To book international work trips having just found out pregnant?

[Lndn93]

I’ve recently tested positive (4 and a half weeks; planned although first try, so slightly earlier than expected!) The dilemma is that I have just been asked to go on two trips to the US this summer and need to decide today/tomorrow if I can do the first one. I tried to avoid it, but no-one else in the team can go in my place.

I really would like to go – these are trips that I enjoy and are relatively stress free. The dilemma is working out if the timing suits and if I should disclose. The first trip is a long flight (11 hours), 7 nights long with short, domestic flight in the middle, and I would need to fly out from the UK the day after I reach the 12 weeks pregnant mark.

I’ve already been scheduled for my 12 week scan, which is exactly 12 weeks (aka the day before I would fly). Is this too close to my departure? What if I was to receive bad news? However, I am hoping to bring my DH on this trip, so I would be well supported. As far as I can tell, my company’s travel insurance policy would cover any medical emergencies (but I would check this for sure).

The second trip is less of a concern (I think). I would be 18 weeks and it is a shorter flight / around 4 nights duration.

I am fit, healthy, early 30s. I am planning to pay for a private early scan at 8 weeks for reassurance.

I am aware that there is still a relatively high chance of miscarriage, so I guess there is also a chance that I may not be pregnant by the time these trips come around. What would you do? Would you disclose to line manager? It still feels very early days and I ordinarily would not want to share until closer to 12 weeks, but perhaps it is the best thing to do in this case.

It is first pregnancy for me and I don’t know if I am being a bit naïve. I am going to ring the hospital team who have sent me booking details, but any thoughts on here would be very welcome

I think you’ll be fine to do both trips. Especially if your DH is going. Before 20 weeks, apart from tiredness I was relatively symptom free, but obviously some people do suffer from sickness.

I wouldn’t want to let a line manager know at this point either - if I were you, I’d agree in the meantime for the first trip, then if you’re comfortable tell your line manager after your 8-week scan (this is exactly what I did at work)

This way, you can discuss any relevant information needed at the time and if anything does go wrong (fingers crossed it doesn’t) you can hopefully discuss this and be supported by them.

Congratulations btw ❤️

Personally, I'd just book on the trips and go. Particularly as your partner is going and they're relatively low stress

You’ll be absolutely fine. Book the trips.

It depends a bit on your line manager and the culture. I told my line manager about 5 weeks because I was due to go a site visit but I didn’t want to risk throwing up on site and in front of colleagues who I didn’t want to disclose to at that point. I had to basically get my manager’s approval to not do my job on that day (there were health and safety considerations to me throwing up on site to consider too). I then had to tell my head of department about 7 weeks as an important presentation had been scheduled for my scan date. My scan was in the morning and the presentation in the afternoon so I could make both but it would be tight and I needed to let her know that I might be late if the hospital was running late or if I’d got bad news, might not be in a position to do this very important presentation.

Sounds fine to me. Up until 20 weeks, I wouldn’t worry (and if there are no complications, you’ll be fine to fly up until 28 weeks or later in some cases). Even if your 12-week scan shows that further tests are required, you can still do this once you’re back. It will take a few days anyway to get results. Congrats and enjoy the trips!

I don't think you are being naiive but rather overthinking it. You are in good health and there is no reason why at 12 weeks you wouldn't be able to fly. You might experience morning sickness but that can be manged unless it is HG which is a whole different ball game. You might find yourself a bit more tired than usual but then once you are done with work for the day take the time to get an early night. In pregnancy you simply can't plan for everything because it can be unpredictable. For now assuming you have a low risk pregnancy I would plan to go. If things change then your plans change.

I think you’ll be fine. But where are you going in the US? I would check the state’s laws around prenatal care- as I’m sure you know, the new abortion rules have had knock on effects for women experiencing miscarriage. I wouldn’t want to be pregnant in any of these states.

I would absolutely go. And in the terrible, and mostly unlikely, event that you do get bad news and/or have to cancel.... that's not your fault. It is not your obligation to not book anything in CASE something goes wrong. That's like saying, "oh no, I can't go on that fun day out water skiing the day before a trip in case i hurt myself". Right now, you have no reason to believe you will not be able to do the trip, you want to do the trip and, professionally, the trip is appropriate. Go ahead and book it.

Do check your/your firm's travel insurance for your own peace of mind.

Thanks everyone - super reassuring but also good things to think about 🙂

You should be fine. At 12wk scan, unless there's bad news from the scan itself, you won't know for a few more days until get the blood test results and can deal with anything when you get back on receipt of the full information. If you have the early reassurance scan, probably less chance of a massive curveball on scan day itself. You could do your early scan at more like 10 weeks and have a private NIPT, which would tell you about most of it save for neural tube issues. But honestly, still very early, you will be ok. I think priority will be making sure that you have bullet proof travel insurance. You may also need to have a think about what US state you are travelling to - there are certain states that I would not want to even have a MC in right now. Definitely make sure that you have notes to take with you if is a red state just in case.

I think it's fine, go on the trips. Make the most of them and enjoy - you likely won't get time to travel again, with your dh, and so far away for a couple years at least.

I flew to the US (east coast) for a week at 7 weeks with my first, and then from there to the west coast (at 8 weeks) and then back to the UK from California at 10 weeks. It was totally fine. The only challenge was that I felt retched, nauseous and completely exhausted.

