can you travel at 2 weeks pregnant

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Traveling while pregnant: Your complete guide

Unless you're nearing your due date or have certain complications, your healthcare provider will generally give you the green light for pregnancy travel. Here's how to safely explore – plus what to consider before making plans.

Is traveling while pregnant safe?

When to avoid pregnancy travel, when is the best time to travel while you're pregnant , can pregnant women travel during covid, when should you stop traveling while pregnant, your pregnancy travel checklist, when to call your doctor while traveling.

Yes, it's generally safe to travel during pregnancy as long as you're not too close to your due date and you're not experiencing any serious pregnancy complications. There are special precautions to take, of course, and you may find yourself stopping to use the bathroom more than you're used to, but that babymoon can be within reach.

Before you pack your suitcase, talk with your healthcare provider to make sure it’s safe for you to travel and that your destination is a good choice. You'll want to avoid places where infectious diseases are prevalent (or there are high outbreaks of Zika or malaria, for example). The COVID-19 pandemic has made people reconsider where they feel safe traveling as well; if you're fully vaccinated, the CDC says you can travel Opens a new window , but it's always best to check with your doctor first.

And bear in mind that the activities you take part in might be different than normal – you'll want to skip the Scuba diving lessons, for example (though snorkeling is okay!).

It's safe to fly when you're pregnant as well, and most airlines will allow you to fly domestically until about 36 weeks of pregnancy. International routes may have different rules, so be sure to check with your airline before booking anything. Your doctor will tell you to avoid flying, however, if you have a health concern that might require emergency care or any other health conditions that aren’t well controlled.

It's best to avoid traveling while pregnant if you have any health conditions that can be life-threatening to both you or your baby. If you have any of the following conditions, your doctor will almost certainly advise you against travel:

• Placental abruption  
• Preeclampsia
• You're in preterm or active labor
• Cervical insufficiency  (incompetent cervix)
• Premature rupture of membranes (PROM)
• A suspected ectopic pregnancy
• Vaginal bleeding

You might also need to be extra-cautious or skip travel if you're experiencing intrauterine growth restriction , you have placenta previa , or you have other conditions that may place your pregnancy at a higher risk. It’s always a good idea to discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider before travel regarding any medical conditions you have, and they'll be able to advise you on what's best, depending on the trip.

The sweet spot for pregnancy travel is during your second trimester , between 14 weeks and 27 weeks. By the second trimester, any struggles you’ve had with morning sickness and fatigue during the earlier weeks of pregnancy should have hopefully subsided – and after 12 weeks, your risk of miscarriage decreases significantly as well. And you're not too far along to worry about third trimester exhaustion or going into preterm labor yet, either.

Your energy levels are likely to be good during your second trimester too (bring on the sightseeing!), and it will still be relatively easy and comfortable for you to travel and move around at this time. Keep in mind that once you hit that third trimester, pregnancy travel might be more difficult as you find it harder to move around and stay still for long periods of time.

It's complicated (and often a personal decision based on your own risk factors), but the CDC says that if you're fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you can travel. Of course, it's important you still do everything you can to keep yourself and others around you safe, including following all mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines in the destination you visit.

Women are at an increased risk for severe illness if they contract COVID-19 while pregnant , and they're more likely to experience preterm birth and other poor pregnancy outcomes. (This is why the CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine all recommend that women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or are planning on becoming pregnant get the COVID vaccine .)

If you're vaccinated and decide to travel, the CDC advises avoiding international destinations that are designated Level 4, due to high rates of local COVID-19 transmission.

Take all this information into account and talk to your doctor before you decide on where and when to travel while you're pregnant. And if you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, whether while traveling or at home, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

The guidelines for when to stop traveling while you're pregnant vary based on your mode of travel, but more or less, you should wrap up travel before you're 36 weeks pregnant.

Most airlines will let pregnant women fly domestically until they're 36 weeks pregnant – and many cut that off earlier for international travel. This rule is often enforced on an honor system policy, but some airlines may ask for a doctor’s note – so make sure you have that from your healthcare provider if you're traveling in the third trimester, just in case.

Most cruise ships don't allow travel after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Some cruise lines' cutoff dates vary, so verify policies before booking a cruise.

As for road trips, there's no official deadline for when you need to stop traveling, but your personal comfort level (physically and emotionally) – and your doctor's advice – might help you decide. You can drive while pregnant all the way up until your due date, but things may get considerably less comfortable on longer trips as you approach full term.  

Travel of any kind requires advance preparation, but when you're pregnant and traveling, that pre-trip checklist gets a little longer. Give yourself a little more time than usual to plan for a trip – and use the tips below to stay safe and comfortable on your next adventure.

Before you travel

• Talk to your healthcare provider to determine if your trip is safe for you and if there are any medical concerns to consider. It's a good idea to discuss any activities you plan to do while you're away too. If you're planning an international trip, make sure to ask about any vaccines you may need for the areas you're visiting.
• Make sure you know your prenatal test schedule. Plan travels around any prenatal tests you need to schedule, including ultrasounds and other important screening tests.
• Book an aisle seat. You'll likely be more comfortable being able to get up to stretch or go to the bathroom on longer flights.
• Buy travel insurance. You don't need special travel insurance when you're pregnant, but it's never a bad idea to secure a policy. You may want to consider one with a “cancel for any reason” clause that reimburses you for money lost on cancelled trips for reasons (read: any reason) beyond what’s listed on the base policy. Check with your personal health insurance, too, to make sure it covers potential pregnancy complications while traveling internationally (some don’t). Consider adding evacuation insurance as part of a travel insurance plan, too.
• Gather your medical records and health information . If you’re in your second or third trimester, ask your ob-gyn or midwife for a digital copy of your prenatal chart, and have that easily accessible during your trip. Typically, this chart includes your age, your blood type, the name and contact information for your healthcare provider, the date of your last menstrual period, your due date, information about any prior pregnancies, your risk factors for disease, results of pregnancy-related lab tests (including ultrasounds or other imaging tests), your medical and surgical history, and a record of vital signs taken at each visit.
• Keep a list of key names and numbers you may need in the event of an emergency saved on your phone and written on a piece of paper (in case your battery dies).
• Have a contingency plan for doctors and hospitals that will take your insurance where you're going in case you go into labor early or experience pregnancy complications that require urgent care while you're away from home.
• Pack medicines and prenatal vitamins. That might include an extended supply of prescriptions and over-the-counter remedies , too. Bring enough to cover your entire trip and a written prescription that you can fill if you lose anything. It's a good idea to keep prescription medicine in its original container, so if your bags are searched it will be clear that you're not using medication without a prescription.
• Prepare for the unexpected. On a road trip, that might mean an unexpected breakdown, so join an auto club that provides roadside assistance. Download any apps you use for renting cars and accessing boarding passes before you leave so you can easily reschedule things in the event of a last-minute cancellation.
• If you're flying during your third trimester, be sure to call the airline to check about the cutoff week for pregnancy travel. A note from your doctor that says you’re cleared to travel is always good to have when traveling during your third trimester.

During your trip

• Drink plenty of water and continue to eat healthy foods . Keep in mind that many restaurants abroad commonly serve unpasteurized foods (like soft cheeses and milk), which can be dangerous for pregnant women due to the presence of listeria.
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat or fish , drinks with ice (which may be contaminated), non-bottled water, and other foods that can cause traveler's diarrhea, which can be more of a problem for pregnant women than other people.
• On long flights and drives, take time to stretch by pulling over for a walk or strolling up and down the airplane aisle. And when seated, always wear your seat belt .
• Maternity compression socks are handy to have along – both in transit and worn under your clothes while you’re out and about exploring – because they can ease the symptoms of swollen feet and legs. These are a few of our favorite pregnancy compression socks .
• Take advantage of help. Many countries have dedicated lines in shops and airports for pregnant travelers, so don't feel any shame taking a shorter wait if you see one.
• Go easy on yourself. Remember, you're growing a baby. You might not have quite the stamina for sightseeing and late nights like you used to pre-pregnancy. Make the most of your vacation but don't fret you miss out on things because you need more downtime from exploring than you usually would.
• Don’t forget to get photos of your bump. When your baby is older, you'll have fun showing them all the places you traveled with them before they were born.
• Go for the comfy shoes. Travel during pregnancy is the best reason ever to forgo those strappy stilettos for your favorite sneakers .
• Pack snacks so you always have something to curb your appetite if there’s a long wait for a restaurant or you get stuck in transit or someplace remote with no food offerings.
• Try to be in the moment with your travel partners as much as possible. Once your baby is born, your attention will be pulled in a whole new direction.

If you have any medical concerns traveling while pregnant, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call your doctor for advice. The below are a few symptoms that definitely warrant calling your ob-gyn or health care provider or seeking emergency care while traveling or at home:

• Signs of pre-term labor (including a constant, low dull backache, bleeding, etc.)
• Ruptured membranes (your water breaks)
• Severe cramping
• Spiking blood pressure
• Severe nausea or vomiting
• COVID-19 symptoms

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BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies .

AAFP. 2020. Ultrasound during pregnancy. American Academy of Family Physicians.  https://familydoctor.org/ultrasound-during-pregnancy/ Opens a new window [Accessed April 2023]

ACOG. 2020. FAQ055: Travel during pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/travel-during-pregnancy Opens a new window [Accessed April 2023]

CDC. 2019. Pregnant Travelers. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/family-travel/pregnant-travelers Opens a new window [Accessed April 2023]

CDC. 2022. Domestic Travel During Covid-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html Opens a new window [Accessed April 2023]

CDC 2023. International Travel During Covid-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html Opens a new window [Accessed April 2023]

CDC. 2022. Covid-19: Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/pregnant-people.html Opens a new window [Accessed April 2023]

Terry Ward is a freelance travel, health, and parenting writer who has covered everything from flying with toddlers to why you should travel with your kids even when they're too young to remember it. She lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband and their young son and daughter, and enjoys camping, sailing, scuba diving, skiing, and almost anything else done in the great outdoors.

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Pregnancy Travel Tips

Medical review policy, latest update:, can you travel while pregnant , read this next, when should you stop traveling while pregnant, how should you prepare for a trip during pregnancy, what do pregnant women need to know about travel and the zika virus, travel tips for pregnant people, when should you seek medical care while traveling during pregnancy.

While traveling during pregnancy is generally considered safe for most moms-to-be, you’ll need to take some precautions before making any plans — and get the green light from your practitioner first.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting , 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff. WhatToExpect.com, Zika Virus and Pregnancy , October 2020. WhatToExpect.com, What to Know About COVID-19 if You’re Pregnant , February 2021. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Travel During Pregnancy , August 2020. Johns Hopkins Medicine, Traveling While Pregnant or Breastfeeding , 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination , May 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People , May 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pregnant Travelers , December 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Travel: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers , April 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 and Cruise Ship Travel , March 2020.

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Travel During Pregnancy

As long as there are no identified complications or concerns with your pregnancy, it is generally safe to travel during your pregnancy. The ideal time to travel during pregnancy is the second trimester .  In most cases, you are past the morning sickness of the first trimester and several weeks from the third stage of pregnancy when you are more easily fatigued .

Is it safe to travel during pregnancy?

Traveling by air is considered safe for women while they are pregnant; however, the following ideas might make your trip safer and more comfortable.

• Most airlines allow pregnant women to travel through their eighth month. Traveling during the ninth month is usually allowed if there is permission from your health care provider.
• Most airlines have narrow aisles and smaller bathrooms, which makes it more challenging to walk and more uncomfortable when using the restroom. Because of potential turbulence that could shake the plane, make sure you are holding on to the seatbacks while navigating the aisle.
• You may want to choose an aisle seat which will allow you to get up more easily to reach the restroom or just to stretch your legs and back.
• Travel on major airlines with pressurized cabins and avoid smaller private planes. If you must ride in smaller planes, avoid altitudes above 7,000 feet.
• Although doubtful, the risk of DVT can be further reduced by wearing compression stockings.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the International Air Travel Association recommend that expecting mothers in an uncomplicated pregnancy avoid travel from the 37th week of pregnancy through birth. Avoiding travel from 32 weeks through birth is recommended for women who have complicated pregnancies with risk factors for premature labor, such as mothers carrying multiples.

Risk factors that warrant travel considerations include the following:

• Severe anemia
• Cardiac disease
• Respiratory disease
• Recent hemorrhage
• Current or recent bone fractures

Traveling by Sea During Pregnancy

Traveling by sea is generally safe for women while they are pregnant; the motion of the boat may accentuate any morning sickness or make you feel nauseous all over again. There are a few considerations to make your trip safer and more comfortable:

• Check with the cruise line to ensure that there is a health care provider on board in case there are any pregnancy complications .
• Review the route and port-of-calls to identify if there is access to any medical facilities if needed.
• Make sure any medications for seasickness are approved for women who are pregnant and that there is no risk to the developing baby.
• Seasickness bands use acupressure points to help prevent upset stomach and maybe a good alternative to medication.

International Travel During Pregnancy

Traveling overseas has the same considerations that local or domestic travel has, but it also has additional concerns that you need to know about before making an international trip. The information below is provided to help you assess whether an international trip is good for you at this time:

• It is important to talk with your health care provider before you take a trip internationally to discuss safety factors for you and your baby.
• Discuss immunizations with your health care provider and carry a copy of your health records with you.
• With international travel, you may be exposed to a disease that is rare here in the United States but is common in the country you visit.
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at (800) 311-3435 or visit their website at www.cdc.gov to receive safety information along with immunization facts related to your travels.
• Diarrhea is a common concern when traveling overseas because you may not be used to the germs and organisms found in the food and water of other countries. This can lead to a problem of dehydration .

Here are some tips to avoid diarrhea and help keep you safe:

• Drink plenty of bottled water
• Used canned juices or soft drinks as alternatives
• Make sure the milk is pasteurized
• Avoid fresh fruits and vegetables unless they have been cooked or can be peeled (such as an orange or a banana)
• Make certain that all meat and fish has been cooked completely; if you are unsure, do not eat it

Travel Tips During Pregnancy

Whether you are going by car, bus, or train, it is generally safe to travel while you are pregnant; however, there are some things to consider that could make your trip safer and more comfortable.

