Travelling while pregnant

This is general information and not medical advice. Consult your own licensed healthcare provider for medical advice.

Travelling while pregnant can be just as fun and interesting as travelling during the rest of your life. There are a few restrictions put on pregnant women, mostly aimed at making sure that the baby doesn't arrive while you're far from a birth center, and a few more that may be good sense or may make you more comfortable. Additionally, if you have other health concerns, or if you are near your due date, your midwife or obstetrician may impose some restrictions that would not apply to other pregnant travellers.

Understand

See also: Tips for women travellers

For the most part, a healthy woman with a healthy pregnancy will be able to do just about anything she wants, including travel. However, all the usual risks to travellers apply, and all the usual risks of pregnancy go with you on your trip.

Most people think that the middle of a pregnancy is the easiest time for planning a trip, as it's late enough that morning sickness has subsided and the danger of early pregnancy loss has passed, but it's early enough that you aren't too uncomfortable and there's a very low risk of the baby putting in an unscheduled early appearance.

Some couples organize a "babymoon" trip, named after honeymoon travel, to celebrate their transition to parenthood. Additionally, pregnant women travel to visit family and friends, for business trips and volunteer work, for holidays and religious observances, for weddings and funerals, and for all the other reasons people travel.

Get in

If you're driving, on a bus, or taking the train, your transportation considerations will largely revolve around whether you will be comfortable. Morning sickness can be aggravated by anything that encourages motion sickness. Especially later in the pregnancy, you may need more frequent bathroom breaks. Hot weather can be a problem, too, so a trip that sounded like an adventure last year might sound like a sweaty form of torture now, especially if there's no air conditioning or you get delayed by the roadside for repairs. But if you're feeling up to it, and you've arranged for the things you expect to need, there's every reason to expect the trip to be fine.

Ships and planes, however, have some additional restrictions. Cruise lines often ban pregnant women after the second trimester, for fear that the baby will arrive while they are out at sea. Some airlines, especially for longer or international flights, require a medical clearance for women in the third trimester. Be aware of the rules about pregnant travelers for every transit carrier you use (each one has its own rules, with different cutoff dates), even if you didn't buy the ticket directly from them. Even if your healthcare provider tells you that it's safe to travel, an airline or cruise ship may require additional paperwork. Because fitness-to-fly certificates are typically valid only for a week, you may need to arrange for a medical visit at your destination, so you can get home again. Rules may vary by country, airline, flight length, and whether you are carrying more than one baby. Contact the airline directly to confirm the exact information for your trip. After you've got all the necessary information, remember that seat belts go low and tight across the bones of your pelvis, under your baby bump, and then off you go. (If you don't usually need a seat belt extender, you shouldn't need one now.)

Once you're on your way, remember that everyone needs to get up and move about regularly. Deep vein thrombosis can happen to anyone who sits for too many hours, and pregnant women are at even higher risk. Avoid taking your shoes off on an airplane. Sometimes, usually later in pregnancy, the difference in cabin pressure will cause your feet to swell, and then you might not be able to get your shoes back on. Also, if you need compression stockings to keep your ankles from swelling at home, you'll need them on the flight, too.

Do

There are a few activities that pregnant women are usually advised to avoid.

Even in early pregnancy, there is a theoretical chance that a sudden, strong jerk could cause the placenta to detach, which will cause the baby to die. Consequently, amusement parks all over the world ban pregnant women from most roller coasters or other rides with strong motions, and similar activities, such as bungee jumping, are also unsafe.

Pregnant women usually find that it's easy to overheat, which means that it's easy to faint. Consequently, heat-oriented activities like a sauna are not recommended, and a hot tub can be particularly dangerous: if you faint in the hot water, you could silently drown before anyone notices.

If your skin has already achieved that itchy-pregnancy stage, you really don't want to make that worse by risking a sunburn. Pregnant skin is easier to sunburn. Plan to slip on a loose, long-sleeved shirt or cover-up, slap on a wide-brimmed hat, and slop on the sunscreen every time you go outside. Some people consider mineral or physical sunscreens to be safer for pregnant women. These will list zinc oxide or a similar mineral as the main active ingredient.

While swimming is generally a pleasant and safe way to cool off, some water activities have additional risks for pregnant women, including scuba diving (pressurization risks, ill-fitting equipment, etc.) and wild swimming (chance of an infection, which could cause a miscarriage).

Many pregnant women feel like they struggle with keeping their balance. Consequently, you might want to avoid activities that depend upon agility and balance, such as bouldering or rock climbing. Take extra care on suspension bridges, too.

As with anyone else, wearing low-heeled, comfortable, supportive shoes will make walking more comfortable.

Eat

The basic rules for eating on a vacation are the same as for eating at home. High-risk foods, which include things like raw seafood and unwashed fruits and vegetables, are discouraged. Foods with a lot of fiber, protein, vitamins, and water content are encouraged. In particular, folate (folic acid) is an important nutrient to take via food or supplements during the early stages of pregnancy to prevent the possibility of neural tube defects. Depending on your destination, you may need to research restaurants or other places that will be safe to eat.

