15 Tips for Camping in Your Third Trimester

Oh Baby!

If you enjoy playing in the outdoors then there is no need for pregnancy to stand in your way. Camping when you are super pregnant is not only doable but a fun way to enjoy your third trimester.

Recently we went on a four-day camping trip while I was 36 weeks pregnant. After being stuck at home with a busy toddler, getting out into Mother Nature gave me a much needed break. Check out my tips and tricks below to make your third trimester camping trip a breeze!

15 Survival Tips for Tent camping in your Third Trimester

There are a couple of things that you need to keep in mind for making your third trimester camping trip a success. Those are Sleep, Hydration, Safety, and Comfort. Below I cover each area in detail.

Sleep

Sleeping during your third trimester is a trial in and of itself. Camping can make things more difficult, but if you follow the tips below you should be able to sleep just as well camping as at home (maybe even better)!

Tip #1: Use a blow-up mattress over a sleeping pad

If you don’t currently own a blow-up mattress now is the time to get one. Sleeping on the ground on a sleeping pad is not a good option for someone that is super prego.

Recommendations: Be sure to check your mattress before putting your kids to sleep. You may find that your air mattress needs more air. You can also try adding a foam topper to your blow-up mattress for some extra cushion.

Tip #2: Bring sleep aids

When packing for your trip be sure to bring the following sleep aids: pregnancy pillow (or throw pillows), Unisom, Tylenol, and Benadryl. Here’s why!

Pregnancy Pillow: Obviously if you are sleeping with a pregnancy pillow at home you will want to be sure to bring it along.

Unisom: This little pill is safe for pregnant women to take and from personal experience will knock you out if you can’t sleep. Sometimes sleeping in a different environment or sharing a tent with kids can make sleep elusive. Unisom can be a lifesaver in helping you get some much needed rest.

Recommendation: Take your Unisom no later than 8 pm. This will give it a chance to kick in before you head to bed and to wear off by the next morning. From personal experience, if you take it later it can leave you feeling groggy the next morning.

Tylenol: If your camping trips are anything like mine they involve a lot of physical activity (hiking, swimming, etc). Sometimes these extra activities can lead to pesky night time aches and pains. You definitely want to have some Tylenol on hand if you need some pain relief.

Benadryl: This is nice to have on hand if you happen to find that your allergies (or pregnancy congestion) act up once you are out camping. If you do end up needing to take some Benadryl I wouldn’t recommend taking it with Unisom since Benadryl also makes you drowsy.

Tip #3: Consider using sheets over a sleeping bag

One of the not so lovely side effects of pregnancy is that you are hot all the time. Instead of using a sleeping bag, try bringing sheets and blankets for your air mattress. This will give you more control over your nighttime temperature and make for a more comfortable night’s sleep.

Tip #4: Have an escape route from the tent

As we all know one of the “blessings” of the third trimester is having to pee all.the.time. Since it is difficult at this stage of pregnancy to make it through the night without a pee break, make sure you have a clear exit route. Also, make sure your headlamp or flashlight is close by and your shoes readily available. The last thing you want is to trip over one of your kids and wake up the whole tent.

Hydration

Hydration is always important while pregnant. It becomes especially important when you are spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun. Below are my tips for making sure you stay well hydrated!

Tip #5: Drink Water + Gatorade

While the amount of water you will need during your pregnancy varies depending upon your body type and activity level a good goal to shoot for is 64 to 80 oz of water a day. To make getting your water intake easier bring a water jug that you can keep at your campsite for easy refills.

In addition to drinking enough water, it is important to make sure you are replenishing your electrolytes. When you sweat you lose electrolytes and water isn’t enough to replenish them! This is something I learned the hard way while adventuring in Moab, UT in the dead of summer. Even though I was drinking close to 100 oz of water a day I would still get headaches. It wasn’t until I started including Gatorade in my fluid intake that I was able to avoid headaches.

Tip #6: Front load water intake

Some women dread the thought of having to make a run to the bathroom in the middle of the night and as a result, don’t drink as much water as they should. If this is a concern for you, try front loading your water intake. That means drink most of your water in the morning and early afternoon and then start limiting your water intake as you get closer to bed.

Safety

Below are a couple of things you will want to keep in mind to make sure you and your baby have a safe camping trip.

