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Traveling while pregnant can be a little nerve-racking. If you’re anything like me you’ve probably imagined several scary scenarios. I traveled from Florida to Spain, France and Italy while 5 months pregnant and had an amazing time (despite my wild imagination about falling down stairs and missing out on all the delicious wine). Everyone’s pregnancy experience is different which means your experience traveling will be different from mine. However, there are a few things I would encourage every momma-to-be to think about before they travel.

2. Your OB will probably tell you this, but don’t sit too long if you’re taking a long plane ride! The lack of blood flow could cause swelling in your ankles and/or feet. So take a walk up and down the tiny little aisle, stretch a little in the handicap bathroom, maybe even do some walking lunges. #noshame Unless you’re a champ at sleeping on planes you’ll probably be getting up to pee (or puke) every hour anyway… so pick an aisle seat!*If you’re in the third trimester definitely check the airline’s policies before you leave. Some require a note from your physician!
3. Consider the diet of the region you’re traveling to. If you’re choosing to follow all of the “don’t eat” recommendations, eating on vacation can be a bit of a challenge. I consider myself somewhat of a foodie so for me this was the hardest part of traveling while pregnant! I even broke down in tears at the end of my two-week trip because I was so tired of saying, “I can’t eat that.” (Don’t judge. Pregnancy hormones can be intense!)So how do you deal with diet limitations? A bit of planning. Learn important sentences and words in whatever language you need to. For example, if you know cheeses are going to be pretty much everywhere (like they are in Europe) then know how to ask, “Is the cheese pasteurized?” You may also want to learn, “I’m pregnant” if that isn’t obvious yet. I felt less rude asking specific questions about the food when I prefaced it by letting them know I’m pregnant.I also recommend that you do a bit of research on the restaurants you’ll be near if you can. My husband and I don’t usually plan meals ahead when we travel (or really anything other than where we’ll be sleeping) but I do wish we had booked at least a couple dinners in advance. Europeans tend to sit and enjoy their meals for longer than us eat-and-run Americans. Their wait staff is also not dependent on flipping tables quickly to earn more tips. This meant restaurant wait times were longer than a hungry pregnant lady would have liked! Also by peaking ahead at some of the menus online we could have avoided stopping in 2-3 restaurants trying to find one that serves something I could (and wanted to) eat.

   I had to allow myself some indulgences… The best latte I had in Europe! (The raw salmon was not mine but it sure looked delicious.) Cafe Coogee in Marseille, France *Bonus perk: Planning ahead = less time yelp-ing from your phone using spotty WiFi because you don’t know how to ask locals for restaurant suggestions.* Don’t forget to think about your personal diet needs too! Be sure to pack any vitamins or supplements you’re taking as well as any other “foods” you know you’ll need such as your usual nausea remedy. In my second trimester I would get headaches if I didn’t eat enough protein. With pastries being the go-to breakfast and cured or deli meats being a common lunch in Europe, protein was not easy to come by until dinner. Thankfully I packed several boxes of protein bars! Which, by the way, are also not easy to find in Europe. (RXBAR makes one of my favorite bars!)

4. Think about your sleep needs. Sleeping when you’re pregnant is not always easy, even though you’re exhausted from all those hormones… Sleeping while traveling, also not always easy. Bring whatever you can to help your body get that much needed rest! Depending on your travel plans, bringing your full size pillow (or 6 if you’re like I was) is likely not an option. But that doesn’t mean you’re just shit outta luck. I brought a lavender essential oil roller with me. Taking a few big whiffs before bed helps to calm your mind after a long day of adventuring. Rubbing it on your temples, chest, wrists, feet (anywhere really) provides a calming effect for the body. Even better, start doing this at home a few weeks before you travel so your body learns to associate this practice with sleep. I also packed my Boppy wedge pillow that I could not sleep without. Seriously, as soon as the tiniest of bumps made an appearance on my body I had to have this pillow. You can use it to support the weight of the bump, support your low back, place it between the knees, I even used it for back support on the plane. It’s small enough to squeeze into your suitcase or carry-on and I promise you will not regret having it. Please don’t skip packing comfort items like this! We booked an airbnb for each leg of our vacation and some of the beds/pillows were not exactly cozy. I was SO grateful I had a couple familiar things to help my prego body relax. No one wants to be tired and cranky on vacation.
5. My last recommendation is to bring appropriate footwear. ESPECIALLY if you’re going to be doing a lot of walking like we did. Your back will thank you. (Or hate you if you don’t heed my suggestion.) I had tennis shoes I could have brought but I’m not a fan of cramped feet. Also, I tend to get blisters on my heels easily because I pretty much live in sandals 11 months of the year. #Florida I knew we would be doing a lot of walking so I did a bunch of research on the best footwear for travel and found Allbirds. These were perfect for me because not only do I prefer the style to your typical tennis shoe but you don’t have to wear socks with them! They’re super comfortable (zero blisters!), machine washable, lightweight and surprisingly durable. I wouldn’t typically spend $95 on a pair of shoes but I’m so freakin’ glad that I did. Having tired, blistered feet for two weeks would have been miserable.*I know this sounds like an ad and I warned you about affiliate links… but honestly I get nothing if you buy these shoes. They’re just awesome and I had to share.

A quick re-cap of my tips for traveling while pregnant:

1. Don’t sit too long during transportation.
2. Think ahead about your diet needs.
3. Pack comfort items to help you sleep.
4. Bring appropriate footwear.

Any jet-setting ladies out there with experience traveling while pregnant, help a prego out and comment with your suggestions too!