Travel during pregnancy – lessons learned

When I started this blog, it was at least partly in response to people telling me what I wouldn’t be able to do – pregnancy and motherhood would mark the end of travel as I knew it. So with pregnancy almost over (five weeks and counting) and motherhood on the horizon, can you travel during pregnancy or were they right?

Unsurprisingly (and happily), I’ve got to say they were wrong. But there’s no question that things do change if you’re planning pregnant travel – and not always as I expected. So here’s what I’ve discovered so far…

Pregnancy travel: lesson 1

Never assume. The trickiest thing about pregnant travel is not being completely certain how you’ll feel at any point.

But don’t assume you won’t feel up to it – for months, I carried on almost as normal, although I avoided booking anything more than about four weeks ahead, especially knowing my O- blood type had the potential to cause problems (read on to find out why!)

Pregnancy travel: lesson 2

Learn to pack light. Never a strong skill of mine, I did finally learn to downsize – partly because I didn’t want to be lugging a huge suitcase as well as the bump (when it was just me, I didn’t really care), but also because my wardrobe shrank so dramatically, I was limited to what I could take.

Pregnancy travel: lesson 3

It’s not always your decision. However fine you feel, however happy you are to keep enjoying new experiences, it’s not always possible – I’m not talking about people stopping you bungee jumping (fair enough), but I couldn’t even do some relaxed canoeing or go on a boat trip as the operators’ insurance wouldn’t cover me.

On the upside, people bend over backwards to make sure you’re OK. And don’t be surprised if your own attitude changes too now it’s no longer all about you.

Pregnancy travel: lesson 4

The second trimester is your friend. It’s the advice everyone gives you, but there’s good reasons for travelling while you can during the second trimester, which saw me visiting the Cayman Islands among other trips.

The exhaustion and sickness of the first weeks (not to mention any low-level worry before the 12-week scan) meant I didn’t venture too far at the beginning.

And while I’d have been happy to carry on a few weeks after my last overseas flight to the Azores at 28 weeks, I’ve definitely been reluctant to do much beyond around 32/33 weeks as it just gets too tiring.

Pregnancy travel: lesson 5

Developing an obsession with toilets. For the first time since I encountered a squat toilet, these have actually factored in my travel plans, right from choosing an aisle seat on the plane to knowing where the closest one is at any time.

A lesson which, it turns out, will come in very handy after the baby is born.

Pregnancy travel: lesson 6

Keep an eye on paperwork. Some travel insurance won’t cover pregnant women at all, others will only cover you up to 28 weeks (assuming you’ve had no previous complications) even if airlines are happy for you to fly.

Even after studying mine, I found sections were distinctly unclear. Check and doublecheck…And pack your hospital notes if you are going away…

Pregnancy travel: lesson 7

Don’t watch sad films on planes. One airline survey found we’re more likely to cry at films on planes – throw in hormones and heightened emotions, and it’s best to avoid anything weepy…

And what happens next? Here are a few discoveries from my first month of motherhood…

Pregnancy travel – Grounded by the bugs

I’ve never been scared of needles. That’s not to say I get all excited about travel vaccinations either – but I like the thought of Yellow Fever or typhoid even less.

So when my brother and sister-in-law were planning a post-wedding party in Burma, where she’s originally from, I could pat myself on the back at the fact all my vaccinations were up to date (as having any extra jabs are banned when you’re pregnant, or not recommended except in an emergency).

I’ve always wanted to visit the country, especially now it’s begun to open up to tourists again, and particularly to travel round with someone who knows it well. I’d even put up with morning sickness on long bumpy roads to see the temples at Bagan or Inle Lake.

But instead of jumping for joy (although at seven weeks pregnant, I only had the energy for very small jumps), there was only one thing standing between me and 10 days exploring. Mosquitoes. Or malaria, at least.

The side-effects of most malaria medicine can be pretty unpleasant even when you’re not growing a person.

When you’re pregnant, they’re horrific – anything from bones failing to form to dyeing the baby orange, quite apart from miscarriage. One of the few things that’s worse than the drugs is actually getting malaria.

So while there’s one antimalarial that’s OK for certain destinations if you absolutely have to take it, the risk was too great if you didn’t.

While most information gives you country-wide advice, regardless of whether the whole country’s actually affected, there’s a great website at Fit For Travel which gives you a breakdown by map so you can work out if the specific places you’re visiting are listed.

Yangon (or Rangoon to give it the old name) would have been fine. Inle Lake wasn’t. Which meant I wasn’t going anywhere.

