Flying Restrictions

Christmas Day will be the half-way point -- week 20. We'll be flying out to see family for Christmas, and we've already booked our tickets. As we talked about it today, R mentioned that there would come a point in her pregnancy when she might not be able to fly, but she didn't know when that might be.

Is there a point during pregancy after which a woman is not supposed to fly aboard an airplane? When is that? What are the reasons why? Let's ask babycenter.com.

My search took me to the section with all sorts of pregnancy travel information, likely compiled in response to the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the subject. Most of the questions seem pretty predictable, but there are a couple that I found mildly amusing. Here's the list:

• Can air bags harm a pregnant driver or passenger?
• Is it safe to fly during my third trimester?
• Is it safe to get vaccinated during pregnancy?
• Is it safe to go to a rock concert when I'm pregnant?
• Is it safe to ride the bumper cars at an amusement park when I'm pregnant?
• Is it safe to travel alone during pregnancy?
• Is it safe to travel to developing countries during pregnancy?
• Is it safe to use a seat belt during pregnancy?
• Is it safe to vacation at high altitude during pregnancy?
• Is it safe to walk through airport screening machines while I'm pregnant?
• Will airplane cabin pressure harm my unborn baby?

The article says that it's generally safe to fly throughout your pregnancy, except if you are a high-risk case (twins, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc). The main concern in the last month of pregnancy is that you might go into labour. Most airlines have some kind of restriction against flying in the last week or the last month before the due date. I imagine the airlines got tired of people having babies on their planes and disrupting their passengers and schedules.

Cabin pressure isn't a problem, but blood circulation can be. You just have to make sure to walk around to keep the blood flowing. The metal detectors aren't considered dangerous to anyone's health, including pregnant ladies. Bumper cars, on the other hand, are not the ideal way to travel when you are pregnant. So, if you decide you have to go to a rock concert, you would be better off driving your regular car.