• It is essential to buckle-up every time you ride in a car. Make sure that you use both the lap and shoulder belts for the best protection of you and your baby.
• Keep the airbags turned on. The safety benefits of the airbag outweigh any potential risk to you and your baby.
• Buses tend to have narrow aisles and small restrooms. This mode of transportation can be more challenging.  The safest thing is to remain seated while the bus is moving. If you must use the restroom, make sure to hold on to the rail or seats to keep your balance.
• Trains usually have more room to navigate and walk. The restrooms are usually small. It is essential to hold on to rails or seat backs while the train is moving.
• Try to limit the amount of time you are cooped up in the car, bus, or train. Keep travel time around five to six hours.
• Use rest stops to take short walks and to do stretches to keep the blood circulating.
• Dress comfortably in loose cotton clothing and wear comfortable shoes.
• Take your favorite pillow.
• Plan for plenty of rest stops, restroom breaks and stretches.
• Carry snack foods with you.
• If you are traveling any distance, make sure to carry a copy of your prenatal records.
• Enjoy the trip.

Want to Know More?

• How to Treat Jet Lag Naturally During Pregnancy

Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. Planning Your Pregnancy and Birth Third Ed. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Ch. 5. William’s Obstetrics Twenty-Second Ed. Cunningham, F. Gary, et al, Ch. 8.

2. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Air Travel and Pregnancy (Scientific Impact Paper No. 1), https://www.rcog.org/uk, May 22, 2013.

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Pregnant travelers can generally travel safely with appropriate preparation. But they should avoid some destinations, including those with risk of Zika and malaria. Learn more about traveling during pregnancy and steps you can take to keep you and your baby healthy.

Before Travel

Before you book a cruise or air travel, check the airlines or cruise operator policies for pregnant women. Some airlines will let you fly until 36 weeks, but others may have an earlier cutoff. Cruises may not allow you to travel after 24–28 weeks of pregnancy, and you may need to have a note from your doctor stating you are fit to travel.

Zika and Malaria

Zika can cause severe birth defects. The Zika virus is spread through mosquito bites and sex. If you are pregnant, do not travel to  areas with risk of Zika . If you must travel to an area with Zika, use  insect repellent  and take other steps to avoid bug bites. If you have a sex partner who lives in or has traveled to an area with Zika, you should use condoms for the rest of your pregnancy.

Pregnant travelers should avoid travel to areas with malaria, as it can be more severe in pregnant women. Malaria increases the risk for serious pregnancy problems, including premature birth, miscarriage, and stillbirth. If you must travel to an area with malaria, talk to your doctor about taking malaria prevention medicine. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, so use  insect repellent and take other steps to avoid bug bites.

Make an appointment with your healthcare provider or a travel health specialist  that takes place at least one month before you leave. They can help you get destination-specific vaccines, medicines, and information. Discussing your health concerns, itinerary, and planned activities with your provider allows them to give more specific advice and recommendations.

Plan for the unexpected. It is important to plan for unexpected events as much as possible. Doing so can help you get quality health care or avoid being stranded at a destination. A few steps you can take to plan for unexpected events are to  get travel insurance ,    learn where to get health care during travel ,  pack a travel health kit ,  and  enroll in the Department of State’s STEP .

Be sure your healthcare policy covers pregnancy and neonatal complications while overseas. If it doesn’t get travel health insurance that covers those items. Consider getting medical evacuation insurance too.

Recognize signs and symptoms that require immediate medical attention, including pelvic or abdominal pain, bleeding, contractions, symptoms of preeclampsia (unusual swelling, severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, and vision changes), and dehydration.

Prepare a  travel health kit . Pregnant travelers may want to include in your kit prescription medications, hemorrhoid cream, antiemetic drugs, antacids, prenatal vitamins, medication for vaginitis or yeast infection, and support hose, in addition to the items recommended for all travelers.

During Travel

Your feet may become swollen on a long flight, so wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing and try to walk around every hour or so. Sitting for a long time, like on long flight, increases your chances of getting blood clots, or deep vein thrombosis. Pregnant women are also more likely to get blood clots. To reduce your risk of a blood clot, your doctor may recommend compression stockings or leg exercises you can do in your seat. Also, see CDC’s Blood Clots During Travel page for more tips on how to avoid blood clots during travel.

Choose safe food and drink. Contaminated food or drinks can cause travelers’ diarrhea and other diseases and disrupt your travel. Travelers to low or middle income destinations are especially at risk. Generally, foods served hot are usually safe to eat as well as dry and packaged foods. Bottled, canned, and hot drinks are usually safe to drink. Learn more about how to choose safer  food and drinks  to prevent getting sick.

Pregnant women should not use bismuth subsalicylate, which is in Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate. Travelers to low or middle income  destinations  are more likely to get sick from food or drinks. Iodine tablets for water purification should not be used since they can harm thyroid development of the fetus.

After Travel

If you traveled and feel sick, particularly if you have a fever, talk to a healthcare provider immediately, and tell them about your travel. Avoid contact with other people while you are sick.

More Information

CDC Yellow Book: Pregnant Travelers

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• Travel Tips

What to Know If You're Traveling While Pregnant

Your guide to cruising, road tripping, and flying when pregnant, including how to prepare, what to pack, when to go, and more.

Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

You might think you have travel all figured out — you can pack your carry-on like a pro and have a knack for finding deals on everything from rental cars to train tickets — but add pregnancy into the mix and you could be thrown for a loop. With a literal baby on board, your awareness of things like Zika, long-haul flights , and food poisoning are heightened. You want to get out there, but you also know you need to do it safely.

So, where do you draw the line? What constitutes safe travel and when is it OK to hit the road, skies, and waters? To answer these sensitive questions, we spoke with Pamela Berens, MD, professor of OB-GYN with McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, for a dose of expert advice.

When You Should and Shouldn't Travel

Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you need to hide out in your house for nine months, but it does mean you should keep a few things in mind. "Traveling in the first trimester could be uncomfortable if you are experiencing nausea and vomiting (morning sickness)," Berens noted. On the flip side, she explained, "Traveling during the third trimester may be a bit physically uncomfortable, especially if the trip is long." In short, your sweet spot in terms of comfort might be the second trimester, although every pregnancy is different. And you should probably stop traveling (at least by air) once you hit 37 weeks.

"Most airlines will allow travel until 37 weeks of pregnancy, but you may need a note from your healthcare provider. Check with the airlines you'll be traveling with for specifics," said Berens.

What to Do Before You Go

Before booking a flight or hop aboard a cruise ship, talk to your doctor or midwife. They know you and your pregnancy experience so far and will be able to give you personalized advice on what sort of travel is and isn't a good idea.

"If you have a complicated pregnancy, speaking with your prenatal provider is even more important. If something happens while you're traveling, it's important for the health providers to know the details of your complications and specific plans related to your delivery or any special care needs you might have for your baby," advised Berens.

Either way, you'll need to ask yourself a few questions before traveling internationally. "The big consideration here is what would happen if you experienced a complication while traveling to a foreign country. Can you speak the language? How good is the medical care? What insurance coverage do you have while traveling abroad? I have, unfortunately, had patients who delivered a preterm infant in a foreign country. They had to stay there for quite some time until the baby could be discharged and had communication difficulties," said Berens.

What to Pack

There are plenty of things pregnant women might want to bring along on a trip — from anti-nausea medicine and compression socks to plenty of water and snacks. But one thing many women don't think about is their prenatal records.

"Always have access to your prenatal records when traveling, just in case," said Berens. That way, if you end up laboring while you are away from home, the new hospital or doctor will be able to access your history and come prepared. If you're traveling close to your due date, you'll also need to bring a note from your healthcare provider. On American Airlines, for example, you must provide a doctor's certificate stating that you've been examined and are fit to fly if your due date is within four weeks of your flight.

What to Watch Out For

If you're used to eating street food and drinking local water when traveling internationally, you may need to adjust your habits. Berens suggests sticking to bottled water, noting, "It's very unpleasant to experience a diarrheal food borne illness while pregnant."

In addition to paying extra attention to food and water, you'll also need to keep an eye on the health situation in the country you're visiting. The Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is particularly dangerous to your unborn baby. "In areas of mosquito borne illnesses, wear long sleeves and pants. Keep covered. Use an insect repellent," said Berens. It's always a good idea to check for travel advisories before booking your trip.

In addition, all pregnant travelers — domestic and international — will need keep a close eye on their health and bodily functions while traveling. "Notify your care provider for bleeding, change in discharge, increased contractions, or a decrease in your baby's movements if you are over around 24 weeks of pregnancy," said Berens.

Flying While Pregnant

Air travel is usually safe for pregnant women, but you won't want to pop in your headphones and settle in for the duration of your long-haul flight .

"Pregnancy itself causes an increased risk of blood clots. Air travel and prolonged immobility can also increase your risk of blood clots," said Berens, suggesting that pregnant women "stay well hydrated, move around every few hours , and make sure to keep good circulation in [their] legs."

Chances are, when you get up to stretch your legs, you'll also need to use the bathroom. "There is often more pelvic pressure and pressure on your bladder in the third trimester, so you may need to stop and use the restroom more frequently," said Berens.

Because you'll be getting up and walking around more than most travelers, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggests booking an aisle seat and moving your feet, toes, and legs often. For your comfort, you'll want to skip carbonated drinks and wear your seat belt low on your hip bones, below your belly.

Traveling by Car or Train While Pregnant

Just like air travel, long-haul road trips and train journeys mean a lot of sitting and not a lot of moving. To avoid problems with blood clots, Berens suggests walking around every few hours.

For road trips, you'll also want to plan out stops along the way where you can stretch your legs and use the bathroom.

Traveling by Cruise Ship While Pregnant

Many women experience nausea and vomiting in the first trimester of pregnancy, two conditions that might be increased when you hop aboard that luxe cruise. "If you are not familiar with boat or cruise ship travel , you may want to try this first when you are not pregnant. You may need additional medication for nausea and vomiting," warned Berens.

What to Keep in Mind With COVID-19

COVID-19 has made travel complicated for everyone, but pregnant women are at an increased risk for severe illness . Berens recommends that pregnant women finish their vaccinations before traveling, also adding, "Mask up! Stay six feet apart, and maintain good hand hygiene."

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11 Rules for Road Trips While Pregnant, Including When To Stop Traveling by Car

A car trip can be a memorable vacation while pregnant, especially if flying is out of the question, but there are some precautions to take before you hit the road.

Everyone loves a good road trip. And if you're pregnant, a babymoon by car may be exactly what's needed before you're elbows-deep in dirty diapers. While it's generally safe to fly while expecting , some airlines have a cutoff of 36 weeks (and many even earlier), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Pregnant people who do fly should check with their doctors first, but they can make travel safer with simple steps like holding onto seatbacks when walking during turbulence and wearing compression socks to prevent deep vein thrombosis.

The great news is that car travel is safe for most pregnant people. If you have complications, you may need to stick closer to home but unless you're on bedrest or have other doctor-imposed limitations, you should be able to hit the road. Ask your health care provider when you should stop long road trips, but in most cases, it's safe until close to your due date.

To ensure the only bump on the road is your belly, here are 11 tips pregnant travelers should know before setting off on a long drive.

1. Talk To Your Health Care Provider

No matter the mode of travel, pregnant people should always start by contacting their health care provider, said Kecia Gaither, MD , maternal-fetal medicine specialist affiliated with NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx, New York. "Certain medical conditions may preclude any degree of travel, be it by air or land," says Dr. Gaither. "Those conditions may include placenta previa , prior preterm labor , or clotting disorders."

Placenta previa, for example, happens when the placenta completely or partially covers the cervix. It can cause bleeding during pregnancy, as well as serious complications—like hemorrhage or preterm birth—that would be difficult to navigate in an unfamiliar location.

Additionally, traveling is a risk factor for blood clots, according to the CDC—and pregnant people already have a heightened chance of developing them. Certain conditions and disorders may increase the risk of blood clots too much for long road trips.

2. Plan for Your Second Trimester

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says the ideal time to travel is during the second trimester, between 14 and 28 weeks. "During these weeks, your energy has returned, morning sickness is improved or gone, and you are still able to get around easily," recommends the organization. "After 28 weeks, it may be harder to move around or sit for a long time."

Not only is the middle of the pregnancy when pregnant people will likely feel the best, but it also carries a lower risk of any complications.

3. Prepare for the Pregnancy Road Trip

Advanced planning can make any road trip easier. This includes thoughtful packing like easy-to-change clothing if you get too hot or too cold and taking healthy foods, snacks, and drinks. Also, make sure your route is accurate to avoid delays and check for safe places to stop.

4. Drink Enough Water

There's a link between dehydration and uterine contractions, so keeping on top of water intake is crucial, says Dr. Gaither. Have a sufficient supply of water readily available in the car and make sure to drink even more if you've been sweating or exercising. Pregnant people should drink eight to 12 cups (or 64 to 96 ounces) of water each day, according to ACOG. This ensures healthy digestion, amniotic fluid formation, and nutrient circulation.

5. Bring Extra Medications or Supplements

Taking the proper medications and supplements while pregnant is imperative, and it's even more important on a road trip. Dr. Gaither says pregnant travelers will want to double-check that they've packed any medications and vitamins they need.

It's also important to bring extra, in case they're on the road longer than originally anticipated. Include over-the-counter medicines approved by your health care provider, so you'll have them if you need them. And, don't forget to pack your prenatal vitamin !

6. Always Wear a Seat Belt

Wearing a seat belt in a car is one of the most important car safety tips, especially when you're pregnant. The myth that a seat belt could harm the fetus is pure fiction, but there's a proper way to wear one if you're pregnant, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Pregnant people should wear the shoulder belt away from their neck and across their chest. The lap belt should be secured below the belly so it fits snugly. Pregnant people should also keep as much distance as possible between their belly and the steering wheel, while still ensuring they can reach the wheel and pedals. Additionally, the NHTSA recommends pregnant people don't disable the airbags.

7. Get Out and Stretch Often

Dr. Gaither says pregnant travelers should stop "at least every two hours" and get out of the car, stretch, and walk around. This increases blood flow to the lower body which helps prevent complications like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the legs. These blood clots usually dissolve on their own. However, in rare cases, they can break off, travel to the lungs, and block blood flow. This potentially life-threatening condition is called a pulmonary embolism.

While the risk for DVT is low, it does increase with pregnancy. The CDC recommends knowing the signs of DVT, which include swelling and/or redness in the leg (or arm), unexplained pain or tenderness, and skin that feels warm when touched. Signs of a pulmonary embolism include difficulty breathing, fast or irregular heartbeat, and chest pain or discomfort.

8. Dress Comfortably

Being comfortable during pregnancy is key, and that's especially true during a road trip. Luckily, a few essentials can make the ride more relaxing—and safer. Non-medical compression socks or support hosiery may be a good idea to help support blood flow.

Other helpful travel accessories include a lumbar pillow, comfortable shoes, and a good water bottle (because hydration is key to a healthy pregnancy ). A cooler, sunglasses, and sunscreen also may be helpful. And, avoid wearing too-tight clothing and shoes.

9. Avoid Remote Locations

Nothing is stopping most pregnant people from traveling, but it's always smart to be mindful of where you're going. If possible, maintain a steady speed (instead of speeding up and slowing down) and avoid winding, hilly, bumpy roads, and frequent lane changes. Also, don't travel to extremely remote areas where medical care may be difficult to find in case of an emergency.

10. Have an Emergency Plan in Place

Pregnant travelers will want to have a plan in case any unexpected health concerns pop up, as they can happen quickly during pregnancy. If you don't have access to an electronic health record, take a copy of your medical record with you. If any problems do arise during a road trip, Dr. Gaither recommends pregnant people contact their health care provider and the nearest hospital for advice, evaluation, and possible treatment.

11. Relax and Have Fun

There are lots of things to take into consideration when planning a road trip while pregnant, but always remember to have fun! Advanced planning and a comfortable wardrobe will help make the trip easier. Plan a trip you're excited about and indulge in a little pre-baby R&R.

Pregnant Travelers . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . 2022.

Blood Clots and Travel: What You Need to Know . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . 2023.

Travel During Pregnancy . American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . 2023.

How Much Water Should I Drink During Pregnancy? . American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . 2020.

If You're Pregnant: Seat Belt Recommendations for Drivers and Passengers . National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .

Related Articles

Travelling in pregnancy

With the proper precautions such as travel insurance, most women can travel safely well into their pregnancy.

Wherever you go, find out what healthcare facilities are at your destination in case you need urgent medical attention. It's a good idea to take your maternity medical records (sometimes called handheld notes) with you so you can give doctors the relevant information if necessary.

Find out more about getting healthcare abroad .

Make sure your travel insurance covers you for any eventuality, such as pregnancy-related medical care during labour, premature birth and the cost of changing the date of your return trip if you go into labour .

When to travel in pregnancy

Some women prefer not to travel in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy because of  nausea and vomiting and feeling very tired during these early stages. The risk of  miscarriage is also higher in the first 3 months, whether you're travelling or not.

Travelling in the final months of pregnancy can be tiring and uncomfortable. So, many women find the best time to travel or take a holiday is in mid-pregnancy, between 4 and 6 months.

Flying in pregnancy

Flying isn't harmful to you or your baby, but discuss any health issues or pregnancy complications with your midwife or doctor before you fly.

The chance of going into labour is naturally higher after  37 weeks (around 32 weeks if you're carrying twins), and some airlines won't let you fly towards the end of your pregnancy. Check with the airline for their policy on this.

After week 28 of pregnancy, the airline may ask for a letter from your doctor or midwife confirming your due date, and that you are not at risk of complications. You may have to pay for the letter and wait several weeks before you get it.

Long-distance travel (longer than 4 hours) carries a small risk of blood clots (deep vein thrombosis (DVT)) . If you fly, drink plenty of water and move about regularly – every 30 minutes or so. You can buy a pair of graduated compression or support stockings from the pharmacy, which will help reduce leg swelling.

Travel vaccinations when you're pregnant

Most vaccines that use live bacteria or viruses aren't recommended during pregnancy because of concerns that they could harm the baby in the womb.

However, some live travel vaccines may be considered during pregnancy if the risk of infection outweighs the risk of live vaccination. Ask your GP or midwife for advice about specific travel vaccinations. Non-live (inactivated) vaccines are safe to use in pregnancy.

Malaria tablets

Some anti-malaria tablets aren't safe to take in pregnancy so ask your GP for advice.

Zika virus is mainly spread by mosquitoes found in some parts of the world. For most people it's mild and not harmful, but can cause problems if you're pregnant.

If you are pregnant, it is not recommended to travel to parts of the world where the Zika virus is present, such as parts of:

• South and Central America
• the Caribbean
• the Pacific islands

Check before you travel

It's important to check the risk for the country you're going to before you travel.

Find out more about the Zika virus risk in specific countries on the Travel Health Pro website

Car travel in pregnancy

It's best to avoid long car journeys if you're pregnant. However, if it can't be avoided, make sure you stop regularly and get out of the car to stretch and move around.

You can also do some exercises in the car (when you're not driving), such as flexing and rotating your feet and wiggling your toes. This will keep the blood flowing through your legs and reduce any stiffness and discomfort. Wearing compression stockings while on long car journeys (more than 4 hours) can also increase the blood flow in your legs and help prevent blood clots.

Tiredness and dizziness are common during pregnancy so it's important on car journeys to drink regularly and eat natural, energy-giving foods, such as fruit and nuts.

Keep the air circulating in the car and wear your seatbelt with the cross strap between your breasts and the lap strap across your pelvis under your bump, not across your bump.

Road accidents are among the most common causes of injury in pregnant women. If you have to make a long trip, don't travel on your own. You could also share the driving with your companion.

Sailing in pregnancy

Ferry companies have their own restrictions and may refuse to carry heavily pregnant women (often beyond 32 weeks on standard crossings and 28 weeks on high-speed crossings ). Check the ferry company's policy before you book.

For longer boat trips, such as cruises, find out if there are onboard facilities to deal with pregnancy and medical services at the docking ports.

Food and drink abroad in pregnancy

Take care to avoid food- and water-borne conditions, such as stomach upsets and travellers' diarrhoea . Some medicines for treating stomach upsets and travellers' diarrhoea aren't suitable during pregnancy.

Always check if tap water is safe to drink. If in doubt, drink bottled water. If you get ill, keep hydrated and continue eating for the health of your baby, even if you're not hungry.

Find out about a healthy diet in pregnancy , and foods to avoid in pregnancy .

Page last reviewed: 17 August 2022 Next review due: 17 August 2025

What to expect when traveling in each trimester of pregnancy

So you're pregnant? Congrats! It's an exciting time but also one in which many aspects of your life will begin to change, including travel. While you'll quickly need to understand the airline industry's rules for flying while pregnant , there are some more personal tips I'd like to share with you based on my experience traveling throughout the first, second and third trimesters of both of my pregnancies.

A few truths about pregnancy

Picky, starving moms need to travel with snacks.

I didn't know I was pregnant when I took the first flight of my second pregnancy. I was on a mileage run from Houston to Los Angeles, and by the time we landed, I was super tired, kinda grumpy and oh-my-so-hungry.

Then began a mad search for food. Luckily, Counter Burger was open and serving up sweet potato fries and burgers. Out of habit, I went for the veggie burger but I quickly regretted my decision, which left me far from satisfied with ground-up veggie mush.

In the early stages of pregnancy, your normal travel habits of going a little hungry for a while, or making due with what's around, may not work well.

Throughout your pregnancy, travel with water to stay hydrated and snacks to stave off hunger pangs and keep you going through travel delays. If you're feeling particularly food sensitive, research the food options at your destination ahead of time. I virtually lived on chicken noodle soup for a whole week early in my pregnancy and then, for a couple of days, all I wanted were hush puppies. I know how to get those items at home but when you are on the road, you either need to do more research or be more flexible -- which is sometimes easier said than done.

Related: 4 tips for planning travel while planning a pregnancy

Research and make choices about inflight radiation and other risks

I'm not an expert, but because I fly often, I have given some thought to inflight radiation exposure , especially during the early stages of pregnancy.

For pregnant flight attendants and pilots, the Federal Aviation Administration recommends a limit of 1 mSv during pregnancy, with no more than 0.5 mSv per month. I don't fly as much as an airline employee, but it doesn't take much research to learn that the amount of radiation you (and your gestating baby) are exposed to in the air varies dramatically from route to route. The highest-level routes are typically longer, higher-altitude polar routes. Here's some information from NASA about polar flights and radiation .

Every expectant mother should discuss the risks of flying during pregnancy with her doctor before getting on a plane. For me, nine months was a tiny moment in my traveling life, so I was OK adjusting my behavior a bit out of an abundance of caution. However, I didn't adjust to the point of never leaving my house. We still flew when I was pregnant, but I was judicious about when and where I would fly.

Check your health insurance policy

If you aren't familiar with your medical insurance coverage for when you travel, brush up on those facts now. Look at in-network and out-of-network benefits, as well as coverage for procedures for medical emergencies in other countries, if relevant. Most likely, if you do have coverage for treatment in other countries, you will still be on the hook to pay for your care up front and then submit for reimbursement from your health insurer. Plan accordingly and plan for the unexpected. If your baby decides to arrive early, for instance, check to make sure your insurance would cover possible extended and expensive care in an intensive care unit in a hospital away from your home.

Be sure to check what your health insurance coverage provides if you deliver at another facility later in your pregnancy. I once had an insurance plan that specifically did not cover out-of-network deliveries after 36 weeks, so that is something you would want to know before venturing away from home late in pregnancy.

Consider travel insurance

Trip insurance can be helpful if you are traveling while pregnant. Read the plan's fine print to determine what might be covered and whether you are covered if you already knew you were pregnant when you purchased the plan. Typically, a normal pregnancy or normal delivery would not be covered but if there are unexpected complications with the pregnancy, then related trip-cancellation or trip-interruption coverage may kick in on certain plans in certain situations.

Here are some travel insurance providers to check out: Allianz Travel Insurance, Travel Guard and Travelex Insurance . You can also compare a variety of plans at a portal like SquareMouth .

Here are some articles that will help you brush up on your travel insurance knowledge:

• The best travel insurance policies and providers
• What is independent travel insurance and when is it worth it?
• When to buy travel insurance versus when to rely on credit card protections
• Is credit card travel insurance sufficient on its own?
• Why I buy travel insurance

Traveling in the first trimester

Traveling in the first trimester can range from "no big deal" to "I think I'm going to die from misery right this very instant." Symptoms in early pregnancy can vary widely and can change by the day. A flight in your first trimester may be no different from any other flight you've ever taken or it may feel like you are flying with the worst hangover of your life.

Unless you are very high risk or have other extenuating medical issues, your doctor will probably give you the green light to travel in early pregnancy. Feeling extra tired, nauseous and queasy doesn't make for the perfect travel experience, so here are some tips to make travel easier:

Pick an aisle seat and move about the cabin

When you do hit the skies early on, choose a seat where you will be the most comfortable, likely an aisle seat so you can get to the restroom easily. I also recommend getting up to walk around and stretch your legs. (Here are tips for credit cards that will defeat basic economy and let you get a seat assignment in advance.)

Room service come to the rescue

In my first trimester of my second pregnancy, I went on a trip with my daughter and parents to New York City to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I was met with another challenge. I was at the point in my pregnancy when I needed food immediately upon waking or I was going to get queasy. Since I was staying in a hotel room with my young daughter, this meant room service. I also had granola bars and fruit on hand, but that was not enough to really do the trick some mornings. Had my husband been there, he could have gone in search of a warm bagel and juice, but since he wasn't on this trip, we had to improvise. Thanks goodness Marriott elite status helped defray the cost of most of the breakfast!

Take it easy when you need to

Once you are further along in your pregnancy and you actually look pregnant, you will sometimes get a little sympathy or, at least, empathy while traveling. Strangers may offer to help with your bag and people may have more patience with you if you're moving slowly. However, in the first trimester nobody can tell you are pregnant, and no one is going to feel sorry for you. If you act queasy on the plane, you will pretty much be treated like you have Ebola, and any other issue or ailment will pretty much not interest anyone. I once told the flight attendant I was pregnant when she was giving me the eye about looking queasy.

Take care of yourself, don't overdo it and know when to say enough is enough. You may be used to very busy travel days, but now find yourself needing a nap during your first trimester, and that's OK. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

Traveling in the second trimester

You have probably heard that the second trimester is generally the easiest of the three trimesters for most expecting moms. You usually aren't as sick and or as tired as in the first trimester, and you aren't as large, uncomfortable and exhausted as in the third trimester. From roughly weeks 13 to 27 of a pregnancy, your activity and comfort levels are often good, and this means that it can be a great time to travel. Couples that like to take "babymoons" (one last couples trip before the baby arrives) often try to schedule them in the second trimester.

Related: The best babymoon destinations for every month of the year

The beginning and end of the second trimester are quite different

You will probably enter the second trimester not really looking pregnant, and end it looking quite different. This means that you may feel very different at the beginning and end of the second trimester. The second trimester is when lots of belly growing happens and this can mean that some types of travel will be more uncomfortable toward the end of these few months of pregnancy than at the beginning.

Consider where you are comfortable traveling

A very personal and important decision to make during the second trimester is to determine if there are certain restrictions you will place on yourself in terms of where you're comfortable traveling. Some types of travel will ban women from traveling during the second trimester. For example, many cruise lines will not allow a woman to book a cruise if she will enter her 24th week of pregnancy (or later) while on the voyage.

Royal Caribbean's policy bars pregnant women from sailing at and after the 24th week. It was developed in concert with the Cruise Lines International Association endorsement of the American College of Emergency Physicians Health Care Guidelines for Cruise Ship Medical Facilities .