I’m not giving up on my mission to prove you can keep travelling with a baby. But for the first time, pregnancy stopped me doing something I really wanted to – yes, I know, first of many. Gutted doesn’t even come close.

Years later, I finally got my wish and made it to Burma… with my three-year-old. Here’s what we got up to

Pregnancy travel – Feeling negative (pregnancy with O- blood)

Isn’t it satisfying to feel special. In fact for years I’ve managed to be amazingly smug about something which was a complete accident of birth – having O- blood.

Although it’s a relatively rare blood type in the UK, it’s hugely useful as it can be given to anybody who needs a transfusion. Almost certainly worth a second biscuit at the blood donor sessions.

Well, it’s payback time now I’m pregnant. Oh, I still get to be ‘special’ but it’s not working in my favour any more.

Being one of the 15% of the population with a rhesus negative blood type (not just O-) means that if my baby has a positive blood group, which is highly likely, they’re at risk if any blood crosses between child and mother, as my body can see the foetus as a foreign body and try to attack it.

Luckily, it’s less of a problem these days than a generation ago, when in worst case scenarios, babies needed complete blood transfusions while still in the womb. All mothers are tested and are booked in for an ‘Anti-D’ injection at 28 weeks and 34 weeks as a matter of course, as well as after birth if the baby does have a positive blood group.

It’s also more of an issue in second (or later) pregnancies as there’s a lower chance of blood crossing until birth. Except, of course, there’s always a possibility of a problem beforehand, however small.

Which is why I was whisked to the Early Pregnancy Unit at Hammersmith Hospital after a scare at 12 weeks, given a string of tests and scans, and an Anti-D injection just in case.

There’s a 72-hour window to have the injection if you think there might be a problem, and it lasts for six weeks, helpfully covering the next trip I had planned. But would I go anywhere where I couldn’t get the injection if I needed it, or couldn’t get back in time?

Not any more.

Pregnancy travel – the final pregnant take-off

It was only a matter of time. As the weeks and months ticked down towards D-day (delivery day) and I tried to pack as many flights into my second trimester as possible, there had to come a final take-off before I was grounded.

Armed with a letter of fitness to fly from my doctor (just in case), I was literally squeezing the last flights in just before my third trimester started, landing back in the UK at 27 weeks and six days.

Admittedly some airlines will continue to let you fly well into the final stretch of pregnancy, but even if the rules say it’s OK, I’m not sure I fancy wedging myself into an airline seat at 32 weeks. Just in case.

And heading to the isolated Azores, the Portuguese island chain in the Atlantic which is the westernmost part of Europe, 1,000km from the nearest land, seemed a fitting way to finish it.

But arriving at Gatwick felt quite a different experience. After countless flights during my life, this would be the last time I’d take off without either my child alongside, or left behind at home. Well, until they were old enough not to want to travel with their parents any more.

As ever, the baby radar was on full alert – spotting the Dad with young baby cruising through WH Smiths, noticing for the first time that there’s a kids’ play area near the upstairs restaurants and spotting the separate baby changing room as I trudged the long corridor to the toilets. 

Best of all, from check-in to reaching airside took less than 15 minutes, even on a Saturday afternoon. Top marks Gatwick (its recent overhaul appears to be paying off). I can only cross my fingers and hope it’s as smooth next time.

Pregnancy travel – Suddenly it becomes real 

The midwife gave me a Paddington Bear-style hard stare. ‘Do not go anywhere without your notes from now on,’ she said, nodding towards the thick wodge of paperwork I’ve been hauling to every hospital and doctor’s appointment.

Having discovered that I’d merrily flown off to the Azores without them (I forgot! Honest), her gaze got even steelier.

‘Don’t leave London without them,’ she added. ‘In fact, take them to work with you. And don’t leave them in the car overnight. We’ve had notes getting stolen before now.’

The repercussions of losing your notes weren’t spelled out, but they were obviously dire. At least I didn’t have to worry about taking them to work (as they live in my home office) – but having hammered the message home, it suddenly started to hit me.

My due date might be in July, but babies are renowned for following their own timetables, with only around 5% making an appearance bang on 40 weeks. And while 80% come within two weeks of the due date, that means one in five don’t…

I did risk a note-free visit to north London, but when I venture to Cheltenham next month for babymoon part 2 I’ll make sure they’re coming with me.

And now I’ve got none of that pesky overseas travel to distract me, I should really get everything else sorted. 

 

Yangon image copyright MummyTravels, all others courtesy Depositphotos

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