Pregnant Pilot

[FireDragon]

Need some advice...

My girlfriend, (who is also a pilot), has just found out she's 3 months pregnant.

If, as required, she sees the AME, will she lose her medical? If she does, will she get it back before the baby is born, or will she have to wait until afterwards. (I'd like to point out she's a very keen pilot, and would be gutted by a medical loss)

Just to add that she has never felt better, and is in the best of health.

Any advice appreciated

FD

[niknak]

Firstly, warmest congratulations (I hope thats the appropriate phrase!).

She is obliged to inform the CAA Medical Branch immediately, they'll then either make arrangements for her to make an appointment to see them or her AME.

I'm not sure what the score is with aircrew, but with ATCOs the medical isn't automatically suspended straight away, but the individual usually has a restriction put upon the certificate requiring them to be supervised by another licensed, validated atco, (just in case the pregnant atco throws a wobbly).

With aircrew the restrictions may be more draconion due to the obvious implications should nature decide to throw an iron in the fire whilst the individual is flying.

In either case, the nearer to the date of birth, there will come a time when the medical certificate is suspended until after the birth and the mother passes another medical examination.

Good luck.:ok:

[Rotating Beacon]

Hi there,

The usual procedure is to phone the caa, who will temporarily suspend your girlfriends medical. Nowadays under JAR rules you can fly up to 26 weeks of pregnancy as long as you are considered fit to fly. You are sent a letter by the caa outlining the procedures you must follow. You must be free from a variety of symptoms i.e morning sickness, episodes of bleeding etc.

Then in conjunction with your ame and midwife you must provide a report ( i think it is monthly) indicating your fitness to fly. At any time if your midwife, ame, the caa or you yourself consider yourself no longer fit to fly your medical will be suspended and you cannot get it back for the remainder of your pregnancy.

You will normally get your medical back after a successful 6 week check up following your pregnancy. This length of time may be extended following a ceasarian for example.

You may need to think of alot of different things when you're pregnant that might be affected by flying i.e the health of your baby. I was advised against flying by my doctor for reasons of additional radiation, the fact that your body is effectively sitting at 8000 feet or so for hours a day and the subsequent physiological effects. Also you are more prone to dvt when you are pregnant, and as its not unusual to do an 11.5 hr shift in my company thats a fair bit of sitting down.

You may have to consider the hopefully unlikely event of something going wrong on a flight ie decompression, fumes in cockpit, and actually having to get out of the aircraft via the window when you are much bigger than usual!

One final thing, some airlines won't allow you to fly at all when you are pregnant so the element of choice may be removed altogether. Its very much an individual thing whether you decide to carry on flying, but as you have only just found out about the pregnancy its worth speaking to someone in the know ie. doctor or midwife as they may have valid concerns you may need to consider. Above all else Good luck to both of you!

ps getting away with no morning sickness is dead jammy!