When you’re pregnant and planning to travel, there are a lot of things to think about, especially when it comes to high altitude. So you’re expecting and dreaming of those Instagram-worthy mountain views? Hold up – before you start packing your hiking boots, let’s talk about what happens when you take your baby bump to higher ground. Is it safe to travel to high altitudes while pregnant?
Spoiler alert: the answer isn’t as simple as you might think.
Why Altitude Hits Different When You’re Pregnant
Picture this: you’re already sharing your oxygen with a tiny human growing inside you, and now you’re asking your body to function with even less oxygen available. At high altitudes, the air gets thinner, which means every breath delivers less of that precious oxygen your body (and your baby) desperately needs.
Think of it like trying to breathe through a straw – doable, but definitely more work. Your body has to work overtime just to get the oxygen it needs for basic functions, let alone supporting a pregnancy. And here’s the kicker: if you’re struggling to get enough oxygen, chances are your little one is too.
What the Experts Actually Know
Here’s the thing that might surprise you – scientists don’t actually know a ton about pregnancy and high altitudes. There’s been one main study that followed about 450 women who regularly hit the mountains during pregnancy, and guess what? They seemed to do just fine. Researchers found no increased risk of complications. However, they said that a single study is insufficient to establish definitive safety guidelines. More research needs to be done.
It’s kind of like having one friend who ate sushi throughout her entire pregnancy and had a perfectly healthy baby – great for her, but you probably want more than one success story before making your own decision, right?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides specific recommendations based on current evidence. They advise pregnant women to avoid staying at altitudes of 8,500 feet or higher for more than a few days, and definitely don’t sleep above 12,000 feet if you can help it. To put this in perspective, Denver sits at 5,280 feet and would likely pose minimal risk, so your weekend getaway there is probably totally fine. Avoid destinations like Pikes Peak, though. At an elevation exceeding 14,000 feet, it could present major issues.
Recognizing Altitude-Related Symptoms
One of the most challenging aspects of high-altitude travel during pregnancy is differentiating between altitude sickness and normal pregnancy symptoms. Both conditions can cause dizziness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, headaches, and sleep disturbances. The tricky part is figuring out if you’re just having a normal pregnancy day or if the altitude is actually messing with you.
The key sign is the severity and onset of symptoms. If these symptoms suddenly get way worse after you’ve gained some elevation, that’s your body’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m not loving this thin air situation.” Remember that if you’re struggling to get adequate oxygen, your baby is likely experiencing similar oxygen deprivation.
Your Game Plan When Things Go Sideways
If you start feeling rough at high altitude, don’t try to tough it out. The fix is surprisingly simple: go down. Like, literally head to a lower elevation. Most of the time, this works like magic and you’ll start feeling better pretty quickly.
But here’s the important part – if your symptoms don’t go away after you’ve descended, it’s time to find a doctor. Sometimes what feels like altitude sickness could be something else entirely, and you don’t want to mess around when you’re pregnant.
The Exercise Reality Check
Planning to maintain your fitness routine in the mountains? Pump the brakes a little. Even if you’re normally a total gym warrior, high altitude changes the game completely. Your heart will be pounding from activities that usually don’t even make you break a sweat.
The CDC specifically recommends avoiding strenuous exercise unless you’re already used to high-altitude physical activity. Even routine activities may cause unusual breathlessness and heart palpitations. When planning high-altitude vacations, plan extra time to get used to the altitude before you try anything too ambitious. That epic hike might need to become a gentle stroll, and those ski lessons? Maybe save them for after baby arrives.
When High Altitude Gets Serious
Pregnant women with certain medical conditions face elevated risks at high altitudes. If you’re dealing with high blood pressure, preeclampsia, or any other pregnancy complications, high altitude could make things worse – and fast.
Plus, let’s be real about mountain destinations: they’re often in the middle of nowhere. If something goes wrong, you could be hours away from the medical care you need. It’s like Murphy’s Law, but with more dramatic scenery.
Long-Term Effects
Researchers have found that when pregnant women don’t get enough oxygen repeatedly, it can increase the risk of preeclampsia and affect how well the baby grows. But here’s the good news – if you’re just taking a short mountain vacation and you’re not feeling awful, you’re probably fine.
The key word here is “repeatedly.” A long weekend in Aspen isn’t the same as living in oxygen-thin air for months on end.
Living at High Altitudes While Pregnant
Because you’re familiar with breathing the thinner air where you live, you’ll be far less likely to run into issues in your pregnancy relating to altitude than someone who’s just arrived.
Women who permanently reside at altitudes above 8,500 feet have physically adapted in a way that helps them function effectively in low-oxygen environments. Their bodies have made all sorts of cool adaptations over time – increased red blood cell production, higher hemoglobin levels, expanded networks of small blood vessels, and enhanced oxygen-storing proteins in muscle tissue. It’s like they’ve been naturally training for high-altitude living their whole lives.
Despite these adaptations, pregnancy at high altitude still carries increased risks. Babies born to mothers living at high elevations tend to have lower birth weights compared to those born at sea level. Women living at high altitudes face two to three times greater risk of developing preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction.
Here’s something really cool though: women whose families have been living at high altitudes for thousands of years (think Bolivia, Peru, Tibet) have some pretty amazing genetic adaptations that help protect their babies. Evolution for the win!
Traveling to a High Altitude While Pregnant
High-altitude travel during pregnancy requires careful consideration of your health status, the elevation, available medical care, planned activities, and how long you’ll be there. While short-term visits to moderate elevations may pose minimal risk for healthy pregnancies, each situation requires individual assessment.
Since every pregnancy is different, what works for your mountain-climbing bestie might not work for you. The most important thing is being honest with yourself about how you’re feeling and not being afraid to change plans if your body is telling you something’s not right.
Short mountain trips at moderate elevations? Probably fine for most healthy pregnancies. Epic high-altitude adventures? Maybe save those for when you can enjoy them without worrying about a tiny passenger.
The best advice? Talk to your doctor before you book that mountain cabin, listen to your body when you get there, and remember that the mountains will still be there after your little one arrives. In fact, they’ll probably make for some pretty amazing family adventures down the road.
Our pregnancy articles are for information only and shouldn’t be used to diagnose or create a treatment plan. Always ask your doctor for advice about any questions or issues you may have during your pregnancy.
If you’re wondering how your baby is growing, make sure to check out this realistic video, “Life Before Birth.” This six minute video is a great way to learn how a baby develops during pregnancy.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on March 25, 2014, and has since been updated.