How To Stay Safe When Flying While Pregnant

If you’re pregnant and are wondering if it’s safe for you to fly, look no further.

According to experts at Parents, it is most likely safe for you to travel by plane if you’re experiencing a healthy pregnancy.

Generally speaking, most airlines allow pregnant people to fly up to 36 weeks of gestation.

 

“Pregnant women can observe the same basic precautions for air travel as the general public,” Dr. Raul Artal, a former vice chairman of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Obstetric Practice, told Parents.

That means that it’s perfectly safe to fly during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy and even well into the third trimester, as long as you’re not too close to your due date.

 

However, air travel is not recommended for pregnant people with certain health complications, like preeclampsia and premature rupture of membranes (PROM). It’s also not recommended for those who are at risk of preterm labor.

 

Here’s what you can do to feel safe and comfortable during your flight:

As long as you’re experiencing a healthy pregnancy or have been cleared to fly by a doctor, you should be ready for takeoff.

 

That being said, there are some extra steps you can take to help you feel more safe and comfortable during your flight (via WebMD).

Before you leave, make sure you pack anti-nausea medication, gas and diarrhea remedies, and prenatal vitamins in your carry-on baggage. You should also make sure you get your flu shot before you leave.

 

During your flight, it’s best helpful to avoid eating any gassy foods, like beans, or drinking any carbonated beverages if they serve food and drinks on the plane.

 

However, you should make sure you drink plenty of water and fluids throughout the flight.

In addition, it’s important to keep your seatbelt buckled as long as the fasten seatbelt sign is on. But be sure to keep it buckled below the belly.

 

When the sign is off, however, it’s a good idea to get up and stretch or walk around, as long as there’s no turbulence.