Traveling While Pregnant: My Journey on the Road
Hello wanderlusters,
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Today, let’s journey back in time as I share how I experienced my first pregnancy… on the road.
If you follow me on social media, you probably already know a lot about me. If not, you can check out our “about us” section. I’m Sara, 37 years old, and 8 years ago, while living in Australia with Matteo, I found out I was pregnant.
The plan was clear: Giulia (because Matteo was very sure about the name and gender) would be born in Australia. If you want to know everything about giving birth abroad in Australia, read my dedicated article.
Things didn’t go as planned, but I can’t say I didn’t give it my all.
Facing Pregnancy Abroad
In Australia, I had private health insurance that didn’t cover pregnancy (who thought I’d be relocating there?). While my medical expenses would be covered by the Australian healthcare system, the childbirth costs were not. Even though I had chosen to give birth in a dedicated maternity home, the costs were prohibitive (in Australia, you can choose to give birth in facilities solely dedicated to obstetrics – I talk more about this here).
The simplest solution was to leave and re-enter Australia. This strategic move would reactivate Medicare, providing free healthcare coverage that every Italian citizen is entitled to upon entering Australia (thanks to an agreement between the two countries during the Italian migration to Australia).
Before leaving, I decided to spend some time with Matteo, who couldn’t accompany me outside Australia due to visa logistics.
On the Road While Pregnant in a Station Wagon
Our trip wasn’t a luxurious all-inclusive vacation. We decided to travel by car along the east coast of Australia. We sublet our house and set off without much planning. We traveled for six weeks in one of Australia’s most beautiful regions, sleeping in the car trunk on an uncomfortable inflatable mattress.
We had fantastic moments and some minor uncomfortable adventures.
On the Road in New Zealand at Five Months Pregnant
The trip with Matteo was just the first of my on-the-road experiences while pregnant.
In agreement with my midwife, when I reached the fifth month of pregnancy, we returned home to Byron Bay, and I left for a vacation in New Zealand, after which I could return and benefit from Medicare without issues.
It was a perfect plan, especially for me, as I anticipated more incredible adventures in New Zealand.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. I was stopped at the Australian border upon departure; they let me leave but barred me from returning.
Australian bureaucracy is truly complex, and if you’re interested in learning more, I have an article dedicated to Australian visas.
So, I found myself on a flight to New Zealand with a friend who would stay only a few days and without the possibility of returning to Matteo in Byron Bay.
I spent psychologically challenging days, and when my friend returned to Australia, I decided to embrace the situation: I didn’t know when or where I would see Matteo again, but I was in one of the world’s most beautiful countries and decided to make the most of it.
I spent a month on the road, backpacking around the South Island, pregnant and alone. While visiting places, I imagined seeing them again with Matteo and Giulia. In New Zealand, I felt her kicks for the first time.
After over a month of fending for myself, I decided that New Zealand’s cold climate wasn’t for me, so I flew to Bali.
Pregnancy in Bali: Between Checkups and Asian Food
Bali welcomed me with smells and scents that a pregnant woman would hardly love, but coming from three months of constant nausea, which had finally disappeared, I was at a point where I could eat anything.
I arrived in Bali with an ever-growing belly, and it was time for the usual checkups. Unlike the many deadlines an expectant mother in Italy must meet, Australia wasn’t like that. I still hoped to return and continued following my quirky midwife’s advice from Mullumbimby.
At six months, I booked a morphology ultrasound (or a much less invasive equivalent) in a private clinic in Kuta.
Matteo, who hadn’t seen me for almost two months, booked a flight and joined me, forfeiting his Australian visa.
As Australia became a distant dream, we embarked on a new adventure without knowing what would happen next.
We faced the ultrasound with trepidation as it was the first one we’d had since the initial one at 11 weeks.
In a Balinese clinic reeking of incense and fried rice, we saw Giulia’s 3D face for the first time and learned from a quirky doctor who didn’t speak English that she was indeed a girl.
The doctor’s phrase to reveal the gender?
“There’s a leg, here’s another one, and nothing in between.”
I will NEVER forget it.
The Final Flight While Pregnant
After spending nearly two months in Bali, we were getting used to our new life, and the possibility of giving birth on the island became increasingly real. Unfortunately, we received a call from Matteo’s brother, revealing that his father’s condition had worsened, and doctors hadn’t given him much time.
We faced another tough decision, and, in hindsight, we realized we made the wrong choice. We decided to return to Italy together.
I was eight months pregnant, and Matteo wouldn’t have left me in Bali with the risk of giving birth alone.
We both returned to Italy, where Matteo’s father unfortunately passed away shortly after.
Once we overcame everything, another problem arose: I was too far along in the pregnancy to be admitted on an intercontinental flight.
After nine months of adventures around the world, Giulia was born in Italy.
In this article, I didn’t want to delve into this story sentimentally. Instead, I wanted to convey the naturalness of pregnancy.
Embracing a Natural Pregnancy
Giulia and I traveled, ate at the worst Asian warungs, and slept in the worst possible accommodations… without any issues and, most importantly, without any medical interference.
My midwife often called, not to convince me to return, but simply to check how I was. She didn’t prescribe monthly tests or invasive visits. She just needed to hear my voice and see me to know everything was fine.
I think this adventure was the greatest luxury I’ve ever experienced. I had the chance to live my first pregnancy in total harmony with my surroundings and my body.
Two years later, I became pregnant with Aldo, and I must say the way pregnant women are treated in Italy is absolutely unnatural: I felt like a medical experiment, a patient to be monitored… sick.
We consider ourselves superior to almost every country in the world, but we still have so much to learn.
With this article, I deviated significantly from my usual topics, but I wanted to share this adventure of my first family travels.
If my Down Under story piqued your interest, I recommend reading my article on different visas for Australia, and perhaps consider it as a destination for your next trip.
