Summer is around the corner, and you were looking forward to some travel. Well, that was before you learned you’re having a high-risk pregnancy.
This classification applies to about 6%-8% of pregnant women, so you’re certainly not alone if your pregnancy is considered high-risk.
As experts in high-risk obstetrics, we turn to board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Fernando Otero and the team at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley for guidance on travel during a high-risk pregnancy.
The first point to consider is why your pregnancy is considered high risk. Generally, high-risk pregnancies are those that have increased health risks for you, the fetus, or both. Examples of this include:
As you can see from this list, when it comes to travel, it very much depends upon the underlying issue. For example, if you’re a healthy 36-year-old pregnant woman, travel may very much be possible since it’s really only the advanced age that’s placing you in the higher risk category.
Conversely, if you’re a 23-year-old with a serious health issue, such as kidney disease, travel during pregnancy is ill-advised.
So, we first need to assess your risk factors and your health before we can say whether summer travel is a good idea.
We also want you to plug another consideration into this equation — what type of travel are you doing?
Heading to a nearby relative’s house is far less risky than jetting halfway across the world to an underdeveloped country.
So, when you consider travel during pregnancy, you want to consider the availability of medical care, how far from home you are, and how long the actual travel is. For example, getting on a 12-hour flight during your third trimester, high-risk or no, may not be a great idea.
Even if we clear you for travel during a high-risk pregnancy, please consider where you are in your pregnancy and whether it’s wise to travel. And this applies to both ends of a pregnancy.
To start, morning sickness early in a pregnancy can make travel unpleasant. On the opposite end, traveling beyond the 37-week mark is risky and likely not advised if your pregnancy is high-risk.
Ultimately, getting the green light for travel during a high-risk pregnancy can only be done on a case-by-case basis. We can only offer a recommendation after reviewing your health, circumstances, and travel goals.
To sit down with one of our high-risk pregnancy experts to discuss summer travel, we invite you to contact one of our offices in McAllen or Edinburg, Texas, to schedule a visit.
