Home › Pregnancy

Travelling While Pregnant: Safety Tips

Flying, driving and holiday planning with a bump.

Before you use this guide: This is general educational information, not an individual medical assessment. We do not identify a clinician reviewer on this page, so please confirm personal health decisions with your doctor, midwife or paediatrician.

For most healthy pregnancies, travel is possible. The middle of pregnancy, roughly weeks 14 to 28, is often the most comfortable time, because early nausea and tiredness have often eased and you are not yet heavily pregnant. Always check with your doctor or midwife before you book, and again before you go.

When to think twice

Ask your doctor before travelling if you have bleeding, severe pain, high blood pressure, a twin pregnancy, a history of premature birth, a low-lying placenta or any condition that needs close monitoring. Most doctors advise against distant travel in the last four to six weeks, when labour could start at any time.

Flying

• Flying is generally considered safe for healthy pregnancies. Cabin air pressure and the low levels of radiation on normal flights are not a concern for most women.
• Airlines set their own rules. Many allow single pregnancies up to around 36 weeks and twins up to around 32 weeks, and some ask for a doctor's letter confirming your due date from about 28 weeks. Check the policy before you book, not on the day.
• Pregnancy raises the risk of blood clots. On flights of more than about four hours, walk the aisle every 30 to 60 minutes, flex and rotate your ankles, and drink water. Ask your doctor whether compression stockings are advisable.
• Wear loose clothes and comfortable shoes, and choose an aisle seat for easy access to the toilet.
• Wear your seat belt low, across your hips and under your bump.

Driving and long journeys

• Wear your seat belt with the lap strap low across your hips and under your bump, never across it, and the diagonal strap between your breasts and to the side of your bump.
• Do not turn off the airbag. Adjust your seat so you are as far from the steering wheel as is comfortable.
• Stop every one to two hours to stretch your legs and use the toilet.
• Share the driving on long journeys and avoid setting off when you are tired.

Trains, boats and cruises

Train travel is generally easy and comfortable. Rough seas can make nausea worse, and many cruise lines restrict pregnant travellers, often from about 24 to 28 weeks, so check their rules. Ships often have limited medical facilities.

Choosing a destination

• Choose somewhere with good medical care, and find out where the nearest hospital is.
• Some infections are riskier in pregnancy. Malaria can be serious for you and your baby, and Zika can cause serious birth defects. If you are thinking of visiting an area with these risks, speak to your doctor or a travel clinic first and think about postponing the trip.
• Live vaccines, such as yellow fever, are usually avoided in pregnancy. A travel clinic can advise which vaccines are safe and necessary.
• Take care with very hot climates. Dehydration and overheating are more of a risk when pregnant, so drink plenty, wear a hat and use shade and sunscreen. High altitude, above about 2,500 metres (8,200 feet), can be a problem if you are not used to it.
• Avoid activities that carry a risk of injury, such as scuba diving, horse riding or water sports with a risk of falls.

Food and water

• Wash your hands often and take care with food and water hygiene.
• Drink bottled or boiled water where tap water may be unsafe, and avoid ice made from untreated water.
• Choose food that is freshly and thoroughly cooked, and avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs, unpasteurised dairy products and salad washed in untreated water.
• Travellers' diarrhoea can cause dehydration quickly in pregnancy. Drink fluids and get medical advice if it lasts more than a day.

Planning ahead

• Take your maternity notes, a copy of your recent scan and test results, your blood group and a list of medicines.
• Check your travel insurance covers pregnancy complications, premature birth and care for a premature baby, and find out if the policy has a cut-off week. Some policies exclude the last weeks of pregnancy.
• Know how to contact emergency services and the nearest hospital at your destination.
• Pack snacks, water, a pillow for support and comfortable clothes.
• Build rest into your itinerary, and do not try to do too much.

Warning signs when you are away

Seek medical help immediately if you have vaginal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fluid leaking, regular contractions, a severe headache, changes in your vision, sudden swelling, reduced baby movements, or a painful, swollen or red leg. Leg pain with chest pain or breathlessness could be a blood clot and is an emergency.

Travel can still be a lovely part of pregnancy, and a babymoon before the baby arrives is a popular choice. A little planning means you can relax and enjoy it.

Where to check current advice

Airline rules and travel health advice change, so check the latest guidance from your doctor or midwife, a travel health clinic and sources such as the NHS Fit for Travel pages, the CDC Travelers' Health pages and your government's travel advice.

This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.