Many consider unborn fetuses to be viable if born beginning around 24 weeks (though that age threshold is getting earlier and earlier). This means that a baby born at 24 weeks gestation would have anywhere from a 50% to 70% chance of survival outside the womb if (and only if) there is immediate access to advanced medical care. A cruise ship clearly doesn't have an advanced neonatal care unit on board, so presumably the policy is related to why cruise lines draw the line for pregnant passengers.

I personally draw the line for travel at 23 or 24 weeks when talking about destinations that don't have the same level of advanced medical care as the United States -- or long flights or a flight path that could hinder prompt access to advanced medical care if I happened to unexpectedly go into labor. The Maldives is an example of somewhere I would not want to travel in this instance because there would be significant delays in obtaining medical care on these remote islands.

Plan big, but not too big

The second trimester is a great time to squeeze in a pre-baby trip or two since you will probably feel relatively like to your pre-pregnant self much of the time. We went to Aruba when I was 14 weeks pregnant and it was a fantastic trip. I had lots of energy and a normal appetite. Flying was not uncomfortable because my belly was still pretty small and the only real adjustment was to make sure I had a somewhat larger bathing suit before the trip.

At 23 weeks, I traveled to Spain and still felt pretty energetic and "normal." I will admit that the flight in economy wasn't super comfortable since I did have a belly that was hindering curling up in positions that usually help me sleep on the plane, but our time on the ground in Spain wasn't really impacted at all by the pregnancy other than missing out on the Spanish wine.

The great thing about both of those trips was that they were at my own pace. This meant that if I didn't feel like doing much one afternoon, I could take it easy. Even though you may feel great in the second trimester, you can still tire more quickly than normal, so be sure to limit your vacation activities to those you can manage. There are also activities that some doctors might advise against by the second trimester like thrill rides, scuba diving or horseback riding, so double-check any restrictions before planning more adventurous outings.

Traveling in the third trimester

Pregnancy isn't an illness or disease. For many families, it's just a normal phase in a woman's life before a new baby joins the family. Assuming things are going well, it's not a time when you have to cancel all travel. However, once the third trimester rolls around, travel can get a more complicated and does eventually have to stop.

The beginning and end of the third trimester are quite different

Changes come even more quickly in the third trimester. You enter the third trimester about 28 weeks pregnant and end it with a newborn. This means that types of travel that are possible at 27 and 28 weeks pregnant may be inadvisable, or even prohibited, at 37 and 38 weeks pregnant.

Select destinations and activities carefully

In the final months of pregnancy, some activities are probably going to be more comfortable and enjoyable than others. For example, swimming and spa time may be exactly what you need.

I give strong preference to visiting beach and resort destinations in the final trimester. Trust me when I say that few activities are as comfortable in the third trimester as floating in the water! We went to The Phoenician (a Marriott property) in Scottsdale, Arizona, when I was about 31 weeks pregnant and even with my big belly, it was the perfect mix of spa, swimming and fun activities for our 5 year old before both our lives changed.

You are going to get uncomfortable

Maybe this isn't universal and there are some magical creatures out there who never feel uncomfortable during pregnancy, but every mom I know eventually hit a point in her pregnancy when she wasn't comfortable. For many, this means that sitting for an extended time in a small airline seat, standing in long lines or trekking around in the heat to explore a city all day eventually become pretty miserable activities.

No one can tell you when you will hit that point, but it will likely happen in the third trimester. For me, my back started giving me a bunch of trouble at around week 30 or 31. I was incredibly grateful there were no more flights scheduled during that pregnancy beyond that point.

If you are going to fly during the later weeks of your third trimester and have the ability to secure a more comfortable seat up front, or at least one with extra legroom so you can stretch out, it may well be a good investment in your comfort. I brought a tennis ball with me when I flew so I could give myself a bit of a "back massage" against the airplane seat.

Bring your own pillows

Sleep becomes a challenge in the third trimester for many women and a pillow fort of sorts becomes a necessity to get some good shut-eye. Many pregnant moms find that using some sort of body pillow or pillow arrangement helps to keep their bellies supported and comfortable at night. You can't assume that the hotel will have similar pillows, so bring your own if they become essential to good rest in your third trimester. I had no shame in hauling my pillow fort with me on our last road trip at eight months pregnant.

See if you are allowed to fly

Even if your doctor OKs it, many airlines have rules about women flying in the third trimester. Check out airline rules for traveling while pregnant for complete details, but generally speaking, most U.S. airlines don't have many flight restrictions until the last month of pregnancy. However, many international airlines do have restrictions and documentation requirements beginning at 28 weeks. If you are pregnant with more than one baby, the restrictions kick in even earlier.

Decide when to stop traveling

I'm all for traveling while pregnant but, realistically, most women will want to stop traveling at some point in the third trimester. I would imagine by about 36 or 37 weeks, most women will probably decide to stay closer to home. I went on a road trip about three hours from home at 35 weeks and then called it quits for the rest of the pregnancy. There's still a whole new world of travel waiting once a new baby joins the family .

Bottom line

There is usually no reason to stop traveling when you're expecting. During my last pregnancy, I went on 12 trips, 28 flights, visited four countries and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to stay that active. I'm also glad that I grounded myself from flight after 31 weeks and from road trips at 35 weeks because those were the right decisions for my comfort level.

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Health Encyclopedia

International travel while pregnant or breastfeeding, special considerations for traveling while pregnant.

Traveling during pregnancy is normal, and a lot of women do it. But it's important to think about potential problems that could come up during international travel. Also think about how you would get quality healthcare in the countries you are visiting. Get all of the vaccines you need before becoming pregnant instead of waiting to get them during pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the safest time for a woman to travel is in the second trimester of her pregnancy, from 14 to 28 weeks. This is the time when you will feel your best. You are also at the lowest risk for spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) or premature labor. During the third trimester (28 to 40 weeks), many healthcare providers and midwives advise staying within a 300-mile radius of home because of potential problems, such as high blood pressure, phlebitis, and false or preterm labor. Generally, women are not allowed to travel by air after 36 weeks for domestic travel, and after 28 to 35 weeks for international travel. The decision on whether to travel and how far to travel at any time during pregnancy should be a joint decision between you and your healthcare provider.

For most pregnant women, flying does not pose a risk to the fetus from cosmic radiation. But aircrew and women who often fly may exceed radiation limits.

According to the CDC, pregnant women with the following conditions may be advised against traveling to countries that need pretravel vaccines. This list may be incomplete. So discuss your health history with your provider or midwife before planning travel:

History of miscarriage

Incompetent cervix

History of ectopic pregnancy

History of premature labor or premature rupture of membranes

History of or current placental abnormalities

Threatened miscarriage or vaginal bleeding during current pregnancy

Multiple fetuses in current pregnancy

History of pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure, or diabetes with any pregnancy

History of infertility or trouble getting pregnant

Pregnancy for the first time over the age of 35 years

Heart valve disease or congestive heart failure

History of blood clots

Severe anemia

Chronic organ system problems that need to be treated 

You may also be advised against traveling to places that may have hazards. The list below may be incomplete. Talk about your travel plans with your healthcare provider or midwife before planning a trip.

Places with high altitudes

Places that have outbreaks of life-threatening food- or insect-borne infections

Places where malaria is common

Places where live-virus vaccines are needed or recommended

Healthy tips for traveling while pregnant

Here are tips for traveling while pregnant:

Try to plan ahead for any problems or emergencies that could come up before you travel. Check that your health insurance is valid while you are abroad. Also check to see whether the plan will cover a newborn, should you deliver while away. You may want to think about getting a supplemental travel and medical evacuation insurance.

Research medical facilities in your destination. Women in the last trimester of pregnancy should look for places that can manage complications of pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, and cesarean sections.

If you will need prenatal care while you are abroad, arrange for this before you leave. Talk with your healthcare provider or midwife to figure out the best way to handle this.

Know your blood type and check that blood is screened for HIV and hepatitis B in the areas you will be visiting.

Check that safe food and beverages, such as bottled water and pasteurized milk, are available at your destinations.

If flying, ask for an aisle seat at the bulkhead. This gives you the most space and comfort. If morning sickness is a problem, try to arrange travel during a time of day when you generally feel well. Seats over the wing in the midplane region will give you the smoothest ride.

Try to walk every half-hour during a smooth flight. Flex and extend your ankles often to prevent blood clots in the veins (thrombophlebitis).

Fasten your seat belt at the pelvis level, below your hips.

Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Aircraft cabins have low humidity.

Try to rest as much as possible while away. Exercise and activity during pregnancy are important but try not to overdo it.

Special considerations for traveling while breastfeeding

Breastfeeding gives babies the most nutritional start in life. It also gives them vital protection against certain infections. But traveling internationally while nursing can be challenging.

If you are breastfeeding only, you don't have to worry about sterilizing bottles or having clean water. You may get vaccines to protect against disease, depending on where you are traveling. But diseases such as yellow fever, measles, and meningococcal meningitis may be a threat to infants who can't be vaccinated at birth. Discuss this with both your healthcare provider and your infant's caregiver before you travel.

If you are feeding your baby formula, it's best to use powdered formula made with boiled water. You may also want to carry a supply of prepared infant formula in cans or ready-to-feed bottles for emergencies.

Breastfeeding helps lower the chance of your baby getting traveler's diarrhea. If you get traveler's diarrhea, drink more fluids and continue to nurse your baby.

Watch your eating and sleeping patterns, as well as your stress levels. This will affect your milk output. Drink more fluids. Stay away from alcohol and caffeine, as well as exposure to smoke.

If you are traveling without your infant, you will need to pump to maintain your milk supply. Check with TSA about transporting your milk on flights.

Medical Reviewers:

• Donna Freeborn PhD CNM FNP
• Heather M Trevino BSN RNC
• Michele Burtner CNM
• Ask a Medical Librarian Make an Appointment Interactive Tools International Travel Quiz

Pregnancy Week by Week

2 Weeks Pregnant

Key Takeaways at 2 Weeks Pregnant

• At this stage, you’re not truly pregnant. You’re actually in the second week of your ovulation cycle. (Confused? Read on!)
• You might be ovulating! Check for the subtle symptoms or consider getting an ovulation predictor kit . It could be baby-making time!
• If you’re trying to conceive, start preparing for the journey ahead. Begin taking a prenatal vitamin , cut out alcohol and tobacco and make some healthy lifestyle adjustments.

Think you’re 2 weeks pregnant? You might not be—here’s why. Most OBs count pregnancy starting from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). (It’s more accurate for doctors to estimate a due date this way.) So if you think you conceived about two weeks ago, you’re probably at least four weeks pregnant—maybe even five. We give you permission to skip ahead to week four . If you really are in the second week of your cycle and are trying to conceive, we’ve got some advice right here for you.

Baby at Week 2

What’s Happening at 2 weeks pregnant? Your period should be finished and you might start ovulating in the next few days. So at 2 weeks pregnant, you’re actually not pregnant. But you may be close! If you’re preparing to try to get pregnant, keep your eyes open for signs of ovulation and do that thing you do to get pregnant—have plenty of sex around the time you expect to ovulate.

2 week ultrasound

You probably won’t have a 2 weeks pregnant ultrasound. If you could see inside your 2 weeks belly at the time of ovulation, it’d go a little something like this: First your ovary releases an egg (smaller than a fleck of ground pepper) into your fallopian tube, where it must be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours. If you’ve had sex within the last five days, there could still be living sperm inside you, and one of those could fertilize the egg. Otherwise, you’ll have to have sex stat to get pregnant.

Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 2

Getting pregnant relies on timing sex for when you’re most fertile—this is probably in the two to five days before you ovulate and the day you actually ovulate. If you’ve got a regular 28-day cycle, chances are you ovulate between days 12 and 14. But let’s be real, not everyone has a regular 28-day cycle every month!

At two weeks pregnant, symptoms of ovulation can clue you in on the best time to have sex and hopefully conceive a baby. You’re probably ovulating if you notice these signs at week 2 of pregnancy:

“Egg white” cervical mucus

Sounds a little gross, but it’s true. Your cervical mucus becomes thin, clear and stringy, like egg whites, as you near ovulation. This consistency helps sperm travel toward the egg.

Better sense of smell

Believe it! Hormonal changes boost your ability to pick up different scents, which is probably nature’s way of helping you sniff out male pheromones in an effort to procreate.

Breast soreness or tenderness

Hormone surges associated with ovulation can make your boobs feel slightly sore.

Pelvic ache

As your ovary releases an egg, you might feel a little twinge in one side of your abdomen. This is the phenomenon known as Mittelschmerz, named for the doctor who first documented it.

Light spotting

You might notice a small tinge of red or brown on your underwear around the time of ovulation. This spotting can be common, but let your doctor know if you experience something heavier than just random spotting in between periods, or if that spotting is bothersome to you.

Increased sex drive

A higher libido is not uncommon during ovulation. You might “just know” that you’re ovulating and naturally get revved up for some baby-making sex.

Cervical changes

If you check your cervix routinely—something women who chart often do—you may notice a change as it becomes higher, softer and more open when you’re ovulating.

Some women buy an OTC ovulation prediction kit to help them figure out when they might be most fertile. A low-tech strategy is to have sex every other day from about day 8 to day 19 of your menstrual cycle—meaning toward the end of the second week to the beginning of the third.

How soon do pregnancy symptoms start?

For some people, pregnancy symptoms can begin just a few days after conception. You may experience physical symptoms, or you may just sense that something is different in your body. Other people may not feel any difference in their body until well after seeing a positive pregnancy test.

If you have conceived at 2 weeks pregnant, these are the symptoms that could soon clue you in:

About 10 to 14 days after conception, you may notice a little spotting . This is caused by the embryo implanting itself into the lining of your uterus.

Frequent urination

Pregnancy hormones can cause you to take more trips to the bathroom in the first weeks of pregnancy.

Sore breasts and/or darker areolas

Pretty much as soon as those hormones appear, a woman’s body starts prepping her boobs for breastfeeding.

Total exhaustion is some women’s first clue they’re expecting. That’s because your body will use a ton of energy to grow baby.

