Would you fly UK to New York 32 weeks pregnant?

[whitenoise24]

Hi guys!

Im currently 11 weeks and we have a trip to NY booked for Christmas time when I’ll be nearly 32 weeks.

Im not making any decisions or cancelling anything yet (will wait until at least after 20 weeks) but just trying to think ahead and potentially rebook it for the following xmas.

This is my second baby. In my first pregnancy I was SO UNCOMFORTABLE by 32 weeks, with crippling sciatica, PGP, insomnia, never ending sickness, the list goes on. I am already struggling with sciatica at this early stage so anticipating it being a similar situation.

So I’m v worried about the flight and just generally me having a rubbish time and ruining it for my partner. Last time I couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes without really struggling and I want to be able to walk for miles and see everything in NY which I wouldn't be able to do. I love NY and wandering and walking and eating and drinking and I think postponing would be best. My partner is completely happy with this too.

Do you think postponing the trip is a good idea? xx

Look up ‘accidental American’. Even apart from the costs of birth (hopefully covered by decent insurance) you’d be saddling your child with American citizenship if they were born there. This ties them to the American tax system and paying to file taxes every year unless they have $1000s spare at 18 to be able to pay to give up that citizenship. Not a country you want to have a child in as a non resident.

Can you guarantee that that would be more likely in New York than Manchester?

You have my sympathy as I have PGP as well and it's a whole other level of pregnancy misery, those who don't have it don't really get it. If you had it in your first pregnancy and you already have some sciatica, likelihood is you won't be able to do much at 32 weeks.

I would have been waaaaaay too uncomfortable at 32 weeks. It's not just the flight itself. It's the HOURS of walking and queueing at the airport on both sides. Then being in NYC and not being able to do all the walking and sightseeing. Christmas will be mega busy as well. Postpone and plan something nice instead close by.

No way.

@YellowPolkaDotBikini1980 I think a lot of the issues are due to American lifestyle factors rather than anything else.

Also it's quite ignorant to put all 'black' people into one category. A poor African American has a totally different lifestyle to a more affluent Caribbean or African

I'd postpone. I had PGP in both pregnancies so if you've had it once you're very likely to get it again, there's no way I could have managed walking around NY at 32 weeks so it would have been a waste of money.

Also if you end up giving birth in US it could end up being a massive nightmare getting the baby home, and you would have to stay with the baby in NICU but your DH would probably have to come home to UK, nightmare!

Absolutely not. I'd go to Europe if it was necessary. Imagine the case if you had a premature baby whilst in America - you could end up spending weeks there until you could travel back. The cost is unthinkable.

I worked in Barcelona Airport (Spain) and pregnant women weren't allowed to fly after their 6th month unless presenting a letter from their GP. I wouldn't recommend mainly because there you'd have to pay, the stress to find the nearest Hospital in a place you don't know and finally the flight is very long, imagine you give birth in the plane and there's some sort of complication.... Would you rather go through that? For you or your baby? I wouldn't recommend at all.

With the experience you had with your first pregnancy I would postpone if I were you.

I did go to NYC at about 32 weeks with my second pregnancy and had a great time. But I stayed incredibly fit throughout and was still doing 3 spin classes a week at that stage so spending hours walking round the city was not a problem. I also flew in first class I think so was not worried about the flight itself. I had private maternity care so could also arrange an appointment for a few days before I was going to get a check up.

So totally different factors OP.

Ive done NYC few times with little ones and it’s always been fun so I also wouldn’t be put off travelling with an almost 1 year old if you delay by a year.

It's also due to the way POC are often treated by the medical community. E.g. over multiple studies it being shown POC are given less painkillers 'because they can handle a bit of discomfort'; not being attended to in a timely fashion, etc.

@YellowPolkaDotBikini1980 that's only a very minute issue. Lifestyle issues count for most health disparities in the world

It's not very minute when you're on the receiving end...

@YellowPolkaDotBikini1980 there's many other variables other than race. Very reductive reducing everything to skin colour and racism

I'm responding to being @
I said maternal mortality is a lot higher in the USA than in the UK. As in significantly so. The USA is the worst 'developed' country when it comes to outcomes for mother and baby.

Pp (not sure if it was you, cba to scroll) said, that's because of poverty and OP is unlikely to be affected by that, and it's also usually POC.

I said you don't know what OP looks like, and the negative outcomes for POC are not just because of being poor and underprivileged, but also mistreatment by medical professionals, giving the example of on a statistical level POC are not offered painkillers at the same rate as white patients.

You.

nOt EvErYtHiNg'S aBouT rAcE

Ok then.

Couple stuck in Spain after baby born prematurely
A woman who gave birth three months prematurely while on holiday in Spain has said she and her partner are stuck abroad but cannot afford to stay. Although baby George is in a stable condition, the couple, from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, said their insurance did not cover their accommodation and living costs and they have been told they will need to stay in Spain for the next eight weeks.
Llanelli couple's baby born prematurely on Spain holiday - BBC News

That depends entirely on where in the UK the OP lives.

It's quicker for me to fly to New York than to get train to Paris by several hours.

@Abouttimeforanamechange at least they don't have to add the costs of having a baby as Spanish Sanidad is free (like the NHS) well with Brexit I am not 100% sure now, but it wasn't mentioned in the BBC article. However, imagine the same in the States. Accommodation + taxis + food+ hospital bill. I have a trip planned to Spain in October (I'd be around 5 months pregnant) to visit my family there but I had to renounce to Christmas with family there because would b too risky.