Flying long haul travel at 18 weeks

[GuernseyFrench]

Hi,
I'll be flight to US in 3 weeks time and will be 18 weeks pregnant.

At the moment I have or planning to get:

• My travel insurance (which cover me during those weeks of pregnancy)
• My flight certificate (planned to ask MW for it next week when I see her)
• Cereal bars for snaking during the flight/trip

What else is essential and I'm forgetting?

Many thanks for your advices.

GF

[JemL]

Flight stockings - those attractive white tights!!

[Tangle]

A big bottle of water (bought post security). You're meant to drink LOTS of water to help avoid DVT (also hence the flight stockings) and keep amniotic fluid levels topped up. I dislike being reliant on the flight crew to keep me supplied (they're generally pretty good, but I've had the odd bad experience).

[MaryBS]

Let the airline know ahead of time, they might be able to give you a seat with more room - when I flew to Canada, they gave me a bulkhead seat.

[weegiemum]

Can second flight socks and lots of water.

Let the cabin crew know when you get on that you are pregnant so they can bring you extra drinks etc - we flew to W. Coast Canada when I was 21 weeks, back at 24 weeks, and they were fabulous with that (but then Zoom went bust so that's not a lot of help)!!

Can you find out the names of any medication you might need (eg for heartburn?) in the US so that you can get what you want - your midwife could help with this.

Move around a lot on the plane - get up, go to loo, walk up and down the aisles. DVT is the biggest risk.

However, flying when pregnant is a lot easier than flying with small children!!!

[sunburntats]

flight socks a MUST, water a must but remeber tog et up and walk around for a few minutes every hour, even if itis to go for a wee.
stretch out legs and rotate feet.
also, i had awful backache from the sitting, walking round relieved this for me.

apart from that enjoy!!

[Dophus]

Good luck - it will be fine. I weent to Braxil on vaction at 29weeks. We flew on a miserable Thomas Cook - my knees touched the seat in front and we had DS1 draped across us. We survived!

Others have given all useful advice. Especially in phoning up the airline and letting know. Also be really nice to the check in staff and request an upgrade!

[GuernseyFrench]

Thanks for those advices.
Cheers

[lucky1979]

I flew back from the US at 28 weeks and would second getting some good flight socks, but also wear something comfy that doesn't press on your stomach like a maxi dress or something similar.

[trellism]

I flew at 26 weeks and can highly recommend:

Virgin Upper class

I had a lovely clucky French steward who let me have champagne.

Otherwise, and more helpfully, either phone ahead or check in online for the best seat - I recommend seatguru.com to find out what this is. You say what airline you're flying on and what type of plane you're in (you can easily find this out from the airline) and it will recommend the best place. Check in online and early to make sure you bagsy the best spot.

[Tangle]

If you're angling for specific seats its worth calling customer service 24 hours before online check-in opens - by the time online check-in opens (usually 24 hours before the flight), many airlines will already have allocated seats to families and customers in frequent flier programmes - a lot of the "good" seats may well have gone.

They may not be able to do anything, but you can ask (and if you're left to do it online, make sure you're ready as soon as they make the service available)