Traveling while Pregnant: Top Safety Tips
Although you may have heard otherwise, there is no reason why you can’t fly during pregnancy. Flying will not harm your baby in any way. The only reasons you may not be able to fly are because A) during your first trimester morning sickness is making life rather difficult and the thought of sitting on a plane – or even on a ferry or long periods in the car for that matter – makes you feel nauseous and B) you are so close to giving birth, i.e. you’re 35 weeks or more through your pregnancy, that the airline won’t let you fly for fear of you giving birth on board. So up until the last few weeks of your pregnancy, it is your choice whether you fly to your holiday destination or not.
Although technically you can fly, there are some safety precautions you should bear in mind and some techniques you can try to make the journey more comfortable. Here are our top three suggestions.
Avoid long haul
Sitting in a confined space when you have a rather large tummy and constantly need to get up to go to the toilet is not exactly fun, however the final destination should appease you a little. But rather than putting yourself through many hours of pain, stick to short-haul destinations so you’re not on the plane for any longer than five hours.
There are plenty of sunshine destinations, including winter sun locations, that are within five-hours’ flight of the UK. Tenerife is a great choice for example. Holidays in Tenerife are available with On The Beach throughout the year. Aside from holidays in Tenerife, On The Beach covers a wide range of beach destinations including mainland Spain, the Balearics, Greece and Turkey.
Keep moving
To avoid developing deep vein thrombosis, keep your body moving as much as possible. Get up and walk around the plane every 30-45 minutes; stretch your legs and arms and rotate your ankles, wrists and neck. It’s also a good idea to buy some flight socks from your local pharmacy before flying too.
Dress appropriately
You may want to look as glamorous as Victoria Beckham when she flies from London to LA, but in reality this is just far too uncomfortable. Our bodies expand and swell when we fly, and seeing as you’re already retaining so much water, your body will really look bloated after a flight. Therefore, stick to loose, relaxed and lightweight clothing that you can layer up – your temperature may fluctuate quite significantly when you fly – and opt for comfort over style.
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