Pregnant and Afraid to Fly

Q: I will have to fly when I am 11 weeks pregnant. I am terrified of flying - I stress before, during and after - could this be harmful to my baby? Should I cancel?

Thank you,

--S.A.

Dr. Donnica: While additional stress is never good for mom or baby, only you can determine whether your terror of flying is a reason to cancel or not. This decision is going to depend upon why you are planning to fly and how important that is to you. Personally, I don't do things I'm terrified of unless it's for a VERY good reason!

For an otherwise healthy pregnancy, flying at this stage causes no known dangers. If the flight is more than 2 hours, be sure to get up as much as possible and stretch your legs. If you do fly, be sure to keep well hydrated and bring healthy snacks with you. Request an aisle seat, as you will probably have to get up frequently to use the bathroom.

Click here for more information about depression or other mental health issues.

Best regards,
Donnica Moore MD
President, DrDonnica.com

Created: 4/16/2003  -  Donnica Moore, M.D.