Summer is coming and pregnant women also travel

Summer is coming and with it vacations and travel ... All year long waiting and now that it is time to take our suitcases we are pregnant and everyone goes crazy and assures us that traveling is a risk for pregnant women. Can't travel in pregnancy? Is it true?

It is not so bad as a general rule travel is not contraindicated during pregnancy, but it is important to take into account certain precautions so that they are as comfortable and safe as possible.

Travel at any time?

If you are a healthy woman, without any disease or risk factor and the pregnancy develops normally no problem in traveling in pregnancyAlthough it depends on the type of transport chosen, we may have certain restrictions.

Once the pregnancy is confirmed the best time to travel is the second trimester, at that time we have already carried out the first ultrasound, the triple screening and the first analyzes, so that not only we have confirmed the pregnancy, also that no cause for alarm and that everything is developing normally. In addition, it is a great time from the point of view of discomfort typical of pregnancy, usually the nausea has disappeared and the discomfort of the first trimester and the baby still weighs little, so that we are not yet especially heavy and we find ourselves quite well again and with a lot of energy. We will have to rest some more than we would if we weren't pregnant, but we can move easily and make a life practically normal.

What destination to choose?

As important as the means of transport we choose is the place we want to go. During pregnancy most vaccines are contraindicated that you should wear in case of traveling to certain destinations, so it is important to ask ourselves the following question: Is it essential to go to that destination or can I postpone that trip?

The exotic destinations in which the health system is not particularly recommended, extreme sports, adventure tourism in destinations where we can be subjected to the insect bites(very to take into account the virus Zika currently), contagion of different diseases through water or food o unsafe countries deberían to be out from our list of destinations during pregnancy.

What is the best means of transportation?

There is no better than another from the point of view of pregnancy, almost always the best is the fastest, but all have their pros and cons and in all a series of precautions must be taken.

Car

Traveling in our car has the Advantage of scheduling departure time, route and stops according to our tastes and needs. During pregnancy, it is not advisable to take excessively long trips.

Car travel precautions:

• It is important wear the seat belt correctly or with an adapter for pregnant women.
• Correct way to place the seat belt in pregnancy: Fasten the belt by below the hip and belly bones, place the shoulder belt to one side of the belly so that it crosses the thorax between the breasts, (never put the shoulder belt under your arm). It is important that the belt is well adjusted and that the upper part of the belt crosses the shoulder without rubbing the neck.
• Make stops every two hours more or less, take the opportunity to go to the bathroom and take a walk, move your legs.
• Do not travel in the central hours of the day, especially if your car does not have air conditioning, it is very hot and inside the car you can reach very high temperatures.

The plane

As a general rule air travel is safe and quite comfortable. It is important that you inform yourself if the airline asks you some kind of report to let you fly, in general, especially if it is a domestic flight, they do not ask you for any report before 28 weeks of pregnancy they normally do not recommend flying from week 36 on domestic flights, on the international flights it is better to check with the airline (some have their own model of medical certificate to provide), it is also important to take into account the regulations of the country of destination.

Air travel precautions:

• If the journey is long, try to get up from time to time and walk, do circulatory exercises with your feet.
• Don't drink carbonated drinks or foods that produce a lot of gases, they will make you feel uncomfortable the whole trip.
• Try to carry the belt well fastened, at the height of the hips, below your tummy.

The train

It is a very comfortable way to travel. It allows you to get up and walk or go to the bathroom if you need to without interrupting the trip. The only problem is that it depends on the type of train you may notice a certain rattle somewhat uncomfortable to move.

The boat

If the trip is a short trip, ferry type it is important that we try do not do it on days of rough surfWithout being pregnant it is complicated enough for our stomach, being pregnant can be terrible.

Cruises are usually very pleasant as long as they are not accompanied by excursions "against the clock" exhausting. Otherwise they are very comfortable for pregnant women.

A problem that we can find on the boat trip is dizziness, although in large boats they are not as frequent when moving less than small ones we have to take this into account, especially if we are going to travel through seas with significant waves.

Anyway, check with the shipping company if you need a certificate or document to be able to travel on the cruise.

The coach

It is possibly the least recommended. The stops are fixed and if we encounter a lot of traffic it may be a long time before we reach that stop. Yes you can avoid making long trips in this mode of transport. If the trip is short and you have no choice, try do not travel in the hottest hours and if there is any stop before your destination walk around and go to the bathroom.

In any case it is important that Before starting, consult your doctor about the precautions in your particular case and in your suitcase in addition to a bikini, towel and sunscreen, don't forget include all documents about your pregnancy, In addition to the health card, of course!