Any excuse for a holiday and I’m there! When I found out babymoons were apparently a thing, I had to have one. The idea behind them is to spend time as a couple, enjoying each other’s company before holidays change forever which is lovely really. And as I said, any excuse!
There was only one place we wanted to go to – Canada. I swear I should have been born Canadian and having lived in Vancouver for three years, there’s still a large chunk of my heart there. I couldn’t face the 10-hour flight to get to the west coast though so we settled on Toronto. In all honesty I was worried I’d get too big to fit in the row and the seat! Toronto was perfect for our taste of Canada with a not-too-long direct flight from Glasgow.
The flight was the only part that I was anxious about. Being first-time pregnant I wasn’t sure how I’d feel being stuck on board for a good few hours potentially not being able to walk around and go to the toilet when needed if turbulence struck. Oh the things I worry about!
Turns out it was fine so here’s my top seven tips for making the flight as comfy as possible. I’m obviously not a trained medical professional so always check with your midwife if you have any questions or concerns about travelling. But for me, the following things worked:
1. Double check if you need a fit to fly note
You generally don’t need a fit to fly note until the 28th week of pregnancy but I believe some airlines do vary so it’s definitely always worth checking with your airline. Chat to your midwife about how you get this.
2. Mention the fact you’re pregnant to the check in staff
Ok, so that does sound a little strange and I don’t think in any other situation I’ve ever played the pregnancy card but you want to be as comfortable as possible on a flight so there’s no harm in mentioning it and seeing if they can do anything to make your journey that extra bit comfortable. I was so impressed with the Air Transat team at Glasgow Airport because they honestly couldn’t have done more to make sure we would be as comfortable as possible. Because the flight wasn’t full, they very kindly gave us three seats between the two of us at the back of the plane so we could be that bit more comfortable and it really did make a difference. Being able to stretch out, get out easily for the inevitable 300 trips to the toilet and extra storage space for snacks made for one of the best flights I’ve ever had.
3. Comfy clothes to wear
The day I flew long haul in ‘leisure wear’ was the day my life changed. Well, maybe not quite so dramatic as that but I used to fly wearing whatever and ending up wrestling with compression socks and skinny jeans before take off. Skinny jeans may look awesome but make for comfortable travel wear they do not. And trying to wriggle them up your legs to put on compressions socks. Nope, not happening. So comfort is key, and never more so when you’ve got a bump to take into consideration too. I ordered some plain black yoga pants from Verbaudet online and I think they will be my flying companion forever more… with bump or without. They are the comfiest things in the world, with a lovely big stretchy bump band.
4. Compression socks
Recommended for long-haul flights anyway, these beautiful creations are even more crucial when flying when you’re pregnant as you can be more susceptible to clots and cramps. I’m not sure if they really do work but they do always stop restless and achy legs for me, plus it makes my mum happy if I wear them.
5. Take lots of water
Having gone off tea and other liquids during pregnancy, water has become my best friend. I won’t go anywhere without a massive bottle of water. On most long-haul airlines, all soft drinks and water are free but there’s that fear of ‘what if they run out?’ or I can’t get my hands on water when I need it – makes me sound a bit of a water-aholic! Pregnancy does weird things to you! I hate the thought of ever being without water as once the thirst kicks in, it’s there and impossible to ignore but if there’s one thing you learn while pregnant, it’s that you need to keep hydrated at all times or you’ll feel pretty rotten. Glasgow Airport has a handy water fountain just past security to fill up your own bottle, but it’s worth a trip to Boots (and annoyingly forking out a small fortune) for the peace of mind that you’ll have enough water with you.
6. Take plenty of snacks
A hungry pregnant lady is no laughing matter. Honestly, it brings a whole new meaning to hangry because you get to add the fact that if you don’t eat you feel nauseous into the mix too. Lovely! No matter which airline you fly with, anywhere in the world, the food can always be a bit hit and miss or you don’t get fed when you were expecting it. Being pregnant and hungry is not a good combo because any patience you may have had before evaporates. The hunger monster takes over. You can take snacks from home, providing they comply with security so cereal bars, sandwiches, ‘dry’ snacks are all good, plus you can grab food in the departure lounge to take on board too. The flights back across the Atlantic are late at night so it’s not the best eating time once you’re on board, particularly when the heart burn kicks in and you just want to nod off.
7. An aisle seat or a seat you can move from easily
I was scared I would get sore legs plus need to get up to pee fairly regularly so was most worried about being a nuisance to others or being separated from my partner and finding myself in the dreaded middle seat on the flight. It’s super annoying but most airlines do now charge to choose your seat before you travel and while normally I would refuse to pay it and just get it at check in, with the extra pregnancy worries, it’s good peace of mind to know that you’re going to be comfortable. Even once you’ve picked your seats, you can still get moved so definitely chat to the check in staff and see if anything else can be done to make it even better.
And lastly, make the most of the down time on the flight. Because the next flight you take, you’ll probably have a little one taking up all of your attention.
Get us outside 