Week 18: CAUTION: Traveling while pregnant

By Published On: October 14th, 2014

Pregnancy changes a lot of things that normally you don’t […]

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After our long drive across three states, we stopped at my in-laws farm for a visit!

Pregnancy changes a lot of things that normally you don’t give a second thought about: getting dressed every morning, a normal amount of trips to the bathroom and a solid night of sleep, just to name a few. Last weekend I added another thing to that list: traveling any long distances.
Whoever said that moving across the country, while pregnant, with a toddler in tow is not hectic was CRAZY or lying … but oh wait, no one ever actually said that. Let’s be honest, any of those three things separately isn’t easy, but then you throw them all together, and take it from me, things get a little wonky.
Caffeine: As we started out last weekend just after 5 a.m. on a 12-hour drive, I took the first driving shift. This would normally mean enjoying a large, hot caffeinated coffee and a few hours of total peace and quiet before the toddler wakes up and starts asking for a book, or snack or something else that is just out of my reach. This trip though, my pregnant belly and I were all alone without our caffeine. Usually the “try avoid caffeine” rule doesn’t mess up my mornings too drastically. When I’m awake on a morning before the sun comes up though, I wished the caffeine could be pumped right into my veins.
Blood Clots: At my last appointment with my doc before the trip, she mentioned that I need to be sure and get out every few hours to keep the blood flowing and prevent blood clots. I’ve had several friends who had the privilege of wearing those lovely, long compression socks to prevent blood clots while they were pregnant, so I knew this wasn’t a subject to mess around with. Every couple hours I would lovingly look over at my husband and ask if we could pull over. Then my two-year-old and I would do a mini-marathon around the parking lot. I can only imagine what the other drivers thought as we jogged around the gas pumps and did the electric slide through the quick mart.
Bathroom Breaks: It never quite seemed like I had to go to the bathroom during my jogging breaks. And even if I did, another need for a bathroom break was never far away. My husband always knew the bathroom request was coming though since being stuck in a car didn’t make me want to stop slurping down water like a camel.
And as we were closing in on our last couple hours of the drive, my poor husband longingly reminded me about the days of long ago when we used to road trip for hours without even thinking about a stop. Sorry Honey, you’ve got a pregnant wife with a bladder that won’t wait and a ball of energy in the backseat named Boone. As the great Bob Dylan says, the times they are a-changin’.
Have you traveled for a long road trip or plane ride while you are pregnant for a Babymoon, family or business? Do you have any tips to make the trip a bit easier for pregnant moms?