Pregnant Pilots

[1+F]

Hello all.

I have been browsing this forum since it's infancy but this is my first post, so here goes.

I would like to ask what pregnant female pilots are entitled to as far as pay and leave are concerned over and above maternity leave and what is stipulated by social services and law.

For instance any special schemes or programmes for pregnant pilots who wish not to fly etc, if any.

Many thanks

[Tee]

MJ,

Are you sure??

As I understand it, a pilot must stop flying as soon as she suspects she is pregnant and consult an AME, but if the AME assesses her as fit, she can resume flying.

I could be wrong.

[jonathang]

Does it not state that the Pilot,

Is unfit to fly automatically for the three months due to morning sickness, however maybe under authorisation of the AME, Fly for the middle 3 and then the certificate is suspended for the last 3 due to physical capability?

No expert under UK law you have to be paid while on Maternity.

[Soleil]

I think the compensation and laws will differ from country to counrty and possibly deppending on the airline's contract. Where I live, it is my understanding that pregnant pilots can fly into the 32nd week of pregnancy provided there are no complications. As far as pay, for us, it is straight maternity leave to last as long as the government allows it to the rest of the population (1 yr I think). Your medical is not automatically invalidated because you are pregnant, that is such a chauvanistic attitude!!

[1+F]

Thank you for your replies so far.

Where I live the law states 16 weeks maternity leave and in addition our contracts allow 6 weeks full pay then 6 weeks half pay on sick leave.

After that it is unpaid leave. This is what I was generally asking.

[Whirlybird]

jonathang,

Are you sure about the first part of your post. I've rarely heard of anyone having morning sickness for three months! :confused:

[gingernut]

Remember you are pregnant not ill ! (Signed a man)

[takenthe5thamendment]

1+F.........I don't know if you are yet, but good luck anyway and keep well.

Whirly, with my first pregancy I had 'morning sickness' that lasted all day, every day for over 3 months......... I have never felt so ill.

Gingernut - due to the above I was admitted into hospital for
re-hydration therapy.
Wan't an illness................nooooooooooo I was ONLY pregnant.

Pregnancy can be a very dangerous condition to be in - women who are dehydrated, have high blood pressure and protein in their urine, can actually have fits - of course I concede that it doesn't happen to everyone, but until you have actually been pregnant how can you comment?

(Signed a woman) :p

[gingernut]

take the 5th... sorry to hear you had such a rough time. I take it everyhting turned out fine in the end for yourself ?

We could have lots of academic debate about whether being pregnant is a medical condition or not. It sounds like you became ill as a result of your pregnancy, but the pregnancy itself is not actually an illness. Is it right to medicalise something that women have been doing for such a long time ?

The majority of pregnancies are actually uneventful ! (medically speaking).



Having said all that, they do say that if man could bear children, they would only ever have one child !

ps. life can be a dangerous condition to be in.

[PilotsPal]

An old friend who'd fought long and hard to make a career as a pilot found that by the time she was four months pregnant, although fit and well, she just lost all desire to fly. As her husband is away from home a good deal she decided to take an extended leave from work after the usual maternity leave ended.

Her employer treated her with great consideration, finding all sorts of ground-based jobs for her to do during her pregnancy. Whether she'll ever go back to it, I don't know. I suspect if a second baby comes along, she probably won't.

[HugMistress]

Scanning the correspondence on pregnancy I think we need to clarify a few misconceptions - from the medical point of view.

1. Pregancy is NOT an illness it is a normal condition
2. The first 12 weeks of a pregnancy can be difficult as this is the time when spontaneous miscarriages can occur due to variations in the levels of hormones that control the pregnancy. This has nothing to do with flying or anything else.
3. The description of swollen ankles, proteinuria (protein in the urine) and hypertension are warning signs of possible pre-eclampsia -a condition relating to pregnancy which ,if untreated, can progress to eclampsia which can be fatal. This does not happen to every pregnanct woman and that is what antenatal clinics are for to check on this.

Finally, enjoy the pregnancy, carry on as normally as you can and good luck with the birth of a new life.

[Captain Stable]

As far as medical certificates go, my understanding of the rules is the same as MJ's - that pregnancy immediately suspends the medical certificate, ergo no flying.

[skyrabbit]

Pilots only make girls pregnant don't they!!! (tee Hee, joke!!!!!!)

[Alex Whittingham]

Soleil has it. Under the JAA when your pregnancy is confirmed you inform your employer and the medical certificate immediately lapses. It is re-instated following an examination by an AME to ensure there are no complications and is subject to continuous review so that if, for instance, morning sickness developed it would be suspended once again. The pilot can fly until the 32nd week.

Employers have an additional requirement to ensure that cosmic radiation dosages are kept as low as reasonably achievable and not exceed 1 millisievert in the remainder of the pregnancy. Some employers (BA) prevent pregnant women flying as pilots or crew on that basis.

If a women is unable to fly because of her pregnancy she must be found suitable alternative work. Maternity leave rights for pilots are the same as for the rest of the working population.