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By Alisa Miller

Pregnancy is an exciting time as you experience the changes in your body and your life while you await the birth of your child. It is also a time to think about the past and get ready for big changes in the future. In light of this reflection, many women and expectant couples decide to get a last bit of traveling done before the arrival of the baby. While most travel can be done easily while pregnant, there are some considerations that, if heeded, will make the trip smoother and more enjoyable.

Pregnancy Travel Tips

Below are ten resources offering suggestions on travel while pregnant. Some of the advice will show up on just about every list, such as keeping hydrated and moving around frequently, but all of the tips are worth hearing more than once. From keeping comfortable to staying safe, you will find information to help you start your travel plans.

1. Easing Your Expectancy: Travel Tips. Ideas on how to pack and ways to take care of your feet are just a few of the tips in this list. There’s also a helpful section on getting a good mindset for traveling while pregnant.
2. Baby Center Travel. Baby Center offers a list of articles that touch on many aspects of traveling while pregnant. They also have a section with experts’ answers to many common questions about travel during pregnancy and handy tips. 
3. Tips for Travelling Pregnant. Follow these simple tips for traveling while you are pregnant to help keep you comfortable and safe. No matter what type of travel you undertake, these rules of thumb will help you get there and back.
4. Seven Tips for Traveling When Pregnant. Keeping yourself comfortable is the key to traveling while pregnant. These tips will help you do just that.
5. Travel During Pregnancy. This comprehensive list gives suggestions on what to take, handling different time zones, and ways to stay comfortable.
6. Pregnant Travel Safety Tips. These tips offer sound advice on traveling during your pregnancy. Broken down into three categories of safety, comfort, and making the trip memorable, this site offers more than just safety tips. 
7. Travel Tips: Travel While Pregnant. Read tips submitted by readers. While this list is not too comprehensive, there is good advice here and it continues to grow as readers add more tips.
8. Pregnancy Travel Checklist. Bungee jumping, hot tubbing, and contaminated drinking water are out during pregnancy. Find out what to avoid and how to eat healthily when out of the country and pregnant.
9. Traveling While Pregnant. In addition to foreign and air travel, this article gives helpful tips on car travel and any incidents that may arise as well as information on cruise vacations while pregnant.
10. Eight smart strategies for pregnant travelers. From avoiding stress to the importance of staying hydrated and eating well, this site suggests ways to plan for a vacation that is both fun and safe for you and your baby. The article also offers links to more informations such as charts of potentially safe and unsafe vaccines during pregnancy.

What to Take

What to take on vacation is always a big question. Traveling while pregnant adds even more options to consider. Below is a list of items you don’t want to leave behind if you are traveling while pregnant.

11. Maternity Swim wear for Your Pregnancy. You many not need a bathing suit every place you travel, but it’s handy to have one for a quick dip in the pool. Learn how to select a swimsuit from the beginning of your pregnancy through to your last trimester.
12. DEET in Pregnancy. Keeping mosquitoes at bay isn’t just a matter of comfort, but can also keep your baby healthy. Read about what is safe to use and what works best.
13. Before You Buy Shoes During Pregnancy–Cute and Comfortable Shoes For Pregnant Women. Comfortable shoes are a must for pregnancy, but when you travel, they are even more important as you will be spending more time on your feet. Follow the tips in this article to get the best shoes for your travel experience.
14. Healthy Snacks for Pregnancy. Know what to pack to keep yourself from getting hungry while you travel. The snacks suggested here are not all portable enough for the actual journey, but if you can’t put them all in your bag, they at least will remind you of what to find when you stop for a break.
15. Pregnancy Pillow. A pillow to keep behind your back while traveling or tucked under your stomach while sleeping may make the the journey a comfortable one. Read here to learn all about pregnancy pillows as well as alternatives to pillows designed specifically for pregnancy.
16. Travel Safely: Create your own DIY first aid kit for the road. Here’s a great, portable first aid kit to take with you on vacation. You can modify it a bit to your specific pregnancy needs, such as adding an antacid and your OB/GYN or midwife’s contact information.
17. Maternity Clothes–How to Look Great. Of course you will take clothes on your trip, but selecting clothes that feel comfortable and make you look your best will add confidence to your travels. Be sure to also remember to take a few sets of clothes that are not difficult to remove while using small bathrooms during travel on planes or trains.

