Meet the Mamas

Meet the Mamas – Summer Holiday Survival Guide with Kendra

A lot of us spend 9 months of the year dreaming about where we are going to go and what we are going to do in our summer holidays. Then out of the blue, there’s a little one growing inside of you and you realise that this is definitely going to change your holiday plans!

In the meet the mamas series this week, we spoke to Kendra Green who shares her experience and tips on how to balance being pregnant with your summer holiday plans!

Meet Kendra Green!

I’m currently 23 weeks pregnant with my first baby – although we are over the moon I don’t think anything can prepare you for the overwhelming feeling when the test is positive!

That said, I’m considering myself extremely lucky that I fell pregnant quickly; you can never take these things for granted and I’m feeling very ready to become a parent and move into the next chapter of life. I’ve always been quite traditional in the sense that I wanted the gender of the baby to be a surprise – my partner was happy either way but our family and friends are really excited that this is the case. It does mean looking at a lot of grey and white things whilst shopping! But we’re so excited for that moment when the baby is born and we find out what’s been there all along.

At the moment I have a feeling I’m having a boy (and the bump nickname is Duncan after my boyfriend’s favourite footballer!) but we’re getting mixed opinions from others on what they think it will be.

Has been pregnant changed what type of holidays you’ve decided to take?

Both my partner and I have lived abroad so travelling is something we love to do; we didn’t want being pregnant to stop us! So we’ve been to Morocco, Portugal, Madrid and have booked little trips to Wales and Paris before the baby arrives.

Having said that, the week before I found out I was pregnant, we booked flights to Australia for a friend’s wedding which we consequently had to cancel (I would have been due 2 weeks after!). We had pre-booked the holiday to Morocco with friends when I was 8 weeks pregnant which was around the time the Zika virus was in the press so for a short time that was touch and go, but I was careful with mosquito repellent and everything was fine.

When do you think you’ll stop travelling for vacations?

I’ve checked out the airline ‘safe to fly’ regulations and will be sticking to those; beyond that we haven’t booked any trips abroad after I am 30 weeks – there are lots of places in the UK to take a break over the summer which are easier on the pregnant lady!

Have you had or do you have any good travelling tips for travelling while pregnant?

Our doctor told us to research destinations if we were planning long haul trips carefully but apart from Morocco we haven’t had to worry about travelling to developing countries.

My best friend travelled well into her pregnancy and all was fine – she advised me to just trust my body when it comes to knowing whether you are fit to travel or not. Luckily apart from some early morning sickness I am feeling fine.

Do everything in moderation – being sensible about what you eat and drink to avoid food poisoning is important, and making sure you’re protecting yourself from the sun – I’ve taken a hat everywhere and covered my bump, making sure there’s shade available.

Things like flight delays and being in airports can be made easier with forward planning – I’ve taken snacks when I know I’m in for a long journey to avoid getting hangry!

Think about hand luggage and if you have someone there to help you carry up steps etc., if not go easy on the weight. Apart from that I think as long as you’re feeling ok, definitely make the most of being able to travel!

Are you planning on taking a babymoon?

We already had some trips in the diary and are moving house 6 weeks before baby is due so an official babymoon has taken a backseat. We will probably grab a few days away beforehand, somewhere within easy reach like the Lake District in the UK where we can just relax and enjoy spending time together.

What’s been some of the most challenging things being pregnant on your holidays? Does your baby bump inhibit anything that you’d normally do on holidays?

Having returned from a city break to Madrid at 22 weeks pregnant, on the whole everything was fine, although I did find sightseeing quite tiring and walking in the heat meant I did start to swell slightly.

We worked our way around it by taking frequent stops for drinks and a rest, soaking up the atmosphere of the city; it was actually really enjoyable to take our time more than usual.

I did also make the mistake of assuming that summer clothes used for trips earlier in the pregnancy would still fit – a bit naïve to the fact that bump grew significantly in the space of 3 weeks so the night before Madrid was scratching around my wardrobe for anything remotely suitable!

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