With the rise in popularity of the babymoon, we are seeing more and more women travelling while they are pregnant. And why shouldn’t they? An escape before your baby is born can be a great opportunity for a couple to unwind and spend quality time together. While many destinations have jumped on the babymoon bandwagon, offering luxury packages and experiences for couples expecting, it is important to make sure these locations are right for you and your baby. You are travelling for two, and pregnancy does bring with it additional travel risks and things you should consider before taking a trip. It is vitally important to determine the coverage limits of your insurance, with most policies having exemptions of cover after a certain gestation.
Choose a suitable destination
A relaxing island getaway may feel like it’s just what the doctor ordered in your final trimester, but there are a few things to consider before slipping into island time. Travelling to malaria prone areas should be avoided during pregnancy. A pregnant woman is twice as likely to be bitten by mosquitoes than her non-pregnant counterpart due to increased heat production and increased release of volatile substances from the skin surface*. And the impact of contracting malaria can be incredibly harmful and even fatal. Another item to consider when choosing your destination is the standard of local medical care. If in the unlikely case that you do experience any complications, having access to reliable, high quality medical services will be what you want, and need. Remote locations are also more difficult to evacuate individuals from. Often pregnancy complications are time critical in nature, so remote locations away from first world medical care may impact upon the outcome.
Be cautious about vaccinations
As a pregnant woman, it’s important to be aware of the possible risks vaccinations can have on your baby. Whilst many vaccinations are safe in pregnancy, certain vaccinations are not. Before booking, we recommend going to see your doctor to determine if vaccinations are required and whether they are safe in your pregnancy.. It may mean that some places that require certain vaccinations to allow you to travel are no longer an option for your trip.
Plan ahead for air travel
Flying is usually safe for you and your baby, but we recommend speaking to your doctor or midwife just to make sure you aren’t at any risk before you fly. Where possible, shorter flights are recommended, as long-distance travel (longer than five hours) carries more risk of blood clots such as DVT which you can become more susceptible too while pregnant. If you fly, drink plenty of water and move about regularly – every 30 minutes or so. You also need to be prepared for restrictions some airlines put on pregnancy travel. Most airlines will allow you to travel up to your 36th week of pregnancy if the flight is under four hours. However, this may vary between airlines and many will request a doctor’s certificate after the 28 week mark to ensure you are safe to fly.
Travelling while pregnant does inherently bring additional risks. But working in consultation with your doctor there are ways to make sure you and your baby are kept safe on your journey. Make sure you adhere to the rules, sit back, relax and enjoy!
Sources:
www.thetraveldoctor.com.au/resources/pregnancy/
www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/travel-and-pregnancy
www.covermore.com.au/pregnancy-cover