Pregnancy is a very important period in a woman’s life. At this time, you need to protect yourself as much as possible, be in a comfortable environment and avoid overwork. However, the rhythm of modern life does not always allow you to follow these recommendations. Work often forces the expectant mother to remain an active participant in society until the very birth. This review will discuss whether it is possible to fly an airplane during pregnancy.
Flight during pregnancy: is it dangerous?
All over the world, doctors do not advise flying on a plane during pregnancy. The body experiences great stress during the flight due to changes in pressure and many other factors. For the health of the future mother and child, traveling by plane can pose several dangers at once.
Pregnant women feel even slight pressure drops. Flying after 7 months is not recommended. It is not known how the body will react to a sharp change in conditions. And premature birth will not be the worst outcome. The problem is that the doctor, drugs and necessary equipment may not be on board at the right time. If it is necessary to fly, then before the flight it is necessary to undergo ultrasound. It will also be useful to ask at the doctor’s appointment to measure the cervix. If the doctor finds these indicators unsatisfactory, you will have to refuse the flight.
Lack of oxygen
The level of carbon dioxide in the cabin during the flight is very strong. For a healthy person, this condition is not particularly dangerous. However, in pregnant women this phenomenon can cause certain unrest. Cases of oxygen starvation of the baby immediately come to mind. In fact, everything is not so scary. If you believe the latest medical research, in a healthy woman with a normal pregnancy, low oxygen levels will not cause any negative consequences. Moreover, neither the expectant mother, nor the child will at all notice a change in conditions. This is due to the fact that for a short flight time, the gas composition of the pregnant blood remains almost unchanged.
Blood stasis and venous disease
Perhaps the greatest danger posed by a flight during pregnancy is the formation of blood clots. The first question that the future mother should ask herself is whether she is ready to take such a risk. According to statistics, pregnant women who endure this period in a comfortable environment are 5 times more likely to suffer from venous diseases than girls in their usual position. Thus, the state of gestation in itself already increases the risk of a painful condition.
General recommendations
If you still have to make a flight on an airplane during pregnancy, you can avoid unpleasant consequences using a few simple recommendations:
- If possible, try not to buy a ticket to economy class. It’s better to pay extra, but to make a flight with comfort. Hard seats and a short distance between the seats can cause thrombosis.
- To make it easier to carry over during pregnancy, wear compression stockings.
- Try to drink more often. It is better to use plain water for this purpose.
- Drinking caffeinated beverages should be reduced to a minimum.
- During the flight, try to get up every hour and do a little workout.
Radiation on board
Some believe that information about radiation in an airplane is not true. In fact, due to the fact that the aircraft during the flight is in an area with a small protective layer of the atmosphere, it can be attributed to objects with high radioactivity. However, if during pregnancy a woman made a flight no more than three times, it is not worth worrying about this. This will not cause the fetus much harm. The level of exposure will be minimal. If you believe the research, a person receives a radiation dose over 7 hours of flight, half as much as during an X-ray.
What week can I plan my air travel?
Many are interested in how long you can fly during pregnancy. It is impossible to unequivocally answer this question. If you still need to fly by plane during pregnancy, you should be especially careful about timing. The safest in this regard is the period from 14 to 28 weeks.
Flights during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester will not harm either the mother or the baby. It is at this time that the condition of the fetus is stable. First trimester travel can be complicated by toxicosis. Flying in the early stages is also unsafe because during this period the child’s skeleton and internal organs are formed. Excessive load on the body during this period of time can lead to a malfunction in these processes. In the most unfavorable circumstances, a flight during this period of time can lead to fetal freezing or miscarriage.
What else could be dangerous flights during pregnancy? 3rd trimester is not considered the safest period in this regard. It is characterized by a high risk of placental abruption and premature birth. In the later stages, a woman may also feel some discomfort during the flight. It is associated with frequent urination and large abdomen.
Before flying, a woman must consult with her doctor without fail. Only he can adequately assess the condition of the fetus and the pregnant woman.
WHO recommendations
Before flying, it is best to listen to the advice of professionals. The World Health Organization has made certain recommendations regarding flights during pregnancy.
According to them, you can’t fly:
- after the 36th week;
- with multiple pregnancy with the onset of the third trimester;
- if there are complications;
- during anemia;
- with preeclampsia.
Flight during pregnancy in the 1st trimester can lead to miscarriage. Many airlines today require a certificate from a pregnant woman certified by a doctor no later than a week before the flight. In the document, the gynecologist must confirm in writing that the flight does not constitute a danger to the expectant mother and child. You should also take an exchange card with you when traveling. Representatives of the airline may also ask you to sign a paper indicating that the organization does not take responsibility for the course of pregnancy while on board and the health of the child and woman.
How to transfer flight in position well?
Long flights during pregnancy are far from the best way to travel. It will be ideal to choose a different type of movement. If flight during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester cannot be ruled out, then you need to know some rules. Adhering to them, you can make the trip as comfortable as possible.
