If you'd like to take a trip this summer, go on a well-deserved vacation, or hop on a plane for your next work meeting, it's no big deal. When you're pregnant and traveling, though, it gets a bit more complicated — and requires more planning.
If you're thinking of taking a "baby moon" or any car, plane, or boat travel during your pregnancy, Dr. Jan Rydfors, a Board Certified OB/GYN specializing in fertility and high-risk pregnancy, offers these tips. (If you have specific travel questions, be sure to talk to your obstetrician.)
Car Travel
Remember to wear your seat belt at all times and make sure it does not cover your pregnant belly. Try to limit the car trip to six hours per day, and remember to take frequent breaks every one to two hours to stretch and go to the restroom. This will also help to prevent blood clots in your legs. Being stuck in a car for hours might be a little uncomfortable, so bring a pillow or two with you. Finally, it is a good idea to bring some snacks and bottled water, as well as a small roll of toilet paper.
Plane Travel
Plane travel is safe during pregnancy despite some voiced concerns regarding cosmic radiation and low oxygen levels in the passenger compartment. The risk in both cases is negligible. But if you do fly, try to get an aisle seat so that you can go to the bathroom frequently and take repeated walks up and down the aisles. Wear your seat belt below your belly. If you are in your third trimester and the flight is over a few hours, you may experience significant foot swelling, so consider wearing comfortable sandals and support stockings. Finally, make sure you are aware of the airline’s pregnancy age cut off. Many use 36 weeks as the latest cut-off time, but some require an earlier time. It's always a good idea to get a note from your OB regarding your due date, since the airline might ask for it. If you have any contractions or bleeding, contact your OB before leaving.
Hydration
Remember that hydration is extra important when you’re pregnant, as more water evaporates from your skin during pregnancy, especially if you're traveling during the summer, because heat will enhance that fluid loss. Try to drink at least 10 eight-ounce glasses of fluid every day and even more on hot days.
Sun
The sun feels good, but be careful now that you are pregnant. High pregnancy hormones will increase your chances of skin discoloration that might be permanent, so remember to put on ultra-strong sun block of SPF 50 or more when you go outside. If you want to be extra careful with the sun, remember to put sun block on your skin even under your clothes, since clothes only provide a SPF block of 10 or so.
Illness
Before taking a trip, have your OB prescribe you some nausea medication and antibiotics in the event that you get sick. He or she can prescribe nausea medication such as Odansitron or the Scopolamine patch, and 1,000 mg of Azithromycin is the drug of choice in pregnancy if you get travel diarrhea. In order to avoid dehydration from the diarrhea, you can use over-the-counter Immodium that is felt to be safe to use in pregnancy. Rehydrate yourself with coconut juice, Pedialyte, and broth soups in the event of illness.
International Travel
If you are going abroad for a last hurrah before your baby comes, plan wisely to ensure a memorable trip. Make sure you use safe drinking water. Bottled carbonated water is the safest to use when unsure about the tap water. Alternatively, you can also boil your tap water for three minutes. Remember that freezing does not kill bacteria, so make sure you use ice from a safe water source. Also, don’t drink out of glasses that have been washed in unboiled water. To help prevent common travel diarrhea, avoid fresh fruits and vegetables that have not been cooked or that you have not peeled yourself. Do not eat raw or undercooked meat and fish.
Have a great trip, relax, and make some memories!
Dr. Rydfors is also the co-creator of the popular app, Pregnancy Companion: The Obstetrician's Mobile Guide to Pregnancy.
