I'm wondering what you ladies think about flying during or maybe a few days after the first trimester. I know most doctors will tell you it's fine, but I have several acquaintances who miscarried during the first trimester fairly shortly after a flight. Could be completely unrelated, but I know we all want to be cautious.

I am currently a little more than 8 weeks (YAY!), but they have not been without issues: I had retroplacental bleeding around 5 weeks, and I'm on PIO shots and inserts because my P4 levels were dropping.

I'm sure I'm just being overly cautious and/or paranoid, but I thought I'd see if others had experience with this issue.

will your flight be?

So about five hours.

Totally fine - I had to fly around that time as well and my doctor said that traveling in and of itself is not a problem at all - he explained that if something goes wrong that early then there is nothing that can be done anyway (unlike 3rd trimester when he advised not to travel for the last couple months). I flew end of 1st/beginning of 2nd trimester, and again during late 2nd trimester and all was fine. I was nervous as I had an SCH during my 1st trimester, but I just knew to do 24 hours bed rest if it happened while I was traveling... made my husband carry my heavy bags... Enjoy your trip!

That comforts me to hear that you had a flight around the same time and everything turned out fine.

If it helps to know, I had 6 legs and 3 different travel days from west coast to midwest, then midwest to east coast, and then east coast to west coast.... for a 2 week trip with my 12 week mark in the middle. I just stayed hydrated (which forced me to get up and out of my plane seat) and all was well.... As long as you have no pregnancy complications then it should be fine. Day before I left I had one last check on my SCH which showed it was unchanged - so off I went!

I flew during my 1st and 2nd trimesters and my RE and OB were concerned that (1) I walked around during the flight or wore compression stockings to avoid any blood clots and (2)that I was going to a metropolitan area where there would be decent health care if I had any problems. You are right that there is very little that can be done to avoid a m/c at that stage, but you would still want to know where to go or who to see if you had any issues. My OB also checked my cervix before flights just to be cautious as well.

To get checked beforehand, walk around, etc. I am one of those people who can start a book and just sit an entire flight, so I will have to make myself get up and move around! And I'm going to a major metropolitan area - so while I dearly hope I won't need it, I know there is good emergency care available.

Hi ya,
Hey congrats Mrs H Flying when pg... some do some don't. My story is:
I've got antiphophilipid syndrome (blood clotting issues). I was around five months pg when I told my ob on a random visit that I looked relaxed because I was flying to Kuala Lumpur the next morning.
Well holy cats batman he hit the roof. 'You can't do that.. no.. look I'le get the professor to speak to you if my word isn't good enough'.
Eh ok ok already.
I was due to fly the next morning at 6am needless to say I didn't go.
Thing is if your ob says its ok then go if not then don't go.
Bottom line is if you azre concerned then don't fly.
Oh post on the pink hey, best, THK

that if you are concerned about something, the best thing to do is not do it (or get it checked out). Sorry to hear about your issues.
Re: the pink board - when I checked it out, it all seemed to be posts from people who are already moms - not just pg. Not true?

Thanks!

Hi ya again,
Feel free to post on the pink as it is for you whereas here is for dear ladies still on their hopefully short journey, best, THK

myself included. We have to fly. I have to take heparin anyway when I fly or when I'm pregnant to prevent blood clots, though. If you do fly, be sure to walk around and drink enough water.

but it's so true - a friend of mine cycled abroad. Thanks for the reminders!

So clearly in the first trimester. I live on the east coast and had a business trip on the west coast so I POAS before I left (even though I was 7dp6dt or 13 dpo on my FET). My best was not scheduled until 14 dpt -- even though I transferred Day 6 blasts my clinic does betas at 14 dpt. Anyway, BFP before getting on the plane and I was fine. I was going to fly a bunch between 18 and 30 weeks preggo but right before a trip to London I came down with pregnancy induced hypertension which put ALL travel (not just plane) out of it for me. If not for that, my OB would have been fine with me flying.

I flew several times in my first and second trimester. The longest flight was NY to London when I was two weeks past the first trimester. Thankfully that was business class so I could fully recline to sleep. I got up several times to stretch and walk and pee but otherwise was fine.

I did not have any spotting issues however.

Also I opted out of the full body scan during one of my first trimester flights even though the TSA has signs that claim it is safe for pregnant women. I figure the technology is so new and the first trimester is so critical that I can have a stronger pat me down instead just in case. For most of my flights I ended up in security lines with old fashioned metal detectors.

Good luck to you. Safe flying and enjoy your pregnancy.

I flew home after transfer as I cycled on the opposite coast. I declined the full body scan particularly then because if the pregnancy stuck, the baby's cells were all going to be daughter cells of the hundred or so that had just been placed in my body. I didn't want to take a chance with the very fragile blast / embie being exposed to anything it didn't have to be exposed to.

I flew again at 9-10 weeks pregnant, and I was fine. The biggest problems were nausea and airline headaches. If you are flying with a child, you should be aware that it is now common to separate everyone in the party if planes or itineraries change. This happened to us in both directions, and it caused us a lot of stress trying to make sure our daughter was with at least one parent. Even with all the stress (on the return trip we really weren't sure we would be able to have DD sit with us, she was crying, I was really upset - such an awful experience), I survived, and according to the NT yesterday, the baby is still doing well

The other thing I find to be a drag when flying in the first trimester (or when cycling out of town) is flying with injectable meds. TSA has always been absolutely fine with this, but I hate the worry of making sure I haven't forgotten anything, thinking about how I will dispose of sharps, and getting the letter from my RE.

Other than that, there were no problems. I just tried to stay hydrated! Have fun!