Can pregnant women travel without restrictions

Can​ ​pregnant​ ​women​ ​travel without​ ​restrictions?

At​ ​first,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​problem​ ​with​ ​air​ ​travel​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​and​ ​second​ ​trimesters of​ ​gestation​ ​(up​ ​to​ ​27​ ​weeks),​ ​as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​you​ ​have​ ​no​ ​medical​ ​complications like​ ​vaginal​ ​bleeding,​ ​diabetes,​ ​high​ ​blood​ ​pressure,​ ​or​ ​have​ ​not​ ​had​ ​a preterm​ ​birth​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​-​ ​in​ ​these​ ​cases​ ​,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​advisable​ ​to​ ​wait​ ​for​ ​a​ ​green light​ ​from​ ​the​ ​obstetrician.

Talk​ ​to​ ​the​ ​doctor​ ​too​ ​if​ ​you​ ​go​ ​abroad​ ​because​ ​it​ ​can​ ​give​ ​you​ ​some​ ​more specific​ ​guidance.

Between​ ​28​ ​and​ ​36​ ​weeks,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​usually​ ​possible​ ​to​ ​travel​ ​by​ ​plane,​ ​but​ ​some airlines​ ​have​ ​restrictions​ ​because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​premature​ ​birth.​ ​Not​ ​that anyone​ ​would​ ​ask​ ​if​ ​you​ ​are​ ​pregnant​​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​selling​ ​the​ ​ticket, but​ ​you​ ​might​ ​be​ ​questioned​ ​right​ ​at​ ​the​ ​boarding​ ​gate​ ​and​ ​having​ ​to undergo​ ​a​ ​last​ ​minute​ ​chill.

So​ ​first​ ​check​ ​the​ ​policy​ ​of​ ​the​ ​company​ ​in​ ​which​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​fly​ ​and,​ ​if necessary,​ ​ask​ ​for​ ​a​ ​doctor's​ ​certificate.​ ​Know,​ ​however,​ ​that​ ​in​ ​some​ ​cases,

at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​pregnancy,​ ​from​ ​36​ ​weeks,​ ​the​ ​flight​ ​can​ ​only​ ​be​ ​allowed​ ​with the​ ​presence​ ​of​ ​the​ ​doctor​ ​himself​ ​with​ ​the​ ​passenger​ ​on​ ​the​ ​plane.

Do​ ​not​ ​forget​ ​to​ ​take​ ​into​ ​account​ ​how​ ​many​ ​weeks​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​time​ ​to​ ​go home.​ ​In​ ​addition,​ ​pregnant​ ​women​ ​should​ ​not​ ​fly​ ​in​ ​small​ ​aircraft​ ​that​ ​do not​ ​have​ ​pressurized​ ​cabins.

Business​ ​constraints​ ​should​ ​not​ ​be​ ​the​ ​only​ ​factors​ ​to​ ​think​ ​about.

Remember​ ​that​ ​under​ ​normal​ ​conditions​ ​it​ ​does​ ​not​ ​take​ ​long​ ​for​ ​anyone​ ​to feel​ ​extremely​ ​uncomfortable​ ​in​ ​the​ ​seat​ ​of​ ​an​ ​airplane.​ ​Now​ ​imagine​ ​how​ ​it will​ ​be​ ​with​ ​you​ ​of​ ​belly​ ​and​ ​having​ ​to​ ​get​ ​up​ ​at​ ​all​ ​times​ ​to​ ​pee.

Also​ ​be​ ​realistic​ ​about​ ​the​ ​possibility​ ​of​ ​a​ ​medical​ ​emergency​ ​away​ ​from home.​ ​Is​ ​it​ ​worth​ ​risking​ ​having​ ​contractions​ ​early​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​a​ ​safari in​ ​the​ ​African​ ​savannah​ ​or​ ​in​ ​the​ ​heart​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Amazon​ ​jungle?​ ​Whenever possible,​ ​try​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​trips​ ​to​ ​places​ ​where​ ​emergency​ ​services​ ​are​ ​not nearby.

Air​ ​travel​ ​during​ ​pregnancy​ ​slightly​ ​increases​ ​the​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​thrombosis​ ​and developing​ ​varicose​ ​veins​ ​.​ ​Talk​ ​to​ ​your​ ​doctor​ ​about​ ​using​ ​elastic​ ​stockings with​ ​some​ ​level​ ​of​ ​compression​ ​to​ ​aid​ ​circulation​ ​and​ ​relieve​ ​swelling​ ​of​ ​the veins​ ​during​ ​the​ ​flight.

In​ ​cases​ ​of​ ​very​ ​long​ ​journeys,​ ​a​ ​medicine​ ​can​ ​be​ ​given​ ​for​ ​circulation​ ​in certain​ ​circumstances.

What​ ​you​ ​can​ ​do​ ​on​ ​your​ ​own​ ​is​ ​to​ ​drink​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​water​ ​throughout​ ​the flight,​ ​get​ ​up​ ​to​ ​walk​ ​around​ ​the​ ​cabin​ ​a​ ​little​ ​at​ ​a​ ​time,​ ​and​ ​change​ ​the position​ ​of​ ​your​ ​legs​ ​often.

You​ ​may​ ​have​ ​even​ ​heard​ ​that​ ​exposure​ ​to​ ​natural​ ​radiation​ ​during​ ​plane travel​ ​can​ ​raise​ ​the​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​miscarriage​ ​or​ ​the​ ​baby​ ​being​ ​born​ ​with abnormalities.​ ​The​ ​reality,​ ​according​ ​to​ ​doctors,​ ​is​ ​that​ ​people​ ​who​ ​travel on​ ​business​ ​often​ ​have​ ​a​ ​small​ ​additional​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​having​ ​one​ ​of​ ​two problems,​ ​but​ ​this​ ​risk​ ​is​ ​negligible​ ​for​ ​women​ ​who​ ​fly​ ​a​ ​few​ ​times​ ​a​ ​year.

In​ ​the​ ​case​ ​of​ ​aircrews,​ ​according​ ​to​ ​the​ ​rules​ ​of​ ​the​ ​National​ ​Civil​ ​Aviation Agency​ ​(ANAC),​ ​flight​ ​attendants​ ​may​ ​not​ ​work​ ​on​ ​flights​ ​during​ ​their entire​ ​pregnancy​ ​and​ ​must​ ​be​ ​transferred​ ​to​ ​administrative​ ​functions​ ​on the​ ​ground​ ​until​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gestation.