Planning a babymoon like Sonam Kapoor? Keep this health checklist handy

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor Ahuja is on a ‘babymoon’ with her businessman husband Anand Ahuja. The couple is currently in Italy and are enjoying the Italian summer and food. She has been sharing her babymoon pictures on her Instagram stories and we just cannot get enough of her happy face. If you’re tempted by the idea of having a chilled and relaxed travelling time before the baby arrives, keep some wellness tips in mind!

Before that, let’s figure what really is a babymoon!

So what is a babymoon?

It is a vacation, similar to a honeymoon, where you enjoy time with your partner before the birth of your child. Rightly so, because after the newborn baby, the life of the parents revolves around the offspring and there are fewer opportunities to enjoy a getaway. The trend is now gaining popularity all over the globe with the couple enjoying their one last  adventure before giving birth.

What is the safest time to plan a babymoon?

The ideal time to plan a babymoon is the second trimester between 14 to 28 weeks. It is often called the golden period of pregnancy because you are out of the first trimester’s troubles, like nausea, vomiting and risk of threatened abortion, and away from the third trimester when there is a worry about pre-term labour or leaking of the water bag. All these problems are least in the second trimester, so that’s a perfect time.

However, the expecting mother and the spouse have to be extremely careful about medical emergencies during travel because you do not want to hamper the mother’s health for the holiday.

Get a glimpse into Sonam Kapoor’s babymoon!

Babymoon checklist

According to Dr Neha Khandelwal, senior consultant, gynecology, Madhukar Rainbow Hospital, there needs to be a medical babymoon checklist before travel:

1. One must carry painkillers in the event that you get a severe headache because of a long fight or cramps in your legs are intolerable. Feel free to take a painkiller like crocin as it is safe in pregnancy.
2. Other drugs that should be carried are for severe nausea or vomiting. For fever, take Crocin.
3. Gastritis and acidity often happen and cause pain when you are eating out all the time, so take antacids like pantocid.
4. Keep oral rehydration salts (ORS) sachets in case of a bad stomach.
5. Keep a thermometer handy.
6. If other emergencies like bleeding, severe pain or reduced movement of the baby happen, make sure to see a gynecologist and/or a medical facility nearby.
7. Do not take over-the-counter (OTC) medicines without consulting a doctor.

Warning signs to avoid babymoon

1. Pain in the abdomen, which is continuous and not responding to rest
2. Any watery discharge happening for a couple of days
3. If you are a case of placenta previa, which means your placenta is low-lying or covering the mouth of the uterus
4. Twin-pregnancies or pregnancy with high-blood pressure

“It is safe to travel for mothers and the unborn child between 14-28 weeks. Air travel and rail travel is fine, road travel for short distances can also be done. Long air travel should be undertaken only if compression socks are handy. Make sure the mother is moving during the flight. Similarly, on a long road trip, the expecting mother needs to move the ankles or toes, and take frequent stops to stretch her legs,” Dr Khandelwal told Health Shots.

Meanwhile, in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, although travel is not absolutely contraindicated, but the first 3 months are crucial and the chances of abortion are high. So always make sure to travel with caution. Traveling after 36 weeks is not a great idea as the woman has higher chances of going into labour.

Keep this babymoon checklist in mind to keep yourself and the baby safe and healthy.