4. Specialist Requirements

You’ll want to ensure you stay on top of your medical situation at all times throughout your travels. Make sure to keep a note of all the local hospitals or clinics, and keep a detailed log of your pregnancy up to the point of your trip.

In truth, it’s sometimes hard to know what kind of concerns do and don’t need medical help. There are a lot of natural pains and aches which walk hand-in-hand with the pregnancy process. It’s a struggle to know when it’s time to consult a medical professional or not.

Here are a few examples of when you’ll need to seek medical advice:

• Extreme headaches – You can expect to experience headaches throughout all stages of pregnancy. However, if things get really severe it could be a sign of a dangerously high blood pressure.
• Vomiting – Again, this is a natural side effect of being pregnant, but there is a limit. If you’re sick too often, you might find yourself being dehydrated.
• Swelling – This is sometimes an early sign of pre-eclampsia. Once more, you can expect some mild swelling, but be sure to only head off to the GPs if it becomes extreme.
• Dizziness – If you have shortened breath, are pale or feel very dizzy, you might be showing signs of being anaemic.

Source: Mothercare

It’s down to you to decide whether you feel any of these symptoms are particularly extreme, or if they’re just a mild annoyance. All will be natural side effects of pregnancy, so you need to make sure you accurately assess whether your symptoms are worse than normal.

Finding accommodation to be able to properly relax in is half the battle for a pregnant woman. Just as we’ve discovered with most factors, some of these are more suitable than others.

Hurtling through the air at speeds of up to 600mph isn’t natural for anyone, and will have an impact on an individual regardless of their condition. For pregnant women, there’s unsurprisingly a series of additional factors which need to be considered.

Before the flight

There are several precautions to ensure you’re as prepared as possible for your flight. These include:

• Carrying out the necessary checks, and attaining the documentation
• Ensuring you’re in good medical health, with no pre-existing conditions which could cause you harm
• Knowing your due date. Try to avoid planning a flight time around this period

During the flight

In-flight precautions will improve your flight experience. Some of the top tips in this regard include:

• Keep yourself hydrated throughout the flight with plenty of water
• Try to get up and stretch your legs to help with circulation
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing
• Fix your seatbelt so it does not cover your bump

Think logically about what you can do to keep yourself as healthy as possible. If you need to speak to your doctor about this, feel free to do so.

Learning to deal with an irregular sleep pattern during pregnancy is always a challenge – but not one you can’t overcome. There are several tips for getting a good night’s sleep on holiday:

• Schedule your sleep pattern – Nobody really enjoys having a designated bed time, but it might be a wise strategy when you’re on your travels. Getting into a routine can help massively when it comes to ensuring you’re getting enough sleep every night. Waking up early means you’ll be more tired and ready for bed in the evening.

• No caffeine after 6pm – Coffee is intended to pep us up for a busy day. Drinking this, or any other form of caffeinated beverage prior to sleep, will only keep you awake longer. It's crucial not to drink too much coffee, regardless. Caffeine intake should be as restricted as possible during this time.

• Exercise in the morning – If you’re still at a stage in your pregnancy where you’re able to regularly exercise, make sure to do this in the morning. Exercise raises adrenaline levels in the body, which can make it incredibly difficult to sleep.

• Sit upright after eating – This is an odd one, but it can be effective. If you head out for a meal, make sure to let your food digest for roughly four hours. Digestion takes longer during pregnancy, but it’s crucial to avoid any irregular reaction from stomach acids.

• Sleep on your left – Favouring this side of your body will serve to take strain away from your lower back. Finding the right position to sleep in is crucial as a whole. Try and get as comfortable as possible with the use of pillows.

Source: fitpregnancy.com