Traveling While Pregnant: Where I Went, What I Avoided & When I Stopped

I have not set foot on a plane… since March! This is the longest stretch of time that I have not been airborne (10 weeks and 1 day but who’s counting…). I am so excited to have my next flight with Jettly! It’s kind of an odd feeling! Last year I clocked in at 39 flights to over 25 destinations and 12 countries. This year, I had a strong clip in January and February with Italy, Kauai, Tahoe and Philadelphia (for a wedding) but limited my air travel as I progressed in my second trimester. 

Sky high

Looking out over Tahoe

For the first 29 weeks of my pregnancy, I didn’t slow down on my travel, whatsoever. I had a lot of shoots for my video series already schedule and that, couple with my  insatiable urge to travel all the time, made me want to just GO GO GO. I knew that I’d listen to my body (and my doctor) and if I needed to slow down for my baby and my health, I would. However, I had a lot of energy and felt invigorated to keep at it. I wanted to pursue all travel projects and aspirations that I could, while I was still able. I knew that when my baby girl arrived, my whole world would become focused on her little being so the clock was ticking. 

 

1 Week Pregnant: China

Suzhou China Canals

Canals of Suzhou, China

I am PRETTY sure that I was pregnant while on assignment in Suzhou, China. But, I had NO idea that I was pregnant because it was so early on (think like days after conception). Baby was just a few cells at that point so of course, it didn’t affect me or my travel at all. Still, pretty cool to know that baby’s first “trip” in utero was to China!

 

10 Weeks Pregnant: Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach

Surf & Sand Resort, Laguna Beach

At this point, only my husband and I (and our families) knew that we were pregnant. Since it was so early on in the pregnancy, we didn’t want to shout it from the rooftops just yet. The terrifying statistic that 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage kept us very quiet until the 20 week mark. 

However, it was an exciting little secret to have! My husband and I did a weekend film shoot in Orange County, exploring the delicious food of Anaheim, biking in Irvine, beaching in Laguna and overall seeing the world through different eyes.

 

14 Weeks Pregnant: Japan

Setouchi Miyajima

Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, Japan

A lot of people were surprised to hear that I spent 15 days in Japan, filming my series for Setouchi Tourism. I honestly didn’t find the pregnancy held me back whatsoever! If anything, it opened my eyes to all the children, babies and cute families that I saw along the way. The one truth that I always find when I travel is that we are all more the same than we are different. A mother kissing baby on the street, a father lifting up his daughter over his head, a family feeding their fussy baby at the table–its the same everywhere in the world. And it just made me more confident that I could do it too. For more information about 3D/4D ultrasound, visit A Date With Baby, one of the top pregnancy care centers in Toronto.

Arima Hot Springs, Japan

Arima Hot Springs, Japan

Of course, the flight is long. My OB-GYN gave me the confident go-ahead, citing that I should just walk around a lot and drink plenty of fluids on board. Since I always drink tons of water, that works out well on flights since I have to check out the bathroom quite a bit. The flight over was completely fine and comfortable. The return flight was another story but it had nothing to do with pregnancy… (If you saw my Instagram stories from it you know what I mean, but that is for another post…).

Being pregnant while in Japan was not all that difficult. I didn’t feel much fatigue so I was able to keep up with our very rigorous schedule of early 6am mornings and being “on” for the camera all day, up until evening. I did not stay up any later than our dinners and since I wasn’t drinking, I got good nights’ sleeps and focused on catching as many Zzzz’s as possible so I could keep up with the pace. However, this is what I do on all my travel shoots so I didn’t find that my being pregnant changed anything.

kaiseki in Kurashiki

Kaiseki Tasting Menu in Kurashiki

When I told people that I was going to Japan, so many people said “Well what can you eat?” That question is based on two over-generalizations about Japan. The first is that the Japanese only eat sushi. Actually so much more than just sushi.  We had lots of wild game, kobe beef, so many types of noodles, tempura and lots of vegetables. It was actually rare that the only option was sushi. We mostly had meat and noodles! The Setouchi region is famous for its udon and since it is the home of Kobe, you can bet that the beef is pretty incredible.

