Flying with a baby/pregnant woman

[weirdjim]

Still, a man hears what he wants to hear. And disregards the rest.

She said, "You and I have a problem, there are clothes of yours scattered on the floor all over the room. I want them picked up right now."

What he heard, "You and I, on the floor, right now."

 

[Henning]

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..

I've flown women at every stage of pregnancy including to town for delivery and back home with a half day old baby. The only consideration I would give on your route is either keep it down between the passes, or give thought to providing O2 a bit earlier/lower than FAR rules dictate, a low cost pulse oximeter should be part of your future flight kit and she should use it regularly, especially in the summer when density altitude soars. Remember, density altitude has the same effect on people as planes.

My main concern with babies is their ears, my climbs and descents are dead slow and start from way out. The only time I fly "bomber patterns" is when I have a baby onboard. I usually ask that the child nurse during t/o, climb, and descent as it typically prevents any problems, but have found a way to clear a baby's ears when there is a problem (they will let you know by swiping at their ears, if you miss that, the blood curdling scream soon to follow should have you immediately reversing your altitude change and going back a few hundred feet to immediately relieve the over pressure some then pinch their nose in the Web between your thumb and forefinger and wait for the kid to inhale, then just as they start to wail, seal their mouth with your palm for a moment, and they will clear their ears and look up at you like you're a god lol.

 

[Jimmy cooper]

Call buffalo airways. Joe flys em all the time.

 

[Johann]

pinch their nose in the Web between your thumb and forefinger and wait for the kid to inhale, then just as they start to wail, seal their mouth with your palm for a moment, and they will clear their ears and look up at you like you're a god lol.

Or asphyxiate and die, either way, the wailing will stop and it's a win

 

[sferguson524]

My wife has been reading this thread and getting a good chuckle out of most of it, and getting some really good advice out of the rest of it.. You guys rock.

 

[danhagan]

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?

I'd cut Ron some slack. I work in obstetrics and fetal hypoxia should be low risk staying within a few thousand feet of the lady's acclimated elevation (which Ron did mention) IF she has no underlying problems. Having supplemental O2 and a pulse oximeter would be beneficial. In fact, slap one on yourself next time you cruise at 10500 and 11500.

For the baby's ears concern (climbs/descents) - a pacifier will give the same effect as nursing without taking them out of their car seat or trying any of the nose/mouth clamp methods described earlier.