Flying 1st trimester - can I ask for your reassurance please?

[Ohrwurm]

Hi everyone,

I'm 4+2 weeks with my second. It was a very huge welcomed surprise as the doctors have told us it's highly unlikely we'd get pregnant naturally (MFI).

Our first pregnancy ended in a MMC in the same week we flew long haul. I can't help but connect the two even though I know it was very likely just a coincidence.
Our second pregnancy was our icsi conceived DS and I stayed home the entire pregnancy as I was too nervous to fly (and COVID didn't allow us most of the time anyway).

I have a trip to visit my family to the UK when I'll be 6 weeks (short haul 2 hours), then at 7 weeks I fly on holiday with my entire family from the UK (short haul - Europe, 3 hours), we come back to the UK when I'm 9 weeks and then I fly back home again when I'm nearly 11 weeks.

I want to be relaxed this time round. I don't want to spend my pregnancy anxious like with my DS. And I was feeling calm until someone asked me if I was still going back to the UK / on our holiday trip.
Can I please ask for reassurance from those of you who have flown successfully in the first trimester?

Thanks everyone. Trying to stay positive.

I had an early loss in November, and then found out I was pregnant again at Christmas. We flew out on our honeymoon (2.5 hour flight) on December 30th when I was 5 weeks, and then back again when I was 7 weeks.

Then did another shorthaul return (1.5 hour) for a long weekend at 10+3. I'm now 26 weeks, and looking wistfully out the window at the rain! I'd say go, and enjoy it. I don't believe there's any link between occassional air travel and miscarraige!

I flew at about six weeks with DD. No issues, the only problem was that I was starting to feel like crap with nausea and stuff so our holiday wasn't quite the experience it should have been! That would be my only concern, not the flights or anything.

I flew 11 hours at 7 weeks pregnant to visit family, I’m now 32 weeks.

it sounds like a lovely trip and a great chance to visit family!
Just remember to drink lots of water and stretch your legs regularly.

I'd be more worried about morning sickness than the flying! 😉

We’ve flown three times (6 flights) all to local Europe so less than 2hrs at a time. All fine. I didn’t have morning sickness but can imagine it would have been tough if I did.

I had five first trimester losses before conceiving my son.

I am now pregnant again and flew long haul at 5 weeks. Had an ultrasound at 6 weeks, 4 days after I got back, and everything was looking OK.

Oh I forgot to add, I did not fly during any of the pregnancies where I went on to miscarry.

I think I did a short haul one when I was about 5-6 weeks pregnant with my son though - my only successful pregnancy to date.

I had two holidays in the 1st tri. Flew at 5 weeks and 8 weeks.

I emigrated to Canada - 9 hour flight. Found out a couple of weeks later that I was pregnant, so I would have been around 10-12 weeks at the time of the flight. All good.

I was around 10 weeks when I flew to NYC and all was fine though I did get travel sick!

I fly regularly for work (every 2-3 weeks) and have done for my current pregnancy with no issues 😊 the only negative was morning sickness on a plane!

I can completely understand associating your previous loss with flying given it happened at the same time but it was a very unfortunate coincidence.

Focus on the positive of getting to see your family if you can x

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences! It's been very reassuring and I can focus on just being excited and enjoying seeing my family.

@babyjellyfish I'm sorry to hear about your losses.

@Sarahlouise86 thank you, this is just what I need to keep my telling myself. Unfortunate coincidence is exactly it.

And I see lots of morning sickness mentioned😅I never actually threw up with DS but had major food aversion and was never really able to eat more than a few bites. However I'm already feeling slight nausea with this one so but wary of that😅

Tip for sickness, eat before you feel too sick. So before you get on flight, try and have something simple even toast or basic sandwich at airport, and take plenty of water on board.
You can take a nice refillable bottle empty through security and just fill the other side

I flew long haul (18 hours) whilst 7 weeks. Whilst baby is totally fine (currently 17+5) I was sick. Mixture of exhaustion, pg sickness and lack of food/drink (cheap airline) did me in. If we hadn't booked the trip well before baby I wouldn't have flown that far.
Baby will be fine, I totally get your nerves (2 mc and a mmc before this pg) so I was beside myself with worry, but my mv said at that stage baby is too small to be impacted by cabin pressure, so just look after you.

Drink lots of water and take snacks!

I'm due to fly (long haul) in a few weeks when I'll be 11 weeks pregnant, and my midwife assured me it's absolutely fine as long as your pregnancy is low risk. There's no risk of flying to baby as they are well protected in there. 💛

The only issue is of course not feeling very well in yourself/feeling sick, so make sure to get yourself an aisle seat so you can get up and walk about often, and plenty of water/snacks xx