Lots of pregnant women are asking about travel safety. Here are a few tips.
- Whether you are on a plane, train or in a car, pregnant women are at a greater risk for blood clots than non-pregnant women. Therefore, on those long trips, make sure to get up and walk around every hour or two, drink lots of water and wear support hose to improve the circulation. If you don’t have support hose, don’t rush out just before your flight. You can wear spandex running pants or tights.
- If you are going someplace sunny and warm, don’t forget your sunscreen. Wear it everyday along with a hat.
- Beware of ticks! Cover up your lower legs and avoid walking through tall grass. Do a tick check every 24 hours and remove ticks with tweezers.
- One last thing. Every pregnant woman worries about the safety of bug spray. Remember these two things: DEET containing bug spray is the only repellent proven to protect against insect bites AND it is better to protect yourself against encephalitis from insects than to stress out about any potential risk of DEET in your baby’s health.
Have a great trip, relax and be safe.