Baby’s First Vacation

We’ve been planning to travel to Norway for quite some time, but getting pregnant put a little kink in the plans.  Our baby is due in July, so we definitely had to make our plans early.  The summer would be too difficult.  We decided that it would be okay to plan the vacation for my second trimester, and the doctor approved.

Being pregnant actually didn’t change things that much.  I still had travel anxiety and complained about packing… nothing unusual for me.  During the flight, I wore loose fitting clothing, drank plenty of water, got up often, and sat close to the restroom… again, nothing unusual for me. 

When our flight arrived in Norway, our friends, Britt Eva, Kjartan, and their baby, Ingval picked us up at the airport.  It was about 25 degrees.  Brr!  We all took a stroll in the park that had about 200 naked statues.  That was strange to me, and our friends laughed at my discomfort.

The next few days, we did a lot of walking in Oslo.  We went to the local grocery store, toured all over down town, and saw several museums.  I became tired a lot more quickly than the rest of the gang.  I tried not to complain.  Each night I’d realize how much walking we’d done, because I woke up with “charlie-horses” and back pain.  Fortunately, I was able to fit in little naps here-and-there, and whenever I saw a bench I sat down.

Half way through the trip, we took an eight-hour train ride to Stavanger.  This is the way to travel!  The seats and aisles were much roomier than those on an airplane.  Plus, we traveled with baby Ingvill, and she had room to crawl and play. 

This baby mama was well taken care of during the trip, but the worst part was the 10 hour flight home.  I know, I’m such a brat, but never again will I sit in economy for a flight over 5 hours long.  Unfortunately, the airline screwed up on giving me the aisle seat that Michael had reserved.  The guy sitting next to me slept most of the flight, and I felt rude bothering him.  I really should have gotten up every hour, but I was only able to get up 3 times.  It was awful!  Plus, the seats were uncomfortable, and my lower back was killing me.  By the end of the flight, I was sitting on a blanket, pillow, and two coats. 

Lesson learned… I shouldn’t go on trips this lengthy while pregnant.  Also, I don’t recommend it to others with interstitial cystitis.  Enough complaining…. I do not regret the trip.  It was wonderful catching up with my dear friend Britt Eva, who I have not seen in years.