Mile High Preggo… tips for traveling while expecting.

There’s a really long list of things to avoid while pregnant, luckily traveling is not one of them. As long as your doctor gives you the okay, there is no reason to put the brakes on your wanderlust.

There are some inherent risks to be mindful of, so here’s what I learned when I traveled to Australia while 8-months pregnant.

First, when choosing a destination, my doctor emphasized the fact that you need to go to places that have a strong healthcare system. Should something unforeseen arise, you want to know that you will be well taken care of. Luckily, Australia fit the bill.

Second, and most frightening, you need to be aware of the increased risk of blood clots and this risk increases even more on long duration flights. Australia happened to be about the longest flight I could take, but there are things you can do to decrease the risk. My doctor told me to get up, stretch and walk around the plane every one-and-a-half to two hours. So, I set the timer on my phone to wake me up and I got up, I did lunges, squats and releves in the back of the plane. I didn’t miss one timer and I didn’t care how ridiculous I looked. My doctor also recommended compression stockings for the flight. You will have to ask your doctor for the recommended strength or mmHg level. Depending on the level your doctor recommends, these are two brands that I liked Terramed and Preggers.

Was the flight easy – nope, it was rough, but the reward was worth it!

We stayed in Broadbeach, which is on the Gold Coast. Every morning, Jake and I went swimming in the ocean. We rented SUPs at Currumbin Creek from Gold Coast SUP, they even had a board that was perfect for Jake to sit on the front.

We also went hiking a lot, Queensland has some incredible hiking spots. Some of our favorites were Tamborine Mountain and the Natural Bridge at Springbrook National Park.

Yet another highlight was the WSL Quicksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks in Coolangatta. Seeing legends like Kelly Slater, up close was pretty amazing.

While there is a lot you can’t do while pregnant, there are some truly wonderful experiences to be had!