6. Traveling during Pregnancy
Pregnant women frequently ask whether
travel can hurt their baby. If your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you
aren’t at high risk, travel is usually OK. Ask your healthcare provider
about any travel you’re considering before making firm plans or buying tickets.
Whether you travel by car, bus, train,
boat or airplane, get up and walk at least every hour. Regular visits to
the bathroom may take care of this.
The biggest risk of traveling during
pregnancy is developing a problem while you’re away from those who know
your medical and pregnancy history. If you do decide to take a trip, be
sensible in your planning. Don’t overdo it. Take it easy! Signs you
shouldn’t travel include:
• severe swelling of the face, arms, legs, hands or feet
• bleeding
• severe nausea and vomiting
• cramping
• extreme and/or continuing headaches
• fever
Traveling by Air.
Air travel is safe for most pregnant women. Most U.S. airlines let
women fly up to 36 weeks of pregnancy. For international travel, the
cutoff is usually 35 weeks of pregnancy.
Pregnant women who are at high risk should
avoid all air travel. You may want to keep the following things in mind
if you’re considering flying during pregnancy.
• Visit your healthcare provider before you go to be sure your trip is still a “go.”
• Avoid high-altitude flights
(nonstop overseas or cross-country flights) because they cruise at a
higher altitude and oxygen levels can be lower. This increases your
heartbeat, as well as your baby’s; baby also receives less oxygen.
• If you have
problems with swelling, wear loose-fitting shoes and clothes. (This is
good advice for every traveler.) Avoid pantyhose, tight clothes, knee
socks or stockings, and tight waistlines.
• If you know your flight serves a
meal, you can order special meals. If your flight is long and doesn’t
serve food, bring along nutritious snacks.
• Drink lots of water to keep you hydrated. Take along an empty bottle, and fill it after you go through security.
• Get up and move around when you
can during the flight. Try to walk at least 10 minutes every hour.
Sometimes just standing up helps your circulation.
• Try to get an aisle seat, close to
the bathroom. If you have to go to the bathroom a lot, it’s easier if
you don’t have to crawl over someone to get out.
7. Auto Safety during Pregnancy
Many women are concerned about driving
and using seat belts and shoulder harnesses during pregnancy. There’s no
reason not to drive while you’re pregnant, if your pregnancy is normal
and you feel OK (and you know how to drive).
Wearing safety restraints is important
during pregnancy; you really lower the chance of getting hurt in an
accident. If you don’t wear a seat belt, you could cause a serious
injury to your baby if you’re in an accident.
Seat belts do not increase the risk
of injury to you or your baby. They actually protect you both from
life-threatening injuries. Don’t skip wearing seat belts as you get
bigger because you’re uncomfortable. Studies show pregnant women who
weren’t wearing seat belts when they were in an accident were twice as
likely to have excessive bleeding and were nearly three times more
likely to lose their babies.
Below are some common excuses (and our responses) for not using seat belts and shoulder harnesses in pregnancy.
“Using a safety belt will hurt my baby.”
There’s no evidence seat-belt use increases the chance of injury to a
baby. Your chance of survival with a seat belt is better than without
one. Your survival is important to your unborn baby.
The Proper Way to Wear
a Lap Belt and Shoulder Harness
There is a proper way for you to wear a
seat belt during pregnancy. Wear both the shoulder strap and the lap
belt. Place the lap-belt portion under your abdomen and across your
upper thighs. The shoulder portion of the belt should rest between your
breasts and over the middle of your collarbone. Don’t slip the belt off
your shoulder. Both the shoulder belt and lap belt should be snug but
comfortable. Adjust your position so the belt crosses your shoulder
without cutting into your neck. You might want to check out a seat-belt
extender or a maternity seat belt to help keep the seat belt from riding
up on your tummy.
“I don’t want to be trapped in my car if there is a fire.”
Few automobile accidents result in fires. Even if a fire did occur, you
could probably undo the restraint and escape if you were conscious.
Ejection from a car accounts for about 25% of all deaths in automobile
accidents. Seat-belt use prevents this.
“I’m a good driver.” Defensive driving doesn’t prevent an accident.
“I don’t need to use a safety belt; I’m just going a short distance.” Most injuries occur within 25 miles of home.
We know the lap/shoulder seat-belt system is safe to wear during pregnancy, so buckle up for you and
your baby. Move your seat as far away from the air bag as possible—10
inches is a good distance. You might want to consider riding in the back
seat when you’re not driving. The middle of the back seat is the safest
place in the car.
8. Medication Classification for Pregnancy
Medications a pregnant woman might use
have been classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to show
the risk to the baby if a mother-to-be takes it. If you have questions
about any medicines you take, ask your healthcare provider about its
safety.
We don’t know a lot
about some medications because we haven’t studied their effects on a
pregnant woman and/or her baby. That’s because we believe these
substances may be dangerous and could harm the baby. No one wants to put
a growing baby at risk deliberately by exposing it to a harmful
substance for the sake of gathering information. So nearly all the
information we have comes from accidental exposure.
Category A—Well-controlled studies
in pregnant women have not shown any risk to the baby. The possibility
of harm appears remote. Few medications have been tested to this level.
Prenatal vitamins and folic acid are considered Category-A medications.
Category B—Animal studies indicate
risk to a baby is probably low, but human studies have not been done.
Examples of Category-B medications include some antibiotics, such as
Ceclor (cefaclor).
Category C—Either studies in
animals have revealed adverse effects or there are no controlled studies
in women. Drugs should be given only if the potential benefits to the
pregnant woman justify the potential risks to the fetus. An example of a
Category-C medication is codeine.
Category D—Studies using animals
have shown a harmful effect on the baby, or studies have not been done
in humans or animals. There is evidence of risk to the baby. Benefits
from use in a pregnant woman may outweigh risks if the medication is
needed for a life-threatening situation or for a serious disease for
which safer drugs cannot be used. An example of a Category-D medication
is phenobarbital.
Category X—There is evidence the
medication causes birth defects in a baby. Risks outweigh any potential
benefits for women, and it is not given during pregnancy. Accutane is a
Category-X medication.
Your Risk of Food Poisoning Increases
You’re at greater risk of food poisoning
when you’re pregnant. Avoid raw oysters and raw clams. Don’t eat smoked
or cured seafood unless it’s been cooked. Limit your liver consumption.
Keep away from refrigerated meat spreads and pâtés.
