I’m Pregnant – Can I Travel Overseas?
The Better Health Channel advises that travelling and flying is often safest during your second trimester. Generally, travelling while pregnant is fine as long as there are no complications and you have your doctor's approval.
Things to Consider:
- Airlines regulations: Airlines (both domestic and international) will have different policies for pregnant travellers, so you’ll need to check their individual policies before booking your flights. For example, Qantas allows travel up to the end of the 36th week for single pregnancies on flights over 4 hours.
- Vaccinations: It may not be safe for you to travel to certain areas or regions if you cannot be vaccinated. While the influenza vaccine is recommended, many other vaccines may not be safe for pregnant women or their babies.
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Long flights can also increase the risk of DVT, a serious condition causing blood clots in the legs. This can be prevented by wearing support stockings and moving around during the flight.
- Age Considerations: If you are over 35 and pregnant for the first time, it may not be advisable to travel or fly, according to the Better Health Channel
Pregnancy & Travel Insurance
Most travel insurance companies provide pregnancy cover for women who wish to travel or fly.
In most cases, you won’t be covered for normal pregnancy or childbirth costs while overseas, but you will be covered for specific complications that arise from your pregnancy or birth.
Complications Covered Can Include:
- Premature delivery
- Gestational diabetes or hypertension
- Pre-eclampsia
- Excessive vomiting diagnosed as hyperemesis
- Birth complications such as placental abruption or emergency caesareans
- Miscarriages or stillbirths
Make sure you check the terms and conditions of your specific policy so that you understand what you are and aren’t covered for in relation to pregnancy and childbirth.
Will you be covered for the full term?
Most travel insurance companies will cover your pregnancy up to 26-28 weeks, while others can provide cover for up to 30 weeks.
There can also be other restrictions on how long you will be covered for depending on:
- Whether your pregnancy is single or multiple (twins, triplets etc.)
- Whether you conceived naturally or engaged the use of reproductive services to conceive
- Whether you have a routine pregnancy or are experiencing complications
- Any pre-existing complications or conditions before purchasing the travel insurance (which need to be declared this upon application as a pre-existing condition)
Did you know?