4/4/2023 0 Comments Super bumpy road![]() Avoid tea and coffee, which may increase the risk of DVT. And make sure you have a two litre bottle of water with you - tiny aeroplane glasses are never enough. Pregnant women are very susceptible to dehydration, so pack a supply of vitamin-rich fresh fruit such as grapes, plums or tangerines. Natascha Mirosch, author of Going It Alone, suggests wearing massage sandals or shoes that are adjustable in case your feet swell. ![]() Take an eye mask and ear plugs, and wear comfortable, loose clothing. I found using an inflatable "Airogym" (£7.99) was helpful. Wear DVT socks (Scholl knee highs, £13.99). Alternatively, many airlines offer a few inches of extra legroom for an extra £200 or so. If you can afford it, the simple solution to backache and sore ankles is to travel British Airways Business Class or Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, both of which offer a flat bed. When you check in, explain that you are pregnant and ask if there is any possibility of being upgraded, or at least having a seat with a couple of spares next to you. Telephone the airline in advance to book a bulkhead seat. Also check your insurance policy, as some do not insure pregnant women to fly. Most airlines will require a doctor's letter from about 34 weeks onwards. Check with your GP before flying, and try to avoid flying before 12 weeks or after 28 weeks, as many airlines will refuse to carry you. Find out about recommended vaccinations, and if you do need any talk to your doctor.Įvery pregnancy is different, so trust your instincts about what you feel you can and cannot cope with make the welfare of your baby your first priority. Travelling to a hot climate may make you feel uncomfortable and tired, and it may be hard to adjust to lack of oxygen if you stay at high altitudes. So, with traces of the Ancient Mariner, I would like to say this: O pregnant traveller heed my words of woe travelling while you are pregnant can be done but it is hell, so make sure that your holiday is really worth it.Īvoid third world countries as you will not be able to take malaria pills or have any jabs, and the risk of food poisoning is greater. As the plane touched down I filled four sick bags. ![]() I am sure she took the whole experience in her stride, but I spent much of the 23-hour return journey pacing and trying to find a position where my ankles did not ache. After all, she is the first recorded travelling pregnant woman. The Barefoot Doctor, a new age healer, advised me to nourish the "spleen energy" while on holiday by chewing astragalus root or taking three astragalus capsules a day (you should always check with your GP before taking supplements).īarefoot also advised me to tune in to the "primordial, feminine spirit", so I thought a bit about Mary, off to Bethlehem on her donkey. It was the first time that I was truly able to get away from all pressures and spend time nurturing myself and the baby, which kicked languidly in my womb. For the entire holiday I could hardly be prised away from the hotel's salt rock pool, which nestled between the mountains and the ocean in a scented garden, decorated by dragonflies and songbirds. But arriving was such relief! Summer in South Africa unfolded like a world of bliss, and I quickly recovered after a pregnancy massage at the Twelve Apostles Spa Hotel. "I felt very gassy and strange," related one pregnant friend, "and I worried all the time about the effect on the baby." Another woman recalls how her ankles swelled to twice their usual size.īy the end of the flight I felt dizzy, weak and my back was liquid agony. Such is travelling when you are pregnant. Would the pressure damage my unborn child in some way? Was I going to get DVT? I was soon a nervous and physical wreck. As my ears popped, my mind whirled with maternal guilt and paranoia. The NHS says that pregnant women who are having uncomplicated pregnancies can travel, but there is a heightened risk of deep vein thrombosis and you should check with your GP before going. Even though Nationwide Airlines kindly upgraded me to their Economy Plus, which gives extra legroom, there is no real way to avoid the fact that airline seats are uncomfortable - agonisingly so in the later stages of pregnancy. ![]() His words echoed in my ears as I crammed my swollen hips into the airline seat. "You have to put your health first now." But after all, thought I, Cape Town is a civilised place, no need for jabs and such, so how bad could it be?
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