Travel and pregnancy

In most cases it is safe to travel while you are pregnant. This includes travel overseas or within Australia, by:

• air
• sea
• road

The second trimester (weeks 13 to 26 of pregnancy) is usually the best time to travel. The risk of pregnancy complications like miscarriage is lowest during this time.

If you have a high chance of pregnancy complications, it may not be safe for you to travel. Your doctor or midwife can give you advice based on your personal medical situation.

Travel by air and sea may be restricted towards the end of your pregnancy. It is best to check the specific rules of your airline or cruise line.

Planning ahead can help keep you and your baby safe while travelling.

You can read more about travel health advice (Opens in new tab).

Check travel advice

If you are planning to travel overseas, it's a good idea to check the Smartraveller (Opens in new tab) travel advisory (Opens in new tab) for your destination. You can set up an email alert too.

If current advice says not to travel to your destination country, think again about travelling there. Don't put yourself or your baby at risk of harm.

Speak to your doctor or midwife

It's very important to talk to your midwife or doctor about when and how to travel. They can:

• help you decide whether it is safe for you to travel
• talk about which vaccinations (Opens in new tab) you may need
• discuss any special precautions you should take

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, your doctor may advise against travel to keep both you and your baby safe.

Check your travel insurance

Before you travel, you should get travel insurance.

Make sure your travel insurance gives you pregnancy cover in the place you are visiting, including if:

• you are having a multiple birth
• you have a high risk of complications
• you are receiving fertility treatment

Different travel insurance policies offer different levels of pregnancy cover. You may only be covered until week 32 of pregnancy. Some policies also cover newborns. This could be important if your baby comes early while you're away from home.

It's not recommended to travel to very remote areas or to developing countries while you're pregnant. If you do, make sure your travel insurance will cover any medical care or emergency evacuation expenses you might need.

If you're travelling within Australia, you can receive care throughout the country with your Medicare (Opens in new tab) card or private health insurance. But it is still a good idea to get travel insurance in case of other problems, such as if your trip needs to be cancelled or if your baggage gets lost. Having travel insurance can help you avoid unexpected costs before your baby arrives.

You can read more about finding the best travel insurance (Opens in new tab) on the government's Smartraveller website (Opens in new tab).

Take steps to prevent infection

Pack hand sanitiser to use while you're travelling. That way, you can make sure your hands are always clean (Opens in new tab) before you eat or drink.

If you are travelling internationally or to certain regions of Australia, you may be at increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases (Opens in new tab), such as:

• malaria (Opens in new tab)
• Zika virus
• Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) (Opens in new tab)

Malaria, Zika virus and JEV are infections spread by mosquitos in some parts of the world. These infections can increase your risk of:

• miscarriage
• premature labour
• stillbirth

If you are pregnant and unvaccinated, you also have a higher risk of severe illness and hospital admission with COVID-19 or the flu (influenza) (Opens in new tab).

If you are pregnant, you should avoid travel to countries where these infections are a problem. Ask your doctor if travel vaccinations are safe for you while pregnant.

You can check the health risks of your travel destination on Smartraveller (Opens in new tab).

If you visit an area that has mosquitoes ('mozzies'), the following tips can help prevent mosquito bites (Opens in new tab):

• Use insect repellent (Opens in new tab) containing DEET — after the first trimester use a spray instead of a roll-on.
• Wear long-sleeved clothes and long pants.
• Use a mosquito net over your bed.
• Stay indoors after dark.

Prepare for any language barriers

If you are travelling overseas, it is a good idea to prepare for any language barriers. That way, you can communicate if you need pregnancy care while away from Australia.

You can:

• take a phrase book with you
• use a translation app on your phone, or other translation software
• keep translations of common pregnancy problems or complications with you

An Australian embassy or consulate can also tell you where to find local accredited translators in an emergency.

As well as bringing your passport and tickets, you'll need to plan your packing a little more carefully if you're pregnant.

Documents

Take a copy of your medical records with you when you travel. They can be useful if you need medical care away from home.

