driving whilst pregnant

dizziblonde

mazza111 wrote: »

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

Especially considering the bit that's going to hit your bump first is the seatbelt - which is as much of a factor in the passenger seat as in the driver's seat (although my pregnancy notes do have a lovely set of pictures about how to fit it around the bumpage best).

Or is there just something about this poster's driving that makes it an extreme sport or something?!

Now speedbumps and a bladder with a baby tapdancing on it... THAT'S a driving hazard!

Peater

mazza111 wrote: »

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

My concern is that of the 'bump' coming into contact with a solid object i.e steering wheel.

As a passenger, the intertia-reel belts will likely kick in before you meet the dashboard.

balletshoes

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.

If you'd like to give examples of what kind of guff would that be, I can tell you if I objected at all to any of if when I was pregnant (and driving).

Student_Mrs

mazza111 wrote: »

Lol at some of the stories here about getting into the car :rotfl: :rotfl:


I was driving a very old ford fiesta. Could lock it from both sides. Had to open the passenger door and lean over to open the driver's door. Guess what numpty parked next to a lamp post and couldn't get into the car :rotfl:

Don't think it was a pleasant sight for anyone to see, me trying to get in through the boot to open the driver's door with bump going one way and fat 4rse up in the air :rotfl:

I'm 16 weeks pregnant (or should be, has been 4 weeks since scan)! and am in the same situation. From about 4 weeks ago, my fiesta has refused to open from the drivers door so I am always clambering in from passenger side. Wondering how long I will be able to do that until! Keep having students saying they see me drive and I think, at least you didn't see the way I got in :rotfl:

I haven't even thought of a date to stop, my husband is learning to drive but until he passes I am the only driver and work is a 45 min commute. As with everything in pregnancy, it's individual isn't it?

POPPYOSCAR

gizmodo wrote: »

The biggest problem I had was getting in and out the car. I have a 3 door and the doors are quite chunky, not leaving me a lot of room when someone parks close. I really could have done with using the parent and child spaces in the last few months of pregnancy just so I could open my door wide enough!

Yes, I can remember back and having that same problem!!

In answer to the OP I would say for as long as you feel safe and comfortable.

Peater

balletshoes wrote: »

If you'd like to give examples of what kind of guff would that be, I can tell you if I objected at all to any of if when I was pregnant (and driving).

Ok, let's take 'Listeria monocytogenes' for example. A friend of mine's wife would act like you had tried to stab her if you brought an unpasturised cheese within 10 feet of her. This all because her natal-class teacher had told all the women NEVER to eat raw dairy because it was so dangerous.

If you look some facts, there were between 114 & 136 confirmed cases of this in the UK between 1990 and 2000. That's 14 people a year at worst. (only 16% of them were actually pregnant women, so thats 2 people in the whole of the UK.)
(source: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/acm667.pdf)

If you look at the road casualty stats for last year, there were 204,350 total casualties (slight injuries, serious injuries and fatalities).
(source: http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/road-accidents-and-safety-quarterly-estimates-q3-2011/)

So, in this case, you are over 13,000 times more likely to come to harm with your baby in a car than you are from drinking milk straight from the cow's udder.

But, it's easy to subscribe to the 'no raw dairy' thing because it's easy enough to cut out. As has been pointed out, it's hideously impractical not to use a car while pregnant. I was never trying trying to tell pregnant women that they shouldn't drive, i was commenting that i was suprised that there isn't more of a hoo-har about it because, frankly, the numbers speak for themselves.

balletshoes

but not every pregnant woman subscribes to the "don't eat anything except ginger biscuits or you'll harm your baby" either .

I ate what I liked, in moderation, during my pregnancy (although for the first 3 months I couldn't stand the smell of eggs so I avoided them completely). I don't smoke, and I didn't drink alcohol (but in moderation I would have no issue with any pregnant woman having a tipple or 2).

I went swimming, I sunbathed, I worked, basically I did just about everything I would normally do, while pregnant.

Peater

In that case, bloomin good on you! It's been my experience that pregnant women i have come across personally have been the neurotic-'own every book on the subject-must read to the bump for 2hrs a night to aid it's literacy in later life'-type.

It's rather put me off the job. Good to hear that society has some hope!

My comment on anything like that has usually been 'It's a wonder that the human race has survived, isn't it?!'

mazza111

Student_Mrs wrote: »

I'm 16 weeks pregnant (or should be, has been 4 weeks since scan)! and am in the same situation. From about 4 weeks ago, my fiesