Travel during your third trimester should typically be safe – provided it does not occur too close to your due date or you don’t experience serious pregnancy complications – though final decisions regarding whether you can fly are ultimately made by your physician.
Avoid making too many stops during this trip to avoid fatigue from supporting a growing fetus in your womb.
1. Stay Active
Pregnancy can be exhausting, so try to remain active as much as possible during your second trimester – between 14-28 weeks – for optimal travel by air. At this time, risks for miscarriage, high blood pressure and early labor are at their lowest.
Avoid long periods of sitting – this increases your risk for deep vein thrombosis during air travel, so make sure to wear compression stockings. In addition, pregnant women often experience nausea that lasts through the third trimester.
2. Eat Healthy
As long as you remain healthy and not too close to your due date, travelling during the third trimester should generally be safe – just take certain basic precautions.
Food should always come first when traveling. Pregnant women should choose high-fiber foods like kiwis, strawberries and bananas for an optimal eating experience and drink plenty of water during their journey.
Assure you have digital copies of your prenatal healthcare information if needed at a hospital in case an emergency arises; ask your ob-gyn or midwife for one.
3. Drink Plenty of Water
Most doctors recommend traveling during your third trimester unless your pregnancy has a higher-risk profile; just remember to pack plenty of snacks and water!
Some symptoms you experienced in the first trimester, like fatigue and frequent peeing, will reappear during this time. You may also begin experiencing more Braxton-Hicks contractions and heartburn.
Airlines typically permit pregnancy flights up until 36 weeks gestation; international travel must stop 28 weeks after conception. Cruise lines also often impose their own cutoff dates.
4. Take a Nap
Pregnancy is a normal part of life and should not require you to cancel travel plans if things are progressing smoothly. In fact, flying during your second trimester may actually be safer as morning sickness will likely have subsided and your belly won’t be so large.
Many airlines impose restrictions for pregnant travelers after 36 weeks and require medical certificates before you board their planes. Contact your airline before your travel plans to ascertain their specific requirements; in some instances they may require signing a waiver absolving them of liability should there be any medical emergencies while traveling with them.
5. Be Flexible
Pregnancy changes can happen at any time, making it important to remain flexible with travel plans and research the quality of medical care at your destination.
Pregnant women tend to travel best during their second trimester of gestation; morning sickness should have subsided and your belly won’t have grown too large yet.
Airlines usually allow pregnant women up until 36 weeks postpartum domestically and sometimes earlier for international flights; please check your specific airline for specific guidelines.
6. Be Street Smart
Typically, OBGYNs will give healthy pregnant women permission to travel well into their third trimester without incurring complications; however, most airlines do not permit women who have passed 36 weeks gestation to fly, while cruise ships often set cutoff points at 28 or 35 weeks gestation.
Pregnant travelers typically feel their best during their second trimester – fatigue and nausea tend to dissipate at this time. But things could change quickly at any stage during gestation.
7. Say Yes
In your third trimester – months 7-9 of your pregnancy – things begin to become very real. Your body feels the strain as your unborn baby makes room for themselves; heartburn and breathlessness could occur as organs start being squeezed by this newcomer.
Now is also an ideal time to visit hospitals and begin crafting your birth plan, not forgetting to plan a final-minute friends night (with cocktails!) or weekend road trip before becoming pregnant.
8. Be Kind to Strangers
As you travel for business or pleasure, it is always essential to show kindness towards strangers. After all, you never know who might need assistance during a trying situation or may need some kind of support themselves.
When flying during your third trimester, be aware that most airlines restrict how far along a pregnant woman may travel (cut-off dates differ between carriers and domestic/international flights). Furthermore, some airlines require a doctor’s note in order to board; so make sure you bring one along!
9. Live Like a Local
Pregnancy is not an illness and, provided everything remains healthy, traveling can continue through to your third trimester if desired. Some types of travel become inadvisable or forbidden once entering into the final phase.
Ferries and cruise ships typically allow pregnant women to travel up until the end of their third trimester, with most airlines permitting up to 36 weeks for single pregnancy or 32 for twin gestations, depending on length of flight and other restrictions – though restrictions can become more stringent for international travelers.
10. Don’t Worry
As expectant mothers near the end of their pregnancies, many experience an array of emotions ranging from excitement, impatience, nervousness or fear – it’s finally time for your little one to arrive! It is all coming together beautifully!
Morning sickness should have dissipated by now, yet some women continue to experience it. Nausea can be caused by smells, lack of sleep or stress.
Many airlines impose restrictions on how late in pregnancy a pregnant passenger can travel; check with your airline and secure a medical certificate before flying; typically up until approximately the 37th week is acceptable for travel.