Morning sickness

Probably the most notorious pregnancy symptom, nausea usually begins to rear its ugly head around week 4 to week 9 .

As your body starts to realize you’re pregnant, it will probably slow down the digestion process in an effort to deliver more nutrients to baby. This can result in a bit of gas and bloating—hey, maybe it will even look a bit like a 2 weeks pregnant belly! (Not that that exists.)

What are some unusual signs of early pregnancy?

Have you had nosebleeds, dizziness, acne or a weird, metallic taste in your mouth? These could be early signs that you’re pregnant. The earliest signs of pregnancy are the result of changes in your hormones, and those hormones can cause a variety of bizarre symptoms. While some of them are well known, like morning sickness and fatigue, you might not expect the weird taste in your mouth. Don’t worry about these odd symptoms, but do take note of them so you can communicate them to your doctor if they bother you.

Your Pregnant Belly at 2 Weeks

If you do conceive at 2 weeks pregnant, symptoms won’t appear right away. In fact, you won’t be able to find out for sure if you’re pregnant until there’s enough pregnancy hormone in your system for a home pregnancy test to detect. That should happen at about week 4, which is the same time you’ll probably miss your period. Around this time, those hormone levels are finally high enough that they give you some noticeable pregnancy symptoms. Some women swear they do start noticing early pregnancy signs before week 4 though.

If you haven’t already, you should make a preconception visit with your ob-gyn. At this visit they'll make sure you're healthy to conceive, check your blood pressure and review your medical history, medications and immunizations. This visit is an important first to step to optimize your health before pregnancy!

Temeka Zore

MD, ob-gyn and reproductive endocrinologist at Spring Fertility

Tips for 2 Weeks Pregnant

It’s time to get ready. Here’s how you can get your ducks in a row to try to get pregnant.

Time your sex in order to conceive

Now it’s time to start “trying,” as the saying goes. At 2 weeks pregnant, you’re not actually pregnant yet, but you’re likely in the most fertile part of your cycle, so it’s time to get busy! Have sex regularly (although the best timing depends on your individual cycle to maximize your likelihood of getting pregnant).

Relax and take care of yourself

Trying to conceive is a lot more fun if you can relax and enjoy the process. Plus, stress could reduce your likelihood of getting pregnant as quickly. Try to incorporate relaxing, calming routines into your life like streaming a yoga class or spending time each day reading with a cup of tea. This is great for your overall mental health, but it just might help get that egg fertilized too.

Take care of your body

Your body is about to begin a big new job, so treat it well. Drink lots of water and eat well, and cut out any bad habits like smoking or drinking too much coffee. It’s a good idea to stop drinking alcohol now, just in case, and to get regular moderate exercise.

Take a deep breath, and don't lose sight of your own mental health and well-being. Struggling with fertility takes a toll. Treat yourself kindly, show yourself grace and do something special for yourself.

Ashley P., mom of one

Pregnancy Checklist at Week 2

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition , 2002

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy , May 2020

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Problems of the Digestive System , August 2022 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Trying to Get Pregnant? Here’s When to Have Sex , August 2023

American Pregnancy Association, 1-2 Weeks Pregnant

American Pregnancy Association, 4 Weeks Pregnant

Mayo Clinic, Rhythm Method for Natural Family Planning , May 2023

American Pregnancy Association, Can I Get Pregnant — Sex During Fertility Window?

American Pregnancy Association, Cervical Mucus and Early Pregnancy

American Pregnancy Association, Early Signs of Pregnancy

American Pregnancy Association, How to Get Pregnant — Best Tips to Help You Conceive

American Pregnancy Association, Ovulation Symptoms — Am I Ovulating?

Cleveland Clinic, Am I Pregnant? , July 26, 2022

Fertility & Sterility, Stress Reduces Conception Probabilities Across the Fertile Window: Evidence in Support of Relaxation , August 5, 2010

Mayo Clinic, Fetal development: The 1st trimester , June 3, 2022

Mayo Clinic, How Long Do Sperm Live After Ejaculation? , May 2022 Mayo Clinic, Is Implantation Bleeding Common in Early Pregnancy? , April 2022

March of Dimes, Health Eating Before Having a Baby , July 2020

Reproduction & Fertility, Effects of Lifestyle Factors on Fertility: Practical Recommendations for Modification , January 2021.

StatPearls, Mittleschmerz , May 1, 2023

Learn how we ensure the accuracy of our content through our editorial and medical review process .

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Can I travel at 12 weeks pregnant?

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1, 2, or 3 Weeks Pregnant

Weeks Pregnant

Pregnancy is a much anticipated time in your life, and you may be eagerly watching for those very early signs in weeks 1, 2, or 3. But, did you know that you’re not actually pregnant during these first couple of weeks? We know it’s a little confusing, and it’s also why you might not notice any pregnancy symptoms early on! Keep reading to better understand what’s going on in that body of yours during the first three weeks of pregnancy.

Highlights at 1, 2, and 3 Weeks Pregnant

Before we get into all the details, here are a few highlights to look forward to during these early weeks of your pregnancy:

Watching for symptoms in weeks 1, 2, and 3 of pregnancy. Are you wondering if it's possible to feel pregnant after two days, or during weeks 1 and 2 of pregnancy? You might notice symptoms like light bleeding, spotting, cramps, or bloating around week 3 when the egg implants into your uterus.

Calculating your due date. Most healthcare providers track pregnancy along 40 weeks, starting with the last day of your previous period. That means you aren’t actually pregnant until fertilization occurs and your baby is conceived, between week 2 and 3 of your pregnancy.

Making healthy choices early on. As early as possible in your pregnancy, you’ll want to adopt a healthy lifestyle that supports the development of your baby. Though your healthcare provider may offer specific advice, you'll likely want to incorporate certain vitamins, foods, and exercise into your daily life.

Your First Three Weeks of Pregnancy

Here’s the thing: Because of the way pregnancy is usually measured, you’re not actually pregnant during the first two weeks or so of your pregnancy. Healthcare providers calculate the length of an average pregnancy as 280 days, which is 40 weeks, starting from the first day of your last menstrual period—this is known as the LMP dating method.

So, when you’re 1 week pregnant, you’re having your period. At 2 weeks pregnant, you’re probably ovulating. And since ovulation happens about 14 days after the start of your period (assuming you have a 28-day cycle), with fertilization and conception following, you can’t really become pregnant until around week 3 at the earliest.

It can be mind-boggling—we get it. But, for the sake of calculation, and what you and your healthcare provider will consider as 1 and 2 weeks pregnant, you’re not actually pregnant until week 3. But although at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant you may not notice any of those very early signs of pregnancy, there’s still a lot happening on the inside.

How to Determine Your Due Date

“If I'm 3 weeks pregnant when is my due date?” It's natural to wonder about your due date right away when you find out you’re pregnant, as you’re already looking forward to meeting your new baby!

For an estimate, try our Due Date Calculator , where you can simply enter the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) or the date of conception.

RELATED PREGNANCY TOOL

Again, healthcare providers use the LMP method to determine your estimated due date. So once you start to notice those early pregnancy signs or have the feeling that you might be pregnant, take a pregnancy test at home or confirm your pregnancy with your healthcare provider so you can calculate your due date!

How Many Months Is 1 to 3 Weeks Pregnant?

Your healthcare provider will refer to your pregnancy in weeks, but you also might hear a reference to months. It gets a little tricky, given that nine months doesn't divide evenly into weeks, but the first month of pregnancy typically includes the first four weeks. So, at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant, you’re in your first month of pregnancy, even if you haven’t noticed any belly bump or symptoms!

Are There Pregnancy Symptoms at 1, 2, or 3 Weeks Pregnant?

Your journey through pregnancy has officially begun, but as mentioned above, you’re not actually pregnant yet. This is a difficult concept to grasp at first, and many people wonder if there are any symptoms during the first 72 hours of pregnancy. Again, because of the way pregnancy is calculated, you won’t feel any symptoms of being pregnant during those first three days—or possibly three weeks. But after two weeks, an exciting series of events starts to take place inside your body:

Egg release. One of your ovaries will release an egg around 14 days after the first day of your last period (assuming you have a typical 28-day cycle).

Fertilization. The egg will travel down one of the fallopian tubes, where it may unite with sperm. If they find each other, they’ll join up in a fallopian tube to create a single cell called a zygote in a process called fertilization. This process determines the sex of a baby .

First DNA. The zygote carries chromosomes from the egg and sperm and sets the first building blocks of your future baby’s genetic makeup.

Development. The zygote then moves down the fallopian tube and toward the uterus as it starts dividing into a larger group of cells. Cells will continue to divide as your baby develops over the course of your pregnancy.

What this all boils down to is that you won’t feel any of those very early signs of pregnancy in weeks 1, 2, or possibly even 3. If you have yet to conceive, then it makes sense that you wouldn’t notice anything! Therefore, things like morning sickness can’t start at 1 week pregnant and you won’t feel symptoms like pregnancy-related belly pain or discharge at 1 or 2 weeks pregnant.

Typical Early Signs of Pregnancy

OK, so now you know that during weeks one, two, or three, you may not even suspect you’re pregnant and you likely won't notice any pregnancy symptoms at all, as it’s still very early (and you might not have even conceived until 3 weeks pregnant). However, there are several signs of pregnancy that you could experience in the following weeks:

A missed period is often the first clue (among other signs and symptoms) that you may be pregnant, but it won’t happen until you’re 4 weeks pregnant, not before. At around the time you miss a period, you may start noticing more early pregnancy symptoms.

Implantation bleeding is another early sign of pregnancy, as it occurs when the tiny ball of cells attaches to the uterine lining. Not everyone experiences it, but this light spotting is normal and can sometimes be mistaken for menstrual blood. Spotting, cramps, or light bleeding usually happens 10 to 14 days after conception, so around when you’re 3 to 4 weeks pregnant.

Morning sickness is another common symptom of early pregnancy, but it usually crops up between weeks 4 and 9.

Other symptoms like gas, fatigue, breast tenderness , moodiness, and frequent urination can also occur during these early weeks.

Now that you know these early signs of pregnancy, take our quiz to test your knowledge!

How Big Is a Pregnant Belly at 1, 2, and 3 Weeks?

Every person and every pregnancy is different, so you could start to show earlier or later than others. It’s safe to say that you won’t see any difference in your pregnant belly’s size at 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Remember that you’re not actually pregnant during those first two weeks and it’s still early during the third week.

How Big Is a Baby at 3 Weeks?

Even though your belly bump won’t be noticeable at 3 weeks pregnant, your baby's development is under way with cells dividing and multiplying. Still, by around 3 weeks in your pregnancy, your little one is just 1/25 of an inch long—too small for a bump just yet.

When Can You Confirm Your Pregnancy?

Can you get a positive pregnancy test at 3 weeks, you may wonder? It’s possible, but it’s always best to wait until after your missed period to take a pregnancy test, as you’ll receive more credible results. That’s because a home pregnancy test responds to the levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, in your urine, which begin to increase shortly after conception. So, although your hCG levels may be high enough in week 3 to result in a positive test, you’ll want to confirm with your healthcare provider that you’re pregnant.

Think you might be pregnant? Take our Am I Pregnant quiz . It won’t tell you for sure, but it’s all good fun!

How Far Along Are You?

Knowing how far along you are in pregnancy is helpful for both you and your healthcare provider. Your provider will use this information to check on your baby’s growth and development, keep an eye on your health, and schedule tests and exams.

The weeks of pregnancy can be grouped into three trimesters :

First trimester : 1 to 13 weeks (roughly months one to three)

Second trimester : 14 to 27 weeks (months four to seven)

Third trimester : 28 to 40-42 weeks (months seven to nine).

Check out the illustration below to see how far along you are in your pregnancy:

What Precautions Should You Take During Early Pregnancy?

Even though you probably haven’t experienced any signs of pregnancy very early on in weeks 1, 2, or 3, you’ll want to do everything you can to stay healthy and safe. In fact, it’s always wise to take some precautions as soon as you start trying to conceive or learn that you’re pregnant.

Lifestyle Adjustments

Even simple adjustments can help support you as you start your pregnancy! Though you’ll want to consult your healthcare provider to determine what’s best for you, some worthwhile lifestyle changes and precautions include

eating healthily

staying hydrated

reducing stress

getting regular exercise.

When you start trying for a baby or learn that you’re pregnant, folic acid is essential, as it’s a B vitamin that helps reduce the risk of certain birth defects that affect the baby’s brain and spine. Your healthcare provider can recommend a prenatal vitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid.

Eliminating Bad Habits

Prepregnancy is also a great time to eliminate some less healthy habits, too, including

exposure to secondhand smoke

drinking alcohol.

In addition, your provider may recommend limiting your daily consumption of caffeine. Consult your healthcare provider to learn the best ways to stay healthy and safe when you’re pregnant.

For more general advice, download our pregnancy guide!

1 to 3 Weeks Pregnant: Your Checklist

Yes, it’s early, but it’s also an exciting time! As you anticipate your new pregnancy, consider the following to-dos:

□ Even if you’ve already taken one, you might want to complete another home pregnancy test after your missed period for the best results.

□ Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to confirm your pregnancy with a blood test.

□ Check out our pregnancy calendar to know what to anticipate in the next few weeks.

□ Though you can’t find out your baby’s gender just yet, have a little fun with our Chinese Gender Predictor !

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month, 6th ed. (Washington, DC: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2015).
• Mayo Clinic. Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, 2nd ed. (Rochester, MN: Mayo Clinic Press, 2018).
• Mayo Clinic. “Pregnancy Week by Week.”
• Mayo Clinic. “Symptoms of Pregnancy: What Happens First.”
• Kids Health. “Week 1.”
• National Library of Medicine. “Length of Human Pregnancy and Contributors to its Natural Variation.”

Review this article:

Read more about pregnancy.

