Traveling whilst pregnant

[Mylomouse]

I've just become pregnant but whilst trying I did want my life to stop so do have 2 planned short breaks coming up;1 to Vienna (I'll be 8wks) & another to NYC (I'll be 19wks). Everything I've read suggests this should be fine, so what I'm trying to get now is some good travel insurance, in case I'm not allowed to travel for whatever reason. Can anyone recommend a travel insurer they have used whilst pregnant or if you have traveled whilst pregnant any hints and tips? Thanks so much x

I went to NYC and Vegas when 14 weeks pregnant and researched it quite thoroughly. Unless you are much further on when you travel then standard travel insurance will cover you for anything untoward that might happen in relation to your pregnancy. Just check the fine print of the policy. I went with coverwise and their policy states that as long as I wasn't travelling against medical advise and had a low risk pregnancy then I was covered. Hope that helps and congratulations.

I’ve got Columbus. It covers any hospital evergency related with pregnancy when on holiday and also cancellation but I think this is only til week 28.

What I don’t know is whether it covers you as you’ve already booked tickets + know you’re pregnant but can double check.

I have been to Barcelona (18w) and going for my xmas home (w25) and deciding whether to go for a weekend to Amsterdam (w30)

Btw I’m jealous of your holidays , love nyc :)

I’m not sure you’ll get cover for pregnancy when you’re already pregnant and already have the trips booked - have you checked any policy you already have in place?

Most insurance covers pregnancy complications - but obviously do check the small print.

One thing to consider if you want to travel later in pregnancy is would it cover the baby if you went in to labour prematurely? Sounds crazy, but if you had a preemie their care would probably be more expensive than yours, and insurance in your name wouldn't necessarily cover them!

Most decent travel insurance will cover emergency pregnancy care, which is all you need. Just look in the small print.

Otherwise, just plan ahead and take it easy when you need to. I traveled a bit (short haul) with this baby, but with my first I did three long haul flights of 10 hours, 6 hours, and 11 hours between 7 and 10 weeks. The main things I did that helped was bringing lots of water on board with me (you'll want to drink loads, I think I brought a 2L bottle each flight), bringing snacks so I could eat whenever I needed and keep my energy up (also settle any nausea), and get an aisle seat. I walked around lots and had lots of toilet trips each flight. That and really just take it easy when you get there. Sleep when you need to and expect to be more jet lagged than normal, and especially in New York, take breaks and stay off your feet if you get tired. You may not be able to do as much as you would not pregnant, but just plan downtime into your day.

Make sure you have health insurance that covers you at any hospital.

If you have a problem in NYC do not go to St Luke's. It's awful. Go to Columbia Medical Center, NYU or NY Presbyterian in Manhattan. If you are able to, get yourself to Hackensack in New Jersey (15min ride from Manhattan) as this hospital has amazing success with the earliest premie babies.

Recently travelled. About the same along as you will be when you go to NYC. Pretty bog standard cover from the research I did. I think I went with coverwise because they were the cheapest. When they ask about medical issues, being pregnant is just another tick box on the list. Honestly not a big deal at all. My DH (if we'd got a joint cover) would've bumped the price up far more due to a super minor op that he's totally recovered from than me being pregnant!

You would prob be best with an annual policy cost wise. The US bumps the price up regardless of being pregnant because of the potential cost of healthcare.

Every company will have exclusion criteria for specific pregnancy situations and these should be on their website. Mainly it's if you're going to be late in pregnancy (last few weeks) as airlines tend to have more of an issue with this, or if you've been deemed high risk and not medically cleared to travel. I explained my midwife had no concerns and they were like great okay that'll be twenty quid please.

On a practical note just wear some sexy flight socks, move around a bit and keep hydrated. So basically the regular sensible advice for a lot of people.

Oh and I took a photocopy of my maternity folder with me just in case. Didn't need it at all but handy in the unlikely event you need some healthcare.

Happy travelling, sounds like two awesome trips! 😁