Traveling Tips While Pregnant

With a husband that’s located over a thousand miles away, I’ve spent my fair share of time behind the wheel and in the airport for the last six months – all while at varying stages of pregnancy! From my best calculations there’s been 24 hours total in the air and somewhere around 54 hours on the open road. Traveling while pregnant can certainly present challenges, no matter the trimester, but there’s some tips and tricks to help make it easier.

Traveling in the First Trimester

One great thing about traveling in the first trimester is not having to manage a large bump! On the downside you may be dealing with morning sickness and a frequent need for a bathroom break. Add to this that for the most part you don’t look pregnant yet so no one cuts you any slack and you have a pretty daunting trip ahead of you, but there’s ways to navigate around these challenges.

By Plane 

On the bright side, traveling by plane while pregnant means a shorter trip. On the downside there’s little to no control over stops or bathroom breaks. These four tips made navigating the terminal easier for me.

• Repeat it with me: The aisle seats are your friend! In fact it’s an added bonus if you can get an aisle seat near the back of the plane. Whether it’s your bladder or morning sickness that strikes, you’re right near the bathroom at the end of the plane. Plus with an aisle seat you don’t have to worry about the passenger beside you each time.
• Hard candy is a lifesaver! This may vary for everyone, but the only relief I ever got from my grueling morning sickness was when I had hard candy in my mouth. Literally my mouth was sore from the amount that I ate by the end of the first trimester. Sour candy and peppermints seemed to work best for me AND you in most cases it’s pretty easy to keep a large handful in your purse or carry-on bag.
• Eat before the airport. Not only is airport food notoriously expensive, it may not be the most appetizing while dealing with morning sickness. Since morning sickness can be worsened by not eating, definitely try to get in a meal before you arrive at the terminal and include a pack of crackers or small snacks in your carry on if possible.
• Smell it out. If the last two points didn’t make it obvious, I really struggled with morning sickness. One thing that seemed to trigger me worse than anything else was smells – food, trash, anything was enough to make me get sick. I found it helpful to spray a small bit of perfume in my face mask or to have a few drops of essential oils on my wrist to smell if it got especially bad.

By Car

In a car you have much more control over stops and breaks along the way!