Pregnant Travel: My Experience for a Successful Holiday

It all started when we returned from our trip back from Canada. We were all focused on the articles to come and the joy of the adventures we had lived. We were far from imagining the continuation that awaited us in 2016. A week after our return, still on holiday, we discovered that our life would never be the same. I was pregnant! Over the past eight months, our daily lives have been well occupied with the discovery, evolution and expectation of my pregnancy. What to add to our busy life is by the writing and continuous improvement of this blog travel blog! Once is not customary, it's a little more personal article I'm writing to you." I "because even though Benedict was obviously present during my pregnancy, my experience and feeling as a pregnant woman on vacation concerns me.
Today, a little being has arrived in our lives which, like our travels, will be modified. To those who tell us "no more trips! I reply that we have already had to adapt to the constraints of being pregnant. Between listeriosis, salmonella, lack of immunity to toxoplasmosis and especially the apprehension that everything is not going well! Being pregnant also means discovering new limits to your body, protecting it to watch over life in itself. Accustomed to traveling miles on foot, I had to accept to stop roller blading and cycling, in the middle of summer, to be tired of walking around in high temperatures.These are all new challenges I had to face! And even at the end of pregnancy, I felt the lack of sport and adventure!
Also, here is my personal experience which is far from being worth as a medical opinion! For many, I would appear to be too cautious, that is the choice we have made. The little life I was wearing was much more important than a meal, a visit or any other activity.
We didn't go abroad because we didn't have any more holidays and I'm very happy about that. Imagining not being able to taste all the local gastronomy of a country would have been a big disappointment. Between discretion of the first trimester, puzzles of this new diet, fatigue over the months. Every trimester has had its share of discoveries and escapades!

Where to go on a pregnant vacation?

I didn't really have to look for a place to go on holiday during my pregnancy because we were just returning from a trip! A rather perfect timing because our holidays are very sporty! I wouldn't have really enjoyed my vacation if I had been pregnant! However, if you travel cool, there's no reason not to take a vacation during pregnancy!
The ideal holiday destinations for pregnant women, especially when you're not immune to toxoplasmosis is France and Europe! Going to the sea is ideal! Lazing around on the beach, is still very pleasant to dream on the sand and imagine the future with three (or four, five)
During my pregnancy, we rather spent weekends in love! Nine months of staying home is not possible! We loved taking time on the Atlantic coast or discovering Lille!

Can we go skiing when we're pregnant?

Yes, a pregnant woman can go on a ski holiday: as long as she doesn't wear skis! As of the 2nd trimester, it is not recommended to practice a sport with risk of falling! That's why I gave up roller blading and cycling at that time! For the ski, baby being born in February, it was anyway to forget!
Of course, it is also possible to travel farther, which means pregnant woman, does not mean sick woman! The only problem is that we are still more tired! And more fragile! For fatigue, once again, take a holiday in quiet mode (At Lille, we would get up between 10am and 11am!). For the rest, there are a few precautions to take!

What to put in your suitcase when travelling pregnant?

Sun holidays, when you're pregnant, it seems to be the perfect destination! But beware, take a swimsuit that covers your belly well! Otherwise, it's your pretty pregnancy line that is likely to stay even after birth! For style and to protect your face, which may also mark, in addition to sunscreen, think of the hat! Unfortunately, I didn't have this pleasure because I was pregnant in winter!
Another piece of advice, forget the heels! A good pair of comfortable basketball shoes is essential to travel pregnant!

Pregnancy and health risks on holiday?

And what about health and hygiene risks when you're pregnant? Toxoplasmosis, salmonella, and other many bacteria and parasites are not dangerous during pregnancy! For my part, I've made the choice to eat outdoors as little as possible. At the restaurant, I was very careful about the food I ordered when I had to go there! I preferred to go to restaurant chains because hygiene measures are more standardized.

For holiday accommodation, if you stay more than three days, take an apartment instead of a hotel! This will save you the trouble of having to eat out all the time! This way, you will be sure that your fruits and vegetables are well washed and your meat well cooked!

