Travel by Plane when Pregnant

If you have a normal, healthy pregnancy, it can be perfectly safe to fly during most of it. Discuss your trip plans with your doctor or midwife, however, before booking your flight. In certain high-risk cases, your healthcare provider may advise you to stay close to home throughout your pregnancy.

You may find that your second trimester — weeks 14 to 27 — is a perfect time to fly. Once you're past the first trimester, in all likelihood your morning sickness will be behind you, your energy levels will be higher, and your chances of miscarriage will be low. However, you shouldn't travel after 36 weeks.

Tips you should know

• Remember to calculate the number of weeks gestation for the date of travel, not for the date on which the ticket is purchased.
• Wear comfortable shoes that are easy to remove once you're seated.
• Support hosiery can aid leg circulation during long periods of standing in line or sitting on the plane.
• Pack lightly or check luggage. The hassle and difficulty of dragging heavy and cumbersome baggage around an airport can exhaust anyone; check bags at the curb or pack just a single bag that is light enough to carry or pull without struggling.
• If traveling with a partner or small children, do not hesitate to request a seat next to them (when first booking the flight), explaining to airline staff that having to repeatedly move about the plane would be potentially dangerous and uncomfortable.
• Travel by plane can be especially difficult in the first and third trimesters because of feelings of illness or fatigue. If possible, schedule travel during the second trimester, when most women experience a reduction in the uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy.
• If medical difficulties occur in-flight, notify airline staff immediately and request the services of a doctor or medic among the other passengers. Try to remain calm and patient; services may not be available until the flight lands. In the case of true emergencies, a physician may sometimes be reached by phone for verbal assistance.