I had a second pregnancy where I would have been travelling to the US at 14 weeks, but unfortunately had a miscarriage a few weeks before. It was still fine (well, as fine as it ever would be) and I didn't have any concerns about going - other that at the time, I was annoyed I wouldn't be able to have a drink on the flight! 😂

It would have been much easier at 12 and 18 weeks. I'd say go and enjoy.

I flew from Australia to U.K. for a trip when I was 13 weeks pregnant with DC2, also had a 1 year old to look after. I had no nausea but did come down with a pretty bad virus after the flight, really sore throat, cough etc which took a week to clear. If you want to go then I would say go but maybe speak to your line manager just to 100% make sure that you are medically insured whilst there 😊

The issue is you won't know how you're going to feel at 12 weeks pregnant. There's a high chance you'll be knackered beyond belief, I'm 3 months post partum and that hell is still fresh in my mind! Throw sickness into the bargain and that flight will be brutal, I'm not sure what the actual trip involves but the tiredness in that first trimester doesn't fuck around!

Ask your mum/sister how they fared in pregnancy, apparently if they were sick you are more likely to be (incidently both mine were) but I have friends who breezed through pregnancy before me so I was green going into it - figuratively and literally!

That's just my two cents!

Congratulations BTW 🤗

To add a slightly different perspective, I wouldn't have been well enough to travel at that point of pregnancy. I found pregnancy extremely difficult. I was very sick and incredibly tired throughout but (rightly or wrongly) wanted to avoid taking medication. However I still agree with others, there is no reason not to go ahead and book the trips but then inform your employer nearer the time if for any reason you feel unable to manage the trip. Also just double check any specific travel/health advice for the area you are visiting. Any tropical disease risks / vaccination or medicine requirements etc which might not be good whilst pregnant. Even certain parts of the US have additional risks so just worth double checking the specific place you are going to.

I wouldn't have felt well enough tbh, sorry to be negative. I was running half marathons and hiking before pregnancy, I was very fit, and working 50 hr weeks no problem. I can't tell you how shocked I still am by how unwell I have been.

I would not cancel the trip, agree to it, but bear in mind that you may need to re-arrange.

And check what US states you are travelling to, I wouldn't go somewhere where I couldn't access proper help. Abortion is now banned in many states, even in medical situations.

You'll probably be fine to go but as others have said, don't forget you may be absolutely exhausted/sick etc.

Also, to consider with such a long flight is blood clot prevention as you're more at risk being pregnant.and 11 hours is a long time. (Sorry medical hat firmly on, as I'm.a GP 😊).

Just a note of caution though, I think you'll need to tell your manager as I'm assuming they insure you for the trip? If so, and you don't declare pregnancy, God forbid anything go wrong, you.might not be covered. I understand what others are saying about not wanting to reveal so early but actually, why? I'm afraid that the magic 12 week mark isn't reliable. Things can happen at any stage. I lost my first baby at 20+6 who was born alive with no warning. That's not said to scare you but to prove the point that until baby arrives, there's always risk but I'm saying that because I know how important it is to enjoy every moment of it, and not worry about people knowing "too soon".

People are saying about blood testing re genetic diseases but remember, you don't HAVE TO have this. Neither my wife or I did with any of our 3 pregnancies.

So, by all.means go but I think you'll definitely need to speak with your manager to be safe.

I used to travel a lot pre kids and was in the same situation but with a trip to Madagascar - I couldn’t have some of the vaccinations I needed so quietly told my manager, publicly made my excuses for the trip and didn’t go. I did however go to Canada at about 14 weeks. It was fine but I didn’t get sick with pregnancy. Just tired!

personally I would maximise the work trips now, especially if good for your career as my willingness to travel - and ability - has done a 180 since having kids. Now I look for any excuse not to go away!! (And rarely can say yes due to the logistic chaos)

I actually found out I was pregnant with DS on a work trip in the US. In spite of my previous recurrent miscarriages I went on with work travel as normal, stopping overseas travel at 28 weeks and was away in the UK the week he was born. I was more tired that usual, and had all day nausea in the first trimester but it was all manageable but I took it as it came really. DS was a very well travelled foetus!

I wouldn’t worry too much, in terms of travelling you are okay to fly until fairly late into the pregnancy. You don’t have to disclose pregnancy until you feel comfortable. By 12 weeks you’ll find morning sickness will be in full effect and unfortunately no one can predict how severe that will be. The early scan is a good idea it will but your mind at ease that baby is developing normally. In my opinion I wouldn’t pass up the trip as chances are you’ll be completely fine with a healthy baby.

This would be my concern. I would book the trips because your work will take the hit if you can’t go, not you. I wouldn’t bother ringing the hospital, leave that for people who really need care.

Also I still felt appalling at 12 weeks so do consider that.

By 5 weeks on my second pregnancy I was in the full swing of hypermesis and had to disclose to my line manager that I was pregnant as I was off work 5 weeks and ended up at the hospital twice.

In my first pregnancy I didn’t suffer with hyperemesis but did constantly feel nauseous. We did go on holiday around 8 weeks - only a short flight t the canaries for new year - and went with family who we hadn’t told but most had figured it out by the end of the week as I burnt really quickly and wasn’t eating very well. Not drinking wasn’t a give away as I don usually drink anyway.

So you won’t know really how things are until day to day. Some people fly through pregnancy with zero issues, some don’t even know they’re pregnant til much later, and then some of us are just poorly the whole time.

I had really bad nausea and vomiting from 8 weeks until about 20 weeks. I was also incredibly exhausted. Very fit and healthy, mid 20s so you never know how pregnancy will be for you.