Can we go to a "high-risk" country when we are pregnant?

This is not the choice I will have made, but each couple makes their own decisions freely! My advice is that you should avoid meat and fruit and vegetables! What is unfortunate is to miss out on a country's culinary specialties, but it is not the most important thing!
Look to rent a car to save fatigue! Between heat, noise, the bus and the train, it can become unpleasant! This also makes it easy to stop if necessary!

For the rest, follow my little tips for each trimester of pregnancy and listen to yourself!

Pregnant Travel in the 1st Quarter

Hardly returned, not yet fully recovered from our Canadian adventures, nor from the discovery of my pregnancy that we were going to Savoie! Nothing very strange, except that at this time of pregnancy, I had to eat before midday, otherwise I would become an ogre at the sight of every serving of food! After 11:30 am, my day was punctuated with extreme salivation or really weird taste that I masked with tons of tic-tac. And I didn't get any nausea! Being pregnant in the first trimester means giving your body time to get used to hormonal upheavals and what awaits it for the next few months.
So, in order for the 7 hours of train going and 7 hours of train coming back to go well, it was necessary to plan better, a stock of packages of cakes! I've never eaten so many biscuits... and too bad for monitoring the weight of pregnancy. Actually, my well-being and that of my loved ones was more important (yes, I was really unbearable when my stomach woke up).
After Savoie, we went to Pornic, Noirmoutier and Vannes! In the middle of the summer, the heat was there to increase fatigue! Of course, it was always a pleasure to get out of everyday life. But at mealtime, the puzzle of finding a restaurant where I could eat was often complicated! I wasn't aware of what I could or couldn't eat so I was very careful. Trusting a restaurateur when it comes to the health of your baby is much more difficult. And I'm not talking about certain disappointments. Eating a fish that wasn't to my liking while Benoît ate a good burger with dripping cheese! Or, order a chicken/tagliatelle by the sea, taking care to set aside the salad. Yes, this expensive green salad being a risky food for toxoplasmosis, I was always happy to ask for "salad-free" dishes which was not always taken into account! All this is anecdotal but it reinforces my satisfaction that I did not go on a pregnant vacation in Canada! I think I could have said goodbye to Japonadog and all the great addresses in Vancouver, among others! Thanks to my baby for coming after!
Finally, I visited the Château de Versailles at the beginning of the first quarter. I must confess that I don't have a good memory of it at all. The wait was good but the visit seemed very long. The elbow shots to photograph the smallest piece, the large number of tourists made me tired. I often sat in the rooms while my loved ones enjoyed the place. Finally, the long wait to go to the toilet, people who double and not being able to ask to pass in front without a rounded belly did not help to make the visit pleasant!

My advice to travel pregnant in the first trimester:

Take care of yourself! This was the most difficult quarter for me: between the heat of summer, the changing body and the mind too, I wasn't the most inclined to go far away! Even working on the blog was more painful than the following quarters. Find the right restaurants in advance on TripAdvisor. There's no question of waiting until 1:00 or 2:00 as usual or skipping lunch. From 10am, start pre-selecting 3 or 4 "toxoplasmosis-proof" restaurants! A technique that was retained for the following quarters.

