Flying
while pregnant. Whether you have a
one-time trip for personal reasons or are a routine business traveler, this
topic generates numerous questions. I
traveled by air throughout my first pregnancy up till 33 weeks . . . through my
own experiences and information I gathered elsewhere, below are some helpful
tips and tidbits to answer some of your questions.
(Disclaimer - this is not medical advice by
any means, just my own experiences and thoughts. You should check with your healthcare
provider to make sure it is safe for you fly, the recommendations differ if you
are a higher-risk pregnancy or depending on your medical history).
Have
a question not included below? Feel free
to submit and I’ll share any experiences or recommendations I have.
Traveling
while pregnant . . . you CAN do it.
Here’s how.
- · Hydration. We all know how difficult it can be to stay hydrated during air travel when you are not pregnant. However, this is an area which is extra important in pregnancy. Take an extra 1L bottle of water (or two) on the plane with you.
- · Choose an aisle seat whenever possible. I am a window-girl 99% of the time . . . but when you have to get up multiple times during the flight to use the restroom, this is best for both you and your row-mates.
- · For those longer flights, get up and walk around periodically when you can. Take your time when you walk to the restroom to have more time to stretch your legs.
- · Check your carry-on as you get farther into you pregnancy. As much as you don’t want to. In today’s controversial airline world, we all know everyone carries on as much as they physically can. I do the same. But when you start to get into your second and third trimester . . . hiking that heavy suitcase up above your head is probably not so good for you. And there is not always someone willing or able to help you do it (unfortunately often the case). My exception would be for regional jets where you gate-check your bags and then pick them up right when you get off the plane . . . that is still easy to do.
- · Wear your comfy clothes. The farther I got into my pregnancy, the more I abided by this. It is much more comfortable to fly in your velour/track pants and running shoes and then change into your work clothes after you deplane. This especially holds true for those longer flights.
- · Will you be traveling for work frequently . . . like weekly? Apply for TSA Pre✓™ if you don’t already have it . . . it is a lifesaver especially as you get farther into pregnancy. I didn’t have this with my 1st pregnancy . . . I’m glad then I had no idea what I was missing because it makes life SO much easier.
- · The various TSA screening methods are really up to you and your preference. You can go through the regular screening and body scan or request to opt-out and have the detector and/or a pat down. I tended to opt-out of the full body-scan during the first trimester but went through the regular screening most of the other times. If you do TSA Pre✓™ you usually go through the traditional detectors rather than the full body-scan.
·
Web Resources (not comprehensive or specifically recommended) –
o
TSA
o
WebMD
My
final tip . . . be nice to those preggo traveler mamas, it’s hard work!
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