8 Tips for Traveling During (and After) Pregnancy

A month later, I took a pregnancy test as a joke on Mother’s Day — and lo and behold, I was pregnant. As if I wasn’t shocked enough, two weeks later, my husband was discharged from the Marine Corps after a career-ending motorcycle accident. I understood that motherhood would change me, but I didn’t know that it would come in a time of my life where I no longer recognized the life I was living.

Needless to say, I didn’t get maternity leave. I didn’t have a job to return to after my daughter was born. The silver lining was that it was a chance to rethink our life choices. So, we sold our possessions, spent a few months vanlifing (well, truck-lifing) around North America, then bought a one-way flight to Denmark and spent the last few months of my pregnancy in Europe.

The author and her husband in Iceland. Photo: Shanon Morris

However, after our daughter was born and we had returned to the US, the desire to travel didn’t go away. There’s a narrative that maternity leave, if you’re lucky enough to get it, is supposed to be a period of stillness and recovery where you’re only caring for a child. No one talks about how utterly boring that can feel for someone who thrived on adventure.

We bucked that narrative. We took our first road trip with our daughter when she was two months old, and by seven months, she had seen Croatia, Spain, and Portugal. Our daughter was born in Chicago, took her first steps in Texas, learned to walk in Taiwan, and is now dragging us around Australia en route to Dubai.

I traveled to 15 countries when I was pregnant, and have done 23 with a baby. It’s been a wonderful experience for her and our family as a whole. Here’s what to consider if you’re hoping to do the same.

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You don’t need to schedule your travel around pregnancy checkups, and finding English-speaking providers is relatively easy. However, you will want to make sure you understand your insurance coverage. If coming from the US, your insurance may be particularly difficult to use overseas, and you’ll likely be better off buying an international plan.

The best resources are Reddit forums and expat blogs specific to the city you are traveling to. Often, you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket (and sometimes with cash), then apply to get reimbursed by your insurance. Bring a digital copy of your medical records and proof of pregnancy.

There are also several pediatrician groups in the US that offer telehealth services. Finding a trusted pediatrician you can chat or text with is especially helpful when you’re a new parent worried about what to do after your child licks playground equipment.

Traveling with a baby in Croatia. Photo: Shanon Morris

Your body will expand and shrink at unpredictable times and rates, but you don’t need a new closet for your pregnancy journey. The best investments are in staples that grow and shrink with you, and comfortable nursing bras that can be worn anytime. This is a great excuse to share button-down or oversized shirts with your partner. Once your baby joins you on your travels, you can expect everything to be laden with food stains, and all sorts of mystery substances.

Babies also don’t need a lot of gear. They don’t even need a stroller. A soft baby carrier is helpful, but otherwise, you can rent or buy and sell everything you need at your destination. You can also skip the cribs, as it’s easy to find king-sized beds at hotels or homestays.

Traveling with a baby is easiest if you’re exclusively breastfeeding. Unless you’re going to an extremely remote location, you can find most of what you need at your destination. And if it is quite remote, you may be able to still have items shipped to your hotel if you order them in advance.

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When you’re traveling while pregnant or with a baby, you’re subject to the same emergencies as any other traveler, so you may end up changing your plans regardless. On top of that, you’re subject to the needs of a tiny human whose primary form of self expression is screaming. The baby manual does not tell you that many babies hate car seats and will cry at levels of intensity that make driving very distracting and even dangerous.

What that means is this is not the time to plan a four-hour road trip. And if you must go on one, plan for a full eight hours. Traveling while pregnant or with a young baby is the time to pay extra for the fully refundable ticket. Make sure you have some kind of travel insurance, whether through your credit card, or purchased separately. Be prepared to think on your feet, change your plans, and manage refunds later.

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In all 50 states, and nearly everywhere we’ve been, women have an explicit legal right to nurse in public. Some countries prohibit discrimination against breastfeeding, like the Act Governing Breastfeeding in Public Places in Taiwan. That being said, there are cultural practices in more conservative parts of the world where you’ll see few women breastfeeding uncovered. Even so, you are within your right to nurse wherever and however you see fit. I often rely on my partner to act as bodyguard against naysayers or critical side-eyes.

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International travel while pregnant or with a newborn is more normalized outside of the United States. Airports like Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, Portugal, as well as many others, offer a swath of services designed specifically for new and expecting parents. Even without splurging on luxury vacations, it’s easier to find pregnancy and baby-friendly resorts and hotels throughout Europe or Asia than it is in the US.

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Whether you’ve got your baby in a carrier or still in your belly, they’re the most portable humans can get. Each airline has different restrictions when it comes to flying while pregnant, but most require a doctor’s note after 28 weeks, and do not allow you to fly internationally after 35 weeks. Barring medical complications, the experience of flying while pregnant is not that different from flying when you’re not pregnant. Short-haul flights? An economy aisle seat is fine. Long haul? You’ll appreciate extra legroom and proximity to toilets.

Most babies don’t start to walk until somewhere between 12-15 months. And they don’t need boatloads of toys to stay entertained. Planning takeoff around feeding and nap times will pay dividends in terms of a comfortable flight, though fussing should be anticipated. But once the wheels are up, your little one will probably fall asleep on your chest. If they don’t, your keys, scrunchie or even the seatback safety card will provide sufficient entertainment — yes, even on a 16-hour flight.

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Family travel influencers will often showcase luxurious babymoons or baby-friendly vacations, frequently in cheaper tourist destinations like Southeast Asia. They look like a great deal, but you’ll want to consider your comfort level with different cultures’ norms around babies, In some countries, it’s common for hospitality staff (and sometimes strangers on the street) to pick up, touch, or take photos of your baby, sometimes without permission. It’s fine to say “no” when someone does this, or if you want to avoid the stress of dealing with that on an ongoing basis, do your research and go somewhere where the cultural values better align with your own.

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There are only seven nations in the United Nations that don’t have federally mandated paid parental leave: The Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and the United States. But if you are fortunate enough to find yourself with the ability to take some time off, there are no rules that say you can’t travel when you’re pregnant, or with a newborn. Sleepless nights, spit-ups and tantrums can be managed anywhere, and if you’re going to have a bad day, you might as well at least have a bad day in a beautiful new country.