Camping During Pregnancy – What You Should Know and Look Out For

Those who read my previous blog post on Sungai Sendat car camping would know that I went camping while being pregnant at 35 weeks. 

Some would think that it’s a crazy idea but I belong to the group of mommies who believe in the benefit of working out and staying active during pregnancy, as long as it is safe, non-strenuous and your pregnancy is low-risk. I’ve always been into outdoor activities pre-pregnancy, so I do not see a reason why I should limit myself into staying indoor all the time. Of course, I’m not suggesting that you should be running a marathon, hiking a big mountain, carrying a heavy backpack or ride a bumpy 4wd, but milder outdoor activities such as picnicking, brisk walking, easy trekking (flatter terrain and shorter distance) and car camping is technically okay and safe for pregnant mommies. 

Sungai Sendat car camping

While it is perfectly fine for me to be camping in my third trimester (and at 35 weeks pregnant, quite late in pregnancy and due to deliver soon), every pregnant woman’s body works differently. What is comfortable for me may not be comfortable for other mommies out there. After all, I have always been an outdoor person pre-pregnancy and my level of tolerance towards the wild can be quite high as compared to other mommies. Besides, there need to be some extra effort taken for camping during pregnancy. So don’t follow me blindly and do it just because I did and nothing happened to me. Always know your condition and remember that yours and your baby’s health and safety is at utmost priority! If you are unsure, do make sure to consult your gynae on what outdoor activities you can do. 

If you are going to be camping during your pregnancy, here’s some tips on what to look out for and what to pack to ensure a comfortable (and enjoyable) trip:

Things To Consider Before Going For A Camping Trip

Your Overall Health / Your Gynae’s Approval 

First of all, is your pregnancy a high-risk one? If it is, always seek your gynae’s approval before embarking on a camping trip. A low-risk pregnancy? Even if it is, access your own health condition. If you feel unwell or don’t feel good sleeping in the woods, trust your gut feeling. The health of both you and your child is of the utmost importance during a pregnancy.

When in doubt, always speak to your gynae for advice.

How Many Weeks Along 

Most pregnant women have morning sickness during their first trimesters and in third trimester, our baby bump may be too big and heavy and we may feel tired more easily. It’s probably not very comfortable to be camping during the first and third trimester. Second trimester would be the most recommended period as most pregnant women feel most energized. 

I wished I get to go camping during my second trimester but I was too caught up with other things that we ended up camping in my third trimester. It wasn’t the ideal time but luckily I still enjoyed the trip. 

Comfort and Experience 

It’s important to stay active during pregnancy but it’s also recommended to stick with activities you are familiar with. If you are new camping, pregnancy is most definitely not the best time to start.

Location and Length of Trip 

You will also need to consider where you are camping. Is it close enough to a hospital in case you need one? Is it easy to get to town for any food or supplies needed? Is there any cell service in case you need to contact the hospital or your gynae? Choose a location that you feel comfortable with and plan how to get help should the need arise. If it is more than an hour away from the nearest town or neighbourhood, it is probably too far away and you should reconsider. 

Sungai Sendat waterfall, which is easily accessible and not far from town

I would also recommend keeping the camping trips to a weekend length, say one or two nights. If you’re planning a longer trip, consider tent camping for a few nights and stay in a cabin, lodge, or hotel on other nights. 

our 2d1n tent camping

Terrain 

Are there any hiking and trekking involved? How far and hard is the trek? Is it going to be steep, hilly or uneven area to climb up and down? If it is, it’s wiser not to go as there could be risks of tripping and falling. I chose car camping as I wouldn’t need to trek much. All we need to do is to drive to the campsite and set up out tent right there. Besides, we also get to bring as much equipment as we could without worrying about the weight. 

Flat terrain, easily accessible by car, hence less walking

Water and Food 

Is there any running water? If not, will you be able to carry clean water to the campsite? Will you be able to get any healthy food nearby or do you need to pack a cooler to bring your food and drinks? It is important to consider all these as you would not want to risk getting listeria or salmonella from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. 

Tea time was coffee, tea and pastries bought (no cooking needed)

Steamboat - one pot dinner (easy, fast, minimal prepping required)

Breakfast was egg and spam sandwich (easy to prepare)

During my trip, we brought lots of clean water, both for drinking and for washing and cooking our food, as we did not want to use the river water. In the past this wasn’t an issue for us but since I was pregnant, it’s important not to take any chances. 

Facilities 

Frequent toilet breaks is common during pregnancy, especially in the middle of the night. While I was okay with peeing in the bush pre-pregnancy, having to squat with a big baby bump is something I was worried about. If you share the same concern as I do, choosing a campsite with a clean and flushable toilet is definitely preferred. 

The campsite has toilet facilities

And plenty of pavilions, and picnic bench around

Altitude, weather and bugs

Camping on high altitude is definitely a no-no as it may cause altitude sickness. You should also avoid extreme weather condition, anything that is too hot or too cold. And finally, if the campsite is known to have lots of bugs like sand flies, bees, wasps, it’s only wise to choose other campsite. You certainly wouldn’t want to get bitten by these bugs as these might cause harm to your baby. 

Companion

Who you camp with is also a very important consideration. And certainly, do not camp alone when you are pregnant. Always go with your partner, family or reliable friends but also ensure they will be able to assist you when you feel unwell and needed to head to a hospital. It is also important that they are also familiar with the area and will not get lost trying to find the way in and out. The last thing you want to ever happen is to be lost in the woods while heavily pregnant.