• Giving Birth
• Pregnancy Announcement
• Pregnancy Calendar
• Pregnancy Symptoms
• Baby Shower & Registry
• Prenatal Health and Wellness
• Preparing For Your New Baby
• Due Date Calculator

What to Know About the Arizona Supreme Court Abortion Ban Ruling

T he Arizona Supreme Court upheld a 160-year-old abortion ban on Tuesday that would prohibit nearly all abortions in the state except when “necessary to save” a pregnant person’s life. 

The decision reversed a previous Arizona Court of Appeals ruling that allowed abortion to remain legal in the state up to 15 weeks, in accordance with a 2022 law, according to Planned Parenthood . 

“Make no mistake, by effectively striking down a law passed this century and replacing it with one from 160 years ago, the Court has risked the health and lives of Arizonans,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in a press statement Tuesday, before adding that her office would not be prosecuting any physician or woman under the “draconian law.” 

The near-total abortion ban was written before Arizona was officially a state and before women could vote. The ban, which dates back to 1864, would sentence abortion providers to two to five years in prison for providing an abortion. Additional sanctions could be issued to physicians who perform abortions after 15 weeks.

The ban won’t go into effect just yet—as the court stayed its enforcement for 14 days.

“Arizonans deserve the right to make personal decisions about their reproductive health care, free from government interference. We are devastated by today’s ruling but we remain committed to defending reproductive freedom in the courts, at the legislature, as well as in communities across the state towards the passage of the Arizona for Abortion Access Act this November,” said Jared Keenan, legal director of the ACLU of Arizona, in a press release . “The urgency to enshrine the right to abortion in our state’s constitution has never been more necessary.” 

What the Arizona Supreme Court decision says

The Arizona Supreme Court decision would make it so that “all abortions, except those necessary to save a woman’s life, are illegal,” according to the ruling. There are no exceptions for rape and incest. 

“We conclude that [Arizona’s law] does not create a right to, or otherwise provide independent statutory authority for, an abortion that repeals or restricts [the law], but rather is predicated entirely on the existence of a federal constitutional right to an abortion since disclaimed by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,” the court said in its opinion. “Absent the federal constitutional abortion right, and because [the law] does not independently authorize abortion, there is no provision in federal or state law prohibiting [the law’s] operation. Accordingly, [Arizona’s law] is now enforceable. ”

The act has been criticized by several politicians, including the president. “Millions of Arizonans will soon live under an even more extreme and dangerous abortion ban, which fails to protect women even when their health is at risk or in tragic cases of rape or incest,” President Biden said in a Tuesday press release . 

What does it mean for women and abortion providers?

Planned Parenthood says that abortion through 15 weeks will remain accessible “for a limited period of time” because of a separate lawsuit filed in October 2022. In that case, the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that the state cannot enforce the abortion ban until 45 days after the Arizona Supreme Court made a decision, per Planned Parenthood . That means the ban would not go into effect until June.   

“This decision will result in a legal chilling effect on Arizonans who wish to obtain abortion services regardless of the circumstances that lead to their decision, and for those in the medical community who might provide them,” said Pima County Attorney Laura Conover, a party in the case in an emailed statement.“The result of this will ultimately cause an increase in unsafe abortions and threaten the liberties of those involved because the criminalization of abortions will not end the need or desire of those who seek services.”

Will there be a ballot initiative?

Arizona for Abortion Access, made up of a number of reproductive rights organizations, is pushing for a constitutional amendment that would give a right to abortion care until fetal viability, or the 24th week of pregnancy. Abortions would be provided after that point if a health care provider says an abortion is necessary to “protect the life or the physical or mental health of the pregnant individual,” under the ballot initiative .

Arizona abortion advocates need to get 384,000 valid signatures by July 3 if they want to put abortion on the ballot this November. Organizers said they exceeded the signature threshold by more than 100,000, but have a goal of 800,000, according to NBC News . The signatures still have to be certified. 

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Abortion in Arizona set to be illegal in nearly all circumstances, state high court rules

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The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a 160-year-old law that bans abortions and punishes doctors who provide them, saying the ban that existed before Arizona became a state can be enforced going forward.

The ruling indicated the ban cannot be retroactively enforced, and the court stayed enforcement for 14 days.

But the shocking ruling quickly caused political earthquakes.

"There really is no way to sugarcoat it, today is a dark day for Arizona," said Angela Florez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona.

The pre-statehood law mandates two to five years in prison for anyone aiding an abortion, except if the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother. A law from the same era requiring at least a year in prison for a woman seeking an abortion was repealed in 2021 .

Arizona politics: Vice President Kamala Harris returning to Arizona for abortion-related campaign event

Enforcement of the ban could mean the end of legal abortions in Arizona, which reproductive rights activists warn means Arizona women can expect potential health complications.

In the wake of the ruling, some providers said they will continue offering abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy at least for a time — likely through May — because of an existing court ruling in another case. And, abortion rights advocates see a backstop in the state's top Democrats, who have taken steps to thwart any enforcement of the ban.

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs issued an executive order last year giving all power to enforce abortion laws to the state attorney general instead of county prosecutors. Attorney General Kris Mayes, also a Democrat, has vowed not to prosecute any abortion case, and she reaffirmed that position Tuesday.

“No woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this law as long as I am attorney general," Mayes said. "Not by me, nor by any county attorney serving in our state, not on my watch.”  

Mayes and Hobbs' stance relies on an untested legal argument, and could be challenged by one of the state's county attorneys .

'Abortions ... are illegal,' court says

The decision was 4-2, with Justices John R. Lopez IV, Clint Bolick, James P. Beene and Kathryn H. King  in the majority. Lopez wrote the majority opinion, while Vice Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer penned a dissent. Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel joined Timmer. The court's seventh justice, William G. Montgomery, recused himself from the case.

All of Arizona's justices were appointed by Republican governors.

"Physicians are now on notice that all abortions, except those necessary to save a woman’s life, are illegal ... and that additional criminal and regulatory sanctions may apply to abortions performed after fifteen weeks’ gestation," the ruling reads.

The majority ruled that a law passed by the Arizona Legislature in 2022, which prohibited abortions after 15 weeks, did not repeal the pre-statehood law nor create a right to abortion. The majority relied on language in the bill that enacted that law, which said it did not " repeal, by implication or otherwise " the pre-statehood ban.

The court concluded "the legislature made its intent known," in part through "an unwavering intent since 1864 to proscribe elective abortions." And the court said the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which left no constitutional right to an abortion, made Arizona's ban enforceable.

"The legislature has demonstrated its consistent design to restrict elective abortion to the degree permitted" prior to Roe being overturned, the opinion says.

“Life is a human right, and today’s decision allows the state to respect that right and fully protect life again — just as the Legislature intended,” said Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Jake Warner, who argued the case before the court in favor of the pre-statehood ban.

Timmer, in her dissent, wrote that the 2022 law prohibiting most abortions after 15 weeks was meant to create an exception to the pre-statehood law and was not contingent on Roe v. Wade.

She objected to the majority using the bill language to interpret the Legislature's intent, saying she would not "engage in the guesswork" they did and that it was "implausible to conclude the legislature planted within the (bill) a bombshell of reverting to a near–total ban on abortion."

"The statute says what it means and means what it says: The state will prosecute physicians for performing abortions after the fetus reaches fifteen weeks in age unless a medical emergency requires the procedure. The state will not prosecute physicians for performing abortions before the fetus reaches fifteen weeks in age. These abortions are lawful. There is no room for misunderstanding."

One effect of the ruling could be more support for a ballot measure in the works for this year to put abortion access into the Arizona Constitution. Advocates say they've already got more than 500,000 signatures , well above the threshold of 383,923 signatures needed by an early July deadline.

“We were expecting the worst and hoping for the best, but we have to keep moving forward," said Chris Love, a spokesperson for the ballot measure known as Arizona for Abortion Access. "We have an opportunity to change things at the ballot in November.”  

The state Supreme Court's ruling puts a stark choice before voters: Choose the new reproductive rights measure or watch abortion policy turn back to the 19th century.

That black-and-white choice, as well as an anticipated increase in turnout by Democrats because of the ballot measure, could also affect races in the state Legislature or other offices.

Hobbs said Tuesday the ruling left Arizona with "one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country,” and she called on the GOP-led Legislature to immediately repeal the 1864 ban.

“The Republicans at the Legislature have time and again refused to act to protect our freedoms,” Hobbs said, as she stood with more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers. Hobbs had pledged to spend six figures to unseat those Republican lawmakers, who are all on the ballot this year.

When does the ruling go into effect?

The highly anticipated ruling came as a shock to many abortion rights advocates in a state where abortion access has been uncertain ever since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and abortion rights, in 2022. Because of Arizona's two laws, clinics provided abortions off and on for a time, subject to the decisions of courts along the way.

A new element of uncertainty emerged Tuesday even after the ruling from the state's top court, as various involved groups offered differing timelines for when enforcement could begin.

Warner said he believed county attorneys could pursue cases when the court's stay expires in 14 days.

But Planned Parenthood Arizona and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona said the law cannot be enforced for 45 days after the court issues a final mandate, which has not yet happened. That view was also shared by some abortion opponents, including GOP legislative leaders and the Center for Arizona Policy, who said they believe enforcement cannot occur until later.

That's because of a separate court decision from Maricopa County, in which the state's former attorney general, Republican Mark Brnovich, agreed not to enforce the 1864 law until 45 days after the current case had been resolved . That agreement came in October 2022.

Cathi Herrod, president of the conservative Center for Arizona Policy, praised the court's decision.

"The Arizona Supreme Court reached the appropriate legal conclusion," she said in a statement. "Today’s outcome acknowledges the sanctity of all human life and spares women the physical and emotional harms of abortion. ... Today’s decision preserves a system designed to be blind to all but the law, and in doing so, it upholds the right of life for all Arizonans."

Planned Parenthood Arizona: Abortions up to 15 weeks will remain legal for a limited time, Arizona providers say

US Supreme Court ruling paved way for return of 1864 law

The abortion ban first codified in Arizona law in 1864 has been sitting on the books for 160 years.

First appearing in the 1864 Howell Code, a book of laws compiled by Arizona's First Territorial Legislature, the state's abortion ban was similar to those in many states. It was enforced vigorously in Arizona until the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

In 1971, Planned Parenthood of Tucson sued the state to overturn the old ban. The group lost the case in 1973 when the state Court of Appeals ruled against it. But the U.S. Supreme Court issued its historic Roe v. Wade decision the same year, causing the state Court of Appeals to issue an injunction against the pre-statehood ban.

For almost 50 years, legal abortions were considered a fact of American life, until the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June 2022 that removed the Roe protections.

The ruling by the new, more conservative U.S. Supreme Court spurred Arizona Republican politicians to ask the courts to lift the injunction from 1973 and allow police and prosecut o rs to enforce the 1864 law. The new court action had the effect of renewing Planned Parenthood's 1971 legal fight.

The Arizona Supreme Court recognized all that was unsettled in implementing its 14-day stay before the 1864 law can be enforced. That window allows any legal challenges that were started in 1971, but essentially put on hold because of Roe v. Wade, to be pursued again now, over 50 years later.

Mayes said her office was weighing its response. The state's top court sent the case back to the original Superior Court, in Pima County, to consider the possibility of further action.

“My office is, as we speak, discussing what our next steps are, whether that is appealing this decision to the United States Supreme Court, whether that is taking ... the constitutional questions that remain, back down to the Superior Court," Mayes said.

Republic reporters Mary Jo Pitzl, Reagan Priest and Stephanie Innes contributed to this article.

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at   [email protected]  or 480-416-5669 . Reach the reporter at [email protected]  or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern .

Arizona Supreme Court rules a near-total abortion ban from 1864 is enforceable

PHOENIX — The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban still on the books in the state is enforceable, a bombshell decision that adds the state to the growing lists of places where abortion care is effectively banned.

The ruling allows an 1864 law in Arizona to stand that made abortion a felony punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs one or helps a woman obtain one. 

The law — which was codified in 1901, and again in 1913 — outlaws abortion from the moment of conception but includes an exception to save the woman’s life.

That Civil War-era law — enacted a half-century before Arizona even gained statehood — was never repealed and an appellate court ruled last year that it could remain on the books as long as it was “harmonized” with a 2022 law, leading to substantial confusion in Arizona regarding exactly when during a pregnancy abortion was outlawed.

The decision — which could shutter abortion clinics in the state — effectively undoes a lower court’s ruling that stated that a more recent 15-week ban from March 2022 superseded the 1864 law.

The Arizona Supreme Court said it would put its decision on hold for 14 days, writing that it would send the case back to a lower court so that court could consider “additional constitutional challenges” that haven’t yet been cleared up.

Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, said moments after the ruling that she would not enforce the law.

“Let me be completely clear, as long as I am Attorney General, no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this draconian law in this state,” Mayes said in a statement, adding that the decision was “unconscionable” and “an affront to freedom.”

Democrats all the way up to President Joe Biden also blasted the ruling.

“Millions of Arizonans will soon live under an even more extreme and dangerous abortion ban, which fails to protect women even when their health is at risk or in tragic cases of rape or incest,” Biden said in a statement. He called the ban “cruel” and “a result of the extreme agenda of Republican elected officials who are committed to ripping away women’s freedom” and vowed to “continue to fight to protect reproductive rights.”

Vice President Kamala Harris announced shortly after the ruling that she would travel to Arizona on Friday “to continue her leadership in the fight for reproductive freedoms."

Responding to questions from NBC News about the Arizona ruling, a spokesperson for Donald Trump's campaign referred only to the former president's comments on Monday that abortion restrictions should be left to states.

“President Trump could not have been more clear. These are decisions for people of each state to make," Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for the GOP-controlled Legislature, which is currently in session, to repeal the 1864 ban, though there was no immediate indication that Republican lawmakers in either chamber would take up such an effort.

"We are 14 days away from this extreme ban coming back to life," Hobbs, a Democrat, said at a press conference. "It must be repealed immediately."

While Hobbs said she was "sure" reproductive rights advocates would appeal the ruling in the 14-day window they were given, she also suggested that the best avenue to counter the ruling would be for voters to support abortion rights on the November ballot. A separate, ongoing suit would allow for abortion providers to continue providing services through the 15th week of pregnancy for another 45 days.

