The Navy now has a maternity flight suit prototype available for expecting aircrew.
That means pregnant aircrew won’t be subjected to maternity khaki uniforms, or larger flight suits that could jeopardize their safety given the longer sleeves and hemlines if not properly altered.
Instead, the maternity flight suit prototype is designed to accommodate pregnant aircrew as they progress in their pregnancy by adding expandable panels to standard flight suits. As a result, aircrew only need one flight suit for the duration of their pregnancy.
“Upon examination, it was discovered that prototype expandable panels could be sewn into existing flight suits and would be easily customized to fit using the existing tab on the side of a regular flight suit,” Amie Blade, a spokesperson for Naval Air Systems Command, told Navy Times.
