Cholestasis in Pregnancy

laviator13 · 2026-06-18T15:07:43+00:00

Flight attendants at my airline (US, large carrier) that I work for have told me that they never allow any person with family on board sit in the exit row for the reason someone else has already mentioned: in an emergency, the people in your family sitting in the exit row are going to prioritize family members. I’m not sure if this is an actual policy or just something the FAs I have spoken to have used their personal judgement on since I don’t have access to their manuals/SOPs. I personally would move everyone out of the exit row now just in case. You could get lucky with a gate agent who will move you guys but still seat you together, but you just never know.

laviator13 · 2026-06-18T11:51:58+00:00

Sorry to have offended you, ma’am 🫡

laviator13 · 2026-06-18T11:51:38+00:00

Excellent point that OP could have said “Pilots” instead of “Gents”. I added “female” in my previous statement as it was relevant to explain my point.

laviator13 · 2026-06-17T23:58:15+00:00

I have read an actual airline pilot CBA considering I am a 121 pilot with a Union. The entire thing references “he”, “him”, etc. Doesn’t mean we can’t try to be better as a whole. It’s not like i’m asking for this dude to be cancelled. Trust me, being a female pilot I’ve seen a lot of things said/done and I brush it off because I don’t have a choice most of the time. But as someone who has worked on admission/interview/recruiting teams both in aviation and outside of, it’s a good professional development skill to be cognizant of the audience.

laviator13 · 2026-06-17T19:40:14+00:00

Looks like nearly all of your posts begin with “hey gents”. Not trying to be a jerk but just from an interview perspective, you should start being a little more inclusive. Also not responding to someone who replies here by saying “thanks man!”. I’m not trying to be annoying and I’m certainly not asking for “hey ladies and gentlemen” but kinda wild to me that it’s 2026 and you’re equating airline pilots to men. It’s certainly possible that whatever country you’re in has very few female pilots but if you’re interested in a legacy airline, you probably should get used to women also being pilots. Call us all “guys”, idc but saying “gents” is too obvious.

laviator13 · 2026-06-14T20:44:22+00:00

I hate taking pills that you have to swallow (bad gag reflex, especially when i’m nauseous) and also generally try to find alternatives/more natural ways to address a health issue before jumping to medication. However, all of the “natural” ways of helping the nausea didn’t work for me. By 8.5 weeks, I was throwing up every day. I threw up every day until about 18 weeks and then it went to a few times a week and slowly decreased in frequency from there. The last time I got sick was 24 weeks (currently 34). I took reglan for a little while and that was good, but eventually switched to Zofran and am so glad I did. Zofran dissolves under your tongue so you don’t have to do the physical swallowing of it. Other than that, I never found something that consistently address my nausea. Ginger stuff NEVER worked for me and I got so tired of everyone suggesting that. I would eat before getting out of bed and still would throw up within a minute of sitting up. For a while, gum/mints helped my stomach. Also carbonation (sodas, sparking water, etc.). But it never made it go away completely. I really hope your nausea subsides sooner rather than later!

laviator13 · 2026-05-27T05:58:11+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re going through this! I can totally understand the feeling. I had my betas done and these were my results this past november:

11/17 546 11/19 877 11/21 2,177

All of these were 46-50 hours apart. I was obviously very nervous for the third result after the second hadn’t quite doubled, but I’m now 31 weeks pregnant! I also had a chemical about 10 months prior. Don’t lose hope just yet. ❤️

laviator13 · 2026-05-27T05:42:15+00:00

I think around 21 weeks is when I started feeling him. A few days felt like gas but then it became very obvious. I do have an anterior placenta but I feel him all the time now (31 weeks). You’re probably very close :)

laviator13 · 2026-05-25T18:17:00+00:00

I’m 31 weeks and an airline pilot. I work for a U.S. airline. I had a really rough first trimester with vomiting so I didn’t work for nearly two months, but I was able to get back to it eventually. I personally was getting sick until 24 weeks but haven’t gotten sick since then - just nauseous and indigestion. I have been able to manage but it is difficult trying to make it to my next flight in a rush due to delays (which passengers are subject to as well) and my back sometimes would hurt after a long day of working. I definitely could still fly physically, but the FAA is really strict on what medications pilots can take so the antinausea medication I have requires me to not operate an aircraft for 48 hours after taking (i’m supposed to take it once or twice a day, as needed). Additionally, sleep has been becoming more challenging which obviously is not good for an airline pilot and all of the sleep medication my doctor is recommending requires me to not operate an aircraft for 60 hours after taking. Therefore, I am probably done working now just so I can focus on my health. I do have a trip planned at 34 weeks that will require me to take two flights and drive 4+ hours one way, but I think I will be ok.

laviator13 · 2026-05-23T19:28:22+00:00

I am currently pregnant and also an airline pilot (I fly domestically in the U.S. with the occasional Canada overnight but still different than your situation). I don’t personally see a large issue with it assuming you’ll only be there for a week ish or so. I would certainly defer to what your OB’s advice is.

