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| Get Into It! Spring - Summer 2008 |
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Due to the busy lives that we lead, it is not uncommon for women to have to take transcontinental or transoceanic journeys at some point during pregnancy. Here are a few tips to help you before the take-off:
1. Always check with your obstetrician or midwife prior to travel.
2. The oxygen in commercial airliners is safe for you and your baby. Private planes may not be sufficiently pressurized. Please inquire with authorities prior to departing on smaller planes.
3. Fasten the seatbelt below the belly, low around your hips.
4. Since the airlines have curtailed in-flight meal service, bring your own water, food and non-salty snacks.
5. Pregnant women are prone to blood clot formation. This is made worse by prolonged sitting. As safety permits, walk around the cabin at least hourly to help the circulation. Maternity support pantyhose may also help to keep the blood flowing.
6. An aisle seat will make it easier to take a walk and to get to the bathroom.
7. Time your travel for a time of day when you feel your best.
8. Connections can be a nightmare, even when not pregnant. Pay extra for the non-stop flight to avoid the strenuous layovers.
9. The closer to the due date, the more likely you are to deliver. Most airlines do not like to transport pregnant women after 36 weeks, although I think a 32 week limit is reasonable. Check with the airline before booking your flight. If you absolutely, have to travel in the last month, take a copy of your prenatal records, just in case.
10. Bon Voyage!
Sophia Grant, MD, FAAP is a wife and mother of three. She owns and operates her own practical pediatric and parenting website. Visit her online at www.momtomompediatrics.com.
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