Tips For Safe Travel For Pregnant Women - Travel Tips
Are you a pregnant woman and would like to enjoy travel or a short trip, but you think that traveling while pregnant may be unsafe for you and the fetus? Are you compelled to travel out of necessity during the months of your pregnancy but you are afraid that traveling will exhaust you?
While many think that a travel during pregnancy could be stressful, it is not necessarily true. You can’t obviously stay indoors for 9 months! Be it a short vacation or a trip to your native, going on a trip could lighten your mood and make you feel more positive about your changing body and mind.
And, what’s better? Even doctors recommend it! If your pregnancy is not a complicated one, you shouldn’t at all be afraid of packing your bags and leaving for a trial! But…you need to be only CAREFUL! While it is absolutely safe to travel, you need to take some precautions and we are here to help you with a few excellent tips!
You will find also all the answers to questions that you may have in your mind about pregnant women traveling by plane, as well as tips that will make your trip an enjoyable and safe one.
Tips For Safe Travel For Pregnant Women
Pregnant women usually have some fears of travel, especially during their first pregnancy. But in fact, the fears result from a failure to observe the travel regulations and tips for pregnant women and to avoid damages, which include:
- Prior coordination with your doctor, especially when there are chronic diseases (such as diabetes and high blood pressure), or there is a miscarriage or previous premature birth.
- Monitoring the state of health with your doctor before the trip, and informing the doctor in the event of any complications or sudden occurrence.
- Contact the travel company or Airline before booking, and inform them of the pregnancy. It is also advisable to ask them about the possibility of canceling or delaying tickets in the event of any complications.
- Destination medical care. Ask for suggestions about names of doctors and hospitals at your destination, just in case. Your doctor may know a colleague there or be able to make recommendations.
- Avoid traveling for a long time (more than 5 hours).
- Think before selecting the destination. Ensure that the place you want to visit is safe, has all the amenities like good toilets, good air quality, safe drinking water etc. Avoid going to extremely long distance places as you could find trouble arranging for a washroom on the way.
- Do take Long breaks. Yes, do not stretch yourself when you travel. Do stop in between, move around, walk a little, go to the restroom and again carry on. This will help you prevent swelling in your feet.
- Carry sufficient food with you. Starving during pregnancy could be risky and exhausting for you. So always keep a good amount of healthy snacks and drink water with you. You must also keep juices, ORS, etc. to maintain the fluid-electrolytes balance in your body.
- Make sure to select the time of travel in the 14th to 28th week (the safest period in pregnancy) and before the 36th week; To ensure that you are not disturbed by the difficulty of moving around; As a result of excess weight, or increased complications during the last weeks of pregnancy.
- Avoid traveling to areas where diseases are common (such as: Zika and malaria). There are a few countries that need you to be vaccinated before you visit them. Avoid planning your trips to such countries.
- Wear your seat belt. If travelling by car, you must wear your seat belt. It will help you stay safer and avoid sudden jerks.
- Wear Decompression stockings because they may help blood flow.
- Sit in the aisle seat! If you are traveling by flight, then ask for an aisle seat. It will help you in more ways than you can imagine. You can easily go to the loo as many times as you want and you won’t have to constantly bug your fellow passengers to give way to you.
- Avoid seafood in foreign countries. Because seafood tends to generate an allergy in many expecting mothers and that could go terribly wrong for you and your baby. Instead, concentrate more on fruits and vegetables and chicken for protein. Enough fiber is required for you to avoid constipation and have a good journey.
- Keep drinking. Get plenty of fluids during the flight. If you become dehydrated, it can reduce blood flow to the uterus.
- Get Ready for International Travel. If your destination is international, take some extra precautions. To avoid the risks of premature labor or health problems, take your trip before the third trimester.
- Nausea remedies. If you're prone to motion sickness, ask about a nausea remedy or acupressure bands. Little scientific evidence supports these bands. But some people find them helpful.
