Pregnancy can be a worrying time for women, and many people will be concerned about planning a holiday when they, or their partner, is pregnant. Although travel is generally fine whilst you're pregnant, you should try to speak to your local GP before taking any flights or other modes of transport to foreign destinations.

Can you fly when pregnant?

Travel is generally safe during pregnancy and flying is one of the safest forms of travel up until you're around 36 weeks pregnant. However, if you have any additional medical conditions such as pre-eclampsia and pre-term labour, you should be more wary about travelling due to the increased risk of labour and blood clots. We always advise you consult with your GP if you appear to have any pregancy-related medical conditions, or have experienced them in previous pregnancies.

Can you travel within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy?

You can travel within your first trimester and it's perfectly safe to do so. However, in your first trimester you're more likely to suffer from nausea and morning sickness which could make your experience a difficult one. Although flying does not increase the chance of miscarriage, there is generally a higher percentage of miscarriages in the first trimester.

Precautions to take whilst pregnant

You should check what vaccinations you need to take to travel to the country you are visiting. Whilst you are pregnant, you should avoid vaccines that use live bacteria or viruses such as typhoid and yellow fever, unless it's vital for you to do so, which may be the case if your chance of getting the infection is very high. Other non-live vaccines are considered safe and can be taken at any time during pregnancy.

While it's not classed as a pre-existing medical condition, we strongly advise you declare any pre-existing medical conditions or any past or present complications surrounding your pregnancy. Pregnancy complications such as bleeding in pregnancy, ectopic pregancy, twin or multiple births, diabetes or low PAPP-A levels in pregnancy will affect your travel insurance premium.

Other precautions that you should take include those against blood clots: to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which is more common during pregnancy you should wear compression stockings, drink water and exercise your legs every 30 minutes.


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