Advice on how to get a "NOT fit to fly" certificate

[Hopelessmumma]

Hi I have had my baby boy at 35 weeks in March. He has been doing well and steadily increasing weight❤️. I had long haul booked to go to Thailand in November(baby would be 7 months corrected age).

Given that we had a premature baby and also I had some medical complications (placental rupture, heavy blood loss) I don't feel comfortable to fly atleast until end of the year for my peace of mind. To be able to reschedule my travel, the airline requires a note from the GP stating that it's advised not to fly until end of year but I don't know how to get this from GP because they might just say you are good to travel as there are no complications now (cleared at 6 week appointment)and wont provide me with a letter. If anyone has any novel ideas on what reasons constitute for me to get a not to fly certificate given my history, please share 🙏 Airline ticket is close to 1000 bucks so really keen to somehow get it rescheduled than losing the money 💰 Thanks!

I’m not sure you’d get a GP to sign you off as not fit to fly for insurance purposes for peace of mind. If there are actual medical reasons then you’ll be fine going to your GP for it though.

Umm. It doesn’t sound like you have a medical reason not to fly.
35 weeks is only just premature. By seven months wouldn’t be having a big effect.
Blood loss should be recovered by now.
Dont try to lie to your gp (will be in your medical history in the future if you are looking for any sort of insurance etc).
Don’t ask them to lie for you.
You might not want the trip anymore, but it doesn’t sound medical.
Unless you actually have post natal depression or anxiety??

You might have better luck with a private clinic that deals with fit to fly letters I think (although you want the opposite)

I know there's a private GP clinic near me that specifically offers Fit to fly as a service on their website.

If you wait until closer to the time and don't believe you are fit to fly your gp may well agree.

Why don't you think you'll be recovered? Or is it that you don't want to go? It might be possible to transfer flights to a later time for a fee, or to other people or a different destination.

The GP surgery I work at would not provide this.

They will complete an insurance form if you have one, but only the medical facts can be put down. So if you were declared to be doing well at your post natal appointment at 6 weeks, the form would have to say that which might not be helpful. Similarly, they would say that your baby was born at 35 weeks but if they are now doing well that’s what they would put.

You won't get one for yourself (unless someone's not being truthful) as from what you've said, you will be fit to fly in November. Placental abruption is an horrific thing to have gone through, but 8 months PP the physical impact should be long healed.
Potentially, there's a very slight chance you'd get one for your baby if his immune system and vaccine status would stop him from flying. Not sure he's even booked on the flight? However it's a very washy excuse unlikely to be relevant for a late preterm baby.
Congratulations on your little boy by the way!

I think it’s too far in advance for a GP to assess. I understand your anxiety completely but it is still early days; you may feel able to go nearer the time. Why decide now? Abruptions can be very traumatic but are unlikely to cause lasting physical problems that would prevent you flying.

Thanks all.. that's what I thought... 🫥the whole experience has been quite traumatic especially because i lost my previous pregnancy pretty late in second trimester and then this happened with this pregnancy am just so glad that my baby boy is fine and doing well .. I have severe anxiety to take my baby even on road trips forget flyiing... but i don't think the GP would care about that as a valid reason although it is one for me...

I can only think that you may get this on MH grounds.
Honestly, by November you may very well be chomping at the bit to go away. 7 months is a good age to go away (except for teething) immobile babies travel well..a few months later and expecting a newly mobile baby sit on your lap and be entertained with face pulling and rattles alone on long haul will be a distant dream. Realistically, (unless to visit family overseas)I wouldn’t choose a long haul from when they are crawling to when they are at least 5. Speaking from experience. It takes some time for kids to be ready. Bad experience with. 2 and 4 year old. Avoiding flying for some time. When my DS was 10, we flew to Japan on night flight. I fell asleep and failed to realise that my DS had put his knees /feet up on the seat in front and was wiggling around, trying to get confortables watching tv, snacking etc (my SIL was sitting in a different row and told me post landing). I have told him MANY times not to do this and why. In the early hour, I was startled awake by the poor passenger in front of DS who appeared to have been driven insane by having his chair knocked about for hours when he was trying to sleep 😳. He was pretty irrate and desperate looking. I really thought that by aged 10, we were good to go. Nope.

You have changed your mind about the trip. Fair enough.

Just accept that, and that you have lost some money to protect your peace of mind.

Would you consider changing names of passengers amd gifting it to someone? Pretty sure I am free in November 🤣

but seriously, don’t lose the holiday and the money. Would your parents or siblings be up for it?

I don’t think you will qualify as not fit to fly for insurance purposes so I would investigate changing the dates (or destination to somewhere closer) or names on the tickets instead. It is likely that you will be feeling less anxious by then but its totally understandable to not want to take a young baby on a long haul flight to a tropical area (mosquitos, heat, sunburn etc). I was super anxious in the months after birth but we did manage to take DD to New Zealand to see family at 8 months and survived. Would have been less keen on going to a hot country at that age.