Flying when pregnant.

[karter]

We are seeing the midwives next Tuesday to ask their permission but what are the rules for this? Has anybody flown (in a plane) when pregnant? We are looking to have a week away together before baby karter comes but we will be 33/34 weeks pregnant. Is this safe? Any recommendations? Thanks lovely forumites.

edited for spelling.

[pommie]

i have a feeling certain airlines wont let you fly after a certain time. You will need to check with the airline as I am sure you have to fly back before a certain time too

[littleEDfamily]

The best time to fly is in the 2nd trimester. You can fly later, but I am inclined to think 33/34 weeks may be a fraction late. Is it long haul or just a quickie? If the latter, you'll prob be just fine, but it's totally personal choice.

I read up a bit on this when deciding whether to fly to Oz at around 5 months. You may want to consider 'cosmic radiation', but to be honest unless you fly A LOT during preg, there is no evidence at all that it affects the baby.

I think it's a lovely idea to have some time together before everything happens!!

[karter]

It will be a 3/4 hour flight to southern Europe, missus being practical and thinks it's best we have time together on hols before baby k comes. Will the cosmic rays affect baby k?

[jollybaby]

I think 32 weeks is the limit for most airlines.

No just checked ba and sleazyjet allow women up to 36 weeks with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy. Not sure why 32 weeks sticks with me- maybe that was the limit for my travel insurance.

[ClareC]

Your difficulty will be finding an airline that will allow you to fly this late, also double check your insurance covers you.

I was given a great deal of grief at Barcelona airport when I was fairly early in my pregnancy (23 weeks ish), they wouldn't let me fly home unless I signed a disclaimer basically stating that no matter what they circumstances, in the event I was injured / killed they would not be liable!

Extremely dubious to say the least AND I had my notes proving due date, the relevant midwife letter and was barely showing!

Conversely I flew 4 times a bit later on in the pregnancy and no one bat an eyelid! Didn't fly after around 26 weeks.

[Ole]

I flew quite a bit when I was pregnant and I was fine, I didn't get any special treatment, the last time I flew I must have been over 30 weeks pregnant (possibly 34) and I was gigantic but nobody even asked to see the note from doctor, but I would suggest getting an aisle seat as I didn't want to keep disturbing people for pee trips, and I made sure I had my midwifery notes too just in case the GP note was not enough evidence that I wasn't going to go into labour any minute.

[littleEDfamily]

I think highly unlikely baby k will be affected in any way by one (or two I guess) 3/4 hour flights, but would be interested what your midwives say. I am a bit of a worrier and yet decided it was fine to go all the way to Oz (6 flights). Air crew keep flying (albeit not as much as usual) if the preg is normal. For me, the nice holiday away was the best thing I could have done... the relaxation and sunshine were just what the doc ordered!

PS Can I just say, karter, I love how involved you are getting with this baby lark!

[karter]

Great. Well she is big, really big and beautiful, flying at 33 weeks. Should i just leave her there at 34 weeks for her to get the trains home?

[karter]

Thanks LEDfamily.:) x

[sparkle]

Surely one of the biggest issues is the possibility of having your baby away? Of course it's unlikely your baby will be born pre-term, but if it is, perhaps it would be wise to find out if your insurance would cover the delivery, or special baby care?

[Saffron]

I flew LOADS for work/uni when I was pregnant, and foetus & I were fine. Every airline has a different policy about their cutoff point. EasyJet always asked how many weeks pregnant I was, and they had an early cutoff (probably makes their insurance less, hah!). British Airways had the latest cutoff and never hassled me.

At 33/34 wks, in addition to thinking about what would happen if you had your baby away from home, you also need to think about how flying will make you feel while you're pregnant. I wasn't bothered, but some women find it uncomfortable.

xx

[Ruth_Baldock]

I flew TAP to Lisbon at 26 weeks pregnant, was ab fab going out but coming back at 29w pregnant, that staff at Lisbon airport went POTTY, thankgod I had my notes. They called my midwives in the UK to confirm all was fine, but it all took so long to do that we missed our flight D: (Well, they said husband could go but I couldn't until it had all been sorted. If hsband had buggered off to Gatwick without me, he'd have returned home a single man...). We got on the next flight, and they bumped us to First Class ;)

I'd take a letter from the MWs stating Mrs Karter and Baby K are in good health and okay to fly just to cover yourselves, also her maternity notes go without saying! ENJOY! It's lovely to have one last holiday before Babby arrives. (Also, take those flight socks things and make sure Mrs K drinks plenty of fluids.)

