Pregnancy and Flying

drgwentzel

drgwentzel

Pre-takeoff checklist
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I had a young lady tell me that she cannot fly in my Cessna for a 20 minute flight at 2000' because she is beyond 32 weeks pregnant. I never heard of this. What has the group heard about this?

Gene
 
Generally speaking, travel is not recommended for women in their last month though if the woman is healthy, doctors will say it is okay. You just have to be sure you're up on the latest obstetrics procedures because YOU could be doing the delivery.
 
Huh? My wife flew commercial while pregnant.

Flying is not advisible because you may be far from a hospital and have to sit for long periods. Neither of which applies to a 20 minute flight in a 172.

It's not that different from driving up to 2000 feet. Except driving takes longer.
 
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My wife stopped flying with me at about that point for the reason stated above: you don't want to be far from the delivery hospital when the time comes. Even just flying to a restaurant 45 minutes away-- worst case scenario is that you're in the middle of dinner and her water breaks. That means even rushing to get out the door and in the air you're at least an hour away from your home airport, and then however far from there to the hospital.

Theoretically you could find a local hospital to deliver at, but I don't think you could convince a pregnant woman that was an acceptable alternative.

I myself stopped flying at around 36 weeks because the worst case scenario for me is much worse. She could call right after I took off, and I wouldn't get the message until I landed, and then would have to fly all the way back then drive to the hospital. For any reasonably distant flight I'm out of comms for at least 2 hours. According to Murphy's law, that would be the time she went into labor.
 
And don't take it personally. I had a woman "escape" from a ride in the Warrior the same way. "Maybe after the baby is born." Still hasn't happened (going on 4 years now).
I did, however, get her dog when she decided he was a bit much to care for when the second child came along. I'm waiting to be asked if I can take her first born for the same reason.
 
drgwentzel said:
I had a young lady tell me that she cannot fly in my Cessna for a 20 minute flight at 2000' because she is beyond 32 weeks pregnant. I never heard of this. What has the group heard about this?

Gene
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What would she have done if she lived in the town where I grew up? The airport elevation is 2555 MSL :D

I understand the other concerns noted above, however.
 
Her doctor has the final say-so, but I know a lady who flew her own 182 over the Cascades and back in her eighth month (with doc's approval).

Bob Gardner
 
drgwentzel said:
I had a young lady tell me that she cannot fly in my Cessna for a 20 minute flight at 2000' because she is beyond 32 weeks pregnant. I never heard of this. What has the group heard about this?
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It's sort of her call no matter what the medical folks opine. Her body, her baby and all that.
 
We have nurses in HEMS that fly right up to delivery. No kidding, just last month we had a nurse finish a flight and delivered later that day. If the doctor approves it and the woman is fine with it, it's up to them.
 
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my ex-wife was within 2 weeks of her due date when we took a cross-country from Phoenix to San Diego to attend her grandfathers 90th birthday party.

The day before we left, she saw her doctor and he recommended she not go, as she was dilated 3 cm and he said it could be any time.

I asked her what she wanted to and tell him we were never more than say 30 min. from the airport, and maybe another 30 min. to a hospital… so it was her decision.

We made the trip…

Though I did make her sit on a stack of bath towels and put a plastic bag over the seat cushion underneath them.

I didn't want her water to break all over the interior of my Bonanza:D

Our oldest daughter was born right on time
 
When Fran was pregnant, the squadron flight surgeon recommended she stop flying herself in the third trimester because of the possibility of unexpectedly going into labor. They recommended against her flying even on the airlines in the last two months, and the OP's 32 weeks is well into that period. All I can say is I would not want my passenger in a light plane suddenly announcing, "Omigod, my water just broke," and from what I know about pregnancy (admittedly, purely as a spectator), that's a distinct possibility without warning at/after 32 weeks. So, it would not surprise me in the least if the OP's potential passenger's OB had given such advice.
 
How do you get the yoke travel to flare with one of them whale sized ladies sitting in the passenger seat?
 
ClimbnSink said:
How do you get the yoke travel to flare with one of them whale sized ladies sitting in the passenger seat?
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It makes it easy with one of these…


bonanza2.jpg
 
Dear wife took her PP Glider checkride being around 8 months pregnant. FSDO people were on the field that day and were a bit surprised.
After that flew to Hawaii commercially, flew a C182 around there, flew our Diamond when we got back - up to about 1 week before delivery.
All that said, YMMV

PS For the Hawaii trip doc gave her a piece of paper saying that she's ok to fly
 
Took my daughter up in the Pitts when she was around 5 months. Just did some light acro. Don
 
Deeply disturbing thread. daughters aren't supposed to be more than 12 years old.
 
moonshine said:
Dear wife took her PP Glider checkride being around 8 months pregnant. FSDO people were on the field that day and were a bit surprised.
After that flew to Hawaii commercially, flew a C182 around there, flew our Diamond when we got back - up to about 1 week before delivery.
All that said, YMMV

PS For the Hawaii trip doc gave her a piece of paper saying that she's ok to fly
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Amazed that the airline accepted her as a passenger on a long haul flight. Diverting a flight if she went into labor would be very expensive!
 
dans2992 said:
Amazed that the airline accepted her as a passenger on a long haul flight. Diverting a flight if she went into labor would be very expensive!
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I wasn't greatly supportive of the idea, but she said something about a "Babymoon", whatever that is. No-one ever asked a question. And it is a long haul from Florida.
 
