Flying at 35 weeks

[LondonChick1992]

Hi, want to hear from others who have flown late in their pregnancies. For context, my husband and I are expecting and currently live in London but we are from NZ. I do not want to have the baby here as our flat is not suitable and I want to be closer to family. I also need to work as close to my due date as possible. I have read that you can fly up t0 36 weeks with a doctors note… flight back home would be two long hauls. We would be moving back permanently.

I would fly business class so have a lye flat bed.

Assuming all going well with the pregnancy, has anyone done something similar? If so, any recommendations on insurance providers.

Thanks!

Personally I couldn't think of anything worse and I had Dts at 31 weeks so I'm kind of skewed.

What do you plan to do, go have the baby and come back or move to NZ?

We would be moving back permanently so no return journey.

It's do-able OP, your problem is going to be to get anyone to insure you!
Can't you fly any earlier?

If you’re not returning to your job, and can afford a business class ticket, then I assume you can afford to finish work before 36 weeks!

Personally, I wouldn't risk flying full stop at 35 weeks, let alone long-haul. Don't risk flying without insurance. There's been instances recently of that happening, and people have been stuck in a foreign hospital, with a premature baby, and a huge financial headache. However, finding an insurance company, may be tricky. If you can afford it, fly back to NZ earlier, much earlier. No one knows how a pregnancy will go, especially towards the end.

Thanks, yeah I am trying to find a policy that would cover me but it seems tricky. I can fly earlier, it's just more of a financial strain... if I could find an insurance policy that would cover me, I'd probably try go 34 weeks ish.

As someone who is a medical professional I wouldn't actually fly long haul after 28 weeks unless it was an emergency. I'd rather fly with a newborn but if you are going to then definitely get insurance , support stockings, walk up and down the aisle frequently & go at 33 weeks at the latest even if that means flying economy.

No airline is going to fly you longhaul at 36 weeks, OP. I flew shorthaul twice a week for my entire pregnancy as I was working overseas, but I had to go on maternity leave at 36 weeks as no shorthaul airlines on my route would fly me beyond that.

The later you leave it the more chance you will go into labour and have baby here - presumably with no equipment as you’ll be planning to get that in NZ. And that’s the better case scenario - imagine going into labour mid flight or when changing planes. I’d seriously rethink if I were you - it’s just not worth it.

I had my baby af 35 weeks, it was a typical pregnancy until about 31 weeks when I got high bp. That quickly led to preeclampsia, then by 34 weeks I wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital, then emergency csection at 35 weeks. I had no signs or history it just happened. My second pregnancy I managed 39 weeks and it was uncomplicated (I was on asprin). If you go through with it then buy some good insurance that allows you to change your flights at short notice.

Personally I wouldn’t fly after 32 weeks but that’s me saying that now with hindsight. Most pregnancies go to 37+ weeks, but who’s to say you don’t have an emergency?

Zombie thread! Op must have had her baby by now!

I flew to Turkey when I was 33 weeks pregnant 23 years ago. I’m over 6ft and couldn’t get the extra leg room seats as I was pregnant so very uncomfortable in economy but if you can afford a better seat which gives you more leg room and your DR says it’s okay I don’t see anything wrong as long as you aren’t travelling alone, I would also take really good insurance just in case you do go into labour in a foreign country on one of your stops. Good luck