Forest Of Dean Staycation: 8 Months Pregnant Travel Tips
At 8 months pregnant, I’m really having to slow things right down. But just because you’re heavily pregnant, doesn’t mean you can’t plan to get away before the baby arrives! We took a family trip to the Forest of Dean which was a lovely break from normal life. I had a few days off work and took it really easy for the whole weekend. I did find that it certainly wasn’t as easy to get out and about as it usually would be for me on a trip (thanks, pelvic girdle pain). But it was still refreshing and felt like a proper little holiday. Here are my 8 months pregnant travel tips.
Choose a destination that’s easy to get to
We went to the Forest of Dean because it was easily accessible for us as well as my parents and brother. It took us less than 2 hours to get there from home in the car, which meant I didn’t have to sit in the car for too long. When you’re 8 months pregnant, long car journeys are not the one. We did consider other destinations in the UK such as the Lake District but it was further than I wanted to travel at this stage of pregnancy.
If you’re flying when you’re 8 months pregnant, bear in mind that you may need to get a fit to fly note from your midwife or doctor before you travel. I haven’t felt the urge to go abroad at all during my pregnancy but you may want to take a flight to travel somewhere further afield.
Prioritise your comfort
The importance of your comfort at this point in pregnancy cannot be overstated. I sometimes use a cushion in the car to give my back some extra support and I also now take my exercise ball everywhere with me. This gives me the option to sit on a sofa, bed, chair or the exercise ball to relieve those third trimester aches and pains. Plus it turns out that my husband and brother love playing around with the exercise ball so it was extra entertainment for them too (when I wasn’t using it!).
Choose and book restaurants in advance
You probably have certain things you like eating more, and certain things you can’t stand at this point in pregnancy. I chose all the restaurants we ate at on our trip, not only because I like to scope out the best restaurants in the area, but also to make sure I could stomach the menus. I haven’t been too bad in terms of not being able to eat a variety of foods, but it’s worth bearing in mind. Booking in advance will also mean you 100% know you have a table and don’t have to trek around trying to find somewhere to eat when you’re prangry (pregnancy hangry) and waddling.
We ate at some great places close by to our accommodation:
No3, Ross-on-Wye
A cosy restaurant setting on the main road in Ross-on-Wye with a delicious local menu. Both the food and the service were excellent and I’d highly recommend going here for a meal if you’re in the area. They offered two sittings in the evening: one at 6:15pm and the other at 8:15pm. We went at 6:15pm and it was plenty of time for us to get through aperitifs and three courses. I was really pleased that they offered a few different mocktails as I love a pre-dinner drink. For starters, the souffle is highly recommended and for mains, the catch of the day was wonderful. They also offered several steaks alongside their other main dishes. I shared a dessert with my Mum as I can’t pass up something sweet but stomach capacity is somewhat limited at 8 months pregnant.
Ye Old Ferrie Inn, Symonds Yat
We actually stumbled across this one when we were looking for somewhere to aim for on our drive out to Symonds Yat. The restaurant is located right on the River Severn and has gorgeous views if you get a window seat. The menu had a good range of options and everyone went for burgers apart from me! I had their macaroni cheese which satisfied all my gooey cheesy cravings. Desserts were also delicious, particularly the amaretto slice.
The Lyon Inn, Westbury-on-Severn
This was our Sunday roast restaurant. I don’t think you can beat going out for a leisurely Sunday lunch once in a while.