Post # 1
Member
405 posts
Helper bee
Hello lovely bees,
I just got a call from my Obstetrican. She wants to do an urgent US scan this coming Tuesday- when I am 6 weeks and 6 days- because I am due to go on a long haul flight back home from Australia for Christmas on Friday. I am so upset.
1) Will they be able to see a heartbeat/ fetal pole for sure? If not, does it mean anything?
2) If she thinks something is wrong, will I have to take medication to induce a miscarriage?
3) If all that happens, will I miss my flight home for Christmas (I am in tears thinking about this).
Any help or information you ladies have would be very much appreciated. Freaking out a bit here as my plan was to just go home and if anything happened at home, I would deal with it in hospital there. 
Post # 3
Member
96 posts
Worker bee
It sounds like your OB is being careful. At this point you will be able to see the heartbeat. The heart usually develops around 21 days. It sounds like she wants to check that everything is ok which is a good thing.
Not to scare you but I had a miscarriage earlier this year after being four months pregnant. It occurred on a short two hour flight home. I was devastated and still am after that. Fortunately I am 7 months pregnant again and this time around I decided to forgo any traveling until after baby arrives. Many women fly during pregnancy so what happened to me is rare. Traveling while pregnant is risky. Please be careful in any case.
Post # 4
Member
529 posts
Busy bee
I just had an u/s at 6+5 (by my calc). They saw a heartbeat (but didn’t measure it). Baby measured 6mm and was pretty hard to see as much smaller than yolk sac. All ok, which is reassuring.
Im in also planning on travelling long haul when 12-14 weeks, tho doc hasn’t said anything about that, so I’d try not to worry. Lots of women travel in early pregnancy.
Post # 5
Member
3101 posts
Sugar bee
@salmonofmarriage: I think she would be best to answer your questions. It doesn’t seem fair to spring this on you without much explanation. There is no guarantee of seeing a hb at 6w, tho I did. As for the PP mentioning the flight/miscarriage- it is highly unlikely that the two are tied. Flying during pregnancy is ok unless otherwise instructed.
If you are miscarrying for some reason, you can choose to let it happen naturally- which may take a few weeks. You don’t have to induce it- you could wait until you get back- but there’s no way to say it won’t naturally occur.
Post # 6
Member
405 posts
Helper bee
@mamadingdong: Thank you so much. This makes me feel a lot better. I had discussed this with my GP on Tuesday and she had agreed with me that getting an early scan before I fly was unnecessary! If I miscarry I miscarry, there is nothing I can do about it and it is extremely unlikely that I would need emergency medical service this early in the pregnancy. Ugh. Anyway we will see how it goes… thanks so much for your response! Greatly appreciated.
Post # 7
Member
405 posts
Helper bee
@brikee: Thank you. I really hope to see a heartbeat!!
Post # 8
Member
405 posts
Helper bee
@pink_sherbert: Thanks, good to know you saw a heartbeat too. My friend who is traveling with me will be 33 weeks pregnant and her Obstetrician didn’t bat an eye! I’m sitting here thinking, WTF? My obs is worried about ME flying?
Post # 9
Member
3081 posts
Sugar bee
This is odd that she called it an “urgent” scan! Especially without any reason to think you have a risky pregnancy. Very bizarre. So many pregnant women travel until the end of their pregnancy and there is no proven link between air travel (no matter the length) and poor pregnancy outcomes.
Take it as a blessing that you get an early ultrasound when so many pregnant women are told they MUST wait until 8+ weeks. Don’t borrow trouble, I’m sure everything is fine!
Post # 10
Member
1021 posts
Bumble bee
This seems a bit strange – could she have meant “urgent” as in they wanted to do a dating scan, which is most accurate early in pregnancy, and needed to get it in before you leave since you’d be out of town for awhile? Rather than “urgent” as in OHMYGOSH you’re flying what if something goes wrong? I was scheduled for a 6 hour flight in my first trimester, and my doctor said there was absolutely no reason not to travel. It was a business trip that was cancelled so I didn’t end up going, but again, my doctor was fine with it. I’m sure all will be fine!
As far as the heartbeat goes, I had an ultrasound at 6w1d and saw a heartbeat of 118 bpm!
Post # 11
Member
405 posts
Helper bee
@kate02121: Thanks you are right- I won’t borrow trouble! Maybe as @FloridaGatorBride: said, she wants the scan for dates urgently because I am going away and won’t be available! I was speaking to the secretary so I don’t know what the doctor ACTUALLY said, just that she wants me to definitely get a scan before I travel. Thanks again ladies, think I just became anxious because wasn’t part of my plan and had already discussed with GP.
Post # 12
Member
309 posts
Helper bee
I hope everything goes well for you on Tuesday, sending positive thoughts your way.
Post # 13
Member
881 posts
Busy bee
Just wanted to add, I’m assuming the doctor just wants to do the scan to verify everything looks ok before you are out of the country and away from medical care should you experience any troubling symptoms while you are gone. For instance, to verify that the pregnancy is in fact in the uterus and is not ectopic as that would require medical intervention. There is not really anything dangerous about flying while pregnant (but be sure to walk the aisles occasionally during long flights to keep up your circulation). The reason doctors advise you not to fly later in pregnancy is because you are more likely to go into labor at that point and it’s usually best for you to be near home so you can have access to your hospital and doctor etc. So it’s not really that you shouldn’t fly late in pregnancy, but you probably don’t want to travel far from home late in pregnancy. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, the doc is just being extra cautious which is a good thing.
Post # 14
Member
1495 posts
Bumble bee
Just to chime in on flying…. My SIL flew from the US to Indonesia at 6w and now has a healthy little girl. I flew around 16-17w and baby is still happily cooking away. Flying really poses no danger just make sure you don’t go through the back scatter X-ray machines(they are the ones that are totally closed in and now not used in the us, the big glass ones are ok but you can always just ask or a pat down to be safe). If you are getting sick it might be wise to ask for zofran and try for a window seat. I almost lost it on he second flight as it was rough.
im also sure your dr just wants to get dates and there is only a few week window to do so. Best wishes.
Post # 15
Member
8884 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
My advice would be to relax as much as possible. You have a good doctor who is just being cautious because they care.
There really isn’t a risk of flying in the 1st trimester – the risk is that should something happen (ie miscarriage) you would not be at home when it happened. I had this worry too and this is exactly what my doctor told me. I was fine, my friends who have flown were also fine.
Good luck and enjoy the pregnancy 🙂
Post # 16
Member
405 posts
Helper bee
@pittgirl4: Thank you my dear! Much appreciated.
@MrsEagleEye: Good point- totally forgot about the possiblity of ectopic! That definitely makes sense. Thank you!
@lovemygsp: Thanks- good idea about the anti-nausea medication- just got my first bout of morning sickness today! Was actually kind of happy because I was worried I didn’t have any symptoms. I will avoid the back scatter xray machines for sure!
@Lyndzo: Thanks so much! I know you ladies are right- she is just being cautious. Just caught me so off guard as I had chatted to my GP about it and was all mentally prepared to just wait until after Christmas! Oh well, FX it all goes well on Tuesday.
In other news, I just had the revelation that because I ovulated late (CD 20), I am technically 6 days LESS pregnant than my dates are actually saying (because they calculate as if you ovulated on CD 14). So at my scan I will be closer to 6 weeks, not 6 weeks 6 days. So there is a real chance we won’t see the heartbeat. :-/ But maybe we will! I will try to be positive. Thanks for your kind words ladies, really really appreciate it!! I feel much better.
