Flying

xzanti

My OH and I have decided to take the first week in September off, by which time I will be 25/26 weeks.. My question is, is it dangerous at that stage to fly?

I asked the midwife in the Rotunda on my last visit and she point blank said they "don't recommend flying at all at any stage" but I recall my sister flying on all of her pregnancies and she was fine.. would have been fairly early on though..

Has anyone here flown and did you find it ok? any bleeding or anything else after it?

If it's something that's going to put the baby at risk then I'm not going to do it, but I'm assuming the Hospital are just covering their as5es so to speak

Would only be to Spain or somewhere if we did go.. 2.5 hours at most in the air..

Spinach

I flew for a holiday - like you, short haul - at 29 weeks and back at just over 31 weeks. My doctor and midwife had no problems with this and were both enthusiastic about how great it is to get a last "just the two fo you" holiday at this stage.

You need to check with the airlines about their policy. I think mine - Ryanair and BA - were both similar in that they will take you up to 36 weeks, but after 28 weeks or something they want you to carry a doctor's letter stating that the pregnancy is uneventful and there is no medical reason for you not to fly. I duly brought this statement with me but was not asked for it either at check-in or on board either flight. To be honest I kept my coat on and was hoping nobody would notice the bump at all!

The only reason I can think of not to fly would be if you had a specific history of thrombosis or similar, but that's obviously for you to talk to your doctor about.

I was so happy to have had the holiday when I did - now nearly 38 weeks and have not wanted to do any more long trips away from home since I got back, so it was great to get away before I was too big and uncomfortable to enjoy it! I'd say have a quick chat with your doctor and go for it.

barbiegirl

I asked my doctor exactly that last week, as I have to fly for work in week 8 and he said so long as short haul he's no issues with it. Checked the web and they say for frequent fliers like air stewardess it's not recommended but otherwise it's fine.
So a quick trip in week 8 to Birmingham, so only a 45 minute flight, and then in week 13 our holidays to Italy, our last two of us holiday :-)

Grawns

I went to Greece at 10 weeks, it was already booked. It was grand but you can't sunbathe when you're pregnant and you have to be very careful of the heat.

I was supposed to go to the US on holidays with my husband around week 22, but I was terribly car sick when pregnant so bowed out of the trip - lots of driving in the US. He had to go anyway to see his grandmother. I was happy to be close to home ( even though I knew flying was fine) in case anything went wrong. It did, it turned out fine, but I was very glad to be close to home.

I'd risk France cause their medical care is 2nd to none

Dancor

I belive you need a leter from your doctor to say its safe to fly. My GF needed one a few weeks ago but was not asked for one by the airline or on board.

The airlines dont want you flying for insurance reasons.

crazy cat lady

Different doctors tell you different things. I once asked the Master of NMH if it was safe to fly and he basically fudged around the question and wouldn't give me a straight yes or no answer, said it was up to personal choice and the rules of the airline company.

Biggest risk associated with flying is thrombosis (blood clots) in the lower legs. You're at risk of this every time you fly due to the sitting still in a cramped space with poor air quality. This, added to the normal changes that occur in a womans body during pregnancy, means that you are at increased risk. So get yourself some correctly fitting flight socks (measure around the fat bit of the calf before going to buy them and there should be a size guide on the back) and do some simple circulation exercises on the plane.

Also, as the previous poster said, be careful of heat when pregnant. And also bear in mind any vaccinations you may require before booking anywhere too exotic.

Wherever you go, bring your hospital notes with you, just in case!

ThePiedPiper

I think the general recommendation is to not fly in your first or last trimesters, second is considered the safest for flying. My wife went on 2 short haul breaks during her second trimester, no problems. My sister in law flew to South Africa in her second trimester!!!

Speak to your own GP and make a decision you're comfortable with yourself.

xzanti

Thanks for all the replies everyone we're still undecided but your comments have been really helpful

positron

We are flying long haul next month (Leg1 7h30m, 2 hrs transit, Leg2 4h45m), and the other half would be approx 21 weeks when we fly out and 24 weeks when we return. Her doctor is fine with this, so fingers crossed..!!

lonestargirl

I was in Ireland in March when I discovered I was pregnant, I started cramping with my miscarriage half-way across the Atlantic on my way home. The first thing my Ob/Gyn said to me was that the flight had nothing to do with me losing the baby. In April I had to come to Ireland again for an interview and discovered I was pregnant a week before I left, luckily I had no morning sickness and the flights were fine. I'm now 15 weeks.

xzanti

lonestargirl wrote: »

I was in Ireland in March when I discovered I was pregnant, I started cramping with my miscarriage half-way across the Atlantic on my way home. .

Oh sorry to hear that hun, what a horrible experience that must have been, I had one myself and can't imagine being away from home and having to go through that and trying to compose yourself going through an airport.. Jesus you poor thing I can just picture it..

Glad to hear things are going well this time x

AmcD

The destination may be more important than the flight itself. Avoid destinations where medical facilities may be suspect. Also avoid destinations where malaria medication and live vaccines are needed (unless the trip is essential). The main live vaccine to worry about is the yellow fever vaccine.
The worry about traveling in the first trimester is the risk of miscarriage. Flying doesn't cause this, but heavy bleeding can be a worry during a long-haul flight.
The main fear about traveling during the third trimester is the possibility of going into labour.
The risk of having a DVT is much higher in general in pregnancy. Air travel increases this risk due to passengers sitting for prolonged periods in cramped spaces.
Different airlines have different cut-off times for traveling in pregnancy, so best to check with them directly. Short-haul travel to Europe is probably fine. There would probably be as much risk traveling by train to Cork.