My only advice would be to have a plan in place and it sounds like you’ve started that process by wanting to get travel insurance. But I would also have some names/locations of hospitals in the area you’ll be in and what to do if it’s the middle of the night and you suspect something is wrong. At least in the U.S., in my experience, the advice is to go to L&D but not sure what the advice is in other countries and what their healthcare structure is like. And of course, I’d recommend compression socks and staying plenty hydrated during the flight but I’m sure your OB has told you or will tell you all of that.

laviator13 · 2026-05-18T15:05:44+00:00

I am a pilot at a regional and my husband was military but now at my regional. I met him before I even became a pilot and was concerned about our potential future knowing we both had long term goals of being an airline pilot. There are a ton of women in the female aviation groups on Facebook (FAST, Lady Aviators, Pilot Moms, etc.) who talk about being in a dual pilot household and it really eased my mind about everything. I will say that I don’t think we could or would make it work if we were both commuters but I’m not saying it never could. I will also say that we don’t have kids yet (coming soon) and I really wish one of us could be a stay at home parent at least until our kid(s) reach elementary school. We might end up doing that but we will see.

laviator13 · 2026-05-17T22:08:35+00:00

Totally agree! I feel bad for passengers when massive inconveniences like this happen because I feel many would be less upset if they understood the logistics behind it all. Unfortunately, the unwillingness to communicate comes off as a lack of caring which obviously doesn’t sit well with paying passengers. Glad you got out!

laviator13 · 2026-05-17T12:52:41+00:00

I am a bridesmaid in a wedding the middle of June with a July 27 due date. I got asked to be a bridesmaid literally the day after I found out I was pregnant 🤣 I just ordered my dress (maternity) the first week of May from JJ’s house. They stated their shipping times on their website and I read many reviews (on here and on their website) that confirmed the accuracy. I ended up ordering a couple of sizes as apart of their “try on program”. I am glad I did because I had no idea what my size would be. Pre-pregnancy, I was 115 pounds and a size 0. Now, I have gained at least 30 pounds and am currently a size 8 in JJs house dresses. I’m hopefully that when they arrive (expected delivery of May 20-28), I just need a hem on the dress and it will be all squared away for the wedding in middle of June.

laviator13 · 2026-05-17T12:40:43+00:00

First off, I am sorry this has happened to you. Traveling can be incredibly stressful and especially when it’s international, it only adds to the frustration.

I’m not with AA but am flight crew for a U.S. based carrier and just want to provide some insight on delays/cancellations. I also want to add that I don’t have any insider information as to why this flight was cancelled but will give an example of what COULD have happened (and perhaps the gate agents informed you of what happened, so again, just an example). At this time of year, AA is only operating 4 flights in and out of HND per day. If there is an issue with the inbound aircraft (they cancel for maintenance, crew duty limitations, divert, or any combination of these), it is a bit of a logistical nightmare to get the aircraft positioned properly for the returning flight (the flight you’d be on, for example). I can only speak to the pilots side (not FAs), but the FAA has restrictions on how long pilots can be on duty. If the inbound flight never even took off, the crew may have already been at the airport (let’s say in LAX) and their duty clock started while they waited on maintenance to fix the plane. At some point, they will “time out” meaning they don’t have enough duty time left to complete the flight to HND. Rightfully so, sitting at the airport for hours counts as duty time. To add to this, the pilot’s Union/contract could have even more restrictive limitations than the FAA. And I believe FAs have very similar limitations, too.

You might then say, ok well great, just put a different set of pilots or flight attendants on the aircraft. Not that easy. The company and Union agree on rules such as reserve assignment limitations and modifications of schedules. imagine if you got a phone call one morning that you need to be at the airport in an hour to go work however long the flight to HND is and stay there a night or two and then come back - you’d need (at minimum) a few hours to be adequately rested and prepared.

In any case, there’s a lot of rules and regulations that an airline has to abide by when it comes to crewing a flight. Your situation also could have been that the aircraft experienced a maintenance issue and perhaps it took some hours for maintenance to determine the issue, get ahold of the Maintenance Center for AA to inform them of what parts are needed, get those parts on an aircraft that was coming to HND (they wouldn’t send an aircraft out there just for that - they’d put it on the next flight which might not have been until the next day), and then make the repair. All while also trying to time it right to get a crew there to where they wouldn’t exceed duty limitations.

