Hello girlies,
Just got back from five nights in Muscat, Oman as a last luxury break for DH and I before we are no longer just two (I hit 25 weeks while we were out there). broke the bank, but we had a great time lounging around under parasols and playing Scrabble (sad, I know!), and I have a few travel tips which might be useful.
Travel Insurance
If you think that you might even vaguely go abroad while you are pg, tell your insurance company now as it is classed as a change in your circumstances. Even if you are having a completely normal pregnancy with no complications, some insurance companies won't cover you past 20 weeks, even though all the travel advice I've seen is that 14-28 weeks is the best time to travel. I called Columbus, who we've been insured with at great expense for six years, last week before we headed off, just to double check it would be fine, and it wasn't: had to cancel policy and take out a new one with the Post Office, who are cool if everything is OK and you are back by 31 weeks. Oddly, Columbus have no probs with you travelling from 8 weeks, even though I thought air travel wasn't a great idea in the first trimester.
Airlines
Even if their official line is that flying is fine until 28 weeks or whatever, double check with the airline that you will be OK if you are travelling before then, and get a note from the doc to say you are OK to travel, even if there is nothing wrong and you are in the 2nd trimester. We flew with Gulf Air, and on the way out no-one even mentioned that I was pg, apart from the say that we wouldn't be able to sit in the emergency exit seats cos I'm not as nimble now, which I knew anyway. On the way back, however, all hell broke loose at check in desk and there was a huge issue with me being 25 weeks, for no reason whatsoever. Eventually got is sorted out and got on the plane, only to have steward start interrogating me again. All very stressful, and no-one even vaguely interested in whether I was OK - all red tape.
Both the insurance and the airline problems made me feel really cross that as a perfectly normal pregnant woman, I was being treated like I was a ticking bomb or a seriously ill person - a liability, in other words. I know they have to cover themselves, but there was little interest in my pregnancy (how I was, whether everything was OK) and lots of interest in numbers of weeks, with no context.
Clothes
Next's white floaty maternity beach stuff is fab, although huge - I ordered loads of size 16 stuff cos I didn't want to be constrained (was 12-14 before pg) and found it difficult keeping waistbands up! JoJo Maman Bebe combats are great for air travel. Blooming Marvellous swimsuit was perfect. Best buy was a treat - Isabella Oliver long black skirt and their black and white vest tops (with a little wrap over the top) - felt very sexy for the first time in five months and DH loved the outfit.
Also one more point on alcohol. I've been quite happy having a glass of wine once or twice a week at home/with friends since the start of the 2nd trimester, but for some reason on holiday I felt really self-conscious drinking anything at all, and was automatically offered juice/soft drinks rather than anyone asking what I would like to drink. I didn't expect to feel like that - just something to bear in mind.
Overall, though, the 7hr flight was absolutely fine, I had no probs at all, and it was worth every penny to relax for a few days. If you can get away, even for a night or two in the UK somewhere nice, before you have your baba, go for it!
Pinchy xxx
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Pregnancy
Holidays when pregnant - my tips (long)
Pinchypants · 20/04/2006 12:36
Hi ladies, great thread! In my first pregnancy I did a lot of travelling (Egypt at 28 weeks with Easyjet, Spain at 31 weeks with BA and Switzerland at 33 and 34 weeks) and no one batted an eyelid at me - I had a note and never got to show it to anyone 
glad I had it though!
I wanted to stress though that even if you are travelling in Europe you need more than an EHIC. Having the baby would def be covered and immediate aftercare but you could run into expensive problems if there are complications for you or the baby getting home. Organising flights/travel with medical care is very expensive so you could end up having to stay in whatever country you are in until you are both fit to travel (newborns can't fly!) and that will incur cost a lot of cost and probably inconvenience! Definately much cheaper to buy travel insurance! I work for an insurance company btw so hear about worse case scenario everyday - but we don't sell travel insurance!!
BIBA is a great tip!
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