The second generalization is that you cannot have sushi. This is not entirely true. I did a lot of research and found a lot of articles written by doctors that support that sushi is not bad for pregnant women. The fear with sushi is that it can lead to food poisoning because it is uncooked. However, food poisoning from sushi will affect a pregnant and non-pregnant person the exact same way. It is no worse for your baby or you if you are pregnant and you have food poisoning. Trust me, food poisoning is the WORST and you don’t want it no matter what state you are in, but in terms of it being off limits as a pregnant person? It poses the same risk to a non-pregnant person. My OB-GYN confirmed this before I traveled there as well.

fugu setouchi

Fugu, the deadly blowfish sashimi (I did NOT eat this)

That being said, there is a big concern for pregnant women around sushi and actually all fish for that matter. It has to do with MERCURY. The predominant fish in sushi happens to be tuna, which has one of the highest mercury percentages of all fish. The larger the fish, the higher the mercury. I have avoided any tuna: canned, cooked or raw, throughout the pregnancy. I know that small amounts of tuna is deemed to be safe but I didn’t see the need to take any chances. I also avoided the other high mercury fish, which you can find here. Sadly, these fish includes some of my favorites like halibut, mahi mahi and snapper (makes you think twice though right, pregnant or not?!). 

But fortunately, salmon is also a popular sushi staple and salmon is GREAT for your developing baby and has very low mercury content. If I did have sushi while in Japan, I made sure it was from a reputable place and I only chose salmon or other low mercury fish.

 

18 Weeks Pregnant: Europe

Costa Brava Spain

Roadtripping in Costa Brava, Spain

I also spent 22 days traveling in Europe when I was 18-20 weeks pregnant. This extended trip was part work and part fun, traveling with my husband over the holiday season. We visited Spain, France, Monaco and Italy–and had so many adventures in each. We road-tripped through Costa Brava, we had Christmas Morning in our hotel room in Barcelona, we voyaged with Viking Ocean Cruises to seaside cities, biked in Marseille, ate our way through St Tropez, played games at the Christmas fair in Montecarlo and we drove all through Tuscany in Italy. We stayed a few days extra in Rome, to take in the Colosseum, the Vatican and lots of pizza and gelato.

Christmas Morning Barcelona

Christmas Morning in Barcelona

The challenges of being pregnant in Europe? No delicious soft cheeses and no wine. I managed to substitute my love of stinky French cheese with Spain’s delicious hard cheeses and Italy’s mozzarella and parmigiano.

Bolognese in Lucca

Bolognese in Lucca

But there is no good substitute for wine. I had sips here and there, just being able to taste the incredible wines of all these regions was satisfying. I didn’t even need a whole glass. (But next time I go to Europe, I plan making up for it…)

 

24 Weeks Pregnant: Kauai

Sailing the Na Pali Coast in Kauai

Sailing the Na Pali Coast in Kauai

Kauai was another fabulous trip that I took while 24 weeks pregnant. This island is so natural, rugged and breath-taking, it made my soul happy, which I can only assume translated to making baby happy too. Besides having to avoid a lot of the delicious local Hawaiian catch (no red snapper, no opakapaka, no tuna, obvi), I didn’t have any negative effects of being in Kauai while pregnant. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t hike the Na Pali Coast or go river rafter in the jungle, but those are things I am looking forward to doing on my return trip! Besides, relaxing on beaches, drinking fresh fruit smoothies and snorkeling with sea turtles is quite fulfilling as well.  

