Is Air travel safe during pregnancy period?
Usually, commercially travelling by air before 36 weeks of pregnancy is
considered safe only if your pregnancy is going well and healthy. Still, it is
better to check with your health care provider before you fly. If you're
experiencing pregnancy complications your health care provider might advise you
against air travel. Your pregnancy complications might be worsened by air
travel or require emergency medical care. During air travel, the duration of
the flight should be taken into consideration. And, like your health care
provider and many airlines might restrict travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy.
The best time to fly might be during your second trimester if your
health care provider approves air travel and you have flexible plans. During
the second trimester, the risks of common pregnancy emergencies are the lowest.
What do you need to do before air travel?
- Discuss with your doctor any
potential risks particular to your pregnancy. Risks like when a woman has gestational
diabetes or multiple pregnancies are generally advised not to fly.
- You should have knowledge
that if you travel by air in the last six weeks of pregnancy it could induce
labour resulting in premature labour.
- Be sure to check with the
airline as some airlines won't allow a woman who is over 35 weeks to
fly at all. If they really want to, they require a doctor’s note.
- Check your travel insurance
thoroughly as some policies may not cover pregnancy.
- You should arrange for a
bulkhead seat or a seat near an exit that has extra legroom with the
airlines.
- Also, if possible, book an
aisle seat as going to the toilet will be a little easier.
Before you leave for
your travels, talk with your doctor about whether you need to travel with a
medical kit. But regardless of what your doctor might say remember to pack a
kit in your carry-on luggage so you can have access to it during the flight.
Items of your medical kit could contain:
- Ointments and medicines to
treat common pregnancy complaints like heartburn, thrush, constipation and
haemorrhoids
- Prepare for oral rehydration
in case of diarrhoea
- Multivitamins specially made
for pregnant women
- Urine dipsticks to check on
the glucose levels and use them only when it is required.
What to do when you do fly?
·
Check the airline's policy for
pregnant women: There are differing guidelines by
different airlines for pregnant women and destinations so be sure to check the
airline’s policy.
·
Buckle up. When you are travelling, be sure to fasten the lap belt under your
abdomen or bump and across your lap.
·
Promote circulation. It is important to keep blood flowing so take occasional walks up
and down the aisle. If you are seated, flex and extend your ankles periodically
and also keep stretching and moving your legs. You should wear loose clothing and should avoid wearing tightfitting
clothing. Also, consider wearing support and
compressed stockings for the duration of the flight. Good circulation is
important during air travel because a pregnant woman's circulation is already
under strain due to the lower cabin pressure inside a plane. Lower cabin
pressure can theoretically increase the risk of blood clots.
·
Drink plenty of fluids. With the low humidity in the cabin, dehydration can occur. So, make sure to drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of
dehydration. And, keeping up your fluid intake in the plane will also reduce
the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
·
Avoid the intake of gassy foods and
drinks preflight. If you eat food and drink stuff
that is gassy then it can cause some discomfort as entrapped gases expand at
altitude. Examples of such foods include broccoli and carbonated drinks.
·
If the flight is without any turbulence,
try to walk up and down the aisles every half hour.
·
If the flight is turbulent, stay in
your seat and flex and stretch your ankles and legs frequently.
·
If you are feeling claustrophobic, have
shortness of breath or are light-headed, ask one of the flight attendants for
help and give you breathing oxygen.
·
Make a plan B. Plan how you’ll obtain
obstetric care during your trip if you ever need one.
If you are a frequent flyer like your
work requires you to travel frequently, or you are a pilot or a flight
attendant you might be exposed to a level of cosmic radiation that is not good
during pregnancy. Otherwise, radiation exposure associated with air travel isn't
thought to be problematic for most who fly sometimes during pregnancy. But if
fly frequently during your pregnancy, discuss it with your health care
provider. The doctor might recommend limiting your total flight time during
pregnancy.
Travelling in pregnancy
Most women can travel safely well into their
pregnancy if they take proper precautions, and have information on when to
travel, the vaccinations required and travel insurance. Wherever you
travel be sure to find out what healthcare facilities are there at your
destination. You might need this information in case you need urgent medical
attention. Always travel with your maternity medical records (handheld
notes) so you can give doctors the relevant information if necessary.
If you are travelling abroad be sure to find out
more about the
healthcare system abroad.
Also make sure your travel insurance covers any eventuality like pregnancy medical
care during labour, premature birth and the charge of changing the date of your
return trip if you go into labour while travelling.
When to travel in pregnancy?
Some women prefer not to travel in the first
trimester of pregnancy because of nausea and
vomiting and having
fatigue and less energy. If you travel by air the risk of miscarriage is higher in the first 3 months. But it is
true, regardless of whether you're travelling or not.
Travelling in the final months or the last
trimester of pregnancy can be tiring and uncomfortable. This leaves the second
trimester to travel which is preferred by some women. According to them the
best time to travel or go on vacation is in mid-pregnancy i.e., between 4 and 6
months. Sarah Reynolds is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Bedford
Hospital NHS Trust and she says that the travel during pregnancy is a matter of
concern for many women. But if your pregnancy is going without any
complications then there's no reason for you to travel safely, as long as you
take precautions.
Conclusion
Flying in general isn't harmful to you or your baby.
But it is better to discuss with your doctor any health issues or pregnancy
complications you might have. The chances of going into labour are higher
after 37 weeks and around 32 weeks if you're pregnant with
twins. For this reason, some airlines won't let you fly in the last trimester
of your pregnancy. So, be sure to check with the airline for their policy on
this.
After 28 weeks of pregnancy, the airline might ask
for a letter from your doctor to confirm your due date, and which states that
there aren't any risks or complications. If you are travelling long-distance which
is longer than 4 hours then you may be at a small risk of blood clots or deep
vein thrombosis (DVT)).
Whenever you fly you should drink plenty of water and move about regularly
every 30 minutes or so. You can also buy a pair of compressed or support
stockings from the pharmacy, which will help in reducing the swelling
of the leg.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/pregnancy-and-travel