A woman expecting a baby will have to check airline arrangements if she intends to fly. 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. Some women experience abnormal bleeding and an increase in their blood pressure, in which case the doctor would normally suggest that flying should be avoided and in particular if any swelling has been experienced.
Although it is normally safe for a pregnant woman to travel up to the thirty sixth week or thirty second if it is a multiple birth, individual airlines will differ so a check well before the flight is worthwhile. For women over 24 weeks pregnant a medical certificate is often required prior to travel as well. 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.
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.
Travelers to Australia need to be aware that children under six should not have the hepatitis A or typhoid vaccinations but in all other cases inoculations for children should be current. Always check with a doctor as to which vaccinations are required as they will vary depending on an individual situation and itinerary.
Always refuse to drink water unless it is bottled with an unbroken seal and the same goes for ice in drinks if you want to avoid contracting hepatitis A or typhoid. It is also inadvisable to eat fruit and raw vegetables and before eating wash your hands with an antibacterial hand wash. A handy travel accessory is the small 60ml gel bottles of antibacterial hand wash that dries almost immediately on contact with the air but does mean that special washing facilities aren’t required before eating.
It is worth remembering that air travel can increase the already current risk of blood clots so expectant women should take precautions when flying like wearing compression socks or equivalent. Of course it is also a good idea to walk around on a flight whenever it is safe to do so.
Fortunately if a pregnant woman is flying within the first twenty six weeks of pregnancy then there shouldn’t be any problems with insurance but there may be exclusions in the policy after this time. Travel insurance that covers you and the pregnancy after 26 weeks is available from some insurers but it is assessed on a case-by-case basis and excludes cover for the birth of a baby.
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