Go camping with people you are comfortable with and who are capable of helping you in case you needed to go into labour

What To Pack For A Comfortable Camping Trip

Air mattress and sleeping mat

The most important thing to me while camping during pregnancy is getting some good night’s sleep. You never want to be sleeping on the ground especially on your second or third trimester. This is where air mattress and sleeping mat comes into play. During my trip, my husband first lay a sleeping mat and top it up with another inflatable air mattress. These two layers made my night so much more comfortable as the air mattress is comfortable, cushiony and supportive. 

Comfortable pillow 

You can’t sleep comfortably with just air mattress and sleeping mat. And you will be needing some comfortable pillows too. If you have been using a pregnancy pillow to help you sleep better, bring it along. Otherwise, if you are not using one (like me), just bring some nice, comfortable regular pillows to help you nest in and sleep.

 

Sleeping bag

It could get chilly at night in the woods, so make sure you bring a sleeping bag. If it gets hot, you can always unzip it. 

Sleeping bag, air mattress, pillow are important essentials for a good night sleep

Battery-powered fan

Just as it can get chilly at night, sometimes you may however feel hot during pregnancy. I’m the kind who sweat sleeping in aircon room, so my husband made sure to pack two fans for our trip. Ours are not battery-powered, so he had 4 powerbanks on standby and thankfully, we only needed one powerbank for each fan and they were more than enough to last the night. If you have battery-powered ones, it could even be better so you don’t have to pack so many powerbanks. 

Earplugs 

I didn’t pack this for my trip but I thought it could be helpful, especially if you unfortunately happen to be camping at a noisy campsite. Being sleep deprived during pregnancy could ruin your trip, so play safe and bring a pair or two earplugs so you can muffle a bit of the noises and get as much sleep as you could. 

Headlights 

This is a no brainer as you would still need to be packing this even if you are not pregnant. But some of you lazy bumps out there may probably think you can rely on your camping mates’ headlights or torchlights and decided not to bring one. Please do bring one of your own! It’s especially handy for those inevitable bathroom runs at night and you probably wouldn’t want to be borrowing from your mates when they are sleeping. 

Toilet tent 

If you are camping at a campsite without bathrooms facilities, you can consider bringing a toilet tent. This will turn your camping experience into glamping. I didn’t have one and I was all prepared to pee in the bush if I need to. Thankfully, we ended up in a campsite with toilets. 

Hiking sticks

What to do if you end up in a campsite without toilet facilities and you need to pee in the wild? I would imagine it a challenge to squat comfortably and steadily while heavily pregnant, so I would recommend bringing a hiking stick or two. This helps to balance yourself while squatting down and prevent falling. 

Besides, bringing hiking sticks also helps if you needed to walk a fair bit to the campsite. Even if it’s flat terrain, it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious to avoid any tripping or falling. 

Umbrella

This item can be easily missed but it comes in handy when it rains. You wouldn’t want to be soaked in the rain while heading out to the toilet and risks falling sick, do you?

Clean drinking water 

As mentioned in the above section, we brought lots of clean water, both for drinking and for washing and cooking our food, as we did not want to use the river water. In the past this wasn’t an issue for us but since I was pregnant, it’s important not to take any chances. 

Bring everything necessary and lots of clean, drinking water

Comfortable camp chairs 

I had never once used a camp chairs when I camped back in the days. To me, I had never have any issues sitting on the ground or on tree roots. However, being pregnant is a whole different story. With a bump the size of a watermelon, you would want to have a comfortable chair to sit and enjoy your meals. Even if your campsite provides picnic tables, I will still advise bringing camp chairs in case the picnic table seats are wet or are not in good condition.

Bring comfortable camp chairs

Sunscreen and pregnancy-safe bug spray

Whenever I’m outdoor, I always makes sure I apply sunscreen as it protects my skin from UV damage. I use GeoSkincare Safty Daily Sunscreen With SPF30 and it works wonders. 

GeoSkincare Safty Daily Sunscreen With SPF30

I didn’t mind getting bitten by bugs back in the days, but when I have a little creature in my uterus? Heck no! Bugs like mosquitoes carry bacteria that can expose your child to long-term health defects so make sure you are protected. Besides covering up with long sleeve top and long pants, make sure to apply bug spray as often as needed. 

I brought my Ukiwi Fairy Water (pregnant women and infant friendly) to my trip and I wasn’t bitten by a single moisquito.  

Ukiwi Fairy Water

PS: I’m an authorised agent of GeoSkincare and Ukiwi. If you would like to try the aforementioned product, do head over to my Facebook business page to order or for more enquiry. 

Medications, vitamins, and first aid kit

Don’t forget to pack your prenatal vitamins, any prescribed medications and a first aid kit. These are essential camping packing list even if you are not pregnant anyway. 

Important contact info and medical records

Most people save their contacts in their cell phones these day (me included) but it’s good to have a copy on hand in case you ran out of phone battery or in worst case scenario, lost your phone. Also, keep a copy of your medical records in case you needed to head to a hospital. Everywhere I go I always make sure I had my pink book (pregnancy record book for those who have their check up in government hospital) with me all the time. 

Final Thoughts

And there you go, a checklist of things to consider and what to pack for your camping trip while you are expecting. I hope that being pregnant doesn’t stop you from staying active. With proper planning, we can still enjoy camping without sacrificing on comfort and create many wonderful pregnancy memories that you would remember for years to come. I certainly enjoyed every bit of it and how I wished I had gone on more camping trips in second trimester instead of just doing one in third trimester (so close to my due date!). Oh well, faced with pandemic and MCO (then RMCO), I guess it’s inevitable. 

We shall return with our baby girl in the future

I can’t wait to be back in the wild after labour, and hopefully I can bring our baby along. Will she love hiking and camping like how her daddy and mommy does? *grin*