Before I go on, let me just start by saying I would not have skipped my trip to Finland for anything – I had an amazing time with my family and friends and truly enjoyed the Helsinki summer <3
That being said, travelling solo when 22 weeks pregnant was not fun. I’m a frequent traveller but I don’t particularly enjoy travelling alone – I find it boring. However, getting bored was the least of my worries on my journey back to London…
My biggest mistake was taking too much luggage with me. I knew it wasn’t smart but it’s hard to avoid when my visits to Finland are rare and so I’m tempted to bring back everything from Finnish books to loaves of rye bread.
Travelling solo means carrying your s**t yourself. Obviously.
But the 5-month-preggo-me wasn’t very well equipped for this despite the lifting I do at the gym. At the gym I can dictate how much I lift, I pay attention to my form and I take a break when I need it. Needless to say this wasn’t the case at the crowded airport or the even more crowded airplane. I felt a nasty, sharp pain in my belly when lifting my carry-on luggage up on the shelf and had a slight throbbing pain for a few hours after… 🙁 Why did I not ask for help?? How stupid.
It’s good to keep in mind that when pregnant, everything just feels a little tougher because your energy levels aren’t what they used to be. Luckily I haven’t had back pain (of any other pregnancy related problems) recently which could have made this trip harder but oh boy did this journey drain the life out of me!
My conclusion: only fly alone if you really have to…
And if you do travel alone:
- Take your time. You are bound to be slower and rushing makes it worse and you might even hurt yourself. And let’s not forget the extra time you’ll need for the toilet breaks
- Ask people to lift stuff for you. This is not the time to be shy!
- Take along minimal luggage. Just makes your life easier and the journey safer for both you and your baby
- Snacks and water, as always. Some chocolate is required for the inevitable moment when you’ll feel alone and tired and miserable (lol)
But hey, I made it home and on the bright side I’ve got all my shopping (lots of cute baby clothes) to admire! Once I’ll get up from the sofa that is…
Tomorrow I’ll be packing for our next trip – the baby moon to Greece! We’ll be leaving on Saturday and I’m so excited! This time, I will not be carrying the bags though (lesson learnt).
xoxoxo,
Sini