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Meghan is expected to give birth this summer, although her exact due date has not been announced. She and Harry announced their pregnancy publicly on Valentine's Day, and confirmed last month that they are expecting a girl.

Pregnant women are generally advised against air travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy, and even earlier than that for women who have high-risk pregnancies, such as twins or triplets, according to Dr. Jessica Shepherd, a Chicago-based OBGYN.

She advises pregnant women traveling at any stage in their pregnancy to make sure they have contingency plans in place should they run into complications while away from their primary medical team.

\"PHOTO:
Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions via Reuters
PHOTO: Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, give an interview to Oprah Winfrey that aired on March 7, 2021.
>

\"It can be a light discussion but definitely think ahead to, ‘If I were to have any issues, where would I go? Could I contact my doctor? What type of care would I be able to get?\" Shepherd, who does not treat Meghan, told \"GMA.\" \"And if you’re going to another continent where they may have diseases, think ahead that you may need more vaccinations before you go.\"

Had Meghan decided to travel to attend Prince Philip's funeral, she would have faced an approximately 10-hour flight from Los Angeles to London. That is a long and taxing flight for a pregnant woman during normal circumstances, but especially amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Shepherd.

In addition to the risks on long flights currently posed by the pandemic, pregnant women, especially those with preexisting conditions, have to be careful on long flights about the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, noted Shepherd.

Pregnant women are five times more likely to experience a blood clot compared with women who are not pregnant, according to the CDC.

The CDC advises pregnant women against traveling a distance of more than four hours and to take precautions to keep their legs moving, including doing seated leg stretches and getting up and walking when possible.

Shepherd said pregnant women can also wear compression stockings to help improve blood flow and reduce pain and swelling during long periods of inactivity, like sitting on a flight.

With the decision on whether or not to travel being a very personalized one, Shepherd emphasized that pregnant women must have conversations with their doctors and ask as many questions as needed to feel confident in their decision.

\"Every individual is different and those are discussions that need to be had in order for both the provider and the patient to feel safe in decisions that are made,\" she said. \"This is a matter of their health and they should feel empowered by wanting to do the best things for themselves and their babies, so it is worthy to have that conversation.\"

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