Flying with a baby/pregnant woman

sferguson524

sferguson524

Pattern Altitude
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FormerSocalFlyer
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All,

Looks like i got a job in LV, and will be moving there soon.. Problem is, my wife is 7 months pregnant, and finding an OB there who will take her this far along is going to be problematic. So I come here to the font of knowledge and l lay the following questions upon the altar.

1. Will my wife be ok to fly in a GA plane back to CA for her OB appointments as she gets further along?

2. Is there any legal issue with us flying with a new baby, and her holding him for the trip so he can nurse?

Thanks guys, you're the best..
 
My wife flew in our Cherokee up until the week before the birth of both of our children. The children flew in our Cherokee a week and a half after each of their births. There were no issues. We used approved infant seats and then could remove the child from the seat as necessary in flight. We did ask the doctors, but no objections were raised by either the OBGYN or pediatrician, and my wife was in the high risk age group and had some minor complications during pregnancy.

With that being said, I would try to find good doctors at your new location as quickly as possible, as commuting may not always be practical.


JKG
 
I suspect the right seat of an airplane 50 NM from the nearest airport is a really bad freakin' place to have a baby.

But I don't know, I'm not a proctologist, or an obstetrician, or whatever they call those people that deliver babies.
 
My wife finished her instrument rating and took her check ride (I was her CFII) when she was 7 months pregnant with our first son in 1996. Her doctor was perfectly fine with her doing this and my wife had no issues at all with doing it. Both of our sons have been flying with us since they were only a few months old. Their doctors were always completely fine with it.

Fit them with hearing protection and fly on!!
 
When my wife was pregnant, she flew in the 310 right up until about 7 or 8 months. No issues. Actually while pregnant we did a couple of 16 hour weekends on dog flights, and even got stuck with 25 dogs in Lexington. So I wouldn't worry about it.

That said, we also moved when she was 7 months, and we found an OB that would not only take her, but was much, much better than the previous one in PA, and more in-line with our views.

Our son has been flying since about 1 month and loves it.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I suspect the right seat of an airplane 50 NM from the nearest airport is a really bad freakin' place to have a baby.

But I don't know, I'm not a proctologist, (delivers lawyers) or an obstetrician (delivers humans), or whatever they call those people that deliver babies.
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FTFY :rofl::rofl:
 
sferguson524 said:
All,

Looks like i got a job in LV, and will be moving there soon.. Problem is, my wife is 7 months pregnant, and finding an OB there who will take her this far along is going to be problematic. So I come here to the font of knowledge and l lay the following questions upon the altar.
.
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The flying won't be a problem unless she has high risk issues (i.e. preclampsia, incompetent cervix etc.).

I work in the field. First, ask your OB doc if he knows anyone in the new city. Most OB's will accept late transfers as they get the same delivery reimbursement ... some don't want late high risk transfers though. Lastly, each has a set number of deliveries per month and THIS is the problem area. IF the OB is maxed out for your delivery month, he won't accept you as a transfer (but may know someone else with availability). Start checking NOW!

Edit: A number of OB's in my area are closing their practices due to re-credentialing, ICD-10 changes, reduced reimbursements and other healthcare changes. Again, start searching EARLY.
 
Two big things with pregnant women -- oxygen, and potential for going into labor. First, pregnant women (and their fetuses) have greater O2 demands -- make sure you have supplemental oxygen, and use it at about half the altitude she'd normally use it. Second, make sure there's no chance of needing medical assistance in less than about half an hour, as it may take that long to get to and land at an airport where EMS can meet you.
 
Ron Levy said:
Two big things with pregnant women -- oxygen, and potential for going into labor. First, pregnant women (and their fetuses) have greater O2 demands -- make sure you have supplemental oxygen, and use it at about half the altitude she'd normally use it. Second, make sure there's no chance of needing medical assistance in less than about half an hour, as it may take that long to get to and land at an airport where EMS can meet you.
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We found my wife was fine so long as we stayed at or below 7000 MSL. Above that, she got a headache. Easy to deal with if you listen.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I suspect the right seat of an airplane 50 NM from the nearest airport is a really bad freakin' place to have a baby.