Tip #7: Practice Cooler safety to avoid cross-contamination

Getting food poisoning while pregnant is a big deal. It can cause dehydration and in the worst-case scenario miscarriage, stillbirth, or preterm delivery. That is why when camping it is SUPER important to practice food safety and making sure your cooler stays nice and cold.

The biggest cause of food poisoning when storing food in a cooler is cross-contamination! Cross-contamination generally occurs when bacteria from uncooked meat gets onto ready to eat food, such as fruits and vegetables or on the containers of yogurt, milk, or soda.

Luckily there are a couple of easy ways to prevent this from happening:

Precook all raw meat for the trip

Keep raw meat and eggs in a separate cooler

Use ice packs or frozen water bottles instead of loose ice to avoid water penetrating packages and spreading harmful bacteria

For more tips on how to keep your food safe in a cooler check out my post 13 Tips for Keeping Food Icy Cold in a Cooler.

Tip #8: Load up on sunscreen

Pregnant women tend to have more sensitive skin. Not only are you asking your skin to stretch for your growing baby, but you are more likely to experience skin discoloration from sun exposure while pregnant.

Be sure to protect your skin through the application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Make sure to pick one that provides protection from UVA and UVB rays and when possible keep your skin covered.

Tip #9: Be sure to use bug spray

While putting on bug spray can be annoying it is important for preventing bug bites that can transmit harmful diseases such as West Nile Virus or Zika Virus. To ensure that you are adequately protected use a DEET bug spray. DEET is the most effective type of repellant against bugs and is safe for pregnant women to use. If you are anti-DEET or would like to know what your other options are, check out the EPA’s tool for finding the right bug spray for you!

Tip #10: Pack plenty of snacks

There is only one thing worse than being hangry and that is being pregnant and hangry. Be sure to pack plenty of snacks, for the sake of everyone. No one wants to deal with an angry pregnant woman!

Some of my favorites are granola bars, dried or fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt, cheese sticks, peanut butter M&Ms, kielbasa and crackers, hummus, veggies with ranch dip, and popcorn.

Tip #11: Keep up on your prenatals

In the frenzy of packing it can be easy to forget to pack your prenatal vitamins. Make sure they make it into your bag so you don’t have to spend your camping trip searching for a gas station that sells prenatal vitamins. Not only is it super inconvenient, but they will cost you an arm and a leg once you do find some!

Comfort

Here are some tips for making your camping trip more comfortable.

Tip #12: Pack Tums

With camping comes all sorts of fun foods: s’mores, hot dogs, soda, etc. While those are all tasty they often make for some wicked heartburn for poor pregnant people. Be sure to bring some Tums just in case.

Tip #13: Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off

With tent camping, you will be taking your shoes on and off again as you enter and exit the tent. This is no easy feat when you are big and pregnant so be sure to bring shoes that you can easily slip on and off without having to bend over.

For our trip, I wore my Chacos. They are sturdy enough for hiking and I could wear them to the beach. I own the traditional looking Chacos so sometimes the heel strap proved difficult, but I do know Chacos has started to make slip-on versions of their sandals. You can check them out here.

Tip #14: Vicinity to bathrooms

My husband, Dustin, hates camping close to the bathroom. While most campsites do a good job keeping their bathrooms clean and smell-free, it isn’t uncommon to get a whiff of them when you are camping close. The dilemma with this is if you are at the end of your pregnancy you are peeing about 10-15 times a day (especially if the baby has dropped).

When making your campsite reservation decide whether you rather have a smell-free campsite or the bathrooms close for easy access. For our trip, I had about a 5 min walk to the bathrooms and, I have to say, it got old after a while.

Tip #15: Bring a throw pillow for extra back support

One of the best parts of camping is sitting around the campfire. However, when you are nearing the end of your pregnancy you may find your camp chair uncomfortable to sit in. To remedy this bring a throw pillow for extra back support. Just be prepared for it to smell like a campfire by the end of your trip!

Last Thing You Need to Know

While camping when pregnant might not be for everyone, it is definitely worth a try. Hopefully, you find the above tips helpful! Just remember if things go sideways you can always pack up and head home early. There is no shame in that. Just be open-minded and flexible! Enjoy!

If you found this article helpful please use the buttons below to share it with family and friends!

Sharing is caring!