Traveling by plane while pregnant is always a delicate matter. Expectant mothers are always in doubt whether it is safe for their baby in the womb. What you must do before traveling is to consult your gynecologist on this matter. Also, if you are nine months pregnant, check your airline’s advanced pregnancy procedures before you travel.
When pregnant women can’t fly
Pregnant women who have normal, uncomplicated pregnancies usually have no obstacles to travel by plane. However, in cases of twin or complicated pregnancies, expectant mothers are allowed to fly up to 32 weeks. After 36 weeks, all pregnant women are prohibited from traveling by air. Here you have to make sure that your return flight is also before 36 weeks, otherwise the airline will not let you board the plane on the way back.
Documents for pregnant women
In addition to the regular passport that all travelers need to have when traveling, pregnant women also need a travel certificate. This certificate is issued by your gynecologist if you are traveling between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. It is a confirmation of the gestational age and the expected date of delivery. The certificate you receive from the doctor should include information about your age, due date, last period, and the number of possible pregnancies you’ve had so far. Also, this report should include the most recent laboratory tests, ultrasound, as well as medical history and possible complications in the current pregnancy. All airlines require you to have this confirmation before traveling by plane, i.e. boarding.
When pregnant women are not allowed to fly
Pregnant women are strictly prohibited from flying if they are anemic, if they have previously had problems with blood clotting, or if there is placental insufficiency, which is included in the international statistical classification of diseases. For traveling by plane, pregnant women are also recommended to avoid smaller planes because there is stronger turbulence inside them, so they may not have a pleasant flight.
Control of pregnant women at the airport
At a large number of airports, including ours, when a pregnant woman passes through, the metal detector is turned off, and the controllers examine you afterwards. If this is not the case, feel free to ask the controllers to spare you because of your pregnancy and they will find a solution. X-rays are used mostly only for luggage , and in rare cases also at airports and for passenger control. In that case, pregnant women do not go through this detection at all, even though the level of X-ray radiation is minimal.
Pregnancy medications and vitamins on the plane
If you pack your necessary medicines and vitamins in a transparent suitcase, you will have no problem bringing them onto the plane. This also applies to medicines in the form of liquids, gels and aerosols. It would be a good idea to always have a prescription or a report from your gynecologist recommending the use of these drugs with you in case the controllers at the entrance of the plane ask you to do so.
Air travel and babies
If it is a normal pregnancy without any accompanying complicated situations, your flight will go quite normally. There are no health risks for you or the baby in that case. The only problem that could arise is the low pressure in the plane, as a result of which your pulse may increase, but also your blood pressure may increase. In that case, small problems and breathing difficulties will occur. In that case, you should stay calm and not panic, because it’s all very transitory. Relax, breathe as normally as possible and enjoy your flight. Both you and your baby in the womb.