You should also take photocopies of your:

• travel documents
• prescriptions for any medicines you are travelling with
• travel insurance policy

Ensure you keep these somewhere safe.

Medicines

Before you travel, ask your doctor about which medicines are safe and useful to take with you. This might include medicines for nausea (Opens in new tab) or morning sickness.

If you use long haul air travel, there is a higher risk of a blood clot forming in your leg. This is known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT (Opens in new tab). The risk of DVT can last for up to 2 weeks after air travel. During pregnancy, you already have a higher chance of developing a DVT. This is because of changes in your blood flow and circulation.

Long distance car or train travel can be uncomfortable for your legs and back, especially during pregnancy. Sitting still for a long time can also increase your risk of a blood clot in your legs.

To help you stay safe and comfortable:

• move around and stretch your knees and ankles as much as you can
• if you are driving, try to stop and take a break at least every 2 hours
• if you are on a train, take walks along the carriage to move around

Travelling can sometimes lead to motion sickness (Opens in new tab). You may prefer to plan trips for the second trimester of your pregnancy when nausea and vomiting are less common.

If you need travel sickness medicines, check with your doctor about which options are safe for pregnancy.

Wearing a seatbelt

You should continue to wear your seatbelt during pregnancy. The lap sash of the belt should go around your hips and under your stomach. The shoulder strap should be above your stomach and between your breasts.

If you are in a car accident while pregnant, see a doctor or midwife as soon as possible. They can check for any problems, even if you feel fine.

Vaccinations can help protect you from infections. Some vaccinations (Opens in new tab) are safe and routinely recommended during pregnancy, such as the:

• influenza (flu) vaccine
• whooping cough vaccine
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine

Some vaccines, including live virus vaccines, are not suitable during pregnancy.

The COVID-19 vaccine is not routinely recommended, but it is safe to have during any stage of pregnancy.

You can check which travel vaccinations (Opens in new tab) are recommended for your destination at Smartraveller.

Discuss with your doctor which vaccines you can have while you're pregnant.

Depending on where you are travelling, you may need to avoid some foods and the local tap water.

Traveller's diarrhoea (Opens in new tab) can be particularly dangerous if you are pregnant.

If there is any concern about the safety of the water at your destination, use bottled water. This includes brushing your teeth and making ice. If bottled water is not available, you can use boiled water or use chlorine-based purifying tablets to treat the water.

Water from iodine-based water treatment systems is not recommended if you are pregnant. This is because iodine can affect your baby's development.

Try to maintain a healthy diet while travelling. Try to eat food that has been freshly prepared. Some foods may contain harmful bacteria and should not be eaten during pregnancy, such as:

• raw or undercooked foods
• soft cheeses
• unpasteurised milk products
• salads

Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated. Avoid drinking alcohol — there is no safe level of alcohol you can drink during pregnancy.

If you are travelling, check if there are healthcare services for pregnancy near where you are staying. Before travelling, talk to your doctor or midwife. They can help you prepare for any care you might need.

If you are travelling within Australia, you can receive pregnancy care around the country. Maternity care may be harder to find if you are in a rural or remote area.

If you are travelling overseas there are different ways you can access care:

• If you need non-urgent pregnancy care, contact your travel insurer — most insurers offer 24-hour help lines that will help you.
• If it's an emergency, contact the local ambulance service — you can find the ambulance number of the country you are in through the Smartraveller travel advisory (Opens in new tab).
• If you are in serious trouble and can't get help anywhere else, contact the Australian embassy or consulate.

For more information on travel and pregnancy, you can visit:

• The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Opens in new tab) website for advice on travelling during pregnancy (Opens in new tab)
• Australian government website Smartraveller for advice for pregnant travellers (Opens in new tab)

Visit the Services Australia (Opens in new tab) website to learn about reciprocal health agreements (Opens in new tab) between Australia and some other countries.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook (Opens in new tab) has information on vaccinations for people who are planning pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding.

In case of emergency, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra for help from anywhere in the world. Call 1300 555 135 if you are in Australia, or +61 2 6261 3305 if you are overseas.