Flying While Pregnant — Everything You Need To Know
Only a woman will ever truly know what it is like to create and carry life inside of themselves, and still have to continue with their daily lives. This can be challenging, and you may feel the need to take a holiday to relax before your new bundle of joy arrives. Perhaps you want to visit family overseas to enjoy this joyful time of your life with relatives.
Whatever your reason for wanting to jump on a plane, you probably have loads of questions about flying pregnant. From whether it is indeed safe to fly while pregnant or what effect flying will have on you and your unborn baby. So, can you fly while pregnant? In this article, we will address this very crucial question, and discuss the safety of flying pregnant, so that you can plan your holiday or time with far-away family members safely and wisely!
Is Flying Pregnant Safe?
The answer to this question depends on what trimester you are in. It is considered safe to fly if you are less than 36 weeks pregnant, after that, you will not be allowed to board a plane.
So if you want to know, “can you fly at 6 months pregnant?” The short answer is no. You should definitely avoid it. This is when the risks of flying while pregnant are at an all-time high! If you are carrying twins, then 32 weeks is your cut off date for flights.
Flying during your third trimester is not safe for you or baby, largely because you could pop at any moment! If you ended up in unexpected labour during your flight, you would be far away from any health care providers, endangering both yourself and your baby— something that nobody wants.
Another reason for this is that it’s important for your body to have healthy blood circulation, and let’s face it, would you want to sit for hours on end with a giant baby bump? This is not only uncomfortable but dangerous for your precious cargo.
Flying when you’re pregnant can also be very tiresome on you, and if you’re experiencing nausea or fatigue, then the plane ride will only make it worse!
When Is It Safe To Consider Flying While Pregnant?
It’s safe to fly pregnant if you are 31 weeks pregnant or less, but even then it is better to consult your gynaecologist beforehand. If you are experiencing a rather complicated pregnancy, it is better to avoid any kind of situation that could aggravate or hinder your baby’s growth.
There are also other matters to consider when travelling, such as the EMF radiation emitted from the Wi-Fi on the plane and in the airport. Although they have not been proven to cause cancer, there are a lot of people who swear that it does harm our body, and therefore our babies.
You will also want to avoid any TSA Airport Body Scanners, as even the rays emitted from this technology may have adverse effects on your baby. The risks are low, but rather safe than sorry when you are thinking about the lives of our little ones. There is an option for you to opt out of it, especially if you are sporting a bump!
All things considered, you can fly during your first and second trimesters without causing any harm to your growing little one. This is wonderful news if you are wanting to celebrate your pregnancy with family or travel with your partner whilst you can. Just keep in mind that flying when pregnant is not the most pleasurable experience!
Pregnant women fly unharmed, and sometimes it is unavoidable during the early trimesters, as you might have work to do or family members that are very persistent — either way, pregnancy and flying aren’t much of a worry before the third trimester.
How Long Is Too long To Fly Pregnant?
Some airlines will let you board a plane, even if you are over 36 weeks pregnant, so long as you have a letter from your doctor and the plane travel time is less than 4 hours long. Longer than that can be dangerous, and you are likely to be told that you cannot board the plane for a trip longer than that. It’s so important to keep active during pregnancy.
Ideally, you don’t want to be airborne for longer than maximum 5 hours, whether you are 36 weeks pregnant or 28 weeks pregnant. Flights for longer than that will be uncomfortable, and you could experience leg cramps, backaches, fatigue, and nausea — not only making for a very unpleasant trip but also potentially harmful to your beautiful baby!
If you find yourself in a situation where a long flight during your first or second trimester is a must, then it’s alright! We have some pointers on how to manage during the long hours:
- Get up and walk frequently, to keep blood circulation healthy.
- Drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
- Make sure you are sitting in a comfortable position with your back straight to keep backaches at bay.
- Eat well during your flight, but avoid any type of gassy food.
- Take a few cat naps!
- If you are going to be flying for the night, make sure that you get woken up during your sleep to take a few strolls, because sleeping in an upright position during pregnancy is not advisable, to say the least.
To Fly or not to Fly?
When you are under 32 weeks pregnant and you really want to get to that tropical beach, exotic paradise or comfortable family setting, then there is no need to deprive yourself. This is a great time for you to enjoy a relaxing “babymoon”. Book a flight and enjoy your flying!
Just make sure that your travel time is not too long, as this can cause complications not only health wise but of course, mood wise as well. You don’t want to lose your cool during your flight!
If you are currently over 36 weeks pregnant, then you will probably have to sacrifice your travelling for the next while before your little blessing arrives! We know that the home-stretch can feel like it is taking forever, but hang in there, it’s beyond worth it.