Travel While Pregnant
Pregnant women need to plan their holidays and air travel with some extra care. Whilst the second trimester is generally considered the best time to travel, it is important to check with your doctor that there are no medical reasons not to fly before booking your tickets. Medical reasons which would prevent a pregnant woman from flying can include, blood loss, raised blood pressure or swelling.
Most airlines will allow pregnant women to fly internationally until 35 or 36 weeks but individual airlines may differ for a normal, healthy pregnancy and until 32 weeks for a multiple pregnancy i.e. twins or triplets. It is also advisable to carry a medical certificate issued by your doctor if you will be over twenty four weeks pregnant by the time you fly.
Pregnant women are advised to arrive at the airport check in desk earlier to have a better seat allocated to them, one with easier access or room. People traveling to Africa or Asia would normally be expected to have inoculations for hepatitis A and B but expectant mothers are advised against those for typhoid despite the fact that there is not evidence to support that there will be any damage to the fetus.
Pregnant women are also advised against traveling to any country where malaria is prevalent. In Australia, typhoid and hepatitis A vaccinations aren’t advised for children under six but it is recommended that children are up-to-date with their other immunizations.
Always check with a doctor as to which vaccinations are required as they will vary depending on an individual situation and itinerary. To avoid hepatitis A and typhoid, brush your teeth with, and drink, only bottled water ensuring that ice for your drinks is made from distilled water or just refuse ice if you do not know.
Avoid eating raw vegetables, salad and fruit although thick-skinned fruits such as mandarins, which you peel yourself, or bananas are fine but always wash your hands with soap or antibacterial hand wash before eating. A good accessory to take on a vacation is the new type of fast drying antibacterial hand gels which come in travel pack size and can be slipped into a purse.
Air travel also increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis which is statistically more likely in pregnant women so to guard against this it is recommended that expectant women wear the special flight socks or tight that are now available. To keep maintain a good circulation, it is advisable that walking about or other exercises be carried out whilst in flight whenever possible.
The one problem a pregnant woman may have when flying is that travel insurance only covers expectant mothers up to 26 weeks that covers all costs although policies can be purchased that extend this period, they won’t cover anything the pregnancy.
For more information about pregnancy and health topics, visit pregnancy101.org and also check out signs of pregnency.