Getting There and Back

The act of travel itself can have specific risks for a pregnant woman. Whether going by airplane, car, train, or cruise ship, the following resources will inform you so that you can make the journey in safety and with peace of mind.

18. Air Travel in Pregnancy. Air travel while pregnant is considered safe by most. This article touches on common sense tips for air travel and describes the results of studies done on flight attendants who worked during pregnancy.
19. Pregnancy, Air Travel, and Radiation Exposure. Get the facts on radiation exposure and flying while pregnant. For the average traveler, there is little risk. Learn the facts here.
20. Travel During Pregnancy. This short article offers sound safety advice for travelling by car or airplane while pregnant. Scroll to the bottom to find links to other pregnancy travel related articles.
21. WikiAnswers–Is it safe to go on a cruise while pregnant? Find the answer to this question here.  You will also learn considerations to bear in mind when planning your cruise.
22. Pregnant Women and Infants. Learn the specific restrictions on pregnant travelers for each cruise line. If you are also traveling with a toddler, you will find the age guidelines helpful as well.
23. Travelling Pregnant by Train. If your vacation includes train travel, you might want to check out these suggestions for riding the train while pregnant. You can also read the forums for any discussion about train travel while pregnant.

Specific Destinations

Deciding where to go for vacation can be tough with so many options out there. A pregnancy vacation can add a whole new level to the complexity of the decision. The following destination resources can help you decide what type of vacation is right for you while you are pregnant.

24. Beach Travel While Pregnant. Traveling to the beach evokes images of hammocks and cool drinks under the shade.  Being pregnant doesn’t have to mean you miss out on all that fun. Check out this list of what to do and what to take to make your trip to the beach an enjoyable one.
25. Overseas Travel During Pregnancy. These helpful suggestions will help keep you healthy and safe if you decide to travel to a foreign country. Especially helpful is the section on food and water safety.
26. International Travel and Pregnancy. This how-to on traveling to foreign countries while pregnant will assist you not only determining where to go, but how to make the trip safely, comfortably, and successfully.
27. My wife is five months pregnant. What precautions should we take for hiking and camping. The answer to this question posed on GORP.com offers practical advice to ensure your camping trip while pregnant is successful. Camping and hiking doesn’t have to be off the list of fun vacations for pregnant women.
28. Pregnant at Walt Disney World. While some people wait until after the baby comes (and gets a little older), a trip to Disney while you’re expecting can be a fun getaway
    too. Read some helpful tips from veterans of pregnant Disney travel.
29. Travel Guides for Destinations and All Types of Air Travelers. This incredible list offers links to just about every imaginable type of vacation. Check out the family travels or choose a specific destination to learn about planning your trip.
30. Susie’s Spa Blog. This blog is an excellent resource for anything spa. If you’d like to plan your vacation to a spa, check this site out. Be sure to visit Best Buys or Day Spa Finder sections if you are keeping within a budget.
31. Top 10 Yoga Retreats Worldwide. This type of vacation is the ultimate in relaxation. Prenatal yoga is not only good for your body, it can frequently get your body for labor as well. While these spots may not be specifically for pregnancy, you can check the availability of prenatal yoga retreats or prenatal modifications available at each retreat.
32. BedandBreakfast.com. Bed and Breakfast vacations can be fun, intimate, and inexpensive. This website can find a B&B anywhere in the world. Go to the Search tab, select Special Packages, and then choose Babymoons from the dropdown menu to find special vacations for expectant couples.

Babymoons

Especially tailored for first time parents-to-be, babymoons are the last vacation before the arrival of the new baby. Many babymoon packages include room upgrades, spa treatments such as pregnancy massage, and special classes or excursions for expectant couples. The following list offers lots of planning options for expectant parents planning a babymoon getaway.

