Following Prince Philip’s passing, it was reported that Prince Harry, who has been residing in California, would be traveling back to the United Kingdom for his grandfather’s funeral. However, Meghan Markle would not be accompanying him as she is currently pregnant with the couple’s second child and her doctor reportedly advised her not to travel amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In light of that news, there were some who criticized Markle for not attending Philip’s funeral. But, Good Morning America recently spoke with a physician who opened up about why Markle’s decision to not travel makes total sense.
Dr. Jessica Shepherd, a Chicago-based OBGYN (whom GMA stressed does not treat Markle), explained why traveling can be a complicated issue for pregnant women. Shepherd explained that women are generally advised to not travel after their 36-week mark of pregnancy. (At the moment, it is unclear when Markle is due, but she is reportedly expecting sometime in the summer). The doctor went on to explain that traveling is an even trickier issue now, considering the global health pandemic. If the Duchess of Sussex did travel with her husband to go back to the United Kingdom for Philip’s funeral, she could be facing a 10-hour flight from Los Angeles to London. Shepherd noted that this would be a very taxing flight for a pregnant woman, especially during the current health crisis.
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Shepherd went on to explain that in addition to the general risks that come with flying in the midst of a pandemic, pregnant women, particularly those who have pre-existing conditions, could be faced with developing deep vein thrombosis, which is when a blood clot forms in a deep vein. The CDC not only advises pregnant women to not travel a distance of more than four hours, but they also cautioned that they are more susceptible to a possible blood clot, which could be affected by the lack of movement while on a flight. For those reasons, it makes sense why Markle would not be able to travel at this point in her pregnancy, especially if the journey would be nearly 10 hours long.
“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,” Shepherd 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.” Even though Markle will not be attending Philip’s funeral, Harry has made his way back to the United Kingdom to join his family as they mourn the loss of the prince. The Duke of Sussex is expected to make a prompt return back to the United States after the funeral.
