Pregnant Travel - Expecting Mothers Don't Shy Away From The Road

Expecting mothers don’t always have to shy away from the road, says Kastoori Rai Dewan.

- Kastoori Rai Dewan

Towards the end of summer last year, in between cleaning out fine grains of sand from our suitcases—token from a beach holiday—and finalising a long weekend trip to Hanoi in Vietnam, my husband and I were greeted by a surprise. We were pregnant.

After months of calculating ovulation dates and the inevitable frustration when ‘Aunt Flow’ came visiting at the end of the cycle, it had happened. As much as it brought us joy, it also attracted well-meaning but unwarranted advice from friends and family. One was to avoid recreational travel, at least in the first trimester. Yet we had a gut feeling that it would be alright. And so, at six weeks pregnant, we took a 15-hour journey to tranquil Vietnam.

As we flew over a sunrise in China, my mind constantly rummaged through frightening miscarriage stories. I wondered whether the trip was worth risking the life brewing inside of me. By the time we landed in Hanoi, I decided that no two pregnancies were the same, and took the driver’s seat for my own—to do what my body was comfortable with. Maybe this was the beginning of a mother-to-be taking control of her decisions, fielding off exhaustive dos and don’ts that perpetuate more anxiety than joy.

Hanoi gives you what you seek. In light of our new circumstances, we sought to take it slow, and the city did not disappoint. Instead of downing biah hoi (local draught beer), we headed straight for a bite of a bánh mì, the iconic sandwich’s fresh bread oozing with a scrumptious pulled pork filling and homemade sauce. We replaced cruising on two-wheelers with learning to cook Vietnamese food, and exchanged morning hangovers with posing at the social media-friendly Train Street at six in the morning. Our entire Sunday evening was spent enjoying the festive atmosphere around the serene waters of Hoàn Kiem Lake, located in the heart of the city.