Flying at 33.6 weeks pregnant - how does travel insurance work? PLEASE HELP

[UmSami]

Hi! I'm due to fly on Thursday of this week and at that time I will be 33.6 weeks preganant.
The flight is from the UK, 7 hours ish to Abu Dhabi, 2 hour stop over, and then less than 2 hours to Saudi.
I have insurance for Saudi, that should cover me in Abu Dhabi if need be (hubby currently checking)
BUT what happens if I go into labour on the plane...do I need insurance for that and if so how does it work?!

When you say you have insurance for Saudi I presume you mean health insurance for when you are in the country? I would be very surprised if you get anyone to provide travel insurance for you (at least for any medical element) at this stage of pregnancy on a long-haul flight. Most policies only cover up to 28 weeks. You probably need to contact a specialist travel broker at this stage as time is very short to see if they can find someone who will cover you. The airline will probably want to see a doctor's letter confirming you are OK to travel, if you haven't already got one.

Please make sure you wear properly fitting flight socks, drink plenty of water and keep exercising your legs. Has your doctor advised you about reducing your risk of thrombosis?

Sorry - don't want to scare you, but IMO that is just as important as considering the possibility of going into labour.

Thanks for replying and the good advice...survived the fight, incident free, now just playing the waiting game...

Hi UmSami, are you in Saudi now? Presumably if so you are having baby here? I'm in Saudi too, in Riyadh. Where are you?

Hi mumoverseas...wow, wow, wow! I'm in Riyadh too ...really is a small world! Been here about 11 months, what about you? How you finding it?
I am planning to have bubs here, any experience? I'm starting to panic a wee bit to be honest...too late to change my mind tho', I'm due on the 29/10...

Hi Umsami,
I've been in the land of sand for almost 3 years now. Finding it ok, although some things drive me mad (ie ramadam!) thank god (allah!) it is over for another year!
Don't panic about having baby here. I had my DD (2 today!) here and it was fantastic (apart from her being born halfway through ramadam!)Don't worry, doctor and nurses were absolutely fabulous. I was worried as we knew I'd have to have an early C section due to various health problems but all was fantastic. Are you having baby at Kingdom Hospital? Thats where I had DD. I'm pregnant again (19 weeks) and planning on having baby here. Nothing to panic about at all. Are you on a compound here? If so, which one. Maybe we could meet for a starbucks now ramadam over! x

Hi mumoverseas,
3 years thats quite an achievement! I'm still very much a newbie and finding my feet! Happy Birthday to your DD! Congrats on pregnancy! Seems like we have a fair bit in common! My DS (Sami...as if I need to explain!) is 2 1/2, and bump is 36 weeks and counting!
I'm planning to have baby at the National Guard hospital, 'Haras Al Watany' and am currently living on associated compound...do you know it? We will, however, be moving into the 'real world' shortly, hopefully just before bubs is born...but hrm time is getting short...what about you?
It would be really great to meet for coffee...of course when things open again after Eid! How about Kingdom? Just let me know the time... I've never exchanged details on mumsnet so not sure how to do it...
Happy Birthday to your DD again! Hope you managed to find something fun to do here! x

Hi UmSami,
my husband thinks he might know where your compound is. Its it out on the Kurais Road? I'm on salwa, opposite Janadiriya, just next to (one of the!) Kings palaces. Usually shop at Kingdom or Granada so Kingdom would be good. I have a driver on Mondays so could meet at Kingdom on a Monday if you like or I can 'slum it' on the shopping bus another day. would be quite funny trying to meet each other, we'd be the women in the nice little black numbers! what shade of black is your abaya?
If you want to email me we can then exchange other info and phone numbers. Think Eid finishes on Saturday and then its the fab Ramadam sales! (if you weren't here last year the sales can be FANTASTIC!) My email is [email protected]
hope to catch up over a frappacino soon!
Ursula

mumoverseas, I've e-mailed you...hope to hear from you soon.

