What It’s Like To Travel When Pregnant

In the beginning of 2024, we set up a home base in North Carolina after traveling the world for 6 years. It was a huge change for many reasons, and now that we’re expecting a baby girl in November, we’re about to begin a whole new chapter in our lives. Over the years we’ve become experts at how to travel efficiently as a couple, but traveling while pregnant during our most recent trips has been an entirely different experience for us.

In this guide we explain the new things we had to consider, our road trip and flying experiences, and our tips on how to stay comfortable if you’ll be traveling pregnant any time soon.

Important: While we have medical backgrounds, we are not doctors and this guide is based on our experiences alone. Please consult with your healthcare provider or midwife before traveling.

Was It Safe For Us To Travel While Pregnant?

With the proper precautions, most women can travel safely during pregnancy, but it’s important to think about any possible problems that may arise during the trip. We consulted with our healthcare professional and asked a lot of questions about what to do, what we should expect and how to deal with any emergencies. Before we get into the details of our experiences, we must again highlight the importance of speaking with your doctor before you decide to travel when pregnant.

During a healthy low risk pregnancy, the safest time for a woman to travel is in the second trimester from 14 to 28 weeks. We took a short road trip to Asheville at 15 weeks, as well as an international trip from the US to Paris and Normandy, France at 19 weeks. Kristen was extremely tired in the first trimester, but she felt much better in the second trimester so we felt this was the best time to travel during her pregnancy. And we triple checked with our healthcare provider that if was safe for us to travel before setting off to Europe!

Pre Travel Preparation

Just like with any trip, we checked that our health insurance covered us for traveling domestically and abroad. But you should also verify that your plan includes coverage for a newborn in case you have to deliver in an emergency. It’s important to note here that depending on your healthcare coverage, you might want to think about including supplemental travel and medical evacuation insurance.

Our current healthcare policy included coverage for emergency care abroad. But if you need additional coverage, we recommend looking into GeoBlue. We’ve used GeoBlue healthcare plans for various international trips, but you must make sure the policy includes coverage for pregnancy complications if you decide to use it. Allianz Travel and World Nomads are other popular travel insurance options, so be sure to shop the different policies to see which plans cover your needs most extensively.

Another important task was to identify the closest medical facilities in our upcoming travel destinations. For our trips to Asheville and France, we had specific hospitals picked out if an emergency occurred. Identifying exactly where to go before we left really helped us feel prepared for the trip, just in case we needed an obstetric healthcare provider or hospital in an urgent situation.

Travel Tip: Always bring copies of important medical information or records in case you need emergency care while away from home.

Food Considerations

One of our favorite benefits to travel is being able to try new and delicious local foods around the world. Unfortunately, some of France’s tastiest exports were off the table for our trip. Kristen adores soft cheeses like camembert, brie and roquefort, but since we traveled to rural France and most of the soft cheeses in this region are unpasteurized, she begrudgingly had to give it a miss this time. And during the family wedding we attended, Normandy cider and rose wine were two more delights Kristen had to give up.

If you’re receiving regular prenatal care, you probably already know what foods to avoid at home. But when food is being served in a foreign country and language, it’s easy to miss something. We recommend using Google Translate (Apple/Android) on menus in restaurants and always ask before consuming anything if you have any doubts.

Prior to your trip, do some research about your travel destination to verify that safe food and drinks are available. Having traveled to France multiple times in the past, we already had a good idea about what foods would be problematic. So here’s a tip from us, if you definitely want to travel somewhere but you’re nervous about the food situation, consider revisiting a destination you’re familiar with to mitigate risk.

Taking A Road Trip When Pregnant

Our four hour drive to Asheville was one of the shortest road trips we’ve ever taken. We usually plan much longer trips with multiple stops. But Kristen ended up being grateful for the reduced distance because sitting in the car when pregnant for 4 hours each way really wasn’t much fun. Mark drove both ways, but even in the passenger seat Kristen was uncomfortable throughout.

Interestingly, a 2014 study from Canada concluded women were 42% more likely to be involved in a serious motor vehicle crash during the second trimester. This study also showed increased risk came from driving, as opposed to riding as a passenger. So if you’re not feeling confident about the drivers seat during your pregnancy, take the shotgun seat instead.

