QOD: Can I travel when pregnant?
For the most part, yes. But there are some precautions you should take.
If you are planning to travel during your pregnancy, it is important to prepare just in case something arises. If you’ll be far from home, know the name and phone number of a nearby hospital (and be sure they offer obstetric services), and carry your prenatal records with you.
Be sure to stretch your legs frequently if you are traveling by car or plane to prevent swelling and blood clots. Stay well hydrated, and try to eat healthy so you don’t feel ill.
Most airlines will not allow a woman to fly after 36 weeks, so you may want to have a letter from your doctor stating how far along you are if a need to clarify arises.
Lastly, while this may sound overly cautious, once you have reached viability in your pregnancy, you may want to ask yourself, “What if something happens, and I need to be hospitalized for the remainder of my pregnancy?” Are you comfortable with that hypothetical situation if you are traveling far from home? This may be more applicable to international travel, but I’ve seen it happen before (what a great excuse to spend time in Paris!).
Reviewed by Dr. Jen Lincoln, April 2020
While I was pregnant, I had a job that occasionally required air travel. I flew when I was 11 weeks pregnant without my boss knowing (because I wasn’t telling anyone yet). Once he found out I was pregnant at 12 weeks, he “grounded” me! He said he never lets any of his employees fly while pregnant even if the doctor okays it and that he wouldn’t have let me go at 11 weeks if he had known! I assured him it was okay, but he wouldn’t hear it. 🙂 It wasn’t a big deal, but I sure did miss getting to travel on the employer’s tab! 😉
When I did fly at 11 weeks pregnant, I was still very sick (morning sickness), and I was afraid I was going to have to tell my boss (he was traveling with me) that I was pregnant before I was really ready to tell anyone. I almost got sick in the airport bathroom twice and once on the plane. I just made sure to have lots of crackers on hand!
Hmmm, interesting response with your boss. Because if you wanted to travel and him grounding you was affecting your work/pay/ability to move up the ladder and contribute to the team, he would definitely be at risk for some legal action by making this global “rule”! I hope he compensated you well!
It wasn’t an absolute necessity for me to travel. I could (and still can) do my job from anywhere with a computer and internet, as could the majority of the people I worked with! 🙂 But it was certainly the fun part of my job and something I looked forward to.
I never thought of it from that perspective, though. It’s definitely something to keep in mind.