Hi Umsami,
You could help me massively! I'm hoping to fly to abu dhabi at christmas but will be 27/28 weeks when i fly and have been a little concerned. Can I ask who you flew with and what information did you need to give the flight comany? And who did you get your travel insurance with? Any advice would be so much appreciated.
Hope all going well with your final weeks of pregnancy.

Hi cairs, not sure if she is still checking this thread but I'll text her and get her to look.
I'm flying back to the UK at 25 weeks then back here to Saudi at 32 weeks and checked with the midwife yesterday about this. She said that before 28 weeks the airlines shouldn't need any paperwork although she said it is worth getting a note from your doctor (or some midwives will do it) confirming your pregnancy and your due date just in case you are asked (last time I was asked at 24 weeks as I was HUGE!) She seemed to think that after 28 weeks the airlines would need to take responsibility for you should you go into labour prematurely although that did sound a little odd and I'd check it out. She also said that the letter from the doctor/midwife needed to be as up to date as possible so if I was you I'd check as soon as possible that they can do it and then just get the letter a few days before you go.
Hope Umsami contacts you soon.

Hi Cairs, just texted Umsami and her internet is down a the moment (quite common where we live!) Hopefully she will be back online soon and be able to advise you

Message from Umsami (her internet still down!) she says she couldn't get travel insurance to cover her but in the end BUPA agreed to refund any costs incurred if baby delivered in any country (up to benefit limits). Hope this helps?

Hi Mumoverseas and Cairs...sorry I've not been about...internet issues...
Sorry if this msg is a bit short but pregnancy brain has kicked in with finesse and I just deleted the msg I spent an age writing
Mumoverseas, thanks for passing on my message, I've not much to add really, though should clarify that it was BUPA Midle East who agreed to cover, our existing policy covers maternity here, I highly doubt BUPA UK would do the same...
We flew Etihad, they were great...flew out to UK easily at 25ish weeks and was only asked if I was pregnant and how far by 1 stewardess, who took me at my word...I was carrying a letter from my OBGYN tho' as was given same advice as mumoverseas...
The only way I could put my own mind at rest was to speak directly to airline, but I would recommend that you read the airlines website thoroughly before calling...I was given conflicting advice by different customer service staff and policies may vary from country to country...(the advice I was given in KSA was so much more complicated than in UK...but thats normal for here!)In the end when I spoke to a UK advisor who knew what she was talking about I got her to add notes to my booking confirming I could fly up 'til end of week 35...others had told me 32 weeks etc...it's only when I read the site and questioned that I got somewhere!
If you are flying etihad, their UK office no is +44 (0) 870 241 7121, open 8am-8pm, 7 days a week
The relevant web pages www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/uk/en/planatrip/specialneeds/Pages/ExpectantMothers.aspx
Cairs, good luck, enjoy your holiday AD is great, we're planning to go for New year, kinda mad with a newbie, but cousin has very kindly decided to get married there! Saves a long haul flight for us! Most of all enjoy your pregnancy...and try not to stress too much, I was convinced I'd have been in labour by now, due to long haul flight etc...instead I'm bored, fat, and bouncing on my birthing ball like a demented frog!

Hi UmSami and mumoverseas,
Sorry for delay of response but lost this thread, not sure if you'll still be accessing it now but just want to say thanks for all your advice. AD was fantastic and the flight was no probs at all, after all that worrying about travelling the cabin crew didn't seem to bother at all and didn't ask to see any of my letters! 7 and a bit weeks to go now. Umsami, hope all went well with the birth and new baby doing well, mumoverseas, i think you must be due soon so wishing you all the best,
Thanks again & take care.

Hi Cairs,
glad you had a fantastic holiday in AD and no problems on the flight. When I flew back to the UK in November BEFORE I even needed a letter I got asked about 8 times how many weeks pregnant I was. On the way back to Saudi a few weeks ago I showed my letter at check in and they put it on the system and never asked again.

Not sure if UmSami still checking on here but we were texting earlier and I'll let her know.
she had a little girl beginning of November and I'm having my baby in exactly 3 weeks by CS (yes, I'm counting!) When are you due?