Mot pregnant women are hesitant to travel by air during pregnancy. Most of the fears are based on hear and say.

Very few are aware of the actual pros and cons associated with flying during pregnancy. Firstly, flying as rule is not harmful for all pregnant women. It is only in special cases of medical concern that doctors advice pregnant women not to fly.Women medically said to be bearing a 'high risk pregnancy' should definitely avoid flying. Some of the other conditions under which flying should be avoided in pregnancy include diabetes, sickle cell disease, hypertension, placental problems and those fearing premature labor.

It is important to know that flying is not dangerous during all trimesters. Care needs to be taken during the first and especially the last trimester. Women in the first trimester with a healthy pregnancy can certainly fly without any risk. The only aspect that needs to take care of is increased sense of nausea. However, under circumstances of any symptoms displaying conditions of threatened miscarriage, flying should be avoided as it might aggravate the situation.

Flying is the safest during the second trimester. During this phase of pregnancy, women are normally over with conditions of morning sickness and the risk of miscarriage also decreases during this part of pregnancy. Moreover, the chances of going into premature labor are also minimal. However, there could be problems linked to poor circulation of blood that need to be handled appropriately. Certain recommendations that can help to minimize circulation issues include wearing loose fitting clothes, drinking lots of water while in air, avoiding a posture with crossed legs, flexing the leg and feet muscles in short intervals and walking the aisle after every one hour. Also, it is advisable to request for a seat with more leg space. Pregnant women should also keep their seat belts fastened throughout the flight for enhanced safety and to prevent any mishaps due to sudden jerks. 

As per the regulations of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, flying should be avoided after the 36th week of pregnancy. In fact, airlines have their own restrictions on the flying of pregnant women in the third trimester. Some airlines prohibit flying of pregnant women a week prior to the due date, while some take additional precautions by refusing a seat to pregnant women almost 30 days before the due date. For better safety, it is wise to take a green signal from the doctor before flying in the third trimester as there is a risk of going into premature labor. If that may be the case during the flight, the pregnant lady should monitor the contractions and inform the authority at the right time. The aircrew is generally equipped to handle such situations. Also, the pilot would probably try to land at the nearest possible destination.

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