Tips for Baby Travel

Traveling while 30 weeks pregnant: Travel Insurance Requirements

Traveling while 30 weeks pregnant: Travel Insurance Requirements

This is the first time I will be traveling out of country in my third trimester. Two years ago when I was pregnant with Baby B we went to Belize, Mexico and Guatemala but I was only 5 months pregnant (20 weeks). During that trip I was barely showing (I’m 5 months pregnant in the photo above), could easily get around, and overall felt very good.

This time around, I’m a lot slower, definitely look pregnant and most of the time I’m uncomfortable.

This weekend, we are heading to Santa Monica, California. We picked this destination for a couple reasons: we could redeem our Aeroplan Miles for a direct flight, the flight is short (under 3 hours), we don’t have to change time zones, it’s baby friendly and it’s a safe place for me to travel while in my third trimester.

Last week, I called to confirm if our travel insurance would cover my pregnancy. Since it’s a short trip, we have coverage through our credit card and through our work. Anything over 2 weeks is when we need to purchase additional days. I was a little shocked in the difference between both policies.

1. Credit card insurance – covers any medical expenses (including delivery), up to $5 million, but only up until 9 weeks before my scheduled due date. Although I just make the cut-off, I would not be covered if I was traveling past 31 weeks.
2. Insurance from our employers – Both Cameron and I have insurance through our work. When I called to inquire about our policy, I found that while pregnant, I’m covered only for emergency situations up to $3 million any time before 36 weeks. Therefore, my work insurance gives an additional 5 weeks allowance for pregnant women but only in emergency situations.

If you are traveling while pregnant here are some things to consider:

1. Do not make assumptions. Call your insurance provider and ask specifically about being pregnant. Not every policy covers pregnant women.
2. Some airlines have cut-off times for pregnant women (normally between 34 and 37 weeks)
3. Every policy wants you to call before going into a hospital. That way they can help select an appropriate hospital that they have relations with and sometimes even set-up direct billing, so you avoid going out of pocket.

Traveling without insurance is risky – especially when pregnant. If your baby is born early, the costs for NICU can add up fast, especially if it takes a while before the baby can leave the hospital. We always purchase travel insurance and travel with the motto – better safe than sorry.

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Have you traveled while pregnant?
Share your experiences and tips in the comments section below.