- Gas and diarrhea remedies. The increase in altitude on flights can cause intestinal gas to expand and cause discomfort. Avoid gassy foods before your flight. International travel may expose you to bacteria that can lead to diarrhea. Ask about a diarrhea remedy.
- Prenatal care. Depending upon the length of the trip, decide if you need to get some prenatal care at your destination. If so, figure out who will supply it.
- Flu vaccine. Ask if you need a flu shot before you leave.
- It is better not to travel alone. Having a companion with you on your travels can help carry the luggage, put it on the belt for inspection and receive it at the airport of arrival, accompany you while walking to the boarding gate, and the greatest benefit is that he will be aware of all your information to help if you feel any fatigue or have a medical need.
Cases in which travel by pregnant women should be avoided:
- Eclampsia.
- Membranes rupture.
- Previous premature birth.
- Your first pregnancy and you're 35 or older or 15 and younger.
- You are carrying more than one baby.
- You have placental abnormalities, now or in the past.
- You have any vaginal bleeding or risk of miscarriage.
Also do not fly internationally if you have a history of:
- Miscarriage
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Premature labor or premature membrane rupture
- High blood pressure, diabetes, or preeclampsia in pregnancy
Q&A: Safe Travel For Pregnant Women
Q: When is pregnant travel safe?
A: If your pregnancy is proceeding normally without any risks or complications and your due date is not approaching, there is no objection to traveling and boarding an airplane, but of course, after consulting a doctor about it, remember that every airline has rules for pregnant travel, be sure to inquire about those rules and conditions While making a reservation, the company with which you are booking your flight will not ask you if you are pregnant when booking the ticket, but you may face some inquiries about your pregnancy at the airport before boarding the plane and it is best as a precaution to obtain written permission from your doctor to travel.
Q: When is the right time to travel For Pregnant?
A: In general, the first and last trimesters of pregnancy are not the ideal time to travel. The ideal time is the second trimester of pregnancy, approximately between weeks 14 and 27, i.e. the fourth, fifth and sixth months. The pregnancy has stabilized and the exhausting and disturbing period of the onset of pregnancy, nausea, etc. has ended, and your energy level has increased, and of course the matter. It may differ from one woman to another. All doctors advise pregnant women to have with them the papers related to the development of the pregnancy, as well as the examinations, x-rays and analyzes that you have taken, whether on your travels or even when leaving the house.
Q: How do Pregnant choose the right destination to travel during pregnancy?
A: First of all, we must take into account the distance and the time that the trip will take. Also, in general, we advise pregnant women not to board small-sized planes, as they do not have pressurized air conditioning in their cabins. Also, avoid visiting poor cities with a doctor, so do not discount the possibility of your need for emergency medical advice. Make sure to choose the right place to spend your vacation. Undoubtedly, it is better for it to be a vacation to relax, enjoy the beaches and nature, and wander around a bit. It is not the right time for adventures or visiting places that require great effort.
Q: Which mode of travel is safe during pregnancy?
A: Let's say it right away: the train is the best solution if you have to travel more than three hours when you are pregnant. Despite a few jolts and irregular train movements that can increase morning sickness, this is still the best means of transport during pregnancy.
Q: Which months are not safe for travel during pregnancy?
A: All airlines will allow travel till 28 weeks of pregnancy, and many allow till 34-36 weeks. Hence if you are in the last third of your pregnancy, enquire from the airlines before booking tickets. Air travel is not recommended after 36 weeks.
Last Words: For Save Travel For Pregnant
These are some of the easy tips that you can follow to have a stress-free vacation and travel safely during your pregnancy. Don't let your trimesters stop you from having all the fun!
Never again will your baby be as cooperative as she is now — so once you’ve gotten the green light from your practitioner and you’ve taken a few precautions (especially while the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing), it’s possible to travel safely during pregnancy.
Sure, you’ll need to do a bit of planning to ensure a safe and comfortable trip; pregnancy symptoms like a very active bladder, on-and-off nausea, and sudden leg cramps can make the journey a bit more challenging than usual.