When you are in transit, whether in a car, on a plane, or otherwise, it is a good idea to have some snack foods with you.

Drink

If you are going camping or visiting another country, check for up-to-date information about whether it is safe to drink the water both at your destination and while you are in transit. If you buy bottled water, make sure that it still has the seal from the factory. In a few places, used bottles are refilled with tap water and are no safer than drinking a cup of tap water.

Remember that you need more water than you would if you weren't pregnant, so if you did that hike last year with just one bottle of water, you will need more water this year.

The advice about drinking alcoholic beverages while pregnant and on vacation is the same as drinking at home. The international trend is towards declaring alcoholic beverages aren't completely safe for anyone, pregnant or otherwise, and what could be seen as moderate consumption can be severely dangerous for the baby, especially in the first two months of pregnancy (see Alcoholic beverages#Stay healthy). However, a very small amount of alcohol – say, a sip of champagne, or half of a small glass of beer – once or twice in a pregnancy is also not proven to have clinically measurable effects. If you intend to consume any alcohol, you should talk to your provider for personalized medical advice about how to minimize the risks.

Caffeine is usually not prohibited for pregnant women, but they may be more susceptible to its side effects, so moderation is recommended. A maximum limit of two cups of coffee or black tea (200 mg caffeine) per day is a common recommendation. Again, this is the same on vacation as it is at home.

Sleep

Pregnancy is physically tiring, and you may need more sleep. Travel is also tiring, which could lead to needing even more rest. Bring with you whatever you think you will need to sleep comfortably, whether that's earplugs and an eye mask or a favorite pillow. Most hotels can provide an extra blanket or an extra pillow upon request but will not have anything specific for pregnancy. Consider fatigue when you plan your schedule. You may need a nap, or at least to sit down and rest for a while each day. Resist the impulse to overschedule your trip.

Cope

Pregnancy loss

There's a tiny chance that a pregnancy could end on any given day, with nothing you can do to prevent it, and that includes days when you're traveling. Talk to your midwife or obstetrician about your travel plans. If the risk of pregnancy loss is high, it might be better to postpone or cancel the trip. Otherwise, expect things to be fine, and take your provider's contact information with you in case you need to reach out with questions.

Some places don't have the facilities needed to deal with some pregnancy complications. Travel insurance may be able to pay for local treatments or pay to bring you home, if it covers pregnancy. In a few places, ordinary and necessary medical treatment related to pregnancy loss may be banned for political reasons related to prohibitions on abortion.

Immigration

If you are traveling past the mid-point in your pregnancy, consider what would happen if the baby arrives before you get home. On the medical side, look into whether the local birth centers have adequate resources. Do you have insurance or other financial resources to pay for it, especially if there are complications? Travel medical insurance does not normally pay for medical expenses related to normal childbirth, and the health insurance that covers you at home may have geographic limitations.

On the legal side, you need to make sure that you will be able to take the baby home. That means that you need the birth properly documented. Contact your embassy or nearest consulate office for assistance.

Travelling with children

Main topic: Travelling with children

Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean this is your first! Lots of pregnant mothers travel with their older children.

Fortunately, managing your needs will often overlap with what they need, especially for younger children. You'll need a nap, and so will they. You'll want frequent small meals, and so will they. Don't worry: you've got this.

Stay safe

Mosquitoes

Despite their small size, mosquitoes kill far more people each year than all other animals put together. Pregnant women need to avoid mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, especially Zika virus and malaria. Unfortunately, this is a little more difficult than usual, as pregnancy raises the body's temperature, makes the mother breathe harder, and generally sends out more of the signals that mosquitoes use to home in on their targets. DEET-based bug repellents are usually recommended, as they are effective and tests have showed them not to be associated with birth defects.

Vaccines

For the most part, vaccines are safe and effective in pregnant women, and some – particularly those against influenza, whooping cough, and COVID-19 – even provide benefits to the baby. However, a few vaccines are not recommended for pregnant women. Usually, healthcare providers defer vaccines that are considered "live" and those that have not been formally studied in pregnant women. Most travel-related vaccines, such as the vaccine against yellow fever, are permitted for pregnant women if the benefits are expected to outweigh the risks.

Illness

Like anyone else, you should take your normal medications with you while travelling. Travel, especially to a different country, may expose you to a variety of germs, which means that – like anyone else – there's a risk that your vacation will be memorable less for the business deal you cemented or a romantic sunset, and more for an unfortunate bout of travellers' diarrhea or a sudden decision by your stomach that it's no longer accepting spicy food. Talk to your midwife or obstetrician about which pain relievers, antacids, stool softeners, anti-diarrheals, or other medications are relevant to your planned activities and suitable for your stage of pregnancy.

Think about how you can address unexpected questions that may arise while you're on the road. Can you phone or e-mail your provider?

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