Flying abroad in late pregnancy

[Ree91]

First pregnancy, have a family holiday booked for a week abroad in Europe (I'm UK) and will be 35+6 upon return.

The airline company have said I can fly until 36 weeks, and midwife has confirmed fit to fly as no complications so far.

Would you go? I'm worried I'll go into early labour, will have to sort out a passport for baby, will be terrified labouring in a foreign holiday and at that stage, chances are baby will need specialist care as likely to be premature.

I would have already started my mat leave a few days before I fly, as have holidays to use before I go off. There will be about 10 family members with me including DP, so assuming you felt okay, would you go? Am I missing something else to factor in the equation aside from specialist insurance too?

I'd go. Baby shouldn't need much help that late in pregnancy.

Thank you!

Id go, if it does come early you will be Europe, with great medical facilities. Just make sure your insurance covers pregnancy. It also might be a good idea to figure out your nearest hospital and what your plan would be in the unlikely event the baby comes early.

Enjoy your holiday :)

Thanks, really appreciate your response 😊

Ive booked flights abroad not knowing I was pregnant, and i will be nearly 36 weeks upon return. This is my third baby so I know that being on a plane that late into pregnancy is the last thing I want to do. I usually get terrible back ache and swollen legs at this stage, and just feel generally uncomfortable so I'm going to cancel my trip. But that's me and each person will have react differently. I hope you won't be like me and that you will enjoy your holiday abroad!

Thank you, I'm worried about feeling icky at that stage too. It seems the matter may be taken completely out of my hands though as I'm struggling to find insurance to cover me so late. Most will only cover for emergencies and won't include normal labour which it will likely to be at that late stage. Any suggestions anyone?

What about the European Health Insurance Card? Would that cover it? Although now after brexit I dont even know if it's still valid...

Do you already potentially have a policy through your bank account that will cover or you can make additions to?

What country are you travelling to? If you have an European Health Insurance Card would this cover normal labour? and then your insurance would cover any emergencies?

No policy through the bank unfortunately. No I don't have EHIC, not sure if that's something I can get now due to brexit? I'm travelling to Spain too.

Yeah you can still get one and it will be valid for 2020. It will cover you for normal labour in Spain (I think but you should double check!), here is a link fir what is covered, basically just check its a public healthcare centre not private

ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1021&langId=en&intPageId=1754

I think the vehicle is valid until the end of t
2020 (so valid for the transition period). Can take a few days for one to come through the post though

X post. *Vehicle is ehic - bloody autocorrect.

Honestly, I wouldn't at that stage. Don't know if you can still get an EHIC card and don't know if it would cover you for labour etc. If you can get insurance you must ensure it covers any care the baby might need too, as that can get very expensive. I'd just have a UK minibreak instead tbh.

I've just travelled in Europe for work at 32 weeks pregnant, also first pregnancy. Caught a virus and ran a fever so ended up getting checked out at the local maternity hospital. They accepted my EHIC card without a problem and I got great treatment and felt very reassured.

For travel insurance I used more than, m&s also seem to cover pregnancy without a fuss. I'd echo the advice to get an EHIC (valid throughout the transition period) and check you know which public hospital to go to just in case.

That said, I found travelling at this time a bit anxiety inducing, even though I speak the language, so I would probably try harder to avoid it if I was in the same situation in future.

An added bonus, if you do give birth abroad your child might be entitled to an EU passport!

Definitely an added bonus haha

I've applied for an ehic card ladies, thanks so much for the recommendations! Will look at getting insurance which covers medical emergencies now, and also try to find out if the hospitals are private or not!

I wouldn't travel that late in pregnancy, but I had my second at 36 weeks, so my view is coloured by that. Is there no way you could bring the holiday forward by a few weeks? Even if you are covered for medical care, giving birth in a foreign country can be scary and I personally wouldn't risk it for a holiday.

Also I felt exhausted by that stage and just wanted to nest at home...couldn't imagine anything worse than having to sit on a plane for a few hours in late pregnancy

It's a family holiday in a villa so unable to bring forward as everyone else has time off work booked etc, and would mean changing for us all! Yeah I'm worried how I'll be feeling at that late stage too, I guess since I've paid for it a while ago anyway I'm not really losing out should I decide I don't feel up to it as the money was paid before I knew I was pregnant!

Remember your insurance doesn’t just need to cover you, it needs to cover the baby too as they become an independent person once they are born.