We travel A LOT. My oldest son plays travel baseball, so we are out of town three weekends a month for ten months out of the year. Plus, my husband and I love taking day trips and mini-four-day vacations together. So, I spent some time traveling pregnant.
I just recently gave birth to a set of twins (babies # 3 and 4 for us) and the symptoms were some of the roughest I have ever had to deal with during a pregnancy! (Read about my twin pregnancy experience and symptoms if you’re curious 1st Trimester Twin Pregnancy; Week by Week with Photos ; 2nd Trimester Twin Pregnancy; Week by Week with Photos ; 3rd Trimester Twin Pregnancy; Week by Week with Photos ).
Over the years, I have learned how to travel, even when pregnant and perpetually uncomfortable, without overpacking or overspending on things you won’t need. Keep reading to find out what essentials you need for the car or plane to make sure you are prepared!
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Remember to These 6 Things When Traveling Pregnant:
1. Dress comfortable for traveling pregnant.
In a world where so much of pregnancy discomfort is out of your control, do whatever you can for the stuff that you CAN control to be comfortable.
Wear layers and plan to be both too-hot or too-cold at any given moment. I wore a tank top under light blouses most of the pregnancy and brought a sweater with me just in case. I also kept a pair of socks in my purse (sounds weird, I know) because my dad once told me that the temperature of your feet determines the temperature of your body and I happen to believe he is right. I would add or subtract clothing as necessary, because those pregnancy hormones are wild yall!
Compression socks. The swelling was so much worse with the twin pregnancy than the other pregnancies, and I found that wearing compression socks helped so much! I had both close toed and opened toed socks, but often preferred the open toed socks.
Slip on shoes. This might go hand in hand with the swelling, and the just general huge-ness and fatigue of pregnancy BUT I never wore “real” shoes unless I had to. I lived in slip-on shoes as much as possible, especially in the car – that way I could take them off and on quickly.
Soft maternity pants. Personally, even though the maternity jeans had a soft band, I still hated them. Team soft pants all the way. Plus they take up less space in your bag.
Tums. Are you even pregnant if you’re not consuming antiacids like they are a major food group of their own?! Haha indigestion and heartburn is always part of the pregnancy experience for me. These Tums were my favorite this last pregnancy, because I could suck on them instead of chew them without getting grossed out and gagging.
Mints. Nausea anyone? My pregnancy nausea and vomiting could be triggered by not only taste, but motion, smells, sounds, and sights too! The flavor of mint helped me tremendously keep nausea at a minimum. I think it was a combination of the strong flavor and the strong smell. Ginger candy and drinks worked in other pregnancies, but not this last one.
Acupuncture Bracelets. Speaking of nausea, these bracelets helped tone down the effects for me. I wore them primarily when we were in the car, but I was also known to put them on for long walks or hikes too.
2. When traveling pregnant, plan for extra bathroom stops and walking breaks and naps.
Growing a baby is no joke! Your body is literally working harder than ever before to grow this baby. Not to mention the extra weight you are carrying. Know where the bathrooms are, take breaks to get out and walk if you are driving long distance, and take naps!
Do not over pack your schedule and make sure you have time to slow down when you need to. Listen to your body! We still did LOTS of walking, hiking, exploring but I walked slower and took a lot more breaks. Especially when I was pregnant with the twins, that was a whole new level of intensity.
Don’t underestimate the power of a nap! Even if you can’t make it back to the hotel room, a quick nap in the car in the parking lot between baseball games was a tremendous help for my mood and energy.
Laurel Falls Trail in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
3. Pack snacks.
Making sure you are eating something healthy in between meals, will keep your blood sugar regulated and help with the nausea that comes with an empty stomach when pregnant. These Omega 3 Nut Packs are always a favorite to keep on me.
If you are dealing with morning sickness, AKA all the dang time sickness, check out 25 Easy Foods to Eat When You Are Pregnant and Nauseous
4. Stay hydrated.
Drink more water. I cannot stress this enough, but a hydrated body is a happy one! This Elvira is my all time favorite water cup. It holds ice for a long time, the straw seems to help me drink more water, and it has a carrying handle that I regularly loop around my finger with my phone loop.
5. Practice peace and gratitude.
Stay calm, cool and collected! Protect your peace at all costs. Remember to keep things in perspective and not to get too worked up over stuff. Stress isn’t good for you or baby, so commit to being zen AF.
My kids and I started saying “can we flip it to gratitude” when someone is complaining! It’s a fun game and sometimes we can all use a little help with getting a better perspective on our situation. (Let me go ahead and be clear, I do not push toxic positivity on my kids, but rather to see and feel BOTH emotions. Two conflicting things can be true at one time. For example: Pregnancy is hard and uncomfortable AND we are so thankful and proud of our bodies).
Hand Sanitizer. You touch a lot of gross stuff when traveling. I like to keep one in the car, one in my travel bag and one in my purse. You know, just in case.
Hand lotion. If you are using lots of hand sanitizer, you will also need a good lotion to follow it up to avoid dry skin. Plus, there is just something about a good hand lotion that feels like a tiny moment of spa like luxury.
6. Know where local hospitals are in case of an emergency.
Always check with your doctor or midwife before traveling. We were able to travel right up to delivery! We always had a plan for what hospital we would go to depending on where we were, should something go wrong, and we had a plan in case for some reason we couldn’t make it to a hospital in time. Not everyone’s situation will be the same, but for most of us – it is totally safe to travel as much as you want during pregnancy.
It is my sincere hope that these tips and tricks and product suggestions help make traveling while pregnant a little more comfortable!
xoxo Carmen
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