How to Handle Summer Roadtrips While Pregnant Like a Boss

Summer is one of the busiest travel times of the year! This summer is especially busy for us because we are scrambling to visit everyone before we go overseas for the next year. So we have been on the road almost 7 out of 8 weekends! Now road trips have never been my favorite, I have never been good at sleeping in the car or on the plane; but, typically they aren’t so bad. But being pregnant adds in new sets of challenges to the summer road trips. There are several pregnancy symptoms that make traveling more difficult: increased sensitivity to motion sickness, morning sickness, back pain, constant need to pee, and constantly being hungry all make car riding much more difficult. Sometimes pregnancy can feel like a long period of time sacrificing what you like to do. No one feels like to feel like they are missing out on the fun because they’re pregnant. But have no fear, I am here to teach ya’ll all about my mistakes so that you can ride in comfort all summer. Now you won’t have to skimp on any summer travel plans!

1. Obviously if it’s a solo trip you’ll be doing the driving, but I found that when my morning sickness was at its peak, being the passenger definitely did not help ease my nausea. Instead try being behind the wheel. (If you are looking for more morning sickness relief tips see my tips here)
2. Take some healthy snacks on the ride. Almonds, apples, and peanut butter sandwiches were foods that were easy to take along and reduced some of my nausea and make it more comfortable to ride in the car. Plus, plan when you stop for meals can help by making sure you never get too hungry!
3. Bring a pillow in the car with you. As I am getting closer to the middle of my pregnancy, my back has started to hurt, especially when I am sitting in the car for long periods of time. So just go ahead and do yourself the favor of bringing a pillow to try make it more comfortable.
4. Wear comfortable shoes! I recently took a trip with my parents to Cleveland, OH. And my dad wanted to tour the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, so we did. I however did not anticipate all the walking and wore the flattest sandals known to man with no arch support! My feet were killing me for the rest of the weekend! I have no invested in some lovely sandals that hopefully will make walking much more comfortable! This can also be critical when flying for summer travels because sometimes airports require a LOT of walking.
5. One of the most annoying pregnancy symptoms is having to be 10 times an hour! While this is annoying at home where there is easy access to a bathroom (seriously bladder, I just got comfortable!) it can be challenging on the road where there might not be frequent rest areas to stop at. It’s even more annoying when you finally get to a bathroom only to realize you have to pee so bad because the baby is lying on your bladder, not because it’s so full it’s going to burst!

So, there are my top 5 road trip tips to get you through your summer travels as painlessly as possible!Grace Lipscomb has been an Army wife and a family counselor, emphasis in marriage and family counseling, she is trying to get her foot in the door to provide services for troops and family members. She is currently a volunteer intern with the Family Life Chaplain at Fort Benning, seeing service members and their families.
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