Now that I’m back from Cabo San Lucas, it’s occurred to me that I managed to take quite a few trips during this pregnancy! I brought the family to Stockholm, Tallinn, and Helsinki; I bopped around Yellowstone National Park, then flew to Seattle; I turned an NYC work trip into an anniversary vacation; and I only just returned from Mexico.
Looking back on all of it, it’s hard to believe that it all happened during this pregnancy, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. I am grateful to have had more opportunity to travel with this baby than I did when I was pregnant with our son during peak COVID, but even then, we managed a couple different road trips! We hit Savannah and Charleston in one, then Asheville and Blue Ridge on another.
All that to be said, I have done a significant amount of travel across two different pregnancies, and I have curated a packing list that has served me well. However you’re traveling – car, plane, boat, etc. – here are my must-haves to bring along with you:
- Medications (and medical devices). Always check with your medical provider on what medications or supplements you should be taking, but for me, this has included: prenatal vitamins, fiber supplements, iron supplements, baby aspirin, and Unisom. I also keep handy Tums and acetaminophen, though those are in a separate pouch. I have also packed my blood pressure cuff to ensure I could keep monitoring my BP. None of these have been flagged for me by TSA before, though I did once have my breast pump brought out for additional screening… You can worry about that post-pregnancy. 😉
- Compression socks. I know that these are often recommended for flights in general, especially long ones – looking at the 16-hour flight to Auckland we took last year – but I hadn’t gotten on the compression sock train until my OB recommended them for my flight to Mexico. It’s much more common to have swelling in your feet during your second and third trimesters, so that’s one advantage of wearing them, but they also can help improve blood flow from your legs to your heart. I recommend Bombas; they’re a little pricey, but the reviews (and my experience with them) are great.
- Snacks. No matter what stage of pregnancy I’ve been in, I’ve found I’m never upset to have snacks packed. Evaluate what’s going to make sense for you, based on how you’re feeling. For example, ginger snacks may be helpful if you’re feeling nauseous during your first trimester, but snacks with higher protein may make you feel better later on. My go-tos this pregnancy have been dry cereal, peanut butter crackers, and granola bars. I would also suggest bringing some water flavor packets if water by itself makes you feel sick – it will help you stay hydrated if you can better stomach the taste!
- A pillow. Now, it may not always be feasible for you to throw a full-size body pillow into your carry-on bag for a flight, but trust me when I say you will want some extra cushion. During this trip to Cabo, I was definitely using all four pillows on my bed to create a pillow fort around my body. This allowed me to put some extra support under my legs and belly, which at this point in pregnancy, is a must. I would also recommend a neck pillow, if you’re flying! I have really appreciated having mine on my recent trips.
- Comfy clothes. This could mean different things for different people, but during this summer of travel, it has meant a lot of dresses. I love being able to just throw something on and call it an outfit, without it putting too much pressure on my belly. An important note here: make sure they fit. I actually tried to bring a romper I wore at ~20 weeks pregnant to Mexico (as seen in this post), but at 29 weeks pregnant, it just did not fit the way I wanted it to. I know that it’s annoying to buy a ton of new maternity clothes, but it may be worth a shopping trip for a few key pieces. I’ve had good luck with Old Navy!
Traveling while pregnant may not be easy, but hopefully this gives you a guideline to make it a little easier. Good luck!
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