Why I Travelled While Pregnant and How I Coped

I’ve been pregnant just once. I’d like to make that clear. I’m in no position to give out tips as I’m sure there are more experts or far more experienced mothers out there than I am.

Nevertheless, I’m writing this article to remind my future self why being pregnant is not a hindrance to go out there and travel. It’s not something that I should be worried about or be scared of.

In all honesty, my husband and I are yet to decide when to stop having children. I may get pregnant again 2 to 3 years from now. And while the memory is still fresh, I’d like to write something that’ll remind me that it’s alright to still pack your bags and go places.

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So to serve as a note to myself (and maybe to other expectant mothers or newly weds traveling couples out there), here’s my reason why I still chose to travel despite expecting a baby:

Reasons Why I Travelled While Pregnant

Reward yourself through travel.

Being pregnant does not mean pampering yourself at home, eating whatever your body (or appetite) wants. Go out there and have fun! Reward yourself by having fun through traveling.

Sometimes a change in surroundings can be satisfying even for a lady feeling all the changes in the body that comes with being pregnant.

Find time to enjoy before the sleepless nights begin.

When you have an infant, expect months of sleepless nights. Not just one month, but two (2) or three (3). The baby’ll need feeding in the middle of the night or early morning. Count yourself lucky if by the end of the third month, he/she will be sleeping the night away and be waking up the following day.

My daughter feeds at least once a night or once early in the morning. She’s 6 months at this time, and we still wake up in the middle of the night to feed her. She is also an early morning person and wakes up at 5 to 6 AM… We’re lucky if she doesn’t wake us up until 7 AM. LOL.

Prior to giving birth, my husband and I felt that we needed to make sure that we enjoyed the time remaining when it’s just the two of us. I remember watching a video on pregnancy that says you need to savour the moment you both have together while the baby is still inside.

And I completely agree with that. Work on your quality time!

Exercise!

This could not be stressed out more. For a healthy delivery, we need to achieve a fit and healthy body. And eating the right food does not only do that. Exercise will too.

Getting out and about is a more fun way of getting that much needed exercise. Swimming and walking are some of the things I enjoyed the most when we travelled. I find myself feeling energised every time I’m out there and exploring new places.

Have something to look forward to (aside from the baby).

Since quitting my 8-5 and deciding to go full-time with my blog, I’ve had spent countless of days at home monitoring my blog and working on it. The activity was good as I needed to have a routine.

My blog was one of the things that kept me active and had me looking forward to every morning when I wake up.

At first.

I find (aside from the fact that I needed new and fresh content), that planning your next trip is a great way to break the monotony and keep my mind away from the usual aches that comes with being pregnant and carrying a child.

Enjoy the luxury of time.

When you’re expecting a baby, you’ll know that the moment you give birth, you won’t have the luxury of time that you enjoy now. There’ll be a time when you’ll be spending more time on your baby than on yourself. So enjoy every minute of that ‘personal freedom’!

Now don’t get me wrong. The baby IS a blessing and will always be. What I’m trying to say is that having a baby is definitely life-changing, whether we like it or not. Our plans will definitely change to include him/her.

How I Coped

So here’s something to remind everyone reading this.. No pregnant woman is the same. And no pregnancy is ever the same too. We are unique in so many ways. Like the individual that we are, we have a lot of ways in coping with our feelings, emotions and situations…

Generally speaking, traveling is best done during the second trimester where the usual morning sickness on the first trimester is generally gone and the aches and pains of the third trimester is not there yet.

I remember, traveling while I was on my first trimester. It was a business-related kind of travel where I had to assist one of sites during an ISO Certification. I had no appetite and I was feeling a bit nauseous.

Good thing I had one of my staff with me who mostly did the leg work while I focused on the audit itself and assisting the rest of the team.

My third trimester too was spent mostly on trips within Cebu. It was mostly on several resorts in Mactan for some nice and relaxing beach vibe. During this time, I honestly felt heavier and easily tired which was no fun at all.

I had mostly travelled during my second trimester and here’s how I coped:

Bring something with menthol.

As someone who previously got a little nauseous on long road trips but had overcome it as part of how traveling changed me, bringing something with menthol while on travel really saved the day. Before, I only used to bring some pieces of candies when I travel.

When I got pregnant however, aside from the usual mints, I bring with me some mentholated  solutions (preferably white flower and vicks. LOL). It helps with the nauseous feeling.

Bring a portable pillow (small pillow).

This has been my biggest lifesaver, especially for back aches. I remember really needing this during our connecting flights from Cebu to Busuanga..

The pressure on the back when you’re pregnant is not something you’ll enjoy. Hence, the need for a soft pillow to cushion the back.

Wear super comfortable shoes (at least one size bigger than your previous size).

When traveling, most often you’ll find yourself walking from one destination to another. The best thing to cope with this is by wearing comfortable shoes/ footwear.

There was a time when my regular shoes no longer fit and I had to buy another pair that was more comfortable and had me some open-toed sandals too!!

Bring some light snacks.

Staying full for at least an hour while pregnant can be a problem. I find myself craving for snacks for an hour or two (of course, I had to watch my weight too, which was very challenging indeed. LOL).

To cope, I always bring some light snacks with me including small fruits and crackers. This way I’d get to eat but at the same time avoid too much weight gain.

Stay hydrated.

Before getting pregnant, I was a fan of drinking glasses and glasses of water. I make it a point to drink at least 8 glasses a day. It changed though when I got pregnant. Plain water just tasted ‘blah’ and I didn’t like it at all.

However, when traveling, having that bottle of water with you is very important. More often it gives you the extra boost of energy that you need or can fill you up especially if light snacks are no longer available.

Wear comfortable clothes.

I remember preparing for our trip to Hongkong. We were expecting a cold weather (colder than we are used to). I was pretty anxious to say the least as the rest of my clothes was a bit tight at the moment.

We went on a budget shopping spree with my husband, looking for clothes that are not too tight, not to heavy and not too bulky. LOL.

We succeeded (much to our relief) and only managed to bring two of this bags between the both of us! 😉

PS: The backpack is more for our gadgets and served as our carry-all for when we explored a certain place on foot (example was during our Coron Town Tour).

Let your husband take care of your things.

Before, I’d use to bring one separate bag for my personal belongings. When I got pregnant and still decided to travel however, I’ve reduced the bag to a really small one for my wallet and cellphone. The rest goes into my husband’s backpack that he carries around for his gadgets.

Today, I have a toddler who keeps us happy and pre-occupied most days. We did not travelled with her during her first year though.

We did it December of 2017 when we went home for the New Year, and I still have mixed emotions. We encountered a bit of a small health problem at this time, thus the hesitation.

Nevertheless, who knows.. Maybe the next time I’ll write a post, and it’ll be something related to traveling with kids as it is something I’d like to do in the near future!

How about you? Any tips you’d like to share? If yes, comment on the section below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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