Safe Traveling During Your Pregnancy

With proper planning and advice, travel during pregnancy is not a problem. To ensure that you and your baby remain healthy during travel, you need to consider the stage of your pregnancy, your current physical condition, and any restrictions or problems you and your doctor have discussed.
Also, talk to your doctor about visits or tests you need to schedule, so that you are not away during the time these are to take place. These can include Rh immunoglobulin injections (for Rh negative blood types), ultrasounds, glucose screening tests and regular prenatal, physician visits.
So, you've performed the above, your doctor says you can go, you need to compile a list of phone numbers and contacts to bring with you. Using this list other travelers or health care professionals can be guided should you encounter any pregnancy related health problems.
Included in the list should be the following: %u2022 Personal information, your medications, insurance details and blood type. List also what immunizations you have had, when your last prenatal visit occurred, your due date and any allergies you have %u2022 Names and telephone numbers for a family emergency contact %u2022 Name and telephone number of your doctor %u2022 Name and telephone number of the doctor you can use whilst traveling should you encounter any problems during your pregnancy
Take adequate pregnancy vitamins, medications (prescription or otherwise) so you are covered for the duration of your trip. Make certain that your health insurance policy covers pregnancy, delivery and other complications during travel and be sure to double check any restrictions that may apply to travel in foreign countries.
Check the availability of travel insurance on your airline, or other carrier, to be sure that you are covered if you have to miss part of, or your entire, trip because of pregnancy related health problems or if you incur emergency expenses during your trip. Ask if this insurance covers complications from pregnancy and emergency transport. Carry a cell phone, especially if you're traveling alone, and be sure that your cell phone will function in any foreign country to which you may be traveling.
You can plan normal activities while you are traveling, but understand that you are likely to get tired more quickly when you are pregnant, so plan for extra rest during each travel day. Take advantage of the facilities and relax on the beach, get room service or watch a pay per view movie in your room. Eating healthy is important, and your schedule is likely to be different on the road, so take nuts, dry fruit, and cheese and crackers with you. Drink plenty of water and avoid dehydration, especially if you are flying to your destination.
Toileting is an important factor to consider. Pregnancy usually necessitates frequent bathroom visits. Try to plan trips and activities that are close to bathrooms. Build these bathroom visits into your schedule so you have time to get from A to B. Plane travel means long periods of sitting so feet and legs will probably swell. Try to elevate your feet if possible and wear really comfortable, stretchy shoes and socks. Grab every opportunity to get up and walk around and use any pit stops to get some exercise in.
If you are traveling to a foreign country, you and your doctor will have to consider any vaccines you will require to determine whether they are safe to administer during pregnancy. Varicella for measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox is a live vaccine and should be avoided. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report no fetal damage from live vaccines, but they admit that their information is limited, so these vaccines should still be considered risky. Pregnant women at risk from getting Hepatitis B, tetanus and Hepatitis A should be vaccinated as these vaccines are considered safe.
In many developing countries local healthcare and the quality of available food and water are questionable. When pregnant you should try to avoid traveling to such regions. If you are traveling to a hot, humid destination, avoid yeast infections by wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, and cotton underwear. Wet swimming suits should be removed as soon as possible and it might be an idea to suggest bringing some anti-fungal cream to your doctor.
Avoid risky activities, especially late in pregnancy: snow skiing, water skiing, surfing, horseback riding, parasailing, scuba diving, water slides and some more extreme amusement park rides. You don't want your body temperature elevated when pregnant so give hot tubs and saunas a wide berth. You can walk and hike at low altitudes, swim in calm waters (not in heavy surf or rapids), ride a stationary or regular bike, exercise in the hotel gym (if you have been used to exercising before and during your pregnancy) and jog if you jogged before pregnancy. Always discuss your plans for exercise with your doctor first.
Be smart! Don't be afraid to take a rest if you feel you are overdoing it and feel dizzy, tired or overheated. Travel, especially to other time zones, can throw your eating schedule off and cause more problems with bloating, and indigestion. Eat little and often. Don't eat close to bedtime (allow 2-3 hours to digest your food). Prop yourself up on pillows in bed. Avoid alcohol, carbonated beverages, caffeine, chocolate, acidic foods (citrus fruits, tomatoes, and vinegar), and spicy foods. Keeping active will help keep things moving in your digestive region and fill up on high fiber foods to alleviate constipation etc.
Avoid motion sickness by sitting in the front seat of the car and keeping the window open to get plenty of fresh air. In an airplane, sit over the wing, and on a boat, try to stay on the deck and focus on the horizon. You can try wearing a specially designed wristband to deliver mild electrical current to a nerve at an acupuncture point on the underside of your wrist. Studies show that this device helps some pregnant women with morning sickness and motion sickness.
Avoid motion sickness by sitting in the front seat of the car and keeping the window open to get plenty of fresh air. If traveling on a ship try to stay on deck focusing on the horizon and sit over the wing on an airplane. You can try wearing a specially designed wristband to deliver mild electrical current to a nerve at an acupuncture point on the underside of your wrist. Motion sickness and pregnancy morning sickness can be alleviated by these devices.

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