29 Weeks Pregnant: Tahoe

Northstar Tahoe

Taking it Easy in Tahoe

My biggest concern with travel to Tahoe was the altitude. I had heard that altitude can have adverse affects on a baby in utero due to the pressure and not being acclimatized. Since I was traveling from Los Angeles (aka. Sea level) and going to Northstar, which is 6000 ft, I was nervous. I reached out to my contacts in Tahoe, asked my OB-GYN and did my own research. Luckily, I found that some altitude is okay. I should really avoid 10,000 feet or higher. Since we weren’t skiing and only went up to a mountain lodge for one dinner of about 3 hours at 8000 feet, I was mostly at 6000 feet.

During this 48 hour trip, I did find that I ran out breath more than usual–which is already quite a lot more than a non-pregnant person– and I was very, very thirsty. Dehydration at altitude affects everyone and I was extra cautious to drink lots of fluids and have water on me at all times.

Why I chose to stop Air Travel after 30 weeks

Rome The Roman Forum

Loving Roma, at the Roman Forum

At 32 weeks, I had as assignment in London. I was really eager to take this trip as I hadn’t been to the UK in a while, it was a luxury focused trip so I would get to experience a lot of my dream hotels and restaurants and I really believed in the brand sponsoring the trip. However, the flight to London from LA was direct, and it also was 13 hours. My OB-GYN, whom normally is pretty easy-going, did express some hesitation on this one. She said that if anything went wrong mid-air, not only would have to derail the entire flight, but we’d be flying over areas in the far Northern Hemisphere that do not have medical care on landing (think like Canadian tundra, Greenland and a lot of Atlantic Ocean).

This of course, scared me. I had felt very capable and my pregnancy was progressing really well, but the “what if” scenario really got me.

Seaplanes in Setouchi

No more Seaplanes like this one in Setouchi, Japan

My doctor also informed me that babies are born at 32 weeks. Though it is 8 weeks early and not very common, it does happen. If it happened in London, I’d be going to the hospital London and not moving my newborn for quite a long time. Though the idea of getting her dual citizenship was pretty appealing (LOL), I knew that giving birth in London was not a great option for me or my family. I had to politely decline from this trip and decided that I would no longer be flying after 30 weeks.

Trust me, pausing travel was a tough pill to swallow.

St Tropez

Giddy in Saint Tropez

It is in my nature to crave the adventure, the spontaneity and the freedom of hopping on a plane and landing in someplace totally new. But I had to put my little girl first, and to me, it was the right decision. While there is no hard and fast rule of when you HAVE to stop air travel, it is advised to stop around the end of the second trimester. I pushed it a bit just because I am so used to travel and it was part of my job.

Just because I didn’t take any more flights, it didn’t mean my local traveling stopped! My next post will be about all my favorite local trips and where I recommend for a Babymoon! Do you have a favorite babymoon spot? 

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xo,

Mama-to-be Kelley

 

Catalina Island Avalon Harbor

Escapes from LA: Catalina Island

I have to be honest. If you asked me to hop on a plane anywhere for a quick getaway, I’d say ‘take me to the Mediterranean!’ Who doesn’t love indigo water, crystalline shorelines, charming villages, locally made food and abundance of outdoor cafés? However, European destinations along the Med tend to be quite pricey, not to mention a long flight for us Americans (especially for other Californians like me). But that’s why I couldn’t be more surprised, delighted, and borderline obsessed with this European-esque destination that I recently discovered in my own backyard.

Avalon Harbor Catalina Island

Catalina Island is not exactly “new.” It’s been inhabited for at least 8000 years, originally by the Native American tribe, the Pimungans. More recently, William Wrigley (yes, like the chewing gum) owned the island and brought his baseball team there for their annual spring training from 1921-1951. And of course, Hollywood also fell in love with Catalina, using it as the location for many early films as well as the playground for the stars and show biz elite. After visiting for myself for the first time, I can see why this island has been so popular for so long.

 

WHEN TO GO

I visited with a group of friends in early March, far outside of Catalina’s high season, which typically runs from June through September. Off season, or shoulder season travel is one of my all-time favorite travel hacks. It generally results in a much better experience overall because you aren’t battling crowds, lines and high prices. My tip would be to travel in either March through May or late September through November, to maximize best weather and least amount of people. However, don’t forget that it is Southern California so even December or January could have perfect weather!