"It is more urgent than ever that Arizonans have the opportunity to vote to enshrine the right to abortion in our constitution this November. I’m confident that Arizonans will support this ballot measure, and I’m going to continue doing everything in my power to make sure it is successful," Hobbs said.

In a 4-2 ruling, the court’s majority concluded that the 15-week ban “does not create a right to, or otherwise provide independent statutory authority for, an abortion that repeals or restricts” the Civil War-era ban “but rather is predicated entirely on the existence of a federal constitutional right to an abortion since disclaimed” by the 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Absent the federal constitutional abortion right, and because” the 2022 law "does not independently authorize abortion, there is no provision in federal or state law prohibiting” the 1864 ban.

They added that the ban “is now enforceable.”

Tuesday’s ruling is the latest chapter in a decadeslong saga of litigation in the battleground state over abortion rights. 

Reproductive rights groups had sued to overturn the 19th century law in 1971. But when the Roe decision came down in 1973, a lower state court ruled against those groups and placed an injunction on the 1864 ban that remained in effect until the Dobbs decision.

In March 2022, Republican lawmakers in the state enacted the 15-week trigger ban, which, months later — after the Dobbs decision — snapped into effect. The law makes exceptions for medical emergencies but not for rape or incest. 

Litigation resumed after that decision as lawmakers on both sides of the issue sought clarity on whether to enforce the 1864 near-total ban or the 2022 15-week ban.

A state appellate court initially ruled that both the 1864 and 2022 laws could eventually be “harmonized,” but also said that the 15-week ban superseded the near-total abortion ban and put on hold large parts of the older law.

The decision also sent shockwaves through the reproductive rights community in Arizona and nationally.

Angela Florez, the president of Planned Parenthood Arizona, one of the state's remaining abortion care providers, said her group would now only be able to provide abortion care through the 15th week of pregnancy — and only "for a very short period of time."

The issue, however, could soon be in the hands of voters.

Abortion rights groups in the state are likely to succeed in their goal of putting a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would create a “fundamental right” to receive abortion care up until fetal viability, or about the 24th week of pregnancy.

If voters approved the ballot measure, it would effectively undo the 1864 ban that now remains law in the state. It would bar the state from restricting abortion care in situations where the health or life of the pregnant person is at risk after the point of viability, according to the treating health care professional.

That ballot effort is one of at least 11 across the country that seek to put the issue directly in the hands of voters — a move that has the potential to significantly boost turnout for Democratic candidates emphasizing the issue. 

In 2024, that could factor heavily into the outcome of both the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Arizona. Biden, whose campaign is leaning heavily into reproductive rights, won the state by just over 10,000 votes four years ago. And the Senate race features a tough battle to fill the seat held by the retiring independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, most likely between Democrat Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake. 

During her unsuccessful 2022 run for governor in Arizona, Lake said she supported the 1864 law, calling it “ a great law that’s already on the books .” But Lake now says she opposes the 1864 law , as well as a federal abortion ban, while also acknowledging that her own views regarding state policy conflict with some voters’ preferences.

In a statement following the decision, Lake said she opposed the ruling, adding that "it is abundantly clear that the pre-statehood law is out of step with Arizonans." She called on state lawmakers to "come up with an immediate common sense solution that Arizonans can support."

"Ultimately, Arizona voters will make the decision on the ballot come November," she added. 

Gallego, who is backed by several reproductive rights groups, has said he supports the ballot measure. As a member of the U.S. House, he is among the co-sponsors of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would create federal abortion protections.

In a video posted to X after the ruling, Gallego said he would, with reproductive rights supporters, "fight all the way to November so we can get abortion rights back for women in Arizona."

Other Republicans in the state who’d previously expressed robust support for Roe being overturned joined Lake in condemning the ruling. Reps. Juan Ciscomani and David Schweikert , who both face tough re-elections this fall, both called on state lawmakers to address the issue “immediately.”

The ruling Tuesday — the second in a swing state on the issue in as many weeks — further highlights the already prominent role abortion rights will play in Arizona and across the country.

Last week, the Florida Supreme Court upheld a 15-week ban on abortion in the state, which effectively meant that a six-week abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the woman, that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last year will take effect. The state's high court also allowed a proposed amendment that would enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution to appear on the November ballot.

Tuesday's decision, while jarring to reproductive rights groups, wasn’t entirely unexpected. All seven justices on the Arizona Supreme Court were appointed by Republican governors, and during opening arguments in December, they aggressively, but civilly, quizzed attorneys on both sides about the fact that the 15-week ban enacted last year did not feature any language making clear whether it was designed to repeal or replace the 1864 ban.

Only six justices participated in Tuesday’s decision, however, after Justice Bill Montgomery — who previously accused Planned Parenthood of practicing “generational genocide” — recused himself. (The court’s chief justice did not appoint another judge to take the spot, which is an option under Arizona law.)

The abortion landscape in Arizona has been uniquely confusing since Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

While the 1864 law had been on hold after the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe decision, then-Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, successfully sued in 2022 to have that injunction lifted following the overturning of Roe, putting the ban back into effect — though a higher court put that ruling on hold. 

But after Mayes succeeded Brnovich as attorney general, she announced that she would not enforce the 1864 ban.

That led to suits from anti-abortion groups seeking enforcement of the ban, which ultimately led to the case making its way up to the state Supreme Court.

Adam Edelman is a political reporter for NBC News.

Alex Tabet is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Florida Supreme Court allows one of nation’s strictest abortion bans to take effect

The high court simultaneously ruled that a referendum enshrining abortion rights can go on the november ballot.

Florida’s conservative Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state’s constitution does not protect abortion rights, allowing one of the country’s strictest and most far-reaching abortion bans to take effect May 1.

But in a separate decision, the high court also ruled that an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution can go on the November ballot, for a vote that could undo the ban in a matter of months.

Together, the two rulings will ensure that abortion is a major issue in Florida during the presidential election — with Floridians experiencing the realities of a six-week abortion ban for six months before they have the opportunity to cast a vote on the issue.

“Today’s rulings prove exactly what is at stake at the ballot box,” said Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party. “Florida voters understand that voting yes on Amendment 4 in November is our last line of defense.”

The abortion ban ruling will have a dual effect on abortion access in Florida. While the case centered on the constitutionality of the state’s existing 15-week ban, which took effect in the summer of 2022, the court’s ruling will also trigger a far stricter law passed last spring that will outlaw abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, before many people know they’re pregnant. Florida’s six-week ban was written to take effect only if the Supreme Court greenlit the 15-week law.

The six-week ban in Florida — which includes exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies and medical emergencies — will all but eliminate abortion access in the South, while further straining abortion clinics elsewhere across America.

“There is nowhere in the Southeast that can absorb Florida’s patient base. It’s simply not possible,” said Lauren Brenzel, the campaign director of Floridians Protecting Freedom, a campaign dedicated to putting abortion on the ballot in the state in 2024. “That is simply an unmanageable volume of patients to try to offset to another state.”

Podcast episode

The abortion ban ruling significantly narrows the scope of a provision in the Florida Constitution that protects the right to privacy, added by voters in 1980 and long interpreted by courts as a safeguard against abortion restrictions.

“We conclude there is no basis under the Privacy Clause to invalidate the statute,” Justice Jamie Grosshans wrote in the opinion that will allow the strict ban to take effect. “In doing so, we recede from our prior decisions in which — relying on reasoning the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected — we held that the Privacy Clause guaranteed the right to receive an abortion through the end of the second trimester.”

Antiabortion advocates in Florida immediately celebrated the ruling.

“I am ecstatic, having spent a lifetime of work leading up to this moment,” said John Stemberger, a leading abortion opponent in Florida and the president of Liberty Counsel Action, a conservative advocacy group. “We’ve been arguing for 35 years that the privacy clause was about informational privacy and was never intended by the people to create a fundamental right to abortion.”

Where is abortion legal and illegal?

The two decisions issued Monday offer a snapshot into the conflicting political forces in Florida and across the nation since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022. While Florida’s high court has grown significantly more conservative under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), surveys show that most of the state’s voters oppose bans on abortion during the very early stages of pregnancy.

Last year, more than 84,000 people got abortions in Florida, more than in almost any other state, and far more than were previously reported in any of the 17 states that have now banned all or most abortions . The total number of abortions rose by nearly 2,000. Out-of-state residents comprised a growing percentage of the total, according to a report by the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Voters in November will have a chance to decide if they want people to be able to continue to access the procedure. The Floridians Protecting Freedom coalition gathered more than 1.5 million signatures in less than nine months to put the proposal on the ballot — far more than the 891,523 needed.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) objected to the language in the proposed amendment, saying it was too broad. But in their ruling Monday, the justices wrote that the amendment’s intent and potential scope were more than clear.

“The broad sweep of this proposed amendment is obvious in the language of the summary,” they wrote. “Denying this requires a flight from reality.”

Abortion rights advocates said the simultaneous rulings underscored just what will be at stake when voters head to the polls in November.

“This is about to create an unprecedented health-care crisis in the state of Florida,” Brenzel said.

The proposed amendment states: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” A 60 percent supermajority would need to vote in favor of the amendment to add it to the constitution.

Florida’s current 15-week ban has already compelled many patients, including those with life-threatening pregnancy complications, to seek abortion care elsewhere. A six-week ban in Florida will affect tens of thousands more people, forcing many to drive hundreds of miles to undergo the procedure.

The six-week ban emerged as an issue in DeSantis’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Antiabortion activists have praised the law, but former president Donald Trump , the GOP’s presumptive nominee, has called the six-week ban “terrible.” Some Republicans, pointing to recent electoral defeats for antiabortion causes, have warned of a political backlash in the general election against strict bans.

The ruling reflects a major shift for the Florida Supreme Court, which has struck down several abortion restrictions over the past few decades. It has recently been reshaped by DeSantis into what many consider one of the most conservative courts in the country. Several judges who ruled to uphold the abortion ban have roots in the antiabortion movement.

One of those justices, Charles Canady, is a former Republican congressman who sponsored legislation to outlaw abortions later in pregnancy. His wife, state Rep. Jennifer Canady (R), co-sponsored the six-week abortion ban.

Even if voters decide to add abortion protections to the constitution in November, the battle for abortion rights in Florida could be far from over, said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California at Davis who specializes in abortion.

In the ruling on the amendment, Ziegler noted, the justices emphasized that any new constitutional protections for abortion could conflict with “personhood rights as applied to the unborn child.”

That language signals that the state Supreme Court could still intervene to restrict abortion rights, no matter what happens in November, she said.

“This is shots fired, for sure,” she said. They could not have been any clearer that this is not the end of this … They’re saying the constitution may still protect the fetus and unborn child, and that question is still alive.”

U.S. abortion access, reproductive rights

Tracking abortion access in the United States: Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade , the legality of abortion has been left to individual states. The Washington Post is tracking states where abortion is legal, banned or under threat.

Abortion and the election: Voters in a dozen states in this pivotal election year could decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot. Biden supports legal access to abortion , and he has encouraged Congress to pass a law that would codify abortion rights nationwide. After months of mixed signals about his position, Trump said the issue should be left to states . Here’s how Trump’s abortion stance has shifted over the years.

New study: The number of women using abortion pills to end their pregnancies on their own without the direct involvement of a U.S.-based medical provider rose sharply in the months after the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right to abortion , according to new research.

Abortion pills: The Supreme Court seemed unlikely to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone . Here’s what’s at stake in the case and some key moments from oral arguments . For now, full access to mifepristone will remain in place . Here’s how mifepristone is used and where you can legally access the abortion pill .

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The Arizona Supreme Court allows a near-total abortion ban to take effect soon

Katherine Davis-Young

After the Arizona Supreme Court allowed for near-total abortion ban, a group of abortion-rights protesters gathered outside the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix on April 9, 2024. Katherine Davis-Young/KJZZ hide caption

After the Arizona Supreme Court allowed for near-total abortion ban, a group of abortion-rights protesters gathered outside the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix on April 9, 2024.

PHOENIX - Abortions will soon be outlawed in Arizona except in cases where a pregnant person's life is at risk. The state Supreme Court has ruled Arizona should follow a restrictive abortion law dating back to the 1860s.

Since Dec. 2022, Arizona doctors have been allowed to provide abortions up to 15 weeks into a pregnancy, based on a lower court's interpretation of state laws. But the state Supreme Court now says Arizona should follow a law banning abortions in almost all cases . It makes no exceptions for rape or incest and makes performing an abortion punishable by two to five years in prison.

Florida's abortion fight is headed to voters after court allows for a 6-week ban

In the ruling, justices wrote that they will stay enforcement for 14 days , possibly longer, allowing abortions to continue during that time. Planned Parenthood Arizona, the state's largest abortion provider, says it plans to continue providing abortions as long as allowed.

An effort is already underway to put a measure on 2024 ballots that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

Democratic President Joe Biden criticized Arizona's ban in a statement, calling on Congress to pass federal abortion protections.

"Millions of Arizonans will soon live under an even more extreme and dangerous abortion ban, which fails to protect women even when their health is at risk or in tragic cases of rape or incest," he said. "This ruling is a result of the extreme agenda of Republican elected officials who are committed to ripping away women's freedom."

Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to travel to Tucson on Friday for an event focusing on "reproductive freedom." It's Harris' second trip to Arizona this year to push for expanding abortion access.

Abortion across the country

The decision comes a little more than a week after the Florida Supreme Court decided to allow that state's week's 6-week ban to take effect May 1, and a day following former President Donald Trump's announcement that abortion should be left up to the states , angering some of his supporters ahead of 2024 election.

Trump declines to back nationwide abortion ban, says it should be left to the states

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago and handed abortion decisions back to states resulting in a patchwork of laws across the country.

Fourteen states ban abortion with very limited exceptions , according to the Guttmacher Institute, a group that supports abortion rights. Another 15 states protect abortion rights in various ways, according to Guttmacher.

This November, there are efforts in about a dozen states, including the one in Arizona, to add a question to voters' ballots supporting abortion rights.

