It comes to that time when you just NEED A BREAK from everyday life. It’s not always easy being pregnant. For some, it’s a walk in the park, for others it is just hard work every day!

Luckily for myself and Leon, we had already booked a holiday to Morocco before we found out we were pregnant. So when I was 8 weeks pregnant, we were off on our first holiday with bump. On the other hand, I had only just overcome the hurdle of a fortnight of uncomfortable pain, worry and anxiety (when I had been bleeding and suffering horrendous scares). A holiday was definitely due!

Travelling Abroad

I made sure I consulted with my doctor that I was fit to fly and visit that specific country. This is when he made me aware that there are certain countries you are unable to fly to when pregnant or planning to conceive, due to the Zika Virus. The Zika virus is a disease spread by mosquitoes and can cause birth defects for unborn babies. Unfortunately, our next holiday destination would have been somewhere like Mexico or the Caribbean, however we would’ve rather protected our unborn child and kept well away from these countries. For more information on countries affected by the Zika virus, I found this link very handy to detect the areas to avoid … https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/world-map-areas-with-zika

We had a wonderful time in Marrakesh, Morocco. The weather was beautiful, I felt normal again and it was a lovely, relaxing holiday for the two of us, to celebrate our journey ahead! Luckily for me, I didn’t even look pregnant at this stage, so could still wear normal hot weather clothes and still look good :)

Our second holiday abroad whilst pregnant was to Limassol, Cyprus (5 hours plane journey). Here I was 25-26 weeks pregnant and I feel that was the best time to go on a sunny holiday. You can show off your beautiful bump and receive loads of compliments before it is humungous, you aren’t too heavy, you can chill out for a week or so, you can get a lovely tanned bump and most importantly, you’re not too close to going into labour! Myself and Leon went with my Mum and Dad to visit my brother @starkerz so it was a lovely family holiday where my brother could finally meet bump!. The flights were fine, of course a little less room than normal as you have a bump on your lap and a little more uncomfortable. But it is definitely worth investing in a travel pillow as I feel this helped me position myself more comfortably. Also don’t forget to drink plenty of water and take a few trips up and down the cabin aisle to keep your blood flowing!

Obviously you have to do the norm when travelling abroad and be careful what you eat in a different country to your own and especially no alcohol, but other than that, we had a beautiful time in a beautiful place with beautiful people :)

Travelling more local

Luckily for myself, I didn’t experience any travel sickness after my first trimester, so tended to travel short journeys up until then. They were never an issue, but the motion would sometimes aggravate my stomach and make me sick! The furthest I travelled was around 140 miles to KidZania, London, when I was 6 months pregnant. We did travel by train, so wasn’t as bumpy as a car journey. It was tiring as it was a long day packed with a load of fun, but it wasn’t too much for me and I just rested for most of the next day!!

KidZania - London

Tips before travelling when pregnant

• TAKE your pregnancy/prenatal notes
• Research about your destination to make your journey the most pleasant it can be
• Consult your Doctor if you’re travelling abroad
• Take a travel pillow
• Drink plenty of water
• Take some snacks in case you are peckish
• Take it easy! Relax! Chill out!

---

Websites I found useful if I had any unanswered questions

Flying while pregnant – Baby Centre
NHS – Travelling in Pregnancy
Going on holiday when pregnant – Bounty
Packing guide for Travelling when pregnant