Avalon Harbor Catalina Island

We also opted for a weekday stay as opposed to the popular weekend trips, arriving on a Monday and departing on a Wednesday. Like off-season travel, weekday travel usually means better rates and less people so you can focus on enjoying the destination without as much hassle.

Catalina Express Ferry

GETTING THERE

Catalina Express

Catalina Island is visible from Santa Monica all the way down to Laguna Beach, but this large SoCal island is actually much further away than it looks. The Catalina Express offers daily shuttles via high speed catamaran that whisk you out into the Pacific and get you onshore in about an hour. It’s also a fun ride! We departed from Long Beach and I sat outside, enjoying the salty breezes and the watery views. We even had a dolphin sighting! Note: there is a full bar for those that want to start the party the moment we leave the mainland.

Luxe Tip–> For those that have less time and the itch to splurge, there are helicopters that can bring you over in just 15 minutes!

 

WHERE TO STAY

Though it is possible to experience Catalina for the day, I would recommend staying at least one night, ideally two. During the day, the main town of Avalon is usually busy with other daytrippers and the cruise passengers. However by night, the town empties out and you can enjoy the calm, quiet beauty of this island gem.

Pavilion Hotel Catalina Island

Pavilion Hotel

As I am the “Hotel Snob,” where I stay is very important and I would stay at the Pavilion Hotel again in a heartbeat. The well appointed property is located right on the main street, in the center of Avalon. It has water views, as well as a sunny complimentary breakfast and daily wine hour on the patio.  I particularly loved all the outdoor seating areas, fire pits and secluded loungers in the garden. This small hotel felt tranquil and private, even though it is just steps from the hustle and bustle of downtown Avalon.

 

The rooms are crisp and sea-inspired. New and clean, I wouldn’t call them extravagant in any way, but I wasn’t left wanting for anything. The separate sink and vanity area also served as a mini kitchenette with coffee and mini fridge. Of course, I would have loved it if the hotel had a pool but that is a rarity on Catalina Island in general.

 

WHERE TO EAT

Avalon Grille Catalina

Avalon Grille

This is one of the nicest options on the island and I’d recommend that you book it for one special dinner. The elegant menu has everything from well cooked steaks to local seafood to a mouthwatering burger. Definitely order the fried green beans to share! Also, as I’m always all about the atmosphere, I felt that the classy interior makes it work for a romantic night but the wraparound bar also makes it accessible for cocktails and appetizers. It was even busy on a Monday night, proving that the islanders love this spot as well.

 

The Lobster Trap Catalina

Image courtesy of Catalina Chamber of Commerce

The Lobster Trap

Another great dinner option at a lower price point is The Lobster Trap. This seafood joint is an institution in Avalon and you will be overwhelmed by the local “Cheers” vibe the minute you walk in. The owner was handing out shots, our makeshift table was on top of a pool table and there was a live lobster running across the table. However, the service couldn’t be friendlier and the no-frills seafood plates were fresh and delicious. I could see how a dinner here might turn into an all night affair as the bar was hopping, even on a Tuesday at 7pm.

Catalina Bluewater Grill

Image courtesy of @darinainwanderlust

Bluewater Grill

This one wins for best location as it is set on top of the water. We came for a sunny lunch and had a tremendous view of the Avalon Bay as well as fun, casual fare like shrimp caesars and fish tacos. I’d definitely go back for dinner or to check out their bar in the evening. Just like Europe’s sunny outdoor patios, the Bluewater Grill is a place you’d want to hang out for a few hours with a coffee or a cocktail.

 

Lloyd’s of Avalon

You have to give a lot of credit to a candy shop that’s been in business since 1934. They make all their own chocolates, salt water taffy and fudge, and even claim to have served Marilyn Monroe. On the other hand, are you also planning to establish your own business abroad? You can make it easy with the help of a good service like this company registration Indonesia. Check it out for more info!

