for yourself. Being pregnant is very demanding on the body and can drain your energy quickly, so get a decent amount of rest.