Traveling while pregnant

According to the recommendations of ACOG(The American College of Obstetricians and Gyneacologists), travel during pregnancy for most women is safe until the 36th week of pregnancy. After this time, many airlines do not agree to take a pregnant woman on board a plane. After 28. A week of pregnancy, some of the lines require a certificate from a doctor confirming that the pregnancy is progressing without complications and specifying the exact week of pregnancy. It is worth checking the requirements of a particular carrier before flying.

When is traveling during pregnancy not advisable?

If the pregnancy proceeds physiologically and the baby develops properly, there are no contraindications to the trip. However, travel is not recommended when the pregnancy is complicated. The conditions may worsen during the flight, and the woman may require urgent medical attention. Traveling during a multifetal pregnancy is also discouraged, due to the fact that it is considered a high-risk pregnancy. When a woman is at risk of preterm labor or pre-eclampsia, she should also refrain from traveling out of the country. This recommendation also applies to pregnant women with placenta pre via or cervical insufficiency.

Which trimester is the best time to travel?

The best choice is to go between 14. a 28. week of pregnancy. A pregnant woman usually feels best then and does not have bothersome discomforts such as swelling or morning nausea. According to observations to date, most complications during airplane flights occur in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. These include vomiting, complaints of pain, and uterine contractions. It is also important to remember that in the third trimester there is a risk of preterm labor.

Risk of venous thrombosis in the lower extremities

Pregnancy time is a period of increased risk of venous thromboembolism. Combined with prolonged flight and staying in one position, this risk increases dramatically. A good solution is to wear airy pants and comfortable shoes for a plane ride or a long trip. Sometimes it is also necessary to wear special stockings and prophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin before a long trip (lasting more than 4 hours). Prophylaxis is recommended when the flight lasts longer than 4 hours. Pregnant women are advised to get up and walk around the deck every hour. It is also worth remembering to hydrate properly. When traveling by car, pay attention to frequent stops and changing positions to reduce the risk of thrombosis.

Bus travel during pregnancy

If you plan to travel by bus through Europe during your pregnancy, you should rather postpone those plans until after the baby is born. Sitting and staying in one position for long periods of time is not good for a pregnant woman. This is because there is a high risk of the aforementioned venous thromboembolism. Often the coaches are also not suitable for a pregnant woman. A non-working toilet, broken air conditioning and little room to stretch your legs do not make for a comfortable and convenient trip for moms-to-be.

Is exotic travel advisable during pregnancy?

If Parents plan to secure cord blood and cord cord should be aware that some directions may limit their ability to secure the material or require additional testing. On the other hand, on strictly health issues- long and distant travel is not recommended, due to the risk of thrombosis. The geographic region we go to also matters a lot. Always keep in mind the possible infectious diseases present in the area. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) advises against travel to countries where there is a risk of Zika virus infection. This infection leads to serious birth defects in the fetus. Countries at high risk of contracting the virus are those in South and Central America and those in the Pacific region. It is also important to remember that preventive vaccinations are required and recommended before traveling to some exotic countries. Some of them can be used safely in pregnant women, but there are also some that pregnant women should avoid. The risk of the hepatitis A vaccine to the fetus, for example, is described as low, and it is a recommended vaccination for women traveling to hepatitis A endemic areas.

In turn, travel to countries with diseases for which vaccines contain live viruses should be avoided. Routine vaccination for polio and typhoid fever is not recommended for pregnant women. Yellow fever (yellow fever) vaccine contains live attenuated viruses, so it is not recommended for pregnant women. However, it is required when traveling to African and South American countries. It is therefore administered only when travel to areas endemic to this disease is actually necessary. It is worth noting that pregnant women may react less well to some vaccinations.

It is best to choose countries with moderate climates and good medical care. A trip to tropical countries is not forbidden, but it should be borne in mind that during pregnancy, high air temperature is poorly tolerated by some women, and swelling of the body, for example, makes intensive sightseeing difficult. Overheating can also lead to dehydration, which is dangerous for both the mom-to-be and the baby. UV radiation is also a cause of skin discoloration in pregnant women. So the mom-to-be should not part with a bottle of water, a head covering and sunscreen during the hot weather.

Any trip abroad is best reported and discussed with your gynecologist well in advance. He will instruct on any necessary vaccinations and prepare the certificate required by the airline. In addition, it is also advisable for a doctor to examine the development of the pregnancy before the planned trip. You should also always carry your pregnancy card and current test results with you when you go.

Bibliography:

• Clinical situations in obstetrics. G. Bręborowicz PZWL, 2017
• Travel During Pregnancy, ACOG,
• Primary prophylaxis of the MP’s CCD, 2019
• What We Know About Zika and Pregnancy
• “Do pregnant women have a higher risk for venous thromboembolism following air travel?” Morteza Izadi, Mohammad Javad Alemzadeh-Ansari, Davood Kazemisaleh, Maryam Moshkani-Farahani and Akbar Shafiee, 2015