Ron Levy said:
When Fran was pregnant, the squadron flight surgeon recommended she stop flying herself in the third trimester because of the possibility of unexpectedly going into labor. They recommended against her flying even on the airlines in the last two months, and the OP's 32 weeks is well into that period. All I can say is I would not want my passenger in a light plane suddenly announcing, "Omigod, my water just broke," and from what I know about pregnancy (admittedly, purely as a spectator), that's a distinct possibility without warning at/after 32 weeks. So, it would not surprise me in the least if the OP's potential passenger's OB had given such advice.
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Mild observation. What does this mean?

I'd think the airlines would be worse, not better, than GA. An airliner isn't going to divert to a local hospital or manage the cabin altitude for a pregger pax. GA can totally accommodate the situation.
 
Captain said:
Mild observation. What does this mean?
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It means just what it says -- the flight surgeon recommended that she not be in an airplane at all in her last two months (which turned out to be three months), not even as a passenger in an airliner.

I'd think the airlines would be worse, not better, than GA. An airliner isn't going to divert to a local hospital or manage the cabin altitude for a pregger pax. GA can totally accommodate the situation.
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Only way to manage cabin altitude in a light plane is to climb or descend, and that's not always as easy as it sounds. Also, unless you're in a helo, diverting to a hospital usually isn't possible. Further, in a light plane diverting to a "local" airport, it may not be as easy as it sounds to arrange to be met by medical assistance/transport.

In any event, I'm just telling you what they told Fran, so don't shoot the messenger.
 
I guess I was focusing on the "even airlines" part. That, to me, suggested a hiarchy of safety with airliners being safer. Statistically they are I suppose...but a lot of that is a perception held by the media and non-pilots that small planes are inherently dangerous.

I can see a non-pilot doctor carrying this forward with a comment of 'even airlines' speaking of pregnancy. There are factors that favor the GA plane though as I pointed out. I'm not 'pro pregnant woman flying'. I'm just saying if I were in a plane with a woman who's water had broken I might opt to be in a GA plane over an airliner.

The only benefit to an airliner I see is the slim possibility of a doctor or nurse being onboard. But in a GA plane I can divert to anywhere I want. I can coordinate EMT there or go somewhere else. Also, pre problem I can keep the cabin altitude lower than an airliner in 90% of the country.

Its a small point Ron. I'm really not worked up over this and is only something I casually mention in passing...the 'even an airliner' thing. No big deal.
 
The airlines require a doctor's release if a woman is flying beyond 32 weeks of pregnancy. Whether they enforce that or ask for it is another story.

Speaking as a pilot who was recently pregnant, it's a matter of whether or not there is a medical reason that she should not be flying. Most times, there is not, however my OB recommended I not be above 8000' PA. For my job flying helicopters that wouldn't have been an issue, but under Canadian regulations (I was flying in Canada) I'm not allowed to be in the cockpit beyond 16 weeks.

I did continue to fly with Ted on dog flights and I monitored myself with a pulse oximeter, and generally had better O2 sat. numbers than Ted. As long as I felt fine I went.

Bottom line: every situation is different most especially when dealing with a pregnant woman.
 
bobmrg said:
Her doctor has the final say-so, but I know a lady who flew her own 182 over the Cascades and back in her eighth month (with doc's approval).
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Ahem. SHE has final say-so. One can argue whether or not one should follow the doctor's orders, but it is ultimately up to the individual.

Laurie said:
Speaking as a pilot who was recently pregnant, it's a matter of whether or not there is a medical reason that she should not be flying. Most times, there is not, however my OB recommended I not be above 8000' PA. For my job flying helicopters that wouldn't have been an issue, but under Canadian regulations (I was flying in Canada) I'm not allowed to be in the cockpit beyond 16 weeks.

I did continue to fly with Ted on dog flights and I monitored myself with a pulse oximeter, and generally had better O2 sat. numbers than Ted. As long as I felt fine I went.
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All true. Although I do remember that there were some times when even 7,000 ft seemed to bother you, so we adjusted altitude to deal with it appropriately.

And your O2 numbers are always better than mine. That's probably why you're a better pilot. ;)
 
Captain said:
I guess I was focusing on the "even airlines" part. That, to me, suggested a hiarchy of safety with airliners being safer.
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Well, that hierarchy does exist, and the statistics show flying on the airlines is safer than any other form of flying (or any other form of transportation, for that matter), but that had nothing to do with it. The only issue was time to a delivery room. No doubt they were being conservative, but that's what they advised, we took their advice, and I pass it on without further comment.
 
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