Flying While Pregnant
Any woman who is expecting a child will have to re-think her flight travel plans as soon as she knows she is expecting. First off, a trip to the doctor will be necessary to make sure there aren’t any reasons why you can’t travel on a plane. Unfortunately women who are experiencing swelling, especially of the ankles, any blood loss or increase in their blood pressure may well be advised not to fly.
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.
To make the flight more comfortable it is worth trying to check in early so there may be an opportunity to have an aisle seat for easy access or a bulkhead seat as there is more legroom.If an expectant mother is flying to the continents of Asia or Africa she should seek advice on vaccinations for hepatitis A, B and typhoid before traveling.
However, there are many places where malaria is still a problem and it is recommended that they be missed out as contracting malaria when pregnant an cause problems. Children under six also have restrictions in Australia where it isn’t recommended for them to have vaccinations against hepatitis A or typhoid.
Always check with a doctor as to which vaccinations are required as they will vary depending on an individual situation and itinerary. A simple way to avoid getting hepatitis A and typhoid is to avoid drinking water that has not come from a sealed bottle and ice where tap water has been used.
Raw vegetables and fruit should also be avoided (unless the fruit has a tough outer skin like bananas for instance) and keeping hands sterilized with anti bacterial soap is necessary before consuming any food.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.
Unfortunately expectant mothers have a higher than normal risk of blood clots which increases when flying but the risk can be reduced by wearing compression stockings. Doctors also recommend taking some form of exercise when flying; ideas for which can usually be found in the flight magazine.
Most travel insurance covers women up until 26 weeks of pregnancy, though this excludes childbirth or the health of a newborn child and although you can still buy standard travel insurance after this point but it doesn’t cover anything related to the pregnancy.
If you find the information above educational and useful, read more about pregnancy and birth at pregnancy101.org and have a look at cramping early signs of pregnancy.
