If you are planning a baby or want to spend time with your family before the arrival of your bundle of joy. However, flying while pregnant is generally safe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, pregnant women must keep a few things in mind before booking a flight. If you are pregnant, sitting for a prolonged period of time in a plane can cause a variety of serious issues, including deep vein thrombosis, a condition in which blood clots form in the legs and veins due to prolonged inactivity.
Nonetheless, traveling while pregnant is easy with some preparation. First of all, don’t be afraid of traveling. The memory of traveling with a baby will stay with you forever, and it will also inspire you to give birth to a true traveler. Therefore, always try to stay fearless during the flight. In this article, we will provide you with some tips on how to travel with pregnancy to ensure that you and your baby stay healthy throughout the flight.
1- Schedule your travel carefully
In light of morning sickness and a possible increased risk of miscarriage, the medical community as a whole generally advises against traveling while pregnant before 12 weeks. However, many pregnant women have no problems flying during their first trimester. As a result, it is best to be cautious and consult with your doctor. Following 28 days, however, the possibility of going into labour increases, and most airlines will require a letter from your doctor proving that you are fit for air travel and confirmation of your due date. Moreover, most airlines will not let you fly if you are more than 36 weeks pregnant due to the high risk of delivery on board.
That is why it is always best to travel in your second semester. When the risk of pregnancy emergencies such as miscarriage in the first trimester or preterm labour in the third semester is very low. Therefore, after 28 weeks, it also gets difficult to sit for longer hours. Similarly, a common concern for pregnant fliers is the obvious exposure to cosmic radiation during the flight. Hence, it is generally advised to avoid travel in the last month of pregnancy as well as during the first seven days after delivering the baby.
2- See your doctor
Pregnant passengers must be properly examined by their doctors and must carry documents announcing the expected date of delivery, including doctor contact information and blood group. However, pregnant women should pack their medical records as well as ultrasounds in their luggage. When flying while pregnant, you need to ask your doctor before doing any risky activities such as watersports and diving.
3- Stay healthy
Make sure to pack prescription medicines in your luggage. Read all the prescriptions carefully and also learn how to troubleshoot health issues while traveling, which includes guidance on what to pack before your trip. Being pregnant, you also need to prepare yourself for common issues such as jetlag, sunburn, and altitude sickness.
4- Make a Flight Plan
You should bring at least one companion who is familiar with your emergency contact information when you are flying while pregnant. So, make sure your doctor has saved his or her mobile phone with the number before you leave.
5- Read The Rules
Individual airlines have their own laws and ordinances for pregnant women. Therefore, if you are booking your flight with a travel agent, always tell them that you are pregnant. So, if you are booking your flight online, always check the airline’s website. Apart from that, you can call and inform the airline that you are pregnant. Additionally, it’s advised that pregnant women fly on larger aircraft with pressurized cabins rather than smaller aircraft that fly above 7000 feet.
6- Consider Insurance
This is yet another crucial piece of advice for you if you are flying while pregnant. Furthermore, you must have insurance coverage, you just might not be aware of it. You should check with your health insurance provider, Credit Card Company and auto club to see what’s get covered
While traveling, however, some travel arrangements also cover transportation costs and foreign medical expenses. Nevertheless, you can also buy supplementary travel insurance that provides benefits like emergency, medical evacuation. If you want to fly while pregnant with peace of mind, always look for air travel insurance in case your trip gets cancelled or cut short due to pregnancy.
7- Stay connected
Always ensure that the medical facilities at your destination are adequate to handle any medical issues that may arise. Thus, get a list of all local hospitals from the embassy or tourist board. Always bring a list of emergency and essential travel numbers with you, such as your credit card company, doctor’s office, embassy number of the country you are visiting, and airline, hotel, and car rental phone numbers. And in case of an emergency, give all of this information to your friends or family members, and keep emergency contact numbers for your family members with you while traveling.
8- Pack like a pro
Follow these tips for packing light and smart, regardless of your packing habits or style. Not to mention, pack everything you will need to survive if your luggage goes missing in your carry-on. Also, pack your snacks and a converter/charger if necessary. Always dress comfortably and loosely in layers. However, swelling in the feet during a flight is possible. Along with that, to improve blood circulation put on compression socks.
Do not overpack your carry-on since you will not be lifting anything heavy while pregnant. Carry your snacks with you; things like granola bars and healthy snacks will help you with hunger pangs during the flight. While airlines may provide some food, there is no guarantee that it will be nutritious.
Conclusion
We trust and hope that our article on flying while pregnant has given you a wealth of knowledge on this specific subject. Moreover, it is critical to have a safe flight while pregnant, because prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, if you are planning your trip while pregnant, keep all this information in mind. However, a lot of airlines give pregnant passengers a lot of benefits. That is why you should look into all of the offers and amenities provided by specific airlines. Remember to keep in touch with FlightsToIndia for any updates on exclusive offers and exciting deals.