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With proper planning and advice, travel during pregnancy is not a problem. To ensure that you and your baby remain healthy during travel, you need to consider the stage of your pregnancy, your current physical condition, and any restrictions or problems you and your doctor have discussed.

Also, talk to your doctor about visits or tests you need to schedule, so that you are not away during the time these are to take place. These can include Rh immunoglobulin injections (for Rh negative blood types), ultrasounds, glucose screening tests and regular prenatal, physician visits.

Assuming your doctor says it is OK for you to travel, be sure you prepare a complete list of contact names and phone numbers to take with you. Using this list other travelers or health care professionals can be guided should you encounter any pregnancy related health problems.

This information should include: %u2022 Personal information, your medications, insurance details and blood type. List also what immunizations you have had, when your last prenatal visit occurred, your due date and any allergies you have %u2022 Your doctor's name and contact information %u2022 Names and telephone numbers for a family emergency contact %u2022 Any doctor's name and phone number you may be using while you are away from home

Take adequate pregnancy vitamins, medications (prescription or otherwise) so you are covered for the duration of your trip. Obtain health insurance that will cover all eventualities during travel including complications, your entire pregnancy and birth plus make sure there aren't any small print clauses regarding travel in certain countries.

Check the availability of travel insurance on your airline, or other carrier, to be sure that you are covered if you have to miss part of, or your entire, trip because of pregnancy related health problems or if you incur emergency expenses during your trip. Ask if this insurance covers complications from pregnancy and emergency transport. Carry a cell phone, especially if you're traveling alone, and be sure that your cell phone will function in any foreign country to which you may be traveling.

You can plan normal activities while you are traveling, but understand that you are likely to get tired more quickly when you are pregnant, so plan for extra rest during each travel day. Take a relaxing bath, use room service, sit on the beach or watch an in-room movie. Eating healthy is important, and your schedule is likely to be different on the road, so take nuts, dry fruit, and cheese and crackers with you. Drink plenty of water and avoid dehydration, especially if you are flying to your destination.

Toileting is an important factor to consider. Pregnancy usually necessitates frequent bathroom visits. Try to plan trips and activities that are close to bathrooms. Build these bathroom visits into your schedule so you have time to get from A to B. Plane travel means long periods of sitting so feet and legs will probably swell. Try to elevate your feet if possible and wear really comfortable, stretchy shoes and socks. Grab every opportunity to get up and walk around and use any pit stops to get some exercise in.

If you are traveling to a foreign country, you and your doctor will have to consider any vaccines you will require to determine whether they are safe to administer during pregnancy. Varicella for measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox is a live vaccine and should be avoided. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report no fetal damage from live vaccines, but they admit that their information is limited, so these vaccines should still be considered risky. Pregnant women at risk from getting Hepatitis B, tetanus and Hepatitis A should be vaccinated as these vaccines are considered safe.

There may be challenges obtaining quality water, food and healthcare in some developing countries. When pregnant you should try to avoid traveling to such regions. Yeast infections can be brought on in hot, humid areas so avoid same by wearing cotton undergarments and loose, lightweight clothes. Wet swimming suits should be removed as soon as possible and it might be an idea to suggest bringing some anti-fungal cream to your doctor.

Avoid risky activities, especially late in pregnancy: snow skiing, water skiing, surfing, horseback riding, parasailing, scuba diving, water slides and some more extreme amusement park rides. You may also wish to avoid very hot saunas and hot tubs, as they elevate your temperature beyond what is normal in a regular bath. You can walk and hike at low altitudes, swim in calm waters (not in heavy surf or rapids), ride a stationary or regular bike, exercise in the hotel gym (if you have been used to exercising before and during your pregnancy) and jog if you jogged before pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about your planned activities before you leave for travel or vacation.

Be smart! If you start to feel tired, overheated, dizzy or uncomfortable, slow down, rest, take a break or stop what you are doing. Travel, especially to other time zones, can throw your eating schedule off and cause more problems with bloating, and indigestion. Try eating several small meals during the day. Don't eat close to bedtime (allow 2-3 hours to digest your food). Sleep with your upper body propped on pillows. Avoid alcohol, carbonated beverages, caffeine, chocolate, acidic foods (citrus fruits, tomatoes, and vinegar), and spicy foods. Try to eat high-fiber foods to avoid constipation and bloat, and stay active to keep your digestive tract moving.

Avoid motion sickness by sitting in the front seat of the car and keeping the window open to get plenty of fresh air. In an airplane, sit over the wing, and on a boat, try to stay on the deck and focus on the horizon. You can try wearing a specially designed wristband to deliver mild electrical current to a nerve at an acupuncture point on the underside of your wrist. Studies show that this device helps some pregnant women with morning sickness and motion sickness.

A comfortable and uneventful trip health wise is possible for a pregnant woman if she follows these tips. Listen to your doctor and if they recommend that you don't travel..don't. You can take the trip anytime, this is the time to consider the health of you and your new baby.