Tips for Safe Traveling during Pregnancy

Traveling during pregnancy is quite safe, but certain precautions should be taken to avoid any mishaps. In fact, it is a perfectly good idea to take a holiday during pregnancy and it is the best way to relax your mind and body before the happy occasion. However, the happy holiday can be a bit dampened if you keep experiencing cramps and morning sickness. It is always advisable to go anywhere calm and soothing like a beach, rather than hilly area during pregnancy. Follow your doctor’s instruction and take the prescribed medication and things should be just fine.

• Upset Stomach: It is one of the most common problems during any traveling, because often the body takes time to adjust to the new kind of food in another part if the country. For the pregnant woman, this can be quite a bother, combined with morning sickness. The best remedy to this problem is to eat healthy and order meals with less oil and spices. Drink bottled water and avoid ice as you may be clueless regarding the purity of water used in making ice. Always carry a small pouch of soap in your hand, because if you are traveling from one city to another in a car, with no proper accommodation nearby and you need to take a snack, you will need to wash your hands.

• Avoid Heat and Dehydration: Your body needs plenty of fluids at this stage so always keep drinking water at regular intervals, and carry bottled water when you step outside. Also if it is very hot outside, then always wear clothes made from natural fiber like cotton and take special care to protect your eyes. Humidity will only add to the discomfort, and may aggravate any other problems you might be having during this period. Even air-conditioning can be very dehydrating, so even if you are staying indoors, be sure to drink lots of water. It is best if you keep a daily record of the intake of fluids.

• Emergency Kit: Carry an emergency kit along with the prescribed medication. Pack in an ORS pack and some mineral supplements. Nausea usually occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy, so if you have already passed that stage, it may be your body is going through some additional stress and you may have to consult the local doctor. So it is always essential to carry your medical papers even if you are on a holiday. Normally traveling should be avoided in the first and third trimester, so try to schedule your traveling plans in the second semester, when you body has grown more accustomed to the internal changes, and the delivery is still a few days away.