Flying While Pregnant - Reno,NV

I was on a plane flying to hawaii from las vegas to give birth to my 3rd child. I left on the plane in nov of 2005 and delivered my child on dec 9 2005.

I flew from LA to London when I was 34 weeks pregnant. Even though I was incredibly huge, not one airline employee asked to see the doctor's note I had or seemed the least bit concerned that I was so far along in my pregnancy. My husband's aunt was a stewardess for 30 years and she said that at least once a year, a baby is born on the plane. The crew is trained how to deal with it. And if the baby is born on Virgin, he/she flies free until they're 18!

I flew to Colorado in my 8th month. My doctor said that as long as I was planning to be around for the baby's birth, that would be better. ;)
But I didn't have a risky pregnancy. I suppose that it is different for everyone.

Make sure your insurance will pay for the delivery in your new location if you go into early labor. Some insurances just want you to stay close to home after a certain date, saying that travel is "optional" and you should have been close to your hospital.

I flew at 7 months and didn't have any trouble. But I had to get a Medical Record number for where I was flying, and make sure I had the hospital location and information for where I was visiting, just in case. Thankfully nothing happened.

Also, I think you should avoid it if you have an issue with your blood pressure. I didn't have that problem, but one of the stewardesses on the flight said it was a problem for some people. (Talk to your doctor first.)

If you do go on a trip, take advantage of pre-boarding. I didn't think about it on the way there. Thpppt. It was a lot nicer on the return flight, because I didn't have to wait in any lines!

I have three grown children all doing fine - nice and caring people, good jobs, grad degrees etc.etc.
We lived in Europe for years (my husband is European) and visited my parents in Los Angeles at least once or twice a year. This meant a great deal to me and my children. I always managed to fly a month or two before the baby came. Don't worry about medicine in other countries. Your local doctor will probably be thrilled to give you the name of a doctor in another country if your have an emergency (which you won't)
World wide all doctors speak English just like airline people.
Don't be too shy to ask to have the little cart come and help you in very large airports. Once returning to Europe on a longish charter from LA with a stop in Seattle, I got air sick. The Frenchman next to me thought the baby was coming and I could tell he was very nervious, I wasn't. That time I did let the little cart in Amsterdam take me to pass port control .
Yes do travel and have fun. Your two year old should enjoy your attention when you are with him or her all the time too.
Good luck,
B. v

its like 8 months when they dont want you to fly due to the risk of going into labor. it may be earlier if you are high risk. i would talk to your ongyn and see what they say. if they ok you to fly and you are 8 months plus i would research hospitals around the place where you are going and make a plan for the just in case labor. good luck i hope this helps!

definitley check with your docter, things could change further into your pregnancy. My docter had told me aslong has everything looks good 2-3 months is ok.

i think 6 or 7 months but i think each airline has their own policy which you can find on their website or by calling them. be sure to talk to your pediatrician. we flew from LA to paris when i was 5 months pregnant and i wore compression stockings to help with circulation.

Hi J.,
Congratulations! I used to work for the airlines and at that time you could fly up to 7 months pregnant. You might want to check with your OB for what they advise. As far as the airlines are concerned it does not make a difference whether the flight is domestic or international.
C. :-)

It is always up to your doctor as to when it is okay to fly. However I know that within the first trimester you have a 75% chance to miscarry due to the radiation exposure while flying. I also know that airlines do not allow flight attendants to fly after they are 27 weeks along. Now having said that, I am the mother of 4 and flew during all my pregnancies at different stages of my pregnancies and the longest flight being 13 hours. I think it epends on your comfort level. The only thing I have to say about another country id you should consider your health risks based on what country you might be going to. As always consult your doctor before making any decisions.

I flew from Spain to California, 14 hours straight, after our stop over in UK; when I was 8 months pregnant.

However, if this is your first child, or if you have delivered prematurely before (less than 38 weeks), then this is not recommended.

The airlines wont risk it if they KNOW how pregnant you are. They may also require a letter of release from your doctor.

My legs did SUPER swell during flight and I had to ask for an aisle seat, near a bathroom, knowing I'd be going a lot.

It's up to your doctor to decide, but usually if everything is going well with the pregnancy you can fly up to seven months, sometimes longer. Congrats and good luck!

Congratulations!!I flew to Aruba 32 wks. I didn't return until 36 weeks to LA. I don't know what the laws are, but I'd call the airlines and check with my doctor. I feel like 34-35 wks may be the reccomended limit, but could be wrong. Have fun!!Best H.

different airlines have different rules about that. i would call around and see.

You can't fly in your third trimester

Congrats! I think it's about 35 weeks, but ask your doctor before you go anywhere! :)

Im pretty sure it's 7 months... but you have to check with your dr as well in case there is a reason he doesn't want you too.. also... when you do fly don't sit for too long, don't cross your legs and walk around atleast about every hour or soo (that's what my doc said to do when I was gonna fly)

Hi J., first of all, i would advice that you talk to your Dr. when i was pregnant i travelled up until 36wks so it all depends on your pregnancy and if all is going well, i dont see why you shouldn't be able to travel up until 36wks, just remember to drink lots of water and to walk around when you get a chance.
Good luck, M.

I flew until i was 36 weeks, but only west coast travel, I was considered high risk so they wouldn't allow me to travel outside the U.S.
Best,
S. G

You have to check with the airline - they each have their own rules about that. If you need to fly past their cutoff date, then you need a note from your doctor giving you the ok to fly. But even then some airlines still won't sell you a ticket.

Good luck with the new pregnancy!

Hi first, congratulations!
I had to travel my whole pregnancy for my job. My doctor basically said you can travel the whole time, but you won't want to in the end. You need to be smart about having a doctor in later months in the place you are going just in case. I wouldn't travel to a country in the end of pregnancy that you would not want to give birth in. You never know. What my doctor did say is you must must get up every hour and walk the aisles to keep the blood flow. I was also potentially going to be in a helicopter which stumped him. It is ok to fly in them because you do not fly high enough for the altitude to harm you. I didn't end up needing to do that job, but it was good to find out the situation with that. Best of Luck to you.

I am an airline pilot and I know the FAA does not let us fly past 32 weeks. The reason being, the pressure changes associated with flying. When we take off the aircraft is pressurized up to an altitude of about 8000 feet (depending on the length of your flight and what altidute you fly at during your flight). There is a chance of your water breaking the further along you get with such changes in pressure. I had my three children working and flying up to 32 weeks and had no problems. I don't beleive the airlines have a restriction, but I wanted to let you know the reasoning behind the FAAs decision for pilots. Good Luck!

Without any unforseen complications, you should be able to travel until at least 1 month before your due date.

Hey J.,

Everyone is different, but I flew to Poland when I was 6 months and swelled up horribly, even though I religiously walked every hour and drank lots of water. I never recovered and had issues with swelling the rest of the pregnancy. Of course it was mid summer in CA. So that is something else to consider. Congratulations!

Usually you can fly until 36 weeks.

Each airline has a different policy. And, of course, it would depend upon your health, where you're going, and what your dr says. I flew at various times with no problems, even once to the UK and back at 7 months. Good luck.

Hi J.,

I would also check with the airline policies but my OB said I could fly as late as 34 weeks and I think that included int'l travel as well. I asked since we travel to Finland a lot.

I do know for sure there is no harm in traveling during the first trimester. We did IVF in Finland and were allowed to fly back right away if we chose to.

Congrats and good luck!

-Char

Take a look at your airlines online policies. If I remember correctly, you should not travel in the first & third trimester. The first because it is so delicate and the third because the airline doesn't want to risk a birth on the plane.

Don't forget to take advantage of getting on the plane first with those traveling with small children. The last thing you need is someone pushing and shoving on you on an airplane. Also, I was able to bump my ticket to first class for an additional $50 per flight if they had room. Wait until you get to the gate and ask if there is availability.

Have fun!
C.

My dr. told me no later than 36 weeks, but I had a healthy pregnancy with no complications. You should ask your dr. And if you are flying very late in your pregnancy, make sure it's ok with the airline as well (they may not let you on the plane) and maybe have a note from your dr saying it's ok, just in case.