Story by Jane Archibald - Highway Dreams- A Family of 4 Around OZ
When I told my friends and family that I was going to keep travelling while pregnant they all thought I was mad, especially when I said we were going to do the Birdsville Track as part of our plans- but I don’t regret it one bit!
I spoke to my GP about our plans to travel for around 6 months, and making sure I was in good health, my doctor didn’t see any reason for us to postpone our trip. I organised with her in advance to get the required referrals for tests and ultrasounds that I needed to get done throughout the pregnancy. All we needed to do was make sure we were in a town that had the facilities as the tests became due. We also just periodically called into clinics as we travelled for the occasional check-up.
We never had any issues getting appointments. Doctors along the way were very understanding too and gave as a copy of any test results so that I had a copy with me at all times, this made it easy for the next doctor I saw to see where I was up to. As we were travelling in a camper trailer there were some jobs that I couldn’t help with anymore such as packing up the camp and lifting our storage boxes. And as time went on the number of jobs I could help with got fewer and fewer, but my partner was understanding and did everything (he always insisted I took it easy).
At 4 months into the pregnancy we travelled the Birdsville Track and as you can understand the bumpy road resulted in a few more toilet stops then normal. We had to be a little more careful when driving and kept a keen eye out for unexpected bumps, potholes and cattle grids. A pillow to hold onto and support my belly made it a little easier too. It was great to be able to still do the trip and although I had to take it a little easier, it was still a wonderful experience.
The hardest thing for me was not being able to eat the delicious seafood when we visited the Eyre Peninsula and not being able sample some of the wines at the wineries along the way. We came home and welcomed our new son Leo into the world in late February and now we are looking forward to our next big trip which will be a great experience (and no doubt challenging) with a 4 year old and a newborn.
With your doctor’s approval, regular check-ups, making sure you take it easy and of course have the support of the people you are travelling with - I don’t see any reason to put off travelling whilst pregnant. I say- Go for it!
