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| |    Air Travel in Pregnancy by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. reviewed by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. Be it for work or pleasure, more women than ever are traveling in pregnancy. While the article Tips for Travel in Pregnancy contains some good general information for expectant moms, there are some factors that apply specifically to flying that you should know about if air travel figures into your lifestyle. Are oxygen levels OK for the baby? The cabins in commercial airplanes are pressurized at the equivalent of an altitude of 8,000 feet. This provides plenty of oxygen for you and the other passengers and will not pose a risk to your fetus, although you may notice mild shortness of breath during the flight. If you have any significant medical problems such as lung or heart disease, you should discuss with your practitioner whether air travel is prudent. Small private planes may not be as well pressurized as commercial airliners and so are best avoided during pregnancy. Preventing blood clots Sitting still for long periods of time increases your risk of developing blood clots in your legs, both due to pooling of blood in the leg veins and because pregnant women have increased clotting factors in their blood. Move your legs around and take frequent walking breaks to help get your circulation moving. (Your bladder probably won't let you sit for more than a few hours at a time, anyway!) The airlines' position on pregnant passengers I have a fantasy about some day being on a flight, hearing a passenger call out for a doctor because a woman has gone into labor and is about to have her baby, and coming to her rescue. Understandably, the airlines would rather this scenario not come to pass. Airlines do not want to be responsible for complications of pregnancy or childbirth, so if you are visibly pregnant, airline personnel may give you a hard time when you show up for your trip. Whether you are near your due date or just look that way, it's a good idea to bring a note from your practitioner saying that he has deemed it safe for you to travel by air.
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