Pregnancy + Meals onboard
Jan 20, 2014, 3:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 566
Pregnancy + Meals onboard
Hi everyone. My pregnant wife and i are flying to Dubai a week today and when we fly she will be 8 weeks pregnant. My query is about on board meals. Obviously there are a lot of things a pregnant woman is not allowed to eat so i'm wondering how this works on a plane.
1) Should we let BA know prior to our flight or just mention it to the crew when we board.
2) I did a quick search for a 'pregnant' meal option and couldn't find anything. Does one exist, will the crew know what to do onboard or do we simply have to 'deal with it' , so to speak.
Should point out we are flying in Club World.
Appreciate any advice,
Thanks
Chris
1) Should we let BA know prior to our flight or just mention it to the crew when we board.
2) I did a quick search for a 'pregnant' meal option and couldn't find anything. Does one exist, will the crew know what to do onboard or do we simply have to 'deal with it' , so to speak.
Should point out we are flying in Club World.
Appreciate any advice,
Thanks
Chris
Jan 20, 2014, 3:27 am
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 19,069
Hi everyone. My pregnant wife and i are flying to Dubai a week today and when we fly she will be 8 weeks pregnant. My query is about on board meals. Obviously there are a lot of things a pregnant woman is not allowed to eat so i'm wondering how this works on a plane.
1) Should we let BA know prior to our flight or just mention it to the crew when we board.
2) I did a quick search for a 'pregnant' meal option and couldn't find anything. Does one exist, will the crew know what to do onboard or do we simply have to 'deal with it' , so to speak.
Should point out we are flying in Club World.
Appreciate any advice,
Thanks
Chris
1) Should we let BA know prior to our flight or just mention it to the crew when we board.
2) I did a quick search for a 'pregnant' meal option and couldn't find anything. Does one exist, will the crew know what to do onboard or do we simply have to 'deal with it' , so to speak.
Should point out we are flying in Club World.
Appreciate any advice,
Thanks
Chris
There is no point in ringing BA, but I would suggest taking a look at the special meals available and see which is the closest option.
Whatever you decide, the crew will work with you and do their best to find things suitable.
Jan 20, 2014, 3:33 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Not that I'm an expert, but unless there are allergies involved (i.e. pregnancy irrelevant) is it really a problem with one meal during a flight? It's not like anything she would eat on board would instantly kill her or the baby...
But then again, I'm no doctor and being a man, I've never been pregnant.
But then again, I'm no doctor and being a man, I've never been pregnant.
Jan 20, 2014, 3:38 am
#5
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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It's been a long time since I've had to worry about this, but surely it's no smoking, no drinking, watch out for unpasteurised cheese and raw meat, fish and eggs? If so BA rarely goes down this road anyway, since they're bad news for anyone with impaired immune systems. Having said that, I suspect the average Spanish woman would scoff the lot! On the other hand I can perhaps see a case of Bring Your Own if you want peace of mind, I guess the science has changed the picture over recent years. At least we have found a happy user for the CCR burger!
Jan 20, 2014, 3:38 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2009
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There are very few foods that are recommended not to be eaten during pregnancy, so I think you'll be fine. I'm sure that she'll be able to eat virtually anything that is served on board. There must be many hundreds or thousands of women who eat on board aircraft each year who don't yet know they are pregnant, so I wouldn't worry too much!
Jan 20, 2014, 4:53 am
#8
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I think the best thing to do is avoid all meats and fish in case they are undercooked, and any dairy products in case they've been sat outside a chilled area for too long.
I'd pick something 'bland' or 'vegetarian' from the meal preference bit to be on the safe side, and then taste it upon arrival before giving it to your wife.
I'd pick something 'bland' or 'vegetarian' from the meal preference bit to be on the safe side, and then taste it upon arrival before giving it to your wife.
Jan 20, 2014, 5:14 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
No meat or fish or dairy sounds a bit OTT.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnan...ancy-diet.aspx does seem to agree:
Protein in pregnancy
Sources of protein include:
meat (but avoid liver)
fish
poultry
eggs
beans
pulses
nuts
Eat some protein every day.
Dairy in pregnancy
(...)
Dairy foods such as milk, cheese, fromage frais and yoghurt are important in pregnancy because they contain calcium and other nutrients that your baby needs.
Sources of protein include:
meat (but avoid liver)
fish
poultry
eggs
beans
pulses
nuts
Eat some protein every day.
Dairy in pregnancy
(...)
Dairy foods such as milk, cheese, fromage frais and yoghurt are important in pregnancy because they contain calcium and other nutrients that your baby needs.
Jan 20, 2014, 5:18 am
#11
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Pregnancy + Meals onboard
We have four healthy kids, travelled a lot while Mrs LE was pregnant, and all food is fine. Craving towards ice cream of course! Congratulations, and she'll be fine.
Jan 20, 2014, 5:55 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Advice about avoiding unpasteurised cheese is important, but as mentioned BA would be nuts to be serving that anyway! I'm sure you already know the most important thing will be to avoid becoming dehydrated, take plenty of walks to keep the calf-pump mechanism active and consider graduated compression stockings. If there is a family history of venous thromboembolism take advice from your GP.
Have a fantastic trip and a healthy pregnancy!
Have a fantastic trip and a healthy pregnancy!
Jan 20, 2014, 5:58 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: East Anglia, England
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,056
by hand. She'll be fine if you stick to what you're used to doing. My wife flew several times whilst
pregnant and she never encountered a problem.
Congratulations!
H
Jan 20, 2014, 6:50 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2006
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It depends on your wife's sensitivity and how advanced the pregnancy is. She may not want to eat absolutely anything (or smell any food at all), or she may want to eat too many things that cannot be found on a plane. If you really want to be prepared, you have to bring your own. But she'll be fine with the usual BA food.
Jan 20, 2014, 7:31 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2012
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My wife managed to get food poisoning whilst pregnant returning from China on BA.
Source was never identified, but she ate in the Air China lounge at the airport, on the plane and in the lounge at LHR, and was severely affected on the LHR-ABZ leg.
She recovered and baby was OK when born.
Source was never identified, but she ate in the Air China lounge at the airport, on the plane and in the lounge at LHR, and was severely affected on the LHR-ABZ leg.
She recovered and baby was OK when born.
