What happens if a flight attendant gets pregnant

Studies have been performed in female flight attendants, but the number who are pregnant and continue to work is small, and they have not indicated an increase in spontaneous abortions. I am a few weeks pregnant and have taken two transcontinental flights and will be taking two more soon. Is this too much radiation exposure? While it is true that your exposure to background radiation increases at higher altitudes, the exposure that you have received and will receive will not increase your risks for birth defects or miscarriage.

I am planning a round-trip flight from Washington, DC, to Chicago. I have a particular concern about my exposure to radiation because there are solar flares predicted for that week and I will be in my ninth week of pregnancy during my flights.

What are the additional risks of radiation we might be exposed to if our flights occur during solar flares and the implications that it could have on my developing baby? The radiation exposures while flying are not considered high exposures. During your pregnancy, you and your fetus will receive about 2.

In a hour flight you would receive around 0. During solar-flare periods the exposure may be increased. Some measurements have estimated exposures of times the usual exposure while flying, which would bring your exposure in the range of a low-level exposure from many diagnostic radiological procedures. Many questions refer to commercial flights—what about flying in a Learjet that flies at higher altitudes?

Radiation exposure during the Learjet ride will not increase your risk of miscarriage. According to a recent paper, the radiation exposure received by passengers during a Concorde flight is about 0. Assessing exposure to cosmic radiation during long-haul flights. Radiat Res. This is a good reference since the Concorde flies at approximately 55, feet and a Learjet may be between 40, and 50, feet. Put in perspective, that is about one day of normal background radiation radiation exposure we receive every day from naturally occurring radiation sources.

The dose that is allowed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a pregnant woman who is occupationally exposed to radiation is 5 mSv.

I fly quite a bit because of my work. At flight altitudes, passengers and crewmembers are exposed to higher levels on every flight. The World Health Organization says that ionizing radiation causes cancer as well as reproductive problems, but NIOSH believes the issue warrants additional study. If this estimated is accurate, the risk to flight crewmembers is high. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements report that aircrew have the largest average annual effective dose 3.

In Delta pilots successfully lobbied their predominately-male union for paid maternity leave so they could stay home and pump. American Airlines Maternity and Paternity Leave Policies American Airlines offers 11 weeks of paid maternity leave and 6 weeks of unpaid maternity leave.

This information is based on anonymous tips submitted by employees. For flight attendants, working during normal sleep hours 15 hours or more during the first trimester of pregnancy has been linked to increased risk of miscarriage in our study. Working during normal sleep hours, high physical job demands and exposure to cosmic radiation may put pregnant flight attendants at higher risk for miscarriage, according to research published January 5 online ahead of print in the journal Epidemiology.

Although some people may notice a change in their menstrual cycle and ovulation during or after a trip, the majority are unaffected. Travel can certainly agitate and manipulate the timing of ovulation, but so can just about anything that causes a lot of stress. Many female travelers know that taking a trip can majorly mess with your period. There is no evidence that travel impacts IVF pregnancy rates. Traveling after the transfer Some patients on a tight time scale do travel home the evening after their transfer, however, we advise waiting until at least the following day before flying home.

Flying or any other mode of transportation has not been shown to have any adverse effects on embryo transfer. In order to prepare the day before and the day of your egg retrieval, you should: Not eat or drink after midnight, or hours before your appointment: This is because the egg retrieval procedure takes place under anesthesia. You will be able to eat once you have recovered, but you may be slightly nauseated. Table of Contents.

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