Here are our top 2 tips:

1. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water is essential throughout pregnancy. It’s the one thing our healthcare provider drilled into us from our first appointment. So we made sure Kristen kept up her water intake during the four hour drive and we stopped several times for bathroom breaks. With this said, you should plan for extra time getting to your destination. And whenever you stop for a break, use the time to stretch, move around and promote circulation.

2. If you’re planning a road trip further along in your pregnancy, be sure to adjust your seat to a comfortable and safe position. Best case, be the passenger. Worst case, take turns driving with your road trip companions. Kristen found placing the lap belt below her belly so it fit tightly against her hips was the most comfortable spot, with the upper belt fitting snugly against the center of her chest.

Kristen was only 15 weeks for our road trip, but she was just starting to show. We made sure Kristen drank plenty of fluids, had a comfy position, stopped to move and use the bathroom regularly, had healthy snacks and avoided fast food along the way. Look, cars aren’t going to be comfortable during pregnancy, but it doesn’t mean you can’t take a short break, as long as you take steps to stay safe and comfortable.

Flying When Pregnant

If you have a healthy pregnancy, occasional air travel is generally safe. However, most airlines won’t let you fly domestically after 36 weeks and internationally between 28-35 (various airlines have different cut-offs). Some airlines may also require a letter from your healthcare provider stating how far along you are in your pregnancy and whether you are fit to fly, so bear that in mind.

One of the biggest concerns during air travel is developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the risk is higher for pregnant women. Our healthcare provided told Kristen to move her legs regularly and walk the aisles every hour during our flight to help prevent this issue. Compression socks like the ones Kristen is wearing in the photo above can help with blood circulation and they may be recommended by your healthcare provider.

We knew it was important for Kristen to drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated because aircraft cabins often have low humidity. This inevitably meant more trips would have to be taken to the bathroom, so we booked Kristen an aisle seat on our flights to make it easier for her to get up whenever she needed. We also also took lots of extra snacks because we didn’t know when we’d eat and our baby is always hungry!

Before boarding our flight, we walked through one of the various types of screening equipment meant to check for dangerous items on passengers. According to the TSA, these scanners are perfectly safe during pregnancy, but you are not required to walk through them and you can ask for a pat-down search instead. Kristen asked to be patted down when she was pregnant and most people working in security were extremely accommodating and totally understanding.

Dealing With Stress

Unfortunately, we had two of our worst flight experiences on the way to and from France (and we’ve flown a lot since 2018!), which was not ideal with Kristen almost 5 months pregnant.

Raleigh/Durham to Paris – We experienced severe turbulence for pretty much the entire 7 hour overnight flight. It was the exact same time frame that several passengers were injured on an Air Europa flight, so we were happy to walk away unhurt. We finally arrived into Paris, exhausted and a little traumatized, so it wasn’t the best start to the trip. Our advice for expectant mothers on flights is to always wear seatbelts in case of unexpected turbulence, even when sitting in your seat or trying to sleep on an overnight flight.

Paris to Raleigh/Durham – Our original flight was delayed by a few hours which meant we’d miss our connecting flight through JFK. The airline offered us the chance to rebook for the next day on a direct flight to RDU, which meant another day in Paris and a direct flight so we considered it a win-win situation. But when we arrived to the airport the following day, we were told that we weren’t booked onto the direct flight to RDU. Awesome.

After lots of confusion and concern, a wonderful woman from Air France eventually got us booked onto the flight. Once she found out Kristen was pregnant, she moved mountains to get us on that flight because she had 4 kids herself and knew exactly what it was like. These sorts of situations often result in a night sleeping on the airport floor or having to rebook onto inconvenient flight routes with several changes, so we were grateful to avoid those eventualities.

Traveling while pregnant definitely had it’s perks because others were very understanding and compassionate towards us. Kristen was always getting smiles from strangers throughout our trip. Our advice if you experience any difficulty when traveling during pregnancy is try to remain calm, take deep breaths and know that most people will be on your side.