[ClareC]

Which airline's cabin crew continue flying when pregnant?

Neither BA or Virgin allow it, their crew are immediately taken off flying duties and given ground staff positions instead, not popular with the crew as it effects their take home pay :-(.

[littleEDfamily]

just did a quick google on air crew flying, trying to find the article I originally read... looks like it's not allowed in Europe, but in the US and Aus it's optional (you can take your normal job or do ground work) until around the last trimester.

[Ann]

Also beware of getting the 'Fit to Fly ' letter from a GP, they can charge for it but the midwives never do.

I agree with others who've implied it's not so much the flight but insurance etc. that gets the airlines nervous.

Obviously you wouldn't want to have a premature baby is a foreign country although we are covered with oue EHIC cards within the EEC.

Does anyone know how that works in reality? Such as a broken leg ( skiiing) or premature baby. Both would require quite expensive treatment. Do you wave your card and walk away or pay up and face a complicated merry-go-round of insurance claims/ EHIC claims?

Good luck Karter with your trip, I think too it's a good idea to have 'one last trip....'

[Ruth_Baldock]

Ann; a friend delivered (at 30+3) in France recently and from what I can tell it was the latter of the two scenarios you stated :(

[The Nappy Lady]

I flew back from Mallorca at 1 day off 36 weeks pregnant! Last minute I know, but hols planned before pregnancy & all medical people involved were happy for me to fly based on my health & pregnancy.

Was with Easyjet & needed a doctors note confirming how many weeks I was etc, though no one asked to see it!

Do check travel insurance though - most will not cover you but there are a couple who do - Google to find them.

I'd say go for it, we had a wonderful holiday & I felt so much more rested & ready to have the baby afterwards.

Xx

[candj]

Just get a note from your doctor anyway no matter how pregnant as some airlines will ask for it. I flew long haul 35 weeks preg in two pregnancies and no one batted an eyelash and to the continent and ireland as late as 37 weeks with no one asking questions. Then when only 28 weeks leaving morocco last oct easyjet were giving me a hard time about flying even with consultants note saying my pregnancy was fine. Every airline is different just cover your bases and as long as all is well with your wifes pregnancy it shouldn't be a problem. Have fun!

[Sanne Panne]

Side note - if you do fly (I did at 32 weeks but only to Amsterdam, it was fine), I believe Egg is one of the insurances that will cover you the furthest into your pregnancy. At least it was last year.

[Yak]

It will depend on

(1) your airline;

(2) (possibly) your travel company, if you've booked a package; and

(3) your insurance cover.

I was fine flying at 29 wks on points (2) and (3), but with less than 24 hours notice needed to get a Fitness to Fly certificate from my doctor to cover (1), even though I'd expressly checked with them (Monarch) earlier on which was EXTREMELY annoying. If you are more organised than me (which it sounds as if you are!), I'd get a Fitness to Fly cert anyway, and take a couple of copies you can wave at airport and airline officials.

And enjoy the break! We absolutely loved our time away. Knowing it was the last time in quite a while that we'd be able to indulge in nice lazy lie ins, undisturbed reading and civilised dinners made it really special.

[buggie]

Just a warning not to just rely on the EHIC when travelling in Europe - it only covers for treatment not repatriation/extended time aboard etc.

There was a case a few months back of a woman stranded after falling and breaking her back (?in Ibiza) who hadn't taken out travel insurance as thought the EHIC would be enough & was having to have family/friends fundraise to pay to get her home.

[trinity]

I flew at 34 weeks with BA. It was just a short flight to Belfast. They insisted on seeing the doctors note at the London end but not at the Belfast end. The flight itself was fine.

[bli]

I flew to and from NZ at 29 and 33 weeks and it was fine - on nearly all the flights the cabin crew were lovely, gave me extra huge bottles of water at take off and moved me so I had spare seats (yes 4 of them - I must have looked huge!).

I had to fax in a 'fit to fly' letter a few days before flying, and had it with me, but noone asked to see it again.

I also checked my insurance covered maternity etc and took my midwife notes with me. Oh and I wore delightful support stockings (recommended for long haul when pregnant - not sure about short flights?)

I was a bit uncomfortable, and tired but just saw it as part and parcel of pregnancy or long haul travel anyway. Briliant idea to get away for a bit before baby comes... Enjoy.

[SBryan]

http://www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/AirTravelandPregnancyPatientInformation.pdf