Bridget's Pregnancy Blog

A few weeks ago, I had to make a last minute trip to Hong Kong from Beijing in order to take care of some visa issues before I got too pregnant to fly.  Most of the time, airlines won’t let a pregnant woman fly after 36 weeks, so I had a little while to go, but I also figured that the earlier I went, the more comfortable I would be.

That would seem to be the logical case for flying while pregnant, but it isn’t totally accurate. Many women, me included, would find the first trimester distinctly uncomfortable to be on a plane. I had a lot of morning sickness (or “all the time nausea” as I prefer to call it) during my first 12 weeks of pregnancy, along with a host of other minor discomforts– headaches, extreme fatigue, heartburn, etc. For women in similar circumstances, flying in the first trimester can be a huge problem.

Many doctors and experts say that the second trimester is the best time to travel, since you’re not so huge that moving around is problematic but you’re past all of the early uncomfortable things that occur before the placenta takes over many of the pregnancy functions. I heartily agree with this assessment. Traveling at 28 weeks was definitely not too pregnant to fly.

I do, however, have a few tips for anyone planning a trip during their second trimester.

First, make sure you ask for all the perks. I was occasionally hesitant to do this, but most of the airlines and airports are fairly accommodating to pregnant women and make things available to us that we wouldn’t get otherwise. I was routed into the special “VIP” line at customs, which helped me get through a lot quicker and prevented me from needing to stand around for a long time. Play the pregnancy card when asking if you can board the plane in the first group or if you can get a ride across the airport on one of those little carts to get to the other terminal and don’t feel bad about it!

Remember, you’re responsible for keeping yourself healthy and unstressed because it’s good for your baby, so asking for perks like these isn’t anything to worry about.

The second tip I’d give is to make sure you move around a bit when on the plane. It’s easy to just stay seated, but I made this mistake on one of my flights and ended up with swollen feet. If you do somehow manage to lose your ankles, don’t worry, the swelling will subside once you’re off the plane and back on solid ground. (Although I can’t promise you won’t see swelling again once third trimester hits!)

Lastly, stock up on healthy snacks. A few pieces of fruit and a small bag of nuts can go a long way to keeping you full without having to worry about the airline attendants’ schedule for providing snacks or how healthy those snacks may or may not be for your baby.  And while you’re snacking on your healthy fruit, don’t forget to request lots of water or juice from the attendants. Every time they came around, I would ask for a glass of juice and a glass of water, just to keep hydrated.

All in all, flying while pregnant doesn’t have to be a pain, especially not in the second trimester. If you have to or choose to fly during this time, enjoy your trip!