Pregnancy and Travel

Discovering you’re expecting a child is an incredibly special time, and even more so if it is your first pregnancy. However, if you haven’t been pregnant before, travelling may cause added stress for expectant mums. To help ease the strain, here are our top travel tips.

Booking your trip

When booking your trip, consider where you will be in your pregnancy at that time. For example, at 28 weeks pregnant, you may not feel very comfortable so sitting on a plane may be the last thing on your mind!

Airline

If you’re travelling by air, double check the airline’s procedures regarding pregnancy before you book. Many airlines may refuse to carry pregnant passengers if they are over a certain number of weeks, whether it is your inbound or outbound flight!

Most airlines will allow travel up to the 36th week of your pregnancy, but this may be reduced if you are carrying multiple babies and totally depends on the airline.

To avoid being stranded, make sure you read any T&Cs carefully, and carry a fit to fly letter from your doctor confirming that your due date and that you are ok to fly.

Travel Insurance

A common query is whether pregnancy should be declared to travel insurers. Pregnancy is not an illness, and so should not need to be declared to your insurer. The only declaration you would need to make is if you have any existing medical conditions, for example some women experience high blood pressure whilst pregnant.

Just like airlines, Travel Insurance will also have guidelines regarding their cover for pregnancy. Most will limit cover for normal pregnancy and child birth to around 28 weeks, however cover will also be considered past this point for any unexpected complications or illnesses. Ask for more details about their pregnancy cover before buying a policy.

Unexpected Problems

Nobody likes to consider worst case scenarios, however it is important to note that if you did travel abroad and give birth to your baby before your due date, premature babies cannot safely be transported by air as they are at risk of breathing complications and so a premature infant may need to remain abroad for several months before it can be safely brought home.

Therefore, when picking a destination it may be best to stick to European countries during your pregnancy, not only to ensure you and your baby would receive good medical treatment in case something was to happen, but also to remove the need for vaccinations etc.

For more information on quality pregnancy travel insurance, visit our dedicated pregnancy page or if you would like further help with travelling while pregnant, please read our complete pregnancy travel guide here.