Pregnant Travel in the 2nd Quarter

The second quarter is the best of the three! Used to the upheavals in my body, I was done with strange tastes and fatigue! The belly which is barely visible, and which we have the impression that everyone sees... We are finally pregnant! Personally, I felt good from the middle of the 4th month of pregnancy!
That's when I went to Touraine to see my family! The opportunity to stroll and photograph the city of Tours...! But it is not always easy when you are sorely lacking in concentration. Another small hassle, taking the train alone can be complicated for technical breaks! If all you have is your purse, no problem. But if you've brought your photo equipment and your old computer twice as heavy, you'll understand that it is a bad idea!
Finally, we went to Lille for a few days to attend the Decathlon Innovation Awards for the presentation of the new Wed' ze's Ski Boost Archtec! There, we chose to make it as simple as possible to save myself. No waking up at dawn, we arrived the day before. As for Benoît, he began to become the "official bearer" of all business. As a result, we had to leave with only one suitcase and only one backpack. And we confess, Uber has been a proud ally instead of our legs on some occasions! Nevertheless, I enjoyed 100% of the visit of the Decathlon brand's premises and was able to enjoy the evening at Zenith in Lille! I was glad that my body answered present. Yes, because every day is different and I couldn't know in advance whether I would be fit or tired.
The next day, I was exhausted, the ideal excuse to test the very slow travel: get up at 10am, take off at 11am and stroll aimlessly through the old streets of Lille. This did not prevent us from falling under the spell of Lille. We even covered more than 20km in the city the day after! I was proud of myself, to rediscover this taste for freedom to move forward by my legs alone. This weekend was even ideal to imagine our future stays. Going on a pregnant holiday also means creating memories with an unforgettable flavor! Or even to test to leave only with an Iphone, without camera, to limit the weight on my shoulders. It's been a long time since I had traveled without my backpack! The occasion was ideal to find a little more femininity! Traveling pregnant also means being much less shy. I've never asked where to find toilets, for example! Yes, because from the moment of pregnancy, technical pauses come back often and waiting causes contractions!
Only disappointment: not having been able to taste all the good Lille specialities! Or my salmon/potato dish in a good Cretan restaurant. Keep fun pregnancy memories! Because that's what I remember when I went on a pregnant holiday: nice moments!

My advice to travel pregnant in the second trimester:

I confirm that this is the best time to travel! I was much more accustomed to the constraints of lack of immunity to toxoplasmosis. I was much more fit, which allowed me to walk almost normally. But don't try too hard to make the beautiful, long live sneakers tight because the boots don't tighten the ankle in the cobbled streets, Fortunately, Benoît was there to avoid falls! The future daddy is often indispensable! Another tip: travel light, carry your suitcase, it will take five minutes but if you have to walk, fatigue will happen soon.

Pregnant Travel in the 3rd Quarter

For the 3rd quarter, I had planned that from the 7th month onwards, I wouldn't move! Between pregnancy in winter and the fear of giving birth prematurely, I didn't want to go on a pregnant holiday! The very cool temperatures on some days and the flu epidemic did not help me to convince myself otherwise. And yet, the desire to pack and the backpack was always present! We even wanted to go to the sea, it was this nasty flu epidemic that slowed us down again.
I went back to Touraine, by train, all alone. Not always easy to carry your suitcase. Luckily, mine slips under the seats of the trains! A practical luggage that I recommend to everyone, to leave for a few days! Because don't imagine that they will carry your suitcase or leave you a place! Moreover, in winter, coats do not always reveal the belly. So I spotted the reserved seats on the train just in case.
Taking the pregnant train is also a great opportunity to feel her baby's movements. It seems that we already like this mode of transport because I always felt it was great! The train allowed me to get lost in my thoughts by imagining the future we hope for. It is to observe the passengers with little ones, to think about organizing oneself to make this transport of the most practical.
The few times I was a passenger in the car during my pregnancy, I didn't really like...! Too many fears, too many jerks,... Namely, it seems that the seat belt must be worn under his stomach to avoid any risk on the placenta in case of sudden braking or shock. I really felt better on the train or in public transport.

My advice to travel pregnant in the third trimester:

Adapt to your new rhythm! Personally, I felt good during this last quarter until the 8th month. On the other hand, it is impossible to walk for kilometers like in Lille. And above all, the steps are very slow. And short breaks are often welcome! The shortness of breath caused by iron anemia can quickly be unpleasant. Thereafter, when baby starts to come down and the joints work, moving has become more complicated. Even though I continued to travel for daily needs on foot or by public transport, I don't think I could have visited a city and enjoyed it to the fullest. But once again, each day is different in terms of feeling and energy!