To fly or not to fly?

[BabyMonkey78]

Hi
I've recently found out that I'm 5wks and it's my first pregnancy, so feeling really excited and nervous at the same time! I usually have to travel quite a lot with work (mainly short haul flights) and have read that there is a slight increase in the risk of miscarriage if you fly in the first 12wks. Does anyone currently fly frequently, or previously done so, esp if in first 12wks? Any advice??
Thanks!
PS. Completely new to this and my first post, so really don't know any of the acronyms!

hi i had this quandry with my 1st and the midwife told me to go and enjoy myself and that it wasnt a problem, we did and all was well, with my 2nd i flew at 15 weeks and 26 weeks all was fine, and am currently pg with my 3rd and going away at 32 weeks which im more nervous about just because of size/comfort.

if your going to be going on quite a few flights maybe ask the midwife or your doctor just to put your mind at rest, be careful what you read on the net you can scare yourself to never do anything!!

Congratulations x

Found out I was pg while abroad and panicked about flying back. Called NHS helpline and asked MD relative and all said that there is actually no official study showing any connections between miscarriage and flying (another of those moments when you wish you hadn't googled).

I was 5 weeks at that point and flew short haul the next day. In fact it must have been baby's second flight as I would have been pg not knowingly on the way there as well. Am 23 weeks now and baby seems to be doing absolutely fine and I had no signs or scares in early pregnancy. I have to say I felt quite sick and in pain on the flight though. Not sure if it had to do with psychological reasons as I was still a bit worried or early symptoms of the morning sickness that was yet to come.

Try not to worry and just go for it. Bear in mind though that if you're feeling sick it might make the flight very uncomfortable.

oh and they said to avoid the "naked" scanners as the use x-Rays but the normal metal detectors are fine.

Congratulations btw!

I flew to the States when 10 weeks with DS. He's 3 at the end of the month. But agree with the previous posters about getting MW/GP advice if you're at all worried.

Is it safe to travel at 19/20/21 weeks? I've a holiday booked in Madeira in August. It's a 3 and 1/2 hour flight.

I've just cancelled a long haul trip at Doctors advice, and thats exactly it - REAL DOCTOR NOT DOCTOR GOOGLE ;)
A friend who works for an airline also told me that it depends on the individual pregnancy, length of trip, and rather oddly the airline. Basically you need a letter from your doctor saying you are fit to fly - and it must be from your doctor, not midwife or practice nurse. The reality is, is that the actual cabin crew can refuse to allow you to board, if they believe you are a risk. Its pretty rare for it to happen, but it does - there have been cases where women have been stranded.The limit for flying (I think) it 35 weeks, but most airlines expect a letter from about 25
Right up until today my Doctor has been encouraging my trip as he thinks the rest outweighs the risk...until my bluddy blood pressure has refused in the past week to go down.
Weigh up the odds, speak to your doctor - and I really hope those of you with trips planned get to go and enjoy your holidays :)

I flew a a few return trips within EU during my first trimester for work and leisure, didn't think too hard about it in all honesty, short haul, the only thing I did differently was not to go through the weird nekkid scanners at Manchester (although those really don't penetrate deeply anyway - they're a surface scan), and not to drink any free booze or coffee! Everything looked ok at our 12wk scan, so I don't think it did any sig damage. If you're unhappy about flying, is it worth having a discreet word with your line mgr to ask if you can do a little less for a couple of months?

Could you get your blood checked for the clotting disorder? I don't know what the name of it is but it an be checked for.

I won't fly when pregnant as my friend had this disorder and got a clot after a 30 min flight when she was at around week 20. Luckily it wa treatable and her and baby were fine but she had a lot of pain and many stays in hospital.

For me, I don't have to travel so it's no biggie to put it on pause for 9 months. I think if it was job reliant I'd get checked to ease my mind of one factor.

Thanks All - feel very reassured. I will speak with my GP though, just to double check.

I flew 5 weeks ago, when I was 7 weeks gone. Was fine, although it was short-haul so not sure if that makes a difference?

Firstly congratulations! :)

I travel a lot for work and for leisure, and didn't reduce my flying (mostly short-haul for me too) because I felt OK and didn't have any complications with my pregnancy.

What I did was take longer over my work trips, and minimised trips with very early or late flights by staying an extra night if necessary so I didn't get too tired. I also had prescribed and properly measured and fitted compression stockings that I always wore when flying. Plus, because I was doing lots of flying before pregnancy, and it sounds like it might be the case for you, I didn't find it too stressful because I was used to everything.

And another thing, carry some food with you all the time. Don't assume that the airline will provide you with food that you can / want to eat on the plane. What with the long flight delays, cancellations, in-flight diversions, in-flight meals consisting of parma ham and blue cheese, missing meals due to long meetings, I was glad to have some emergency food supplies in my bag.

Also, as mentioned above, check with each airline you are likely to fly with to see what their rules are about needing a medical fit to fly certificate (typically I found after after 28 weeks, but carried one before just in case), and how far into the pregnancy they will let you fly. I have found it varies greatly with different airlines. And do consult with your Dr or midwife, and be guided by how you feel.

Here ends the lecture!

In the end I flew up until my 34th week, doing 60 flights over 18 trips!

Congratulations!

I felw shorthaul for a week at 5 weeks and all was fine :)

Bizzeebee - your life sounds like mine! Thanks for the tips, especially re the food, you're right airline food is not the best for mums 2b!

Hi, am travelling to Egypt next week and will be 7 weeks pregnant, bit nervous about it, anyone been to Egypt in the early stages of pregnancy?