Don’t Overdo It

One of the biggest changes for Kristen has been the need to slow down physically. If you’ve been following us for a long time you’ll know we’re very active people, but pregnancy is a whole different ball game and we’ve had to drastically slow our pace when traveling to minimize risks.

We took advantage of this compulsory slower way of exploring by enjoying a leisurely stroll down the Seine to see the Eiffel Tower and taking an excessively long lunch stop in a brasserie that spilled out onto the street, instead of running around Paris checking off dozens of attractions. Our advice for pregnant travelers is to embrace the slow pace, watch the world go by, spend more time eating great food than walking around and be good to yourself.

Another take on not overdoing it is to address your luggage situation, especially if you’re planning to visit Europe. While Europe is filled with beautiful town squares and picturesque alleyways, it also means a lot of cobblestones and small hotels with no elevators. Trust us, you don’t want to be heavily pregnant and dragging your overfilled suitcase through cobbled streets or up 4 flights of narrow spiral stairs.

We highly recommend you pack light or combine luggage with others in your group. For example, instead of taking a suitcase each, we took one large suitcase for our France trip and Mark dealt with it the whole time. Kristen only had a small backpack, which made it easy for her to get around without overdoing it. It’s easy to be smart about the choices you make for a more comfortable experience.

Temperature Regulation

Last but not least, overheating can be a major problem during pregnancy because your body is working extra hard to keep you and baby safe. Prior to being pregnant Kristen was always cold, but now she’s always hot so traveling certainly added in a few extra pre-trip considerations.

The best piece of advice we received was from our healthcare provider who recommended bringing a small portable fan everywhere we go. Summer in North Carolina has been extremely hot and the fan has been a life saver. But if you’re planning to travel to Europe, it will also be very warm and a lot of hotels do not have air conditioning. From our experience, a fan is a must if you plan to travel during the summer months.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the best way to combat over heating is to remain hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is so important and we keep repeating it because there’s a direct correction between hydration and cramping. Water regulates temperature and it constantly supports bodily functions. It’s essential that you always travel with a full water bottle and refill it as soon as it runs out. If you’re traveling to a destination where water may be contaminated, make sure you know how to get fresh drinking water.

Support

It’s so important to offer unequivocal support for your partner when she’s pregnant, especially when you’re traveling and encountering potentially stressful situations. Mark learned that very early on and made as much effort as possible to make things easy and comfortable for Kristen. She is doing all the hard work after all!

Mark took on planning the trips, dealing with unexpected issues, booking things, buying things, driving and anything else he could in his role as support. He was hyper-sensitive and aware of Kristen’s needs throughout both trips, but even then it’s not the same as being the one who is actually carrying the baby.

We learned that communication was key. If Mark’s walking pace in Paris was too quick, Kristen would immediately let him know. If Kristen needed food there and then, Mark’s tendency to search for top rated restaurants only went out the window and we found somewhere to eat immediately. There are so many small but out of the ordinary things that will happen when you travel pregnant. It’s all about figuring out what works for you.

Learn About Pregnancy In Other Cultures

As avid travelers, we’ve always been open to learning about new cultures and pregnancy is no different. During your trip, observe other families to see how they interact with their children. It’s fascinating to see the differences and similarities plus you might learn some new tips.

If you don’t have a trip booked, but you’re still curious, here are a few popular book options Kristen has read or has added to her reading list:

• Bringing Up Bebe
• This Is How We Do It
• The Danish Way Of Parenting
• Achtung Baby
• How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to pregnancy and parenting. And we’ve found just traveling while pregnant has opened our eyes to different situations we would have never considered. We can’t wait to show our baby girl our favorite travel destinations as she grows!

More Personal Guides

• Why we don’t want to use AI for our travel writing
• 10 things we enjoy about our online business
• 10 things don’t enjoy about our online business
• 10 things we love about traveling long term
• 10 things we don’t like about traveling long term

Want to learn more about us? Head over to our about Where Are Those Morgans page to meet Mark and Kristen.

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We hope our travel experiences will help you plan the perfect trip while pregnant!

Please let us know if you have any questions or similar experiences in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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