You may feel like sitting on the couch eating bonbons and watching TV, or you might be the type who can’t shake the travel bug even with your watermelon-sized (and growing) belly, but either way, chances are you’ll find yourself traveling some time during your pregnancy.

Traveling is perfectly safe for most pregnant women, unless your doctor has explicitly told you otherwise. Still, traveling when you’re pregnant requires a bit more advanced planning than when you’re not. With a little savvy and our best tips, you’ll be on your way:

1.  Bring healthy food.

Whether you’re going on a car trip, a boat ride, or an airplane, you need to tote along your own food. It’s important for pregnant women to eat often and nutritiously and most airlines these days are not offering particularly healthy options. And fast food and pregnancy don’t go well together, so even for car trips, you should plan to stock up. Make sure you have a stash of the healthy foods you tend to crave — carrot sticks, green beans, bananas, apples, nuts, dried fruit, and organic cheese all travel well — before you set off.

2. Pack comfortable shoes.

“It’s tempting to offset your new girth with a little extra height, but foolish,” says Jamie Pearson, a mother of two and founder of the popular website TravelSavvyMom.com. Pearson advises pregnant travelers to prioritize comfort over fashion in footwear and clothing. “I traveled to Santa Fe in my second trimester with nothing but heels in my suitcase. After two days on the hills and cobblestones, I had to borrow my husband’s running shoes. I felt like a clown!”

Read the full article on Disney Family.com (cute belly photo courtesy of Jennifer Margulis).

October 11th, 2009 | by Jennifer Margulis 2 comments