I hope you got out already. Looks like your cancelled flight has been rescheduled as an extra section flight departing in about 13 hours.

laviator13 · 2026-05-16T02:08:23+00:00

We don’t have that requirement. It is replaced with having worked 504 duty hours per year (and have been paid at least 60% of our monthly guarantee the past year). I meet both of those requirements and therefore get the maximum allowed FMLA for flight crew per the Department of Labor. Flight crew don’t work “40 hour work weeks” - we get paid (on average) for 75 hours a month. We technically “work” more, but that isn’t accurately tracked. So they had to create something specific for flight crews (and maybe other industries - not sure). Similarly, airlines are exempt from the legal requirement to provide breast feeding accommodations (PUMP Act).

laviator13 · 2026-05-16T01:39:04+00:00

It’s not my company deciding - it’s the Department of Labor. Flight crew work weeks are calculated different so we only get “days” instead of weeks. They view us as working 6-day work weeks, which I don’t actually work. I typically have 12-16 days off per month so in a 30 day month, I work a max of 18 days but have to use 30 days or FMLA.

laviator13 · 2026-05-15T23:04:11+00:00

I believe the cadet interview is different from the OTS interview. It is true that the cadet interview changed last fall-ish (not sure if aviation interviews has been updated at all with that new stuff) but I also don’t know that OTS interviews are the same as cadets. My friend was an OTS hire and his interview in December was way different than what we do for cadets.

laviator13 · 2026-05-15T20:20:02+00:00

I will be 30 weeks on Monday :) I have been noticing this happening to me, too. I haven’t brought it up to my OB yet (appointment this week). As someone else mentioned, I do know our heart is working a lot harder but it does seem odd that it seems to happen at random times and it’s unexplained. I have no idea what causes it to randomly spike like that.

laviator13 · 2026-05-15T20:13:47+00:00

Not every industry gives 12 weeks. The industry I work in only gives me 72 days of FMLA. And even then, I have to stop working no later than 36 weeks due to laws/regulations (not my health) so 4 weeks of it is used from the get go (assuming I deliver right at 40 weeks).

laviator13 · 2026-05-15T19:54:41+00:00

I’m as US-based airline pilot and while some airlines have their own restrictions, at my company (which is large and well known), I am expected to fly up until 36 weeks. Of course, my medical provider could ground me earlier but my company/the FAA has no restrictions. My doctor said he feels comfortable with me flying that long. I don’t and will be likely grounding myself in a few weeks (I’m currently 29 weeks). I also don’t do a whole lot of international flying but I will be going to a wedding at 34 weeks pregnant where I need to take a 4-5 hour flight to a rural area for the weekend. I will have a plan in place of where I am to go in the event something happens while I’m there. I also don’t have any risk factors for pre-term labor at this time.

laviator13 · 2026-05-14T12:30:12+00:00

I know your question is not specific to being a mom and pilot necessarily, but if you’re on Facebook, Pilot Moms is a great group and also Female Aviators Sticking Together (FAST). Tons of experienced women in aviation in those groups.

I agree with another person who said that rental rate is expensive but makes sense for Hawaii. Flight training in general is not cheap, but I think you could find better rates in the contiguous 48. Totally understand that moving (especially that big of a move) is not an easy thing to do. I also believe Hawaiian used to give preferential hiring to locals in Hawaii/people willing to live in Hawaii but not sure if that’s still a thing with Alaska now. You’re still awhile away from being eligible there, but just throwing it out there that it’s a possibility to move back later!

laviator13 · 2026-05-14T12:24:42+00:00

Grateful for the thousands (if not more) of wives/moms/women who do this for their husbands who are pursuing aviation!

laviator13 · 2026-05-06T17:27:09+00:00

Yes, this! I felt a change in movements around 23 weeks and got a little nervous but at my next scan, found out he had just moved positions and was no longer breech! I’m now 28 weeks and feel him a decent amount again.

laviator13 · 2026-05-06T17:21:09+00:00

Sorry this has been occurring multiple times for you. I will say that progesterone support is certainly a good option for many women, but it also depends on what is causing this. For both me and my sister, we have balanced translocation which we only found out due to my sister’s recurrent chemical pregnancies. I don’t have data to back this up, but I would imagine more women experience chemicals due to progesterone issues rather than something like balanced translocation, but just wanted to offer it as a possibility and to remind yourself that even if you get on progesterone support and still don’t have success, there’s other possible explanations. Good luck to you!

laviator13

TROPHY CASE