Motherhood-
the most beautiful stage any woman experiences where care needs to be taken not
only for the mother but for the child as well.
During
pregnancy, your and your baby's health is of utmost
importance. So there's no doubt in saying that expecting mothers will want 100
percent clarity on how to fly safely when carrying their precious load.
As
long as you haven't experienced any complications, the
safest time to fly when pregnant is during the second trimester.
By this time, first trimester morning sickness is likely to have subsided,
energy levels are higher and the risk of going into labour is low.
Commercial
planes are fine but flying in smaller, non-pressurized
planes is not recommended at any stage of your pregnancy as the lower oxygen
levels may impact your baby.
Airlines
have some restrictions regarding flying for pregnant women. Majority of
airlines won't allow pregnant women to fly on a flight over four hours after 36
weeks. For flights under four hours, travel is often not permitted after 38
weeks. If you are 28 weeks or more, airlines will often ask you to present a
letter from your doctor
An expectant
mother in good health may be accepted for transportation up to and including
the 32nd week of pregnancy.
At the time
of making the bookings, if the pregnancy is advanced beyond 32 weeks and with
the anticipation of normal delivery, the
expectant mother be accepted for travel up to and including the 35th week of
pregnancy, i.e., up to, at least 5 weeks prior to the expected date of confinement.
A medical
certificate from the attending obstetrician must be
obtained stating that she is fit to travel.
If more than
one month elapses between the date the booking is affected and the departure, a
further certificate should be obtained, dated not more than 3 days, prior to
departure.
Cases of
multiple and complicated pregnancy should not be accepted after the 32nd week
in the case of :
·
Multiple pregnancy which refers to twins,
triplets etc.
·
Complicated pregnancy which refers to cases
where on previous occasions a mother has experienced difficult and complicated
delivery
In case of
the pregnancy beyond 35 weeks, passenger may be accepted for transportation
only on urgent or compassionate
grounds, with the authority of the Executive Director -
Medical Services, after filling the MEDIF form.
Wear maternity clothing:
Maternity pants are
most advisable as it gives you and your baby some room to move. But remember to
wear your seat belt low and around the pelvis to reduce pressure on the baby.
When
you're pregnant your veins and arteries are already under strain and the low
cabin pressure won't help this. It's important to wear in-flight deep vein thrombosis socks
and flexible shoes. Try to regularly stretch your limbs, exercises in your
chair and remain well-hydrated.
Request
for a special seat
Pregnant
women are infamous bathroom-goers. To make getting up to go to the toilet
easier, book an aisle
seat.
If
possible, request a seat with more leg room — or better still, pay extra and
book a premium economy or business class ticket.
Lastly
but most importantly, before flying during any stage of your pregnancy, consult
your doctor to discuss any potential risks or concerns you may have.
Please Note:
Post a normal delivery and in the absence of
any complications, the mother would be permitted to fly 48 hours after delivery
provided she has a 'Fitness-to-Fly' certificate from her treating obstetrician.
Post a Caesarean delivery,
the mother would be permitted to fly one week after the delivery provided she
has a 'Fitness-to-Fly' certificate from her treating obstetrician.
Infants less than 7 days old will not be
permitted to undertake both domestic and international travel. However, in an
exigency, wherein life saving treatment is mandatory for the infant, the mother
may be permitted to fly with the infant, provided the new born is certified
'fit to fly', by the concerned pediatrician / treating neonatologist and is
accompanied by at least an MBBS doctor.
'Fitness-to-Fly' certificate is
valid for a period of 10 days from the date of issue. However, in case of any
associated complications, the guest may be requested to produce a more recent
certificate (within 48 hours).
Samhita Das
