Pregnant women need to plan their holidays and air travel with some extra care. The gynecologist would be the first person to contact to see if any special arrangements need to be made and if there are any medical reasons why it is unsafe to fly. Some women experience abnormal bleeding and an increase in their blood pressure, in which case the doctor would normally suggest that flying should be avoided and in particular if any swelling has been experienced.

Whilst it is almost universally accepted that it is safe for expectant mothers to fly up until the thirty sixth week of pregnancy, it is best to check this detail with the airline involved. Some airlines will actually ask a pregnant woman if they have a certificate of pregnancy which is usually advisable after twenty four weeks.

Pregnant women should check in early, as they can request a bulkhead seat, which may have more leg room, depending on the airline, or ask for an aisle seat so that it is easier to get in and out. If an expectant mother is flying to the continents of Asia or Africa she should seek advice on vaccinations for hepatitis A, B and typhoid before traveling.

Traveling to areas where there is a risk of contracting malaria is not recommended while pregnant. Residents of Australia for instance are advised to be up to date with their inoculations but if they are under six years of age then the hepatitis A and typhoid vaccinations are not advised.

To be on the safe side it is advisable to check with a medical professional before any travel is arranged when a woman is pregnant. A simple way to avoid getting hepatitis A and typhoid is to avoid drinking water that has not come from a sealed bottle and ice where tap water has been used.

This advice extends to not eating raw vegetables or fruits with the exception of those thick skinned varieties like bananas and mandarins but even then, carefully sterilize your hands with an antibacterial hand wash before you eat. A handy travel accessory is the small 60ml gel bottles of antibacterial hand wash that dries almost immediately on contact with the air but does mean that special washing facilities aren’t required before eating.

Air travel also increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis which is statistically more likely in pregnant women so to guard against this it is recommended that expectant women wear the special flight socks or tight that are now available. While in flight do the recommended exercises described in the in-flight magazine and to walk around the plane regularly when the seatbelt signs are off.

Most travel insurance covers women up until 26 weeks of pregnancy, though this excludes childbirth or the health of a newborn child and although you can still buy standard travel insurance after this point but it doesn’t cover anything related to the pregnancy.

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