driving whilst pregnant

RadoJo

39.5 weeks so far and still driving - I agree that it's a personal thing though as I know people who have had to stop earlier because they had to choose between reaching the pedals or the steering wheel!

MsHoarder

Still driving here: but stopped driving in the evenings at about 25 weeks, but only because I keep falling asleep and can feel my reactions slowing later on so don't want to risk having an accident. As long as you can comfortably reach everything and don't feel too tired, go ahead.

Wouldn't like to speak to my insurance company about having had an accident whilst in labour though, so wouldn't risk driving then.

Peater

I don't wish to sound like 'one of those' but, surely you are putting baby in extreme danger by driving?

Statistically it is one of the most dangerous pursuits going. Then, when you factor in what would be an easily survivable little shunt for you, could easily be fatal for a baby in a womb when you wallop into the steering wheel at 3 or 4 times the force of gravity.

I'm not a scare-monger and I understand that it's impractical NOT to drive, but as far as i can see, none of the posters above me have seemed to even considered this.

jackomdj

But how many people do you hear that happenng to? During both pregnancies OH was out of the country a lot of the time and no family local so I would have been reliant upon friends driving me to work, to the shops, to get baby stuff, to DD1's swimming lesson (where I was when the lady reversed into me!), you need to make judgements and for me driving was a necessity!

dizziblonde

Peater wrote: »

I don't wish to sound like 'one of those' but, surely you are putting baby in extreme danger by driving?

Statistically it is one of the most dangerous pursuits going. Then, when you factor in what would be an easily survivable little shunt for you, could easily be fatal for a baby in a womb when you wallop into the steering wheel at 3 or 4 times the force of gravity.

I'm not a scare-monger and I understand that it's impractical NOT to drive, but as far as i can see, none of the posters above me have seemed to even considered this.

Well what's the alternative? We lock ourselves up for 9 months in bubble wrap? We get the bus... but we might get run over by a bus... or we walk... where we might get run over by a bus, or slip over and fall (especially in the winter).

Some of us have bills to pay and mortgages to fund and things.

Thanks for the completely unecessary guilt trip and scaremongering.

MsHoarder

No Peater(are you male by any chance), there is an increased danger from being in a car, not from the pregnant woman driving.

The only increased risk from the pregnant woman driving is of limited mobility or increased tiredness. It really isn't practical to stay at home from 16weeks (when the womb moves out of the pelvis) until you give birth.

The baby is fairly well-cushioned by the waters, I think the risk you are thinking about the the placenta detatching. The only time I've had to worry about that myself is when I've fallen in my own home. Are you really suggesting staying in bed for 6 months?

Peater

'I'm not a scare-monger and I understand that it's impractical NOT to drive'

Would you care to blindly ignore anymore of my post just to suit your own means?

Of course, the chances of it happening to you are slim. But when compared to some of the guff that pregnant women spout about when they percieve that someone else is putting thier baby in danger, it rather stinks of hypocracy that mums are happy to strap themselves and child into steel projectiles among the 1000's of idiots on the roads.

MsHoarder

Peater wrote: »

'I'm not a scare-monger and I understand that it's impractical NOT to drive'

Would you care to blindly ignore anymore of my post just to suit your own means?

Of course, the chances of it happening to you are slim. But when compared to some of the guff that pregnant women spout about when they percieve that someone else is putting thier baby in danger, it rather stinks of hypocracy that mums are happy to strap themselves and child into steel projectiles among the 1000's of idiots on the roads.

For starters, the pregnant women who are most visible are those who talk about "can't do this, can't do that", not those of us who generally get on with things and only really stop drinking alcochol.

All life is risky, and you have to balance the risk. I've stopped cycling in traffic but that means I have to spend more time in cars or on buses (where there is no restraint and the bus often sets off before I'm in a seat).

You are raising this to women who may already be anxiously trying to do the right thing, and not providing any solutions.

mazza111

Peater wrote: »

I don't wish to sound like 'one of those' but, surely you are putting baby in extreme danger by driving?

Statistically it is one of the most dangerous pursuits going. Then, when you factor in what would be an easily survivable little shunt for you, could easily be fatal for a baby in a womb when you wallop into the steering wheel at 3 or 4 times the force of gravity.

I'm not a scare-monger and I understand that it's impractical NOT to drive, but as far as i can see, none of the posters above me have seemed to even considered this.

Extreme danger? You have as much risk of injury in a car if your a passenger as opposed to driving.

Peater

MsHoarder wrote: »

No Peater(are you male by any chance), there is an increased danger from being in a car, not from the pregnant woman driving.

Never suggested there was for a minute. People with significant physical disabilities can drive cars adequatley, so why wouldnt an able bodied person with a bump in her tummy? And yes, i am male.

MsHoarder wrote: »

The baby is fairly well-cushioned by the waters, I think the risk you are thinking about the the placenta detatching. The only time I've had to worry about that myself is when I've fallen in my own home.

I'm assuming that you have more natal knowledge than me, so there are probably more 'internal measures' naturally occuring that protect the baby than i am giving credit for.

MsHoarder wrote: »

Are you really suggesting staying in bed for 6 months?

Not at all. It's just that my initial reaction to the thread title was that perhaps driving puts a unborn baby at an elevated level of danger due to the risk of impacts with solid objects. I completely agree that would be impractical, but i was just suprised that the 'danger' factor hadn't made an appearance considering how (sometimes over)protective mother's are of thier unborn children.

I'm really not here on the offensive, it was a musing.