Women’s Health
If you are pregnant and a trip comes up, it is normal to get worried about the effects and potential risks of travel on your unborn baby. The questions that generally crop up in the mind are:
• Is it safe to travel? At this time of pregnancy?• What is the best mode of travel?
• What precautions should I take?
• Is my travel destination safe for the pregnancy?
• How to prepare and what to pack?
• Any special precautions or preparation for foreign travel?
When Is It Safe to Travel?
A pregnant woman can safely travel at any time during the period of pregnancy if the pregnancy is normal. Exceptions, however, are the cases of abnormal pregnancy such as multiple conception and possibility of premature delivery.
All the same, if you can choose, the safest period is the second trimester (the phase between 12 to 24 weeks). This is because of the absence of morning sickness and the early risks of miscarriage associated with the first trimester, and fatigue, high blood pressure or premature labour problems normally linked with the last trimester.
Modes of Travel and Precautions En Route
Land travel
There is no restriction for a pregnant woman when it comes to mode of ravel. You can travel by train, car or bus. However, you must take some precautions. Use this article for a quick reference before taking up a travel…
• If travelling by car, fasten your seatbelt properly and rule out any problem with the air bag.
• If travelling by rail, be extra careful while using the toilet in a moving train. Hold the handrails and handles to prevent falling.
• While travelling by bus, keep confined to your seat as far as possible when the bus is in motion. If you have to stand or move clutch the bars or the seatbacks for support.
• Do not travel continuously for a very long time. Limit your journey to a maximum of six hours at a stretch.
• Take small breaks to get out of the car. Take little walks and, stretch arms and legs to facilitate better blood circulation. If inside a train or a bus, do these at suitable halts.
Air Travel
Though it’s safe, airlines often do not permit travel during the ninth month unless endorsed by a physician. Whatever stage of pregnancy you may be at, following precautions should be taken:
• Choose larger aircrafts with pressurised cabins.
• If travelling by a smaller plane, make sure it does not go over an altitude of 7000 feet.
• Choose an aisle seat to ensure better movements.
• Hold the seatbacks to take support, especially when visiting the toilet/rest room.
• Do not leave your seat during air turbulences.
Sea Travel
Except for the probability of morning sickness, travel by ships is safe. But make sure that proper medical facilities and relevant medications are available on board and at all the listed ports-of-call.
Checklist of Travel Do’s and Don’ts
• Ask your doctor if you are fit to travel.
• Carry all your medical records with you – including details of your blood group, drug allergy information and pregnancy reports.
• If planning to travel by air during last trimester carry a certificate from your doctor permitting you to travel.
• Though occasional exposure to solar radiations does not harm pregnant women, rule out any solar radiation storm alert before undertaking a journey.
• Carry all relevant medications with you.
• Ensure availability of proper medical facilities at your destination place.
• Dress in comfortable clothes and shoes for the journey.
Travelling Abroad?
If travelling abroad, include the following points in your checklist:
• Carry your valid health insurance. Ensure that the baby is also insured/covered appropriately.
• Get yourself properly immunised.
• Check for any health warnings and get all the relevant information on precaution, protection and treatment of high risk health problems of the destination country.
• Guard against diarrhoea and gastro-enteritis, the two most common ailments associated with overseas travel. Drink only safe/bottled/boiled water (or canned juices/soda) and pasteurised milk. Avoid raw food/fruit/vegetable. Eat only well-cooked foods and fruits that can be peeled, such as orange and bananas.
Forbidden Destinations
Avoid the following types of destinations during pregnancy:
• High altitude places.
• Areas where administration of live-virus vaccines are mandatory.
• Places affected by serious food/insect-borne infections.
• Regions infested by chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria.
….and you are all set to take your baby for a pre birth tour.
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