For those who had a CS - could you have gone on a longhaul flight two weeks later?

[DitaVonCheese]

I am trying to organise a family weekend away to celebrate my granny's 90th birthday. My cousin is desperate to come - in fact she's the most enthusiastic of all of us. She's also pregnant and lives in Manhattan.

She is due end of September, so allowing for worst case scenario of going two weeks over and having a CS, would she feasibly be able to fly at the end of October? Her DH would be coming too so she would have plenty of help plus cab to the airport at one end and picked up at the other.

Any advice gratefully received

No - but I had an em c-s with general anaesthetic. I wasn't fit to walk to the end of the street before 2 weeks.

No don't think I would have done that.

Depends how she gets over it - some people recover better/quicker than others. I was happily back driving my car at 2 weeks (with my doctors OK) and back out running after 5 weeks. Some people find it a lot harder to recover from than this - it is a major operation.

What are insurance rules after surgery? Surely this would be a much higher risk of DVT than normal?

Would she be allowed to take a long haul flight so soon after surgery? I think that surgery increases your risk of DVT type things, but am happy to be corrected if I am talking total rubbish!!

X post Hawkmoth!

I couldn't have done but like Chynah says, different people recover at different rates. I don't know if there is any medical reason generally why you shouldn't fly but I can't imagine so.

It depends on a lot of things.

I felt pretty ok at that point but may not have felt ok had I flown over the Atlantic in economy (being so cramped up with a serious surgical wound not a great idea). Business or First I probably could have managed, provided I took a lot of water onto the flight and didn't have to carry anything much. Even at that point every time I did too much I bled like the birth had only just happened and started to feel a bit sore again.

The thing is that sections have complications and although I felt ok I had very high BP and I doubt my doctors would have allowed me to fly. 2 weeks after the op you could still be dealing with infection or have a load of scar pain. so on balance I probably would not book that ticket.

Hmm - hadn't thought of that: good point!

Her little sister made a 200 mile car journey up for same gran's birthday party with week old twins after emcs but obv no dvt risk etc ...

I could have done it, but I would be concerned about the risk of DVT - she'd need to talk to a Dr, and probably at the very least wear TD stockings etc. Also, while I could have done it, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to - she may feel quite different once she had the baby.

Thanks for all the replies - sounding v much like a no! Will start looking at mid-November on.

I think you would have to check with the company she is flying with - they may not let her some companies have certain time frames following sugery. There would be an increased DVT risk.

Also if the airports she is flying from and to are large airports there may be quite alot of walking involved, that would have been an issue for me - on top of all that she has a new born to care for.

Getting a passport so soon for a little one could be another issue.

Just a few things to consider.

The thing is it's not just a long haul flight 2 weeks post c-section, it's also a long haul flight with a 2 week old baby! Sounds fairly unfeasible to me, it's sounds like a lovely family get-together and I hope you can all attend at the right time

I was crawling on the floor even 3 weeks after the c/ in order to go from one part of the house to the other due to extreme pain every now and then... I would not plan any trips let alone long haul at least for the first 6 weeks after any kind of birth... there is enough to deal with with a new born and plus if there is a c/s, planning such a major family event combined with a long haul flite is unthinkable for me. note: c/s above was my 2nd baby after 8 yrs and I was still out of my mind...(early arrival with unplanned c/s).

dont encourage anybody to do somehting like this. if they do it and it is a disaster you are on the hook for the rest!

Gugu I'm not encouraging her! It was planned for August, on the assumption that she wouldn't want to fly across continents for a family weekend in Brum but she emailed and called to say that she'd really really like to come. Though I have to admit that I am slightly swayed by really wanting to see her baby ...

I think it'd be unfair to ask her.

Potentially 2 weeks after the birth of your first child (c/s or not) is still a difficult time for a lot of people. She would probably still be bleeding, getting feeding established etc. Her hormones will still be all over the place too. Getting out of the house with her baby will be an achievement, let alone having to contemplate a transatlantic flight in order to attend a big family event.

This is in top of the extra stress that having to get the lo a passport immediately, missing important medical follow up etc. I have no idea if any airlines would permit her to fly.

I think the further you can push the party back the better - maybe combine it with Christmas events?? (and even then, understand if she feels it will be too much to come)

It really depends on the individual and how she recovers. Both my DS's were born in the UK by CS (1 emergency, 1 elective, both epidural/spinal not GA) and we flew back to Zambia 11hrs in economy 2 weeks later both times (this was in 2006 & 2008). Both flights were the easiest I've done with DC's!! And definitely easier than flying at 35 weeks pregnant. You have to get a letter from your doctor stating you are fit to fly, and I was prescribed DVT stockings, not just socks. The other tip is to book a wheelchair at both airports, this gets you through customs, passport control & baggage claim with no queuing or and you don't have to stand or lift at all. Having said all of that, it's such an unknown. BA won't take a booking for a baby that hasn't been born yet, btw, but you can usually add them at the last minute. And then of course there's the whole getting the baby a passport palaver to go through. Yawn. Maybe that's not so bad in the States though?
Good luck! xx

Hi DitaVonCheese... sorry I didnt mean you are putting the idea in her mind when said encouraging... I meant dont support any such idea... best is she looks for the info and finds out that what she would like to do is risky for health perhaps and unreasonable... I had flown overseas for a very good friends wedding (my hubby was the best man and I couldnt miss the wedding) within Europe 8 weeks after my first baby and after 10 years now, my mother-in-law still talks about how crazy I was to do that... however though 8 weeks is a different time zone than 2 weeks... would I still do what I did 10 years gao knowing what I know now... NO!!!!!
stay in your nest in the first while and enjoy discovering a whole new world with your most precious new born, you new moms!

Gugu sorry if I sounded defensive Just wanted to be clear I'm not putting pressure on - was starting from the pov that she wouldn't want to or be able to make it.

IwishIwas she already knows about it and I think would be upset if it was planned without her knowing about it.

We do tend to be quite stoic in our family (see her little sis travelling with week old twins above) but I couldn't have done it at two weeks - after a natural birth - due to a haemotoma which meant I was unable to sit down

Could push back towards Christmas, when she'll be over anyway, but would be good to use some of her (shamefully short) maternity leave, plus the old lady might not hang on that long ...

No chance. Sitting still for that long, the seatbelt on my scar. Ow. No thanks.

No way. Like Poledra I had an em CS with GA and wasn't fit to walk to teh end of the street after 2 weeks!

Can't you organise it later in the year?

Ignore me. Iread OP and answered - I see you've already moved on

NO NO NO, not after any of the four!! I had GA, ECS and elective twice.....