International airlines will not let you fly after 33 weeks on an international flight...you can fly later domestically but not international......the only way they would let you fly on a long haul flight after 33 weeks if there was an exceptional circumstance like someone in the family died AND you could prove you were fit to fly...that would mean absolutely zero pregnancy issues, no swelling even etc...they are very very strict on long haul flight issues as if something happens they can't exactly land the plane in the middle of the ocean!
So you will need to rethink how much time you take off work both before and after to allow for this....
Thank you so much for your comments and suggestions.
The pregnancy is still in very early days. I don't even think I've hit 5 weeks yet according to FF, and feels rather surreal and not wanting to jinx it! Though I guess this is going to be a complicated issue and hence never too early to start thinking (stressing).
Don't get me wrong, I would love to deliver in Singapore, have heard the facilities here are top notch and so much less hassles! But the fact is my husband holds a singaporean passport and citizenship would be passed on immediately to the child. Singapore doesn't recognise dual citizenship and we would rather the child have Australian citizenship since we are more bonded to Australia than here and will probably move back there sometime in the future.
I'm erring on going through the public system - a couple of my friends delivered at RPA and seemed happy with it. I do have private insurance but it's on suspension since we moved here last year. I guess the next step (after the pregnancy has sunk in!) is to find a OBGYN that would take me on in late pregnancy over in Sydney, be it private or public. I will have normal checks here as per delivering in Singapore, and if in any case the OBGYN decides it's no wise or what not, then too bad, Singapore it is and the child will just have to deal with his/her nationality issues later on.
Singapore Air flies up to 36 weeks with medical certificate. If I have to take no-pay leave, so be it! Baby comes first!
Thanks for all your suggestions and advice once again!
Ahhhh National Service! I was thinking that after my post.
Another friend at work here managed to find an OBGYN in Brisbane who looked after her for the last two months - like you, she saw the OBGYN here for all other appointments and then had her medical records transferred. So it can be done. I also had a friend deliver publicly at RPA and had no issues.
Qantas also lets you fly up to 36 weeks. I am not sure where the other poster got her info from about flying. Even Lufthansa is 36 weeks and German doctors don't like pregnant women to fly at all.
yes, I have been doing a bit of travel in my pregnancy!
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