Travel During Pregnancy — Don’t Let that Baby Bump Stop You!

Last Updated on June 1, 2022

I’m sharing my experience to show you why it’s ok to travel during pregnancy.

As a full-time travel writer, I spend quite a fair bit of time on the road. And because of my hectic schedule and lifestyle, I somehow missed the signs that the universe was throwing at me and only found out I was pregnant at six months! 

Back in November, I had just returned from a short jaunt to Sri Lanka when I realized I was pregnant. I had spent the past six months traveling on an overland trip in Central Asia, camping out in Mongolia, and walking the Camino de Santiago. I had even gone paragliding in Granada and canyoning in Costa Brava — both pretty adventurous activities considering I was carrying a baby! Looking back, I felt perfectly fine and it was all a breeze.

Now approaching my estimated delivery date (9th March), I feel like I have made the best of it. Our baby has already been to eight countries before she’s born and I didn’t have to halt my travel plans because of pregnancy!

That said, I’m not here to provide any tips, but rather, to share my experience with you and assure you that traveling with a baby bump is absolutely possible, and that having a baby doesn’t mean you have to put travel on the back burner.

In my third trimester, exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains 

It’s OK to Travel During Pregnancy!

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I would have to make some temporary adjustments to my lifestyle. I held off traveling in my last trimester, but it  never crossed my mind to stop traveling altogether. In fact, I’m already planning and booking trips for this summer with Alberto and the baby!

Mind you, I am healthy and enjoying a trouble-free pregnancy. Were it not the case, I wouldn’t have been able to do as much. But provided you are well too, there is no reason why you should hang up your rucksack and put your passport on sabbatical until baby is old enough to fly. Overall, with some planning and minor adjustments, pregnancy needn’t clip your traveling wings.

Flying During Pregnancy

For those who enjoy a normal pregnancy, it can be perfectly safe to fly during most of it. You’ll find that the second trimester — weeks 14 to 27 — is a perfect time to fly. Once you’re past the first trimester, your chances of miscarriage will be low. Every woman and pregnancy is different so check with your doctor or midwife before booking your flight.

Most airlines have restrictions on pregnant women in their third trimester and the restrictions vary depending on your airline. Here’s a list of different airline requirements (mostly in the US). In Europe, the cut-off point is 36 weeks for a normal pregnancy, 32 for twins/triplets. Once you’re past 28 weeks, some carriers ask for a letter from your doctor or midwife confirming your due date and that there are no complications with the pregnancy. The airline staff have the right to refuse entry onboard the plane.

At three months pregnant in Turkmenistan

Insurance

As for travel insurance, policy provisions can vary depending on where you live. If you’re European travelling in Europe, most policies will cover you provided you’re enjoying a trouble-free pregnancy. But in Australia, for example, no insurance provider will cover a pregnant woman flying internationally in the third trimester.

I, of course, didn’t have any pregnancy coverage on my insurance plan since I wasn’t aware of my pregnancy. Thankfully I didn’t have any health issues. Traveling without insurance could be extremely costly if you were to go into labor early while abroad — let’s take this for example: a British couple who traveled to New York at 29 weeks pregnant faced a £130,000 hospital bill!

General Diet

This is one area that I’ve been particularly guilty of. As I wasn’t aware of my pregnancy, I didn’t control my diet or practice any precaution during the first six months. Luckily my alcohol intake was much lower than usual during those months (they say it’s maternity instincts). But other than that, I was eating normally and didn’t have any issues with food on my trips. It wasn’t exactly easy to eat healthy in Iran, Uzbekistan or Mongolia, but at least I wasn’t skipping meals or having contaminated food.

For those in the know, it’s best to adhere to the dietary restrictions associated with pregnancy to make sure you and your baby stay healthy. Some foods to avoid include unpasteurized cheese, cured meats, undercooked eggs and raw fish. Try not to drink too much coffee or tea as well. All in all, it’s really not as inconvenient as you might think.

Activities

There are several adrenaline-pumping activities that should be avoided while pregnant, such as scuba diving, but on the whole, I found that I’d been able to enjoy many active trips while pregnant. In Costa Brava, I went canyoning which involved jumping off cliffs and scrambling on wet rocks. At the start of my pregnancy, I even walked 300km for two weeks on the Camino de Santiago, the most physically challenging thing I’ve done to date. In Kazakhstan, hiking in Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve was one of the highlights of my trip. In Sri Lanka, I also went on an easy jungle trek, a pretty rugged jeep safari and a boat trip. And I had done all these during my first and second trimesters, without feeling any bit of discomfort.

Walking the Camino at around one month pregnant

Clothing

On these trips that I did during the first six months of my pregnancy, I wore all my usual travel clothes: comfortable quick-dry pants, cotton t-shirts, tank tops and hiking boots or sandals. My baby bump only appeared when I was seven months pregnant, and it was then I realized I could no longer fit into my hiking pants. I honestly don’t think it’s essential to buy maternity clothing as you’ll only be wearing them for such a short while. So far, I have only invested in a pair of maternity leggings to go with loose dresses that fit me even when I’m not pregnant.

Useful Links for those Travel during Pregnancy:

I’m not the best person to provide tips for traveling when pregnant since I didn’t know until I was six-months pregnant, so I thought I’d share some useful articles from my friends and fellow mums-to-be:

Tips for Traveling While Pregnant – My friend and fellow travel blogger Monica Stott is also expecting a baby (due on the exact same day as me!) and she continued to travel intensively during her pregnancy too. Unlike me, she found out about her pregnancy at one month and is probably much more prepared than me. In this article, she shares some practical tips on traveling with a baby bump.

Eight Steps for Safe Travel During Pregnancy – A reliable resource for all things related to pregnancy, BabyCenter, has some useful details on safety measures and precautions to take for all pregnant travelers.

Traveling While Pregnant: Timing Your Trip – This post from Delicious Baby shares with us the various factors to consider when planning a trip during pregnancy.

How to Stay Comfortable During a Flight – In case you’re worried about your comfort on a long-haul flight, this article provides some great tips.

A Packing Guide for Traveling While Pregnant – For those mums-to-be whose priority is comfort, here’s another great piece by Monica where she reveals her packing list.