Jan Rydfors, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and co-founder of the Pregnancy Company’s application, recently gave travel advice for pregnant women, some of which were helpful in traveling with her future wife just before the birth of her first daughter. Here are some comments.
What precautions should pregnant women take before traveling?
Something Dr.Rydfors recommends to all his patients:
Obtain a copy of the prenatal letter and a letter from your O.B with the dates of the trip and their expiration. Since, in any medical case, doctors in Costa Rica will have an idea of how the pregnancy is.
The hotel or the embassy of your country should have a list of doctors who can recommend (Costa Rica has an excellent health care system). Most doctors in Costa Rica have the ability to understand basic English.
It is also recommended, get vaccinated against the flu. Since many people surround the plane, there are many surfaces that will be burrows and these places are more likely to share viruses. It should be noted that the vaccine takes two weeks before it works.
Something to pack?
It is not a bad idea to ask your doctor for a prescription for azithromycin.
Also, an antibiotic against diarrhea to carry with oneself. This condition is more worrying about dehydration than pollution itself. In Costa Rica there is plenty of clean coconut water – it has sugar and electrolytes-, which will work in any case to rehydrate.
Dr. Jan Rydfors, says the following about the trip he took with his wife;
” My wife had terrible morning sickness, and it did get worse during the travel partly because a lack of sleep makes you a little more nauseous. She was already taking the anti-nausea medication Scopolamine, so she took a bit more to max out her dosage. You can ask your O.B. about the Scopolamine patches behind your ear, which are very good and safe to use.”
Read also: Costa Rica is launching the conquest of wellness tourism
Any advice for the plane?
When you are pregnant, you tend to sweat and urinate more, in addition to drinking fewer fluids from nausea. This can result in dehydration, particularly since it is very dry.
So we recommend drinking as much as possible. And also, when dehydrated, the blood can become more viscous, thus prone to blood clots. Then, it is recommended to walk back and forth in the hallway at least once every hour to make sure the blood is flowing.
Also, wear loose shoes to help with any swelling of the feet.
What else recommends pregnant women to travel?
It is recommended to travel to Costa Rica between 32 and 34 weeks maximum since, after 34, the body swells so much that it can be genuinely uncomfortable on the plane.
Anything else?
Yes, enjoy Costa Rica and have a Pura Vida Travel!
