I Took a Solo Trip While Pregnant; Glad I Went, but Made Some Mistakes

One of the first things I did after getting a positive pregnancy test was start researching destinations for my next adventure.

As a first-time mom who loves to travel, I’ve always wanted to go on a solo trip while pregnant. I knew that the second trimester would be the best time to travel — by then, the morning sickness would be gone, but I’d still have enough energy to explore.

I decided to go to London for several reasons. A direct flight from my home city is under seven hours, which felt very manageable even in the throes of pregnancy.

Not only that, but my mother lived in London during the ’80s, right before she became pregnant with me. Returning to one of her favorite cities right before I became a mother myself felt poetic in a way.

Solo traveling while pregnant definitely had its challenges — there was no one to rub my aching feet after a long day of sightseeing or help carry my luggage. Still, there were tons of upsides: I had the luxury of taking things at my own pace, and an entire king-sized hotel bed to myself.

That said, there are a few things I wish I’d done differently.

I wish I’d splurged on a plane seat with extra legroom

I took several steps ahead of time to ensure I’d have the most comfortable, hassle-free travel experience possible. I packed light, wore compression socks on the plane, and brought a neck pillow and portable fan in my carry-on.

However, looking back, I wish I had spent a little extra on a seat with extra legroom. Standard airplane seating already feels cramped when you aren’t carrying around some extra cargo on your stomach.

Even just having a little additional space to accommodate my bump probably would’ve made it easier to sleep on my red-eye flight. It also would’ve helped me stretch my legs, which is crucial during pregnancy to maintain good circulation and alleviate pain.

I’m glad I kept location in mind when booking a hotel

I knew I wanted a hotel within walking distance of all the attractions I planned to see. So, I stayed at the Marriott Hotel County Hall, which was just steps away from the London Eye and the River Thames.

I learned quickly that I made the right call. I was able to see all the iconic landmarks on my list without spending a lot of money on Uber rides. It was also easy to head back to the hotel for brief, much-needed breaks between excursions.

Best of all, my feet weren’t swollen and throbbing by the end of the day from trekking long distances.

I regret not asking more people to take photos of me

One key downside to traveling solo is that you don’t have someone to take photos of you.

I knew I would want lots of photos from my trip to show my son someday. Although I snapped a ton of pictures of everything I saw, ate, and experienced on my trip, I left with very few photos of myself.

Most of the time, I either forgot to take advantage of photo ops or felt too awkward asking strangers to help me out.

I’m so grateful for the photos I do have, but I recommend that every mom-to-be request as many snapshots as possible.

Researching local bars and restaurants with nonalcoholic options was a good call

Since enjoying local fare — and washing it down with a tasty beverage — is one of my favorite aspects of travel, I decided to do some research ahead of time to find establishments with zero-proof offerings.

Luckily, I found many bars and restaurants in London with an impressive selection of nonalcoholic beers and wines, plus innovative mocktails.

I love that I never had to resort to just drinking sparkling water, and could still feel like I was having fun on my vacation.

In retrospect, I wish I’d researched more places to buy souvenirs for the baby

I don’t typically buy myself souvenirs when I travel. However, once I got home, I wished I’d researched some spots to buy souvenirs for my future child.

If I were to redo this trip, I would’ve looked into off-the-beaten-path shops to find special items — say, a London-themed onesie or book, or a personalized keepsake.

One of the best things I did was keep a journal

Even though I may have slacked on souvenir shopping, I’m so grateful I remembered to bring a journal on my trip.

Every day, I made sure to carve out a little time to write to my future baby about all the awe-inspiring things we did together.

It gave me something to do during solo meals, and I believe that I’ll someday be so grateful I recorded these special moments — not only for his sake, but also for mine.