But I don't know, I'm not a proctologist, or an obstetrician, or whatever they call those people that deliver babies.
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You're close! :lol:
 
my wife also flew until about 8 months, after that the ingress/egress fromt he cherokee we had at the time was too difficult. If we'd had a 210 she'd have been fine

after the baby was born we put the baby's rear-facing car seat behind me and my wife rode in the rear seat next to the baby. I took out the right front seat of the cherokee so my wife sould stretch out her legs. It was very comfortable for both of them.

I don't think you would want to hold the baby the whole time, take him/her out to nurse or change a diaper but they are going to spend most of the time sleeping and strapped into reclining baby carrier is the best place for that, same as in the car.
 
sferguson524 said:
All,

Looks like i got a job in LV, and will be moving there soon.. Problem is, my wife is 7 months pregnant, and finding an OB there who will take her this far along is going to be problematic. So I come here to the font of knowledge and l lay the following questions upon the altar.

1. Will my wife be ok to fly in a GA plane back to CA for her OB appointments as she gets further along?
Click to expand...
Commuting to scheduled appointments shouldn't be a problem this far out, but a near-term pregnant woman being 200 mi away from her OB seems like a Very Bad Idea to me. What are you going to do when she goes into labor?
 
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Ted DuPuis said:
We found my wife was fine so long as we stayed at or below 7000 MSL. Above that, she got a headache. Easy to deal with if you listen.
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Your wife might be fine but the fetus might not be, and unless you have her wired to a fetal monitor, you wouldn't know until it's too late. Better safe that sorry on this one -- I would have a pregnant woman on O2 any time above 5000 PA.
 
Haven't you heard? Pregnant women and newborns have been banned from Lake Tahoe by the AMA, moose out front should have told 'ya. :rolleyes:
 
This worries me. If it were me, I'd try very hard to get a local OB/GYN. She'll want her own doctor for the delivery. So, when she goes into labor, will you just bundle her into the plane and fly back to the old home? Not a good idea. Being in labor is uncomfortable at best. Your mid-wifery and piloting skills might become challenged simultaneously. Besides, the upholstery might never recover. I remember being 8 months pregnant and going into labor, giving birth just 2 hours following the first noticeable contraction. Half-hour ride in a truck to the hospital in hard labor -- not a ride to be forgotten -- noticed every bump in the road. How long will the ride be? Now, imagine doing it with violent gut-wrenching cramping every couple of minutes.

Don't plan for best case. Plan for worst case. This is YOUR family.
 
Ron Levy said:
Your wife might be fine but the fetus might not be, and unless you have her wired to a fetal monitor, you wouldn't know until it's too late. Better safe that sorry on this one -- I would have a pregnant woman on O2 any time above 5000 PA.
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Both of our OBs disagreed with you. Their advice (we asked, for obvious reasons) was to descend or add O2 if mom felt bad. Otherwise, not to worry.

The question may have a different answer depending on conditions, though, so best to ask the appropriate doctor.
 
Ron Levy said:
Your wife might be fine but the fetus might not be, and unless you have her wired to a fetal monitor, you wouldn't know until it's too late. Better safe that sorry on this one -- I would have a pregnant woman on O2 any time above 5000 PA.
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According to all of my prior research on the matter, this is not correct. It doesn't even make sense, since the baby is dependent on the mother for its needs. If the mother is fine, the baby should be fine with respect to oxygen. None of my wife's doctors, who are at one of the nation's top 10 hospitals, ever mentioned any adverse risk in response to our questions on the matter. I could certainly see situations where it may be beneficial for the mother to monitor using a good pulse oximeter, but if she is fine, the baby will be just fine as well.

With that being said, every health situation is a individual one, and I would advise a pregnant woman to consult her physician for an assessment and recommendation.


JKG
 
sferguson524 said:
All,

Looks like i got a job in LV, and will be moving there soon.. Problem is, my wife is 7 months pregnant, and finding an OB there who will take her this far along is going to be problematic. So I come here to the font of knowledge and l lay the following questions upon the altar.

