Flying During Pregnancy
Flying in your third trimester
You may also not want to be too far from home in your third trimester, especially if you're showing signs of preterm labor or have any risk factors for early delivery. If you end up going into labor early, you could be stuck in a foreign city with a newborn who needs to spend a few weeks in intensive care. It's important to talk to your doctor about whether it's advisable for you to go away and, if you do decide to travel, take a copy of your medical records with you.
If you need to travel later in your pregnancy, be sure to contact the airline regarding its cutoff policy. (For instance, all American Airlines and Air Canada flights allow pregnant women to fly up to and including 36 weeks, after which air travel is only allowed for short flights, under special circumstances, and must be cleared by the airline's medical desk with a note from your doctor saying that you're fit to travel.)
Meet our expert:
Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. is a practicing board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and is currently associate professor on the full-time faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is also the author of The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book. marjoriegreenfield.com