Correction April 9, 2024

An earlier version of this story said that Arizona would not be able to enforce the state Supreme Court decision for 45 days. In fact, enforcement is stayed for 14 days, possibly longer.

Is it safe to look at a total solar eclipse? What to know about glasses, proper viewing

If you have your eyewear to take in monday's eclipse, here are some last-minute things to consider to ensure you're good to go..

The much-anticipated solar eclipse will finally enshroud thousands of miles of North America today in its long, narrow shadow. By now, those who plan to witness it should have their plans in place .

Travel has been completed. Schedules have been coordinated around the anticipated moment of totality. And proper eyewear is, of course, in your possession. Right?

We at USA TODAY have published no shortage of articles guiding you away from scam eclipse glasses and to the safest, most reliable options – some of which were even free. But if you need a last-minute refresher – or a crash course to catch you up on a topic you entirely missed – we're happy to oblige.

If you don't have your eclipse glasses by now, it may be too late. But some vendors, including Warby Parker , and even public libraries, have offered eclipse glasses giveaways , so be sure to check your local area before the historic event rolls into town.

And if you do have your eyewear to take in Monday's eclipse – the last one of these incredible astronomical events in North America for 20 years – here are some last-minute things to consider to ensure you're in good shape.

Solar eclipse 2024 live updates: See latest weather forecast, what time it hits your area

Can you go blind by looking at the solar eclipse?

Staring at the sun is  unlikely to completely blind you , but its powerful rays can still burn and  damage your retinas if you don't take proper safety precautions to view  solar eclipses .

That's why eyewear is recommended if you plan to look up at the sun Monday to witness the solar eclipse, which most of the country will be able to experience in some way.

In the face of the sun's powerful rays, regular sunglasses made of cheap plastic and polycarbonate material just aren't going to cut it. Astronomers and other experts instead emphasize that skygazers intent on viewing the upcoming total solar eclipse do so with  specialized eyewear  crafted to  protect their sensitive retinas  from permanent damage.

Even viewing any part of the bright sun through camera lenses, binoculars and telescopes without a specialized solar filter  could instantly cause severe eye injury , according to the American Astronomical Society.

Often made with a polyester film coated in aluminum, the glasses are highly specialized . Compared to regular sunglasses, proper eclipse glasses are 100,000 times darker to block nearly all visible, infrared and ultraviolet light and protect our sensitive retinas when looking skyward.

As another point of safety, don't look up while driving , please.

How to know when it's safe to view the eclipse without glasses

A  total solar eclipse  offers the unique opportunity for skygazers to  witness the spectacular astral display  with the naked eye – but only when the time is right.

Hundreds of cities in  13 states are along the path of totality  for the eclipse, which will move across North America from southwest to northeast . When the moon moves completely in front of the sun and blocks its light for a brief period of time, you'll know it's safe to fully take in the dazzling display.

That moment is what is called "totality," whereby uncharacteristic darkness falls and all but the sun's outermost layer known as its corona makes a rare appearance to us here on Earth,  according to NASA .

How to make sure your eclipse glasses aren't fake

In the rush to acquire  some coveted eclipse glasses  before April 8 , you may have inadvertently fallen victim to the  fakes and imitators proliferating online retailers .

While plenty of legitimate certified eyewear was widely available – and may still be – less-scrupulous manufacturers try all sorts of methods and tricks to get your attention and make you believe the product you're about to buy is the real deal.

For instance, many vendors began making the grand (and entirely made-up) claim that their products are endorsed by NASA.

As the space agency  reiterated to USA TODAY , NASA highly recommended that skygazers get a pair of certified eclipse glasses before the total solar eclipse  charts a 115-mile-wide path of totality  blanketing much of North America in  uncharacteristic darkness . But it does not approve  any particular brand of solar viewers, despite what many vendors may claim.

The responsibility of guiding American consumers to the safest eclipse glasses is largely left to the American Astronomical Society.

The organization maintains  a curated list of approved vendors  of solar eclipse glasses that it updated to give priority to North American manufacturers ahead of the total solar eclipse. Products you purchase that are listed on that site are guaranteed to be  in compliance with  the highest international safety standards.

Those standards are set by the International Organization for Standardization, which only vouches for solar eclipse glasses that are dark and strong enough to filter out a certain amount of the sun's harmful light.

The astronomical society also provides some  helpful tips  for how to spot counterfeit glasses.

No eclipse glasses? Welding lenses, pinhole projectors among alternative viewers

While certified solar eclipse glasses are the preferred method for viewing the eclipse, alternative methods do exist that don't necessarily sacrifice one's safety.

Many people, particularly blue-collar workers, may be tempted to turn to those welding lenses they have sitting in their workshop.

But beware: The most common welding goggles and helmets aren't typically strong enough to adequately withstand the sun's powerful rays and protect your vulnerable eyes.

Any welding lenses weaker than a Shade 12 filter – a number that indicates the level of protection offered – just aren't going to cut it when it comes to gazing upward in anticipation of the moon blocking all but the sun's outermost layer.

It's also not too late to buy some welding lenses, which Tractor Supply is promoting for sale at its 282 stores along the path of totality as a viable option for viewing the eclipse.

Another simple method is to create your own pinhole projector to project the sun onto a nearby surface. The American Astronomical Society offers helpful  instructions  to set them up.

And one final note: As you make your eclipse-viewing plans,  these interactive maps  should help you chart the time and duration for when totality would occur in cities along the path.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

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Just one pregnancy can add months to your biological age

A landmark new study confirms that growing a human being in nine months takes a toll—and multiple pregnancies can have a cumulative effect.

Surprising no one who has ever been pregnant, scientists have found that growing a human being from scratch makes your body “older."

New research suggests that a single pregnancy can add between two to 14 months to your biological age.  

“Pregnancy has a cost that appears to be detectable even" as early as your 20s, says study leader Calen Ryan , a human biologist at Columbia University’s school of public health in New York City.

It’s a “landmark study” that reaffirms what women already know—pregnancy takes a tremendous toll on the body, says Yousin Suh , a Columbia University professor who researches how pregnancy affects aging and wasn’t involved in the study, published April 8 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .  

Your chronological age—or the number of trips you’ve made around the sun—may be different than your biological age, which is how old your cells and organs seem based on their biochemistry.  

Ryan studies the reasons why our bodies may age faster or slower than we expect them too, and a lot of that comes down to epigenetics, or how and when our bodies decide to turn genes on and off. (Read how scientists are finally studying women's bodies—and what they're learning.)

Certain life events—including major illnesses, trauma, or periods of intense stress —seem to cause “jumps” in epigenetic age as the body redirects energy and resources toward coping with these challenges.

And since there are few biological functions more arduous than growing an entire person in just nine months, the recent study confirms the scientists’ suspicion that pregnancy—particularly multiple pregnancies—come at a cost to biological age.

Your epigenetic clock

If our genome is an instruction manual, the epigenome is a complex system of bookmarks, highlights, and underlines that tells our cells which genes to read and when. This often happens through methylation, a process by which tiny chemical tags called methyl groups attach to a section of DNA .

Which genes need to be active changes constantly in response to our environment and experiences, so those methyl groups need frequent moving and replacing. Yet as we age, this maintenance machinery appears to start making errors, causing methylations to accumulate in some places and disappear in others. (Read how influencing your genes could help you live longer.)

By taking a blood sample and tallying methyl bookmarks in key locations along the genetic code, scientists can calculate a person’s epigenetic age via a suite of algorithms called “clocks.” These clocks predict your risk of death and health complications, but less known is how fertility impacts your biological age .

To learn more, Ryan and his colleagues turned to a long-running study on intergenerational health in the Philippines . In 2005, they analyzed blood samples from 825 women participants between the ages of 20 and 22. (Learn about simple innovations that could help millions of pregnant women.)

The scientists identified a striking difference—the number of epigenetic changes in their DNA revealed that women who had been pregnant were between four and 14 months were biologically older than their peers who hadn’t, even after controlling for factors such as income level and smoking habits.

A cumulative effect

Despite being close in age, the women in the study were already on very different fertility trajectories—some had never been pregnant, some reported one or more previous pregnancies, and some were pregnant at the time the samples were collected.

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That raised a crucial question: Did multiple pregnancies create a cumulative effect of aging, with each additional pregnancy further raising the mother’s epigenetic age?

Using the first blood samples as a baseline, the researchers collected new samples from 331 of the same women while they were pregnant between four and nine years later.   (Learn how babies develop in the womb.)

By comparing the two snapshots of each woman’s epigenetic age, Ryan and his team calculated the impact of each additional pregnancy during the intervening years.

“Women who had more pregnancies during that time had more change in epigenetic aging,” Ryan says, with each pregnancy tacking on two to three months to the parent’s biological age.

Suh, who studies the cost of reproduction on the human body, says Ryan’s findings represent an important advancement in our understanding of how multiple pregnancies affect biological age, as the bulk of existing research has examined just one pregnancy.

The new research, she says, squares with what we know about high birthrates—that experiencing many pregnancies can lead to a shorter life span and higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reason for optimism  

But would-be parents shouldn’t despair, Suh and Ryan agree—it’s not certain that a slightly higher epigenetic age during your childbearing years will lead to complications decades down the road.

In fact, some research suggests there may be a “sweet spot” for fertility, Suh says. For instance, one or two pregnancies may be better than none in some cases, as pregnancy is linked to lower risks of certain cancers and having at least one child is associated with a slightly longer life expectancy .

As scientists learn more about aging and fertility, “we can work towards identifying people who might be at higher risk,” Ryan adds, and come up with strategies to lessen the negative impacts of pregnancy.

Recent studies indicate the epigenetic cost of pregnancy may differ by country and culture, suggesting that parental support and access to healthcare may play a significant role—improving these could soften pregnancy’s blow to epigenetic age.

Suh adds more research will be needed to untangle the impact of child- rearing   from childbirth on epigenetic age, as well as investigate whether the burden of pregnancy is greater when parents are older than those in the study.

While it may feel like common knowledge that pregnancy ages you, it’s a relatively new concept in the scientific literature—and Suh says that research like Ryan’s is long overdue.

“I’m so encouraged that this kind of study is now being done,” she adds.

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What to know about abortion in Arizona under the near-total 1864 ban

The Arizona Supreme Court has delivered a landmark decision in giving the go-ahead to enforce a long-dormant law that bans nearly all abortions

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Supreme Court gave the go-ahead Tuesday to prepare to enforce a long-dormant law that bans nearly all abortions, drastically altering the legal landscape for terminating pregnancies in a state likely to have a key role in the presidential election.

The law predating Arizona’s statehood provides no exceptions for rape or incest and allows abortions only if the mother's life is in jeopardy. Arizona’s highest court suggested doctors can be prosecuted under the 1864 law, though the opinion written by the court’s majority didn’t explicitly say that.

The Tuesday decision threw out an earlier lower-court decision that concluded doctors couldn’t be charged for performing abortions in the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The Civil War-era law, enacted long before Arizona became a state on Feb. 14, 1912, had been blocked since the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing the constitutional right to an abortion nationwide.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, persuaded a state judge lift an injunction that blocked enforcement of the 1864 ban. Then the state Court of Appeals suspended the law as Brnovich’s Democratic successor, Attorney General Kris Mayes, urged the state’s high court to uphold the appellate court's decision.

The court itself was expanded in 2016 from five justices to seven, all appointed by Republican governors.

The high court said enforcement won’t begin for at least two weeks. However, plaintiffs say it could be up to two months, based on an agreement in a related case to delay enforcement if the justices upheld the pre-statehood ban.

The law orders prosecution for “a person who provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life.”

The Arizona Supreme Court suggested in its ruling Tuesday that physicians can be prosecuted, though justices didn't say that outright.

“In light of this Opinion, physicians are now on notice that all abortions, except those necessary to save a woman’s life, are illegal,” and additional criminal and regulatory sanctions may apply to abortions performed after 15 weeks of pregnancy, the ruling said.

The law carries a sentence of two to five years in prison upon conviction. Lawyers for Planned Parenthood Arizona said they believe criminal penalties will apply only to doctors. But the penalties also apply to providing abortion pills — the most common method in the United States.

In other places with abortion bans, some women have obtained pills both through underground networks and from telehealth from medical providers in states that have laws intended to protect prescribers from out-of-state prosecutions. This was already illegal in Arizona, the attorney general's office said.

Dr. Maria Phillis, an Ohio OB-GYN with a law degree, said she believes women who obtain pills through those means could be prosecuted under the 1864 law. Across the country, new abortion bans have not been used to prosecute women in similar cases, and measures that have been introduced to punish those who obtain abortions have not been adopted.

Fourteen other states are now enforcing bans on abortion in all stages of pregnancy.

The ruling puts the issue of abortion access front and center in a state key to this year's elections to decide the presidency and partisan control of the U.S. Senate.

Democrats immediately pounced, blaming former President Donald Trump for the loss of abortion access because he appointed the justices who formed the majority that ended the national right to abortion.

President Joe Biden and his allies are emphasizing efforts to restore abortion rights, while Trump has avoided endorsing a national abortion ban, saying states should decide and warning that the issue could lead to Republican losses. The court decision gives Arizona the strictest abortion law of the top-tier battleground states.

Staunch Trump ally and abortion opponent Kari Lake is challenging Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

The court gave the parties two weeks to decide whether to file legal claims.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called on the state Legislature to act immediately, before the law takes effect.

“They could gavel in today and make a motion to repeal this ban,” Hobbs said on “CBS Mornings.” "And they should do that. I’m hopeful that they will because this will have devastating consequences for Arizona.”

A near-total ban could drastically reduce abortions in Arizona, from about 1,100 monthly as estimated by a survey for the Society of Family Planning.

And voters could get a say in November. Abortion rights advocates said they already have more than enough signatures to add a ballot question asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment protecting the right to abortion until viability, when a fetus could survive outside the womb. Later abortions would be allowed to save the woman's life or protect her physical or mental health.

Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Associated Press reporters Laura Ungar in Louisville, Kentucky, and Geoff Mulvihill in Chicago contributed to this article.

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