A standard pregnancy occurs over the course of 40 weeks, and if you’re like most people, you don’t expect to stay in the same city for all 40 of those weeks.
You can certainly live your life and travel during your pregnancy, but you also want to be mindful about traveling away from home or out of state while you’re pregnant so that you don’t put yourself or your unborn baby at risk of certain issues. In today’s blog, we share some tips for how you can safely travel while pregnant.
When Can I Travel During Pregnancy?
You can travel during the early and middle stages of your pregnancy as you see fit. Oftentimes the first trimester is a little harder on the mother than the second trimester, so many women find that it is easier to travel between 14 and 28 weeks of their pregnancy. At this point, your energy levels have likely returned and morning sickness tends to be less of an issue, but each person is different. Oftentimes you can travel up to the 36th week of your pregnancy, but that will be determined on an individual basis. If you have experienced certain complications or are considered a high-risk pregnancy, travel restrictions will likely be put in place before 36 weeks.
If you are going to be traveling an extended distance by vehicle or flying in an airplane, it’s a good idea to let your women’s care provider know about your trip in advance. They’ll make sure that travel is safe for your situation and provide you with some tips to ensure that your travel situation is as comfortable as possible. Some travel tips include:
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Get up and move frequently
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Stay hydrated
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Limit caffeine intake
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Keep your seat belt fastened
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Bring a copy of your medical records
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Dress in comfortable, loose fitting clothing
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Know what medications are safe to take while pregnant
As to the last point, we don’t expect you to know whether or not every single medication is or isn’t safe to take while pregnant, but it is worth planning ahead and being ready for common situations that you may encounter during your travels. For example, if you get carsick or seasick, make sure that you talk with your women’s care provider about nausea medication that is safe to take while pregnant. If you are traveling to a location where the local foods may send shockwaves through your gastrointestinal system, make sure you talk with your provider about diarrhea medication or digestive aids that are safe to take while pregnant. Do not take any medications unless they have specifically been approved to take while pregnant.
Finally, you’ll want to talk with your women’s care provider if you are planning on traveling out of the country, as travel to areas where malaria is a potential issue is not advised while pregnant due to the complications it can cause for mother and child. Pregnant women who contract malaria are at a heightened risk for miscarriage, preterm labor and stillbirth, so travel to these regions is not recommended at any point while pregnant.
You can still travel and enjoy your life while pregnant, but nobody wants to run into problems when they are hundreds of miles away from their doctor (or network of providers). If you plan to travel across the state or the country, let your provider know so that they can make sure everything looks good and give you the green light to travel. If you’re wondering if travel is safe, or you just want to ensure that you don’t run into any issues during a trip you have planned, let our team help. Give the team at MetroPartners OBGYN a call today at (651) 770-3320.