I love to camp and hike and it’s one of me and my husband’s favorite outdoor activities during the spring and summer. However, as I get older, it’s harder to sleep on the ground when we camp, but that’s fixed pretty easily with some quality camping pads. This last summer, I couldn’t help but think how much harder it would be to camp if I was pregnant. At the time, a good friend of mine was pregnant and she opted to not camp as much since it was so difficult. With the correct gear and proper precautions however, you don’t have to forgo camping during your pregnancy and lose out on a whole season of fun.

Hiking
To begin with, hiking has many different levels. What you may call a walk may be a hike for others, and what you call a moderate hike may exhaust your friends. While you’re pregnant, you have to keep in mind that what you were able to do in the past, may not be as healthy for you now and you need to take is easy.

While hiking during pregnancy, make sure you never carry a heavy backpack. You don’t want to put too much strain on your body, especially on your back and hips. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water, more than you would normally drink. Hiking burns a lot of calories too, so it’s a good idea to take a lot of healthy snacks with you.

Don’t forget, never go hiking without telling someone where you’re going. Even if you’re going with friends, make sure someone who isn’t with you knows where you are and how long you plan to be gone for. 

Camping
When you go camping during pregnancy, all the rules of hiking apply plus more. For one thing, it’s probably not a good idea to go camping when you’re near your due date, no matter how much you love it. Also, bring a comfortable sleeping pad. A blow-up mattress may not cut it since they often deflate and get easily punctured. Remember to pack for all weather, no matter if the weather report says blue skies and sunny. A rainstorm can easily surprise you and temperatures can drop a lot at night, especially by rivers.

Just in case, you should also locate the nearest medical facility to your campsite. Hopefully you won’t have to go there, but if there is an emergency, you won’t waste time driving around trying to look for a hospital or clinic.

Stormann, C. (n.d.). Pregnancy and uutdoor adventures. BabyFit.