With Child and On the Road

Everyone loves a vacation, and sometimes getting away from it all is just what the doctor ordered. But if going on vacation means traveling any great distance, you might want to think twice.

"If you're 28 weeks pregnant, this isn't the time to fly to Hawaii," says Ralph Dauterive, MD, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in Baton Rouge, La.

"When my patients ask me whether it's all right to travel, I always ask them if they really want to hear my answer," says Dauterive. "Why are you taking a long trip when you're pregnant? How many times in your life are you going to be pregnant? What's your priority?"

That said, however, Dauterive adds, he's not nixing travel for all pregnant women, or for the entire term of their pregnancy. For women who are experiencing an uneventful pregnancy and are at low risk for complications, Dauterive generally considers it safe to travel until 28-30 weeks of pregnancy. The Nutrition Dos and Don'ts of Pregnancy

After that, he explains, the risk of preterm labor and complications such as ruptured membranes and bleeding, go up. If that should happen, it's best to be within 90-100 miles of your doctor and your hospital so you can get to them when you need them.

"Late in the third trimester is when things are going to happen," says Dauterive. "Traveling at such a time is not the best idea."

If you're having a complicated pregnancy or have conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, traveling at all is a no-no, Dauterive says.

It's not just being able to guarantee that you get the best care that makes staying close to home at the end of your pregnancy a wise choice, says Dauterive. It's making sure your baby has what he or she needs as well. "If there's a problem with the baby, and you're not at a hospital that can handle the problem, you're really rolling the dice," he cautions.

Mark Kufel, MD, an ob-gyn at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, takes the approach that pregnancy is a natural, physiologic process, and not a disease. His approach to prenatal care, he says, is based on this assumption, and that includes his views on traveling while pregnant.

"Travel is no more dangerous for the pregnant woman than for her non-pregnant counterparts," he says, adding, however, that some adjustments should be made.

Kufel usually recommends a maximum of six hours a day driving over long distances, with frequent breaks along the way. "This is usually the case anyway," he says, "as the bladder seems to require a little extra attention as well!" Stopping every two hours or so and walking around for 10 minutes will usually suffice. This increases blood flow from the lower extremities, he explains, and lessens the risk of blood clots, which is increased in pregnancy.