First Trimester TravelTraveling more than two hours from home before your first ultrasound has established an intrauterine pregnancy is not advised. During this time you are at risk for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and spotty bleeding. Also, your body is physically adjusting to the pregnancy and you can experience cramping, significant fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.
Terry Ward is a freelance travel, health, and parenting writer who has written about everything from flying with infants to the benefits of taking your children on vacation even when they’re too young to recall it. She loves to go camping, sailing, scuba diving, skiing, and pretty much anything else outdoors. She resides in Tampa, Florida, with her husband and their young son and daughter. Advertisement My pregnancy week by week.
Research medical facilities (and my mistake)
Knowledge is power, and knowing where to find nearby medical facilities is essential. This is where I made my big mistake. Check to see if there are any facilities in the area that your insurance will cover for labor and delivery before you go there.
I went to a hospital walk-in clinic first when I started experiencing early labor symptoms. The hospital’s front desk informed me that there was no gynecology department.
I called my ob-gyn, who instructed me to visit an emergency room at a hospital. Concerned and alone, I went to the closest ER. I had to be transported by ambulance to another hospital because the hospital didn’t perform labor and delivery once I was in a room, the nurse informed me. Luckily, it didn’t end up being preterm labor. I received fluids and was detained for oversight before being released.
You’ll save a ton of time, money, and stress by doing some research in advance. Two hospital bills and an ambulance bill drove that lesson home, so you better believe I knew exactly where I could go for every pregnancy after that.
Remember that hospital visit I mentioned earlier? I was probably dehydrated at the time. Dehydration can spur contractions. Even though you have to use the restroom every hour, try to persuade yourself to consume even more liquids. It is among the simplest ways to stay healthy while traveling in the third trimester.