33. Babymoon.com.  This site will help you plan the perfect babymoon vacation for you and your partner. They offer reviews on babymoon destinations and can even help you find one-day trips.
34. Babymoonfinder.com. Run by new parents themselves, this site attempts to consolidate all the various information available on the Internet so that you can easily plan your babymoon. You can even search by state or a handful of countries in Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
35. BabyMoon. For those looking to plan a luxury babymoon, this site is a must. You can find the top babymoon packages all around the world or read their blog that offers tips on what to take and where to go.
36. Plan a Babymoon Vacation. This site offers a general overview of how and why to plan a babymoon. Also check out the various links to the left of the article for more on babymoon travel.
37. Babymoons! This article offers a sampling of some of the best destinations for babymoons. There are also tips on travel and spa treatment information.
38. Child of Leisure. This blog focuses on travel and parenting, but if you scroll down the list on the left side, you can click on babymoons to get descriptions of 28 great babymoon packages. You will need to click on Previous Entries to see all the posts.
39. Planning a Babymoon. This article offers great suggestions from timing the babymoon to how to select the best destination for you.
40. 10 Babymoon Tips? Here are ten tips for planning a babymoon vacation during your second trimester (although you can use these tips any time in your pregnancy). These are pretty general, but can help get your planning underway.
41. Baby Bump: Babymoons are on the Rise. This brief article offers ideas on ways to plan a babymoon no matter what your budget. Be sure to read the Comments section for what readers suggest about their babymoon experiences.

General Travel Resources

Traveling, while pregnant or not, is always an adventure. Following the advice of those who have gone before you or getting help on the planning stages always make the trip a bit easier. The resources below offer suggestions and advice for travel that is not necessarily directed to the pregnant traveler, but is worth knowing anyway.

42. American Standards and European Culture. If your vacation will take you to Europe, the information here can really help get a good perspective on how Americans and Europeans approach the same situations differently. If there’s one thing you want to avoid while pregnant, it’s getting frustrated and angry when it can be avoided.
43. The Pilot’s Wife Travel Tips. Married to a commercial airline pilot and an avid traveler, this woman offers great tips to help make your travels go smoothly. Read about topics such as passport cards, luggage information, and various national holidays on this site.
44. Guides: how to pick them. Sometimes relying on someone who knows your vacation spot better than you do can enhance the visit. Other times, having a guide is instrumental to the trip. No matter why, if you decide to hire a guide, these tips will help ensure you find the best person for the job.
45. HoboTraveler.com. While expecting a baby, you may rack up lots of expenses, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo the vacation. Not only does this site offers suggestions on how to travel on a budget, it also offers a budget newsletter, daily tips, and a huge list of travel topics with helpful information.
46. Guerrilla Traveler: Adventure Travel on a Budget. Another spot for budget travel, this blog offers a wealth of tips and specials to help you plan a wonderful vacation inexpensively. From Mexico to Italy, you can find a way to save money.
47. Gary Bembridge’s Tips for Travelers. For destination and hotel reviews around the world, this blog offers a great selection. You can sign up for  podcasts, too. 
48. Packing for your Flight. Keeping your luggage light may be of even more importance when you are pregnant. Follow these tips to keep luggage light and still take what you need for your vacation.
49. Time Zone Converter. Use this handy converter to find out the time zone for where you will be traveling.
50. Have Kid, Will Travel. In case you are both pregnant and planning to travel with a child, this blog article offers suggestions on traveling with a child. Scroll down and check out the other parenting and travel tips at the bottom right. You might bookmark this site for after the baby is born, too.
51. Online Airfares–Finding the Best Deal. This article offers suggestions and links for finding the best prices on airline tickets. If you are flying to your vacation destination, you’ll want to read this.
52. Journeywoman. This site is completely filled with information and resources for traveling–with a decidedly feminist twist. Read about adventures women travelers have had, learn what to pack, or find a great spa on this site.

It’s time to plan that trip now that you have all this information. Whether you are traveling far from home or you are staying nearby, the above resources are sure to help you on your way. Vacationing while you are pregnant can be a memorable trip on the journey to parenthood. Enjoy!