# Travel During Pregnancy: Flying, Road Trips and Going Abroad

> When to travel, airline cutoffs, avoiding blood clots, seatbelts, Zika and malaria, and what to pack.

Stage: pregnancy - Topic: Your pregnancy - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/pregnancy/travel-during-pregnancy

Grounded in: ACOG Committee Opinion and patient guidance "Air Travel During Pregnancy" and "Travel During Pregnancy", CDC Travelers' Health guidance for pregnant travelers, and CDC guidance on Zika and malaria. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice.

Reviewed: 2026-11

## TLDR

- Mid-pregnancy (about 14-28 weeks) is usually the easiest time; check with your provider first if you have complications.
- Airlines often restrict flights after 36 weeks (earlier abroad). Always wear the lap belt under the bump.
- Avoid Zika and, if you can, malaria areas. One swollen painful leg with chest pain or breathlessness means call 911.

## When to go

- Mid-pregnancy, about 14-28 weeks, is usually the most comfortable time: less nausea, more energy,
  and lower risk of labor.
- Travel is usually fine in a healthy pregnancy. Check with your provider first if you have
  complications such as preeclampsia, bleeding, a short cervix, preterm labor risk or twins.

## Flying

- Occasional air travel is safe for most healthy pregnancies. Airport scanners are safe.
- Many airlines restrict domestic flights after about 36 weeks, and international flights earlier
  (often 28-35 weeks). Rules vary, so check yours and carry a note with your due date if asked.
- Cruise lines often won't take passengers past about 24 weeks.
- Wear the seatbelt low, across your hips, under the bump, whenever seated.
- Long flights raise blood clot risk. Choose an aisle seat, walk every 1-2 hours, flex your ankles,
  drink water, and wear knee-high compression socks.
- Avoid gassy foods before flying; gas expands at altitude.

## Road trips

- Always buckle up: lap belt under the bump across the hips, shoulder strap between the breasts and
  off to the side of the belly. Never skip the belt.
- Keep the airbag on and move the seat back, keeping at least 10 in (25 cm) between your breastbone
  and the steering wheel or dashboard.
- Stop every 1-2 hours to walk and stretch.
- After any car crash, even a minor one when you feel fine, get checked by your provider or labor and
  delivery the same day.

## Traveling abroad

- Check CDC travel notices for your destination before booking.
- Avoid areas with current Zika spread; it can cause serious birth defects. Partners who have
  traveled there may be advised to use condoms or avoid sex for the rest of the pregnancy.
- Avoid malaria areas if you can; malaria is more dangerous in pregnancy. If you can't, ask about
  safe preventive medicine.
- Ask which travel vaccines are safe. Inactivated vaccines generally are; most live vaccines aren't.
- Food and water: drink bottled or treated water, skip ice and raw produce you can't peel, and follow
  the pregnancy food rules.
- High altitude (above about 8,000 ft / 2,400 m): ascend slowly and take it easy.
- Buy travel insurance that covers pregnancy, and check whether it covers a newborn born abroad.

## What to pack

- Copies of prenatal records, your blood type, insurance cards, prenatal vitamins and medicines.
- The address of a hospital near where you're staying, with maternity care.
- Snacks, water, compression socks, and comfortable shoes for swollen feet.

## When to check in

- Talk to your provider before booking travel after 28 weeks or to a place with limited medical care.
- Get checked the same day after any car crash, fall on your belly, or bleeding while away.
- If you have one painful, swollen leg plus chest pain or trouble breathing, call the local emergency
  number (911 in the US); this can be a blood clot in the lungs.