Pregnancy changes the stakes and can brand everything that wasn’t potentially dangerous a no go zone. However, often overlooked are facts about travelling while pregnant. With so many myths out there about what you should or shouldn’t do, getting confused about travelling when pregnant is expected.
What You Should Expect
Even though every pregnancy is different, there are similar things you can expect while travelling via air. these include:-
- Anxiety – Everything from ticket booking to checking in and baggage claims tends to take a mental toll on everyone. However, when you are pregnant, you should expect an increased amount of anxiety. Usually, this is attributed to wondering about the dangers of air travel and how it can affect your baby.
- Getting Tired – As expected, your body is going through significant changes to accommodate the little one growing inside you. however, as aeroplanes aren’t precisely made to accommodate pregnant women, expect to tire quickly and be utterly exhausted after a flight.
Risks Associated with Pregnancy
- Miscarriage – There is no truth behind the belief that pressurised cabins cause miscarriages. Ideally, miscarriages are caused by an abnormal hormonal imbalance which cannot be triggered by air pressure. This means that it perfectly okay to travel via air without worry of a miscarriage. Read more about miscarriages Here.
- Deep vein thrombosis dvt – Sitting immobile for long hours at a time puts you at an increased risk of developing blood clots. Unfortunately, pregnant women are 10 times more likely to develop dvt due to an increase in progesterone. For this reason, it is recommended to limit your flight period to less than 4 hours.
How to Prepare for Travel
As pregnancy puts you at a heightened state of vulnerability, there are specific steps you can take to reduce any risk. This includes;
- Health care – Make a point to undergo a medical check-up before travelling. Getting the okay will do wonders on calming you down and will give you a less stressful time getting clearance from relevant authorities at the airport.
- Get relevant vaccines – Polio and yellow fever vaccine are recommended if you are planning to travel to countries at risk. Also, limit chances of contracting malaria before your travel to areas in the coast such as mombasa and the lakeside city, kisumu. Your doctor should be able to advise you on what medication to take.
- Stay mobile – If you are planning on travelling for long periods, mentally prepare yourself to take short walks up and down the aisle. Ignore the stares and take care of your body by drinking enough water and giving your limbs enough mobility.
Overall, the best time to travel while pregnant is during the second trimester after the worst of your morning sickness has passed, and you still have enormous amounts of energy.
Disclaimers:
#please note that development differs from one child to another.
#content intended for educational purposes only, and should not be substituted for medical advice from your doctor.
Last reviewed january 2019
Sources: Abc.net, Cdc.gov, Americanpregnancy
