Tips for Holiday Travel During Pregnancy

Going for a bit of a sleigh ride this holiday? Whether your holiday travels include an overpriced, cramped flight with middling snacks and far few too toilets or a long car ride with, well, zero toilets on board—you will want to be prepared. Here’s how to make this year’s trip to Granny’s house a little more comfy for you and your bump.

• Know whether or not it’s safe for you to travel by plane. Ask your doctor ahead of time. If your    pregnancy is high-risk, you might not get the answer you were hoping for, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. (Who wants to give birth on an airplane? Not me!)
• If you’re flying, make sure to get an aisle seat, even if you typically like the window. Chances are, you’ll be going back and forth to that oh-so-tiny bathroom numerous times—and being on the aisle will  make that much easier.
• Bring your own food. Pre-packed meals sold in airports and at random convenience stores are potential hotbeds for nasty bacteria that could make you and baby sick. Plus, your homemade hummus and veg wrap is going to be the envy of the whole plane once that “mystery meat” is served.
• Know you can take your normal dosage of Dramamine if you’re prone to morning sickness. It’s totally safe for you and baby when taken as directed on the box.
• Map out bathrooms. Yup, I’m telling you to do a bit of toilet research for your car route. When you’re out in the middle of nowhere, really need to take a wee and already know where to find the nearest Denny’s with a clean bathroom, you’ll thank me.
• Aunt Gertie’s eggnog is totally a no-go for moms to be (raw eggs and alcohol? No bueno!), but a slice of rum cake is A-OK according to experts, since the amount of alcohol in the cake is negligible, plus, in the process of baking the cake, most of the small amount of alcohol that was in the recipe is evaporated away. Stick to one slice though to avoid a major sugar crash later on.
• Relax and indulge! Let your family pour on the pampering. Your nephew insists on bringing you another glass of sparkling cider when you could perfectly well get your own? Let him! Your mother-in-law insists on taking you on a girls’ date to the nail salon for pedicures? Why fight it? Everyone will want to celebrate you and your soon-to-be babe, so soak it up.

*For some extra tips, check out Rosie’s post on traveling with toddlers!

Tags: holiday travel, Pregnancy Travel Tips, rosie pope, travel, Travel Tips, traveling during pregnancy