Travelling while pregnant can be one of the most wonderful ways to make memories with your growing bump. Maybe you’re a keen traveller and you don’t want to let impending parenthood slow you down. Perhaps it’s time to enjoy your last adult-only adventure for a while, or take a family holiday before you welcome a new arrival. Hello dreamy babymoon!
There are some things you need to know about travelling while pregnant before you hit book on that much-awaited holiday. Some of them are really practical but really necessary! Such as, have you thought about your pregnancy travel insurance cover? No, because that’s not as exciting as browsing resorts in Greece? well read on…
Here are 5 things you should consider before travelling while pregnant:
- Your pregnancy travel insurance has a full cover cut off – and it’s probably before the airline date!
Of course it’s important to know the rules and regulations of the carrier you’re flying pregnant, but even more important is to know those of your pregnancy travel insurance provider.
For example, where lots of airlines allow you to fly up to your 36th week of pregnancy, your travel insurance may cut off before then.
As a pregnant mum and keen traveller, I use CoverForYou. I’m into my fifth year as a loyal customer and I love their easy and personable customer service and perks like the Travel Mate app and Discount Hub.
So when I started thinking about travelling while pregnant, the first thing I did was call them to check if there are any restrictions.
I found out that as a general rule, I was fully covered (for both premature birth and pregnancy complications) up until the 32nd week of my pregnancy, provided I didn’t receive any advice not to travel from a healthcare professional.
After this time, up to about 36 weeks, you’ll only be covered for complications and not in the event of a premature or routine birth – and neither will your baby. It’s also really important to check what the airline requires from you to prove you and bub are OK to travel. Cover will be dependent on meeting these requirements because the risks are higher.
Armed with that knowledge, I enjoyed amazing trips to Dubai, Rome and Paris with my extra little passenger on board!
If you don’t have travel insurance, you go anyway past the cut off date, or ignore what you need to provide, you won’t be insured and neither will your unborn baby. Worth the risk? We think not.
Travelling while pregnant is far more enjoyable knowing a trusted pregnancy travel insurance provider like CoverForYou has your back if anything unexpected does crop up!
Use our exclusive CoverForYou discount code MK3W8XJCV8 for 20% off all policies!
- You need to take your maternity notes with you when travelling while pregnant
A really straightforward thing to add to your packing list if you’re travelling while pregnant is your maternity notes! That way, if you do need to seek any medical care abroad you’ll have all your information to hand.
Don’t worry too much about language barriers; it’s better to have the information with you as someone is likely to be able to translate.
The CoverForYou Travel Mate app even features a free, offline translation service to ensure you can communicate with ease in the local language.
- Check whether your airline requires a Fit to Fly letter if flying pregnant
Each airline has different rules about how late you can keep flying pregnant and their own requirements for documentation too so it’s really important to check before you travel.
Some may ask for a Fit to Fly letter signed by a doctor or midwife to confirm your due date and that you’re fit and able to travel whilst pregnant.
You may have to pay for a letter and it may take several weeks to arrange, so plan ahead if you’re travelling in the third trimester.
- Keep mobile and wear compression socks on flights and long car journeys
Travelling while pregnant isn’t usually the most comfortable experience. You can alleviate any swelling as well as the increased risk of blood clots by wearing compression socks and going for walks up and down plane aisles or doing ankle rotations from your seat.
Most people know about this for flying pregnant – but did you know it’s also the case if you’re going on a road trip?
Make sure you wear your seatbelt with the strap between your breasts and under – not across – your bump. If you’re the driver, take regular breaks where you can go for a short walk and have something to eat and drink. We reckon nature might call for a rest stop anyway…
- You may need to adjust your adventurous taste buds
Pregnancy is a great time to travel but it’s probably not the holiday to be sampling street food with unknown hygiene practices or drinking tap water abroad, unless it’s explicitly safe to do so.
At the least, pregnancy would be an especially unpleasant time to experience food poisoning or an upset stomach!
Travelling while pregnant can be one of the most incredible experiences. You definitely don’t need to stay locked in your house for nine months and with a pregnancy travel insurance provider like CoverForYou, you can relax and enjoy your dream trip with peace of mind.
Use our exclusive CoverForYou discount code MK3W8XJCV8 for 20% off all policies!
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