The main ones are:
- Tickets are better to buy in business class. It has more spacious seats with the ability to adjust the back, so that you can easily snooze and relax during the flight.
- Choose a place near the aisle. There is better air circulation, and if necessary, you can walk around the cabin.
- For flight, choose clothes made from natural fabrics. As for the style, it is preferable to use loose-fitting clothing.
- It’s better to take some pillows with you to the salon. With their help, you can easily get in the chair.
- Try to drink more fluids without dyes and gas. Plain water is best.
- From time to time it is advisable to take a short walk around the cabin.
- Take drops of seawater with you on the plane and wash your nose periodically. This will help to facilitate breathing, so that oxygen enters the body in full.
Truth or fiction?
Many expectant mothers are interested in whether it is permissible to make long flights during pregnancy. Gynecologists usually give an ambiguous answer to this question. When conducting medical research, no negative effects of flights on the fetus were detected. It should be borne in mind that the decisive role in this matter will be played by the individual characteristics of the organism.
When it comes to whether flights are dangerous during pregnancy, many immediately start thinking about the risk of losing a baby. It is widely believed that the use of air transport during an interesting position of a woman can lead to miscarriages or deviations in the development of the baby. Many also indicate that there is no possibility of providing qualified medical care on the plane. So in the event of an unforeseen situation, there is a risk of death for the child or mother.
It is also worth remembering that the flight may end in an explosion, accident, terrorist attack and other unforeseen events. In the event of premature birth in a foreign country, problems with the recognition of citizenship may begin. You can list many more such horror stories that relate to air travel. Any kind of transport, whether it is a train, bus or car, is fraught with danger. Pregnancy is a normal condition in a woman’s life. And absolutely any factor can cause a miscarriage. Let us consider in more detail each of the myths.
Risk of miscarriage
At any stage of pregnancy, there is a threat of losing a baby. The most risky flight is considered during pregnancy in the 1st trimester. At this stage, the threat of miscarriage is mainly related to the genetic predisposition of the mother. In addition to heredity, stressful situations, sexual intercourse, and physical trauma can play a key role. We can say that the threat of miscarriage creates the very state of pregnancy.
Women know that the loss of the baby can be triggered by an increased tone of the uterus. Among the factors that affect this condition, we can distinguish fatigue, stress, nervous or physical strain. Charges on the road, waiting at the airport, excitement - all this can lead to a miscarriage. Try to minimize the number of stressful situations. In this case, the dangers of flying during pregnancy will not be scary. If you suddenly feel pain or tension in the lower abdomen, you must urgently call for the help of a flight attendant. Take a lying position, try to raise your legs as high as possible and use the medications recommended by your doctor.
What to do in case of premature birth? About 7 children are born on airplanes every year. The reasons are the same: stress, fear of flying and pressure drops. These features lead to the fact that the child does not receive enough oxygen, there is a risk of thrombosis, exfoliation of the placenta and discharge of water. The baby may feel uncomfortable, beat hard in the stomach, and eventually premature birth will begin. This is what flight during pregnancy can lead to. The reviews of gynecologists only confirm this. There are other reasons that can cause premature birth. This is varicose veins, polyhydramnios, large fetus, multiple births, the child’s incorrect position, developmental defects, woman’s age, poor nutrition, and so on.
It has not yet been revealed whether the development of defects in children and flights during pregnancy in the 1st trimester are related. Expert reviews often contain information that in this case, the child may develop certain deviations. Some attribute this to high levels of radiation in the cabin. But deviations will not appear in one flight. The main factor in the development of congenital malformations is nevertheless heredity. Also, they often arise with an improper lifestyle or dangerous work. Stewardesses, who are in an interesting position, are forbidden to fly after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Onboard staff qualifications
A flight during pregnancy can be fatal if a woman is not provided with timely assistance. Not every flight attendant has obstetric knowledge. The expectant mother must independently learn about all the features and choose the most reliable air carrier. At large liners, as a rule, at least one steward who has passed obstetric training is working. In the event of an unforeseen situation, he will be able to provide first-aid to a woman in labor.
Conclusion
So is it possible to fly during pregnancy? 2 trimester (reviews confirm this) is the best period for such trips. Flying at a later date is not recommended by both physicians and airline specialists. This is due to a number of reasons. First of all, there are no elementary conditions for childbirth on the plane. Secondly, due to a violation of sanitary standards, a newborn can catch a dangerous disease. Thirdly, a pregnant woman simply cannot concentrate on giving birth, which leads to various complications.
Another subtle point is the paperwork for the newborn. If the flight during pregnancy ended in childbirth in the territory of another state, difficulties with citizenship may arise. For this reason, airlines allow pregnant women to board only if they have a complete set of documents. As a rule, carriers worry about their own reputation and try to resolve all conflict situations peacefully.
Starting from the first day of pregnancy, always try to protect yourself, because the health of the unborn baby depends on your condition.