 

Scoops Catalina Avalon

Image courtesy of Scoops Instagram @scoopscatalina

Scoops

As always, I sought out the best local ice cream on Avalon and all locals pointed here: Scoops. This is the place to go for the best homemade ice cream and gelato. Beware though, in the summer the lines can get long!

 

WHAT TO DO

There is a LOT that you can do on the island, ranging from outdoor exploration, hikes, shopping, scuba, water sports and more. Normally the adventurer, I toned it back to focus more on relaxed, soft adventures as I was 7 months pregnant and I am happy that I did.View of Avalon Harbor Catalina

Golf Cart

Not only is the golf cart THE mode of transportation on the island, I find driving them to be so fun. It feels like you are on vacation! There are self guided routes that you can take to access the best vistas of the island and to take in a variety of landscapes.Golf Cart Catalina Island

 

Island Spa Catalina

Island Spa Catalina

This secluded hideaway is located at the end of Avalon’s main drag and it really is an oasis. When you step inside, the private courtyard has sun deck, a beautiful pool, a lounge area with sea views, and even a spa café. Take a class in their Wellness Studio or indulge in a massage at their spa. Or just grab a day pass for a day of R&R.

Descanso Beach Club Catalina

Descanso Beach Club

Just a 15 minute walk from the center of town along the water, the Descanso Beach Club was probably my favorite experience in Avalon. The sandy beach is bookended by natural cliffs on one side and the Catalina Casino on the other, making it feel like your private beach oasis for the day. If you come early, you’ll have it all to yourself but as the day wears on, the beach club kicks it up a notch. The outdoor bar and restaurant definitely becomes the place on the island to party!

Kayaking Catalina

The crystal clear water is not just perfect for swimming, you can hit up Descanso Beach Ocean Sports to rent an SUP or kayak. Take it a step further and go on a kayaking tour. I highly recommend the guided 2 hour kayak tour to Frog Rock. Our morning paddle out on the glittering water was breathtaking and I loved learning more about the life under the water from our knowledgeable guide. We stopped on a beach only accessible by kayak to rest, take photos, and enjoy some freshly made cookies. Pebble beaches, giant rocks, arid cliffs and glittering ocean–were we sure this wasn’t the Mediterranean?

 

Catalina Casino

Catalina Casino Tour

I am not going to lie, this walking tour was a bit a slow for me as it is geared towards an older set. But if you are a history buff, you will definitely appreciate the access to the first theatre in America that was “designed for talkies” as well as the pink art deco ballroom. From the top of the Casino, the views of Avalon and the bay might be some of the best on the island, so for me, that was the highlight. If you are thinking not to attend the actual casino games, you easily check out online sites that are legit like สล็อตออนไลน์ that you might win exciting prizes and some additional funds for your trip.

Plus, the Casino is the icon of Catalina so it important to understand its significance. But if you want prefer playing casino games in private, you can look at sites like theislandnow.com for the best online casinos.

 

And More Adrenaline-Pumping Adventures

Many of my friends were able to partake in the more adventurous activities and the best reviews came from the East End hummer tour where my friends saw the island’s famous wild buffalo, parasailing 800 feet above the water, ziplining through canyons, and tight rope walking along the tree top ropes course.

East End Adventure Catalina

Image courtesy of the Catalina Island Company

Though I’ve mentioned the popularity of Catalina Island, I am actually most awed by the fact that the island is mostly untouched! 88% of the island is a nature preserve and the town of Avalon, the main hub of Catalina, is only home to 4000 residents. The rest of Catalina belongs to the bald eagles, the bison, the fox and the rest of the flora and fauna that live on or around its shores. For an island that is in plain sight of one of the US’s busiest cities, I am so impressed that it has retained its natural landscape and retro charm. Though you don’t need a passport to get here, it surely feels like you step off of the ferry into another world entirely.Selfie View Catalina

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Stay tuned for my video of this incredible island oasis COMING SOON!

 

xoxo

Kelley