1. Will my wife be ok to fly in a GA plane back to CA for her OB appointments as she gets further along?

2. Is there any legal issue with us flying with a new baby, and her holding him for the trip so he can nurse?

Thanks guys, you're the best..
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I flew a prego once and she threw up as we were landing:hairraise:
 
Datadriver said:
I flew a prego once and she threw up as we were landing:hairraise:
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I flew my pregnant wife and pregnant dog ONCE, wife did OK, the dog not so much.:nono: It was August and we were flying VFR from Atlanta to Pinehurst NC in a 182, wife was very early in her first pregnancy, the dog was our fur-baby and she was about 2 weeks from delivery. Both were sick, but just the dog threw up. :eek: Hot, hazy, sticky, bumpy August days aren't a good combination, especially with pregnant women. ;)
 
Pregnancy sounds like a great excuse to buy a 421. I tried it and then I did the math. :eek:
 
One of the best laughs I've had in a long time!
My niece has had two children, each before a flight with me to the Bahamas. Flew with me a couple months before delivery, but she likes flying, has done it for years and is a pilot.
I've have supplemental Ox as Ron suggests in case needed, airsick bag and just tried to make her as comfortable as possible. I'd be concerned (as I was) and responsive (to the extent males can do that (g). We had no problems, but as others have said, each person's health is different and some are much more sensitive to something like this than others. I have a lot of ladies decline flying in little planes even when they want to. They seem to suffer from motion sickness. I've had to put a female passenger on oxygen at 10,000 feet that wasn't pregnant (or didn't think she was).
Hope it goes well. Plan for smooth air to the greatest extent possible and look for anything unusual that might be symptomatic of a problem.

Best,

Dave
 
catmandu said:
Haven't you heard? Pregnant women and newborns have been banned from Lake Tahoe by the AMA, moose out front should have told 'ya. :rolleyes:
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OK, let me clarify -- I would not take a pregnant woman more than 5000 feet above the altitude to which she was acclimatized without supplemental O2.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Both of our OBs disagreed with you. Their advice (we asked, for obvious reasons) was to descend or add O2 if mom felt bad. Otherwise, not to worry.
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The two USAF Flight Surgeons I asked felt otherwise. To my thinking, it's just not worth the risk of your non-aviation OB being wrong, but it's your kid, not mine.
 
Ron Levy said:
The two USAF Flight Surgeons I asked felt otherwise. To my thinking, it's just not worth the risk of your non-aviation OB being wrong, but it's your kid, not mine.
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i would expect he's comfortable with that. IOW alking to his own OB vs talking to someone on the internet who claims to have talked to a doctor who is not an OB:rolleyes:
 
JHW said:
i would expect he's comfortable with that. IOW alking to his own OB vs talking to someone on the internet who claims to have talked to a doctor who is not an OB:rolleyes:
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Yeah, well, you can listen to all the OB's with no aviation training you want. I'll listen to Flight Surgeons with extensive aviation physiology training. Just remember that there is zero risk to taking my advice on this, but that's not true about listening to a non-aviation OB who says supplemental O2 isn't necessary.
 
So women in Denver or many other parts of Colorado, Montana, California, Utah, oh, hell, anywhere brown on a sectional shouldn't be having kids according to Ron.

Holy ****. Is there anything he won't claim to be an expert on?
 
Ron Levy said:
OK, let me clarify -- I would not take a pregnant woman more than 5000 feet above the altitude to which she was acclimatized without supplemental O2.
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So pregnant women shouldn't fly in airliners whose cabin altitudes reach close to 7000ft at cruise? I think you would have a hard time making this argument. USAF flight surgeons are now more knowledgable in matter of babies, pregnancy and child birth than OBs? Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me.
 
JHW said:
i would expect he's comfortable with that. IOW alking to his own OB vs talking to someone on the internet who claims to have talked to a doctor who is not an OB:rolleyes:
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To be fair, the OP came to the internet for medical advice, not his wife's doctor. So he shouldn't be surprised by what he gets.
 
Ron Levy said:
Still, a man hears what he wants to hear. And disregards the rest.

Adios.
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What he wants to hear is that everything will be fine, so he can go tell his wife that a bunch of Internet pilots told him it's OK for him to take the job in LV and her to keep her OB. I, for one, respect his initiative.
 
EdFred said:
So women in Denver or many other parts of Colorado, Montana, California, Utah, oh, hell, anywhere brown on a sectional shouldn't be having kids according to Ron.

Holy ****. Is there anything he won't claim to be an expert on?
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25,007 posts, one or two of which MAY be correct.

Jim
 
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