Travelling while pregnant is generally fine if there are no apparent concerns with your pregnancy. However, it is important that a few considerations are made to avoid potential complications
We have put together the following list to make travelling while pregnant more comfortable with less hassle.
Tips for travelling while pregnant:
We recommend travelling during your second trimester as morning sickness is generally gone at this stage, along with the first-trimester fatigue.
Avoid going to countries with poor medical facilities while you are pregnant.
Pregnant women should not receive live vaccines such as yellow fever and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). We recommend avoiding countries with a high prevalence of these diseases.
We recommend against travelling while pregnant to areas with outbreaks of Zika virus.
During pregnancy, it is unsafe to receive prescriptions for some antibiotic and antimalarial medication, so we recommend that you avoid travelling to places with a high prevalence of malaria.
Contact your travel insurance provider and ensure you have adequate cover.
To avoid any last minute inconveniences, call your airline or travel agent and make sure you are allowed to fly.
Pregnancy increases your risk for deep venous thrombosis. You can decrease your risk by wearing compression stockings, drinking plenty of water to keep hydrated and doing inflight exercises.
It is important you buckle up each time you ride in a car. For the best protection, use both the lap and shoulder belts.
We recommend that you keep travel time to around 6 hours or less to minimise stress on your body. It is best to avoid air travel if you are 35 or more weeks pregnant.
Take all necessary vaccinations to keep you and your child protected.
While on buses, due to their narrow aisles, it’s essential to remain seated while travelling. If you must use the onboard restroom, ensure you hold on to the rail or seats to keep your balance. Use rest stops to do small stretches to help keep blood circulating.
See your doctor before you make travels plan to ensure that you can travel.
If you would like any advice for travelling while pregnant, please book an appointment to see one of our travel doctors. Call us on 03 9741 1200 or book online.