You doctor will advise you not to travel during the first trimester, and do not travel when you are in the third trimester. Airlines will not allow you to board the plane when you are, for example, 36 weeks pregnant. Nevertheless, some of us need to travel out of business; while some of us want to travel for leisure. Whether you are travelling by air or by car, take the following precaution:

1. Always talk to your doctor before you travel. You will want to get the ‘approval’ from the doctor.
2. Air travel

• Avoid places that require immunization.  Not all immunizations are considered safe for the mom-to-be. If you have to go, check with your doctor.
• When aboard on the plane, try to get a seat with more leg rooms. Also, remember to take bathroom breaks as well as breaks to stretch, exercise, and walk around.
• Try to travel light, and try not carry heavy luggage in order to protect your back

3. Car travel

• Always wear your seat belt. The waist belt should be below (not across) your belly, and across your hip. The shoulder strap should be between your breasts. If the shoulder strap gets too close to you neck, reposition your seat or the seat belt so that you would be more comfortable.
• Take breaks – this will include bathroom breaks, and breaks that would get you off the vehicle and walk around a bit. Again, this will bring more comfort to your long ride.
• If you are the passenger, take off your shoes, rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes often. This will help alleviate the swelling during long hours of immobility.

Last, but not least, remember to arrange for medical insurance in case anything happens. Remember, life is full of surprises, you never know what will happen next. So, travel safe!

Bon voyage!

TAKE A DEEP BREATH! But, what’s next?

Let’s face it! We are growing new lives inside our bodies, so, it is NOT easy to relax. Nevertheless, stressing out will not make the pregnancy easier. So, try taking the following advices.

• Think positive. Too many of us are too worried about the whole ordeal – will it be a boy or girl? will I have a painful delivery? will I have a speedy recovery? will the baby be free of problems and be perfectly healthy? The list is endless. And the fact is, we ask ourselves far too many questions and put ourselves into too much unnecessary stress. Again, take a deep breath, than tackle these questions one at a time.
  Does it really matter if the baby is a boy or girl? Not really. How long will the pain last in a really painful delivery? A few hours and you are going to forget all about it once you see your baby. Recovery? Everyone will recover eventually, don’t worry. Will the baby be healthy? Well, you have done everything you can to ensure the health of the baby, there is only so much you can do.
  So, next time when you have a question, write it down, than try to answer it with your best effort. After that, you should leave the questions behind you, considered them problems solved. This should make you feel less anxious.
• Get information on your questions. It is always a good idea to try to find answers to your questions. However, try to avoid information overload. You need to know how to strike the balance. Otherwise, you will get buried inside the massive information and get even more stressed out after reading all the materials. Try to figure out when to stop is very important!
• When you are  stressed, you won’t get enough sleep; you can’t eat properly; you will mess up priorities of things…it does more harm than good. Talk to someone about your stress. You can talk to your doctors, your best friends, your partners. They will probably tell you that all of your concerns are unnecessary. And it is also true that they might not be able to help you to get the answers to all the questions, but having someone to share your worries will certainly help you to relieve the pressure.
• Cut down on your chores and errands. These little things add to your stress. Get help and find someone to share your burden, it will give you room to relax and breathe.
• Listen to your favourite music. I know I know. Some of us want to give birth to geniuses, and may turn to classical music, language courses, etc, hoping that the little ones will be the next Einstein, Mozart, or Picasso. Well, I didn’t buy that! I just went for my favourite music according to my mood – opera, classical, punk rock, jazz…anything that I love and would make me feel better, I went for them. The pregnancy is already stressful enough, why should I do something that I don’t like or enjoy? Now at 2 and 4, my boys love any kind of music that I play. Although they are not Einsteins, Mozart, or Picasso, I still love them very much!!!
• Exercise. We all know exercises are the magic cure to a lot of stuff. And yes, it too can reduce the stress levels of expectant mothers. It will take your minds off your worries for a little while. And it also helps you to stay in shape. Go for it girls!

Being pregnant is stressing us out physically already. There is no need to stress ourselves our mentally. So, remember to share your worries with your partners. They are there to help you out!

Obviously, all women have to stay fit whenever. It is also important to stay fit when you are pregnant. Before we move on, please keep in mind of the following:
1. Avoid exercises that may cause you to fall from heights, e.g. ice-skating, skiing, riding on a real bike (stationary bikes are fine). This is because as you grow bigger, it is harder to keep yourself balanced. And obviously, falls are to be avoided.
2. Do not do exercises on your back (whether it is weight lifting or yoga), it would hurt yourself and your baby.
3. There are women who would go scuba diving. Although considered safe, there has not been conclusive studies on the effect of water pressure onto the moms-to-be and the babies. Therefore, think twice before you dive.

There are many exercises that you can do, try consider the following:
1. Low-impact aerobic exercises that would not strain your back are perfectly okay.
2. Some of you enjoy yoga and it is a great way to keep fit and strengthen your muscles. If possible, try to enroll in prenatal classes since they will know best what poses you should practice and avoid. Avoid hot yoga since you do not need to be overheated. Getting overheated is not good for pregnant women.
3. Weight lifting – sure, no problem. But please stay with lighter weights. Remember, do not weight lift on your back, it is not good for you nor the baby.
4. Cycling - stationary bikes are fine. Please ensure you are well supported when getting on and off in order not to fall. And if you grow too big and you do not feel comfortable cycling anymore, STOP! Also, do not attempt a real bike since you are less apt to react should accidents happen.
5. Jogging - consult your doctor before you start jogging
6. Walking - do lots of it. It helps you to relax and give you ample exercises at the same time.
7. It is actually not recommended to swim. There are concerns that you might get vaginal infection from the pool water or sea water, and it will in turn affect the baby. On the other hand, swimming can take a lot of the pressure off your back, especially in the second and third trimester. So, check with you OB before you go.

If you feel uncomfortable whenever you are exercising, slow down, and then stop. If you are ever in doubt, consult your doctor.