Travel During Pregnancy

Travel During Pregnancy


Contents:


Travelling While Pregnancy

Whether it is possible to travel during pregnancy period? The question therefore is what must be supplied or what to pay attention to? We have chosen seven most important questions which need to be solved, planning your holiday during pregnancy.

During What Term of Pregnancy it is Possible to Travel?

The best time for holiday for a woman in a delicate condition is the second trimester, from 14th to 26th week. It is the time, when you've already put behind toxicosis of the first trimester. And morning nausea and weakness, an aversion for smells and closeness seem a long way away, too. At the same time, your tummy isn't so big and doesn't prevent you to move yet, you feel rather easily and surely.

Doctors usually insist that distant trips need to be planned not later than during seventh month of pregnancy, because after this period there is a risk of premature labor. It is unlikely that you want to have given birth to your child in the carriage of a speeding train or in a plane chair.

Whether Health Insurance Would Help?

According to the international standards, health insurance doesn't include the cases connected with pregnancy and childbirth (though in some countries, this insurance remains in effect during 12 weeks term). Remember this and be sure to have money enough for unforeseen medical expenses.

When it is Better to Give Up a Trip?

The future trip surely should be discussed with the gynecologist. There are some serious medical contraindications which are not to be trifled with.

Amongst them:

  • Exacerbation of any chronic diseases and allergic reactions.
  • Problems with placenta formation, its low location. In this case any physical activities increase the risk of uterine bleeding even under small loads.
  • Nephropathy (gestosis, or late toxicosis).
  • Pregnancy interruption threat.

However let us hope the best and these illnesses won't concern you. So, as far as that goes, you are busy with pleasant preparations and choose where you mean to go. By the way, now it is better for you to travel together with your husband (or your mother, or a girlfriend). In that case you will feel on surer ground.

Where to Go?

Travel During Pregnancy 1

Pregnant women, of course, sometimes have their little foibles, but after all in your situation it is better not to spend your holiday in exotic countries (such as Africa, Cuba, Mexico, Asia and so forth). There is a variety of reasons for not wanting to do so. First of all, such countries are rather far, so flight will be long and tiresome. Secondly, it is absolutely other climatic zone, so there must be undesirable temperature variation and arising in connection with it acclimatization problems. At last, unfortunately, specific infectious diseases of Africa or Asia remain a treacherous factor placing your trip at risk.

It is safer and more secure to go to the countries with similar climatic conditions. Such as Croatia, France, Spain, Switzerland, the Baltic States. The lower cost alternative is the Crimea, Valdai, or Seliger, which are situated much nearer.

What to Be Engaged on Holiday in?

The most important thing is to avoid any extreme situations! Even if you have ever had a reputation of reckless girl among your friends, now it is better to prefer the least injury-causing type of rest. Therefore an extreme sport of any kind, such as windsurfing, mountaineering, scuba diving with an aqualung, mountain skiing, cycling trips are must be excluded for you now.

What then is left? So, it's not too little! You could always have a walk in a park, or you may pick berries in the forest. It is possible to go boating, or even be engaged in fishing. They say that pregnant women feel a certain special unification with the nature. Listen to your feelings, keep a charge of cheerfulness, accumulate the energy of the Sun and try to give it all to your baby.

Excellent occupation for future mother is bathing, especially, in clear sea water. Swimming is exclusively useful for support-motor apparatus, blood circulation, and cardiovascular system.

What Can't Be Done?

  • To be long on the sun. Actually, this is not recommended even for women who are not pregnant yet. And for you this requirement is vitally necessary. Long stay on the sun can cause uterine bleeding, has a negative influence on your heart and blood vessels (you may even have been attacked by fainting fits). It also could cause a varicose illness and increase pigment stains on your skin. Sunshine should be avoided from 12 to 17 o'clock, during the period of the so-called «active sun».
  • To have over-cooling. If it after all has occurred, try to be warmed as soon as possible: take a hot bath, drink more hot tea with raspberry, ginger, lemon and so forth.
  • To experiment with new foods. It is better to keep former habits in meals and not to try any new, especially, exotic dishes.

What Kind of Transport is More Preferable to Pregnant Women?

Travel During Pregnancy 2

It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously, because each kind of transport has its pluses and minuses for pregnant women.

Judge for yourself:

A Plane

Undoubtedly, it is the fastest kind of transport, but intense atmospheric pressure change occurs during taking off or landing, and it can cause constriction within blood and mucosal vessels and even provoke a premature placenta detachment (especially if there were any problems with that earlier). If after all flight is necessary to you, try not to sit in the same location all the time, walk a little about the salon, do any simple exercises for your hands and legs (at least some circular movements for hands and feet), rise on your toes, etc. , that there be no any congestion problems.

By the way, keep in mind that during tickets registration they have the right to ask you for a medical certification that your birth-pangs and labor in the next 72 hours are improbable.

A Train

The train trip is quite good option, but in that case you should think of the maximum comfort during your journey in advance. You ought to choose at least, a reserved compartment, sleeper Wagon Lit would be better, and the lower shelf is obligatory for you. Provide yourself with enough wetted napkins so you can disinfect your hands, manual means and various surroundings.

A Car

The nice thing about travelling by car is that you can stop on the way at your discretion, from time to time. It is better to do it through each 200-250 km for 5-10 min. A future mother should better sit on a back seat of the car to prevent her tummy being rested against a dash board. Reliable seat belts are an indispensable condition of your trip. But they shouldn't press on a stomach, and only support it from below. It is also useful in the way to have a cooler bag with a supply of drinking water, some fruit drink and light meals. If there is no such bag, it is possible to freeze several bottles with water (compote, or fruit drink) in advance and to take them into the car. They will surely be useful to you during travel.

Put a comfortable pillow under your back for reducing of the pressure on your backbone. In a word, pregnancy is not an occasion to give up holiday and travel yet! But everything is necessary well to think over, and then you would be able to enjoy really not only the sea, the sun and fresh air, but also your newer state of life.

How to Travel During Pregnancy

One Comment

  • Lily says:

    I’m 12 weeks pregnant, we want to go to the sea with my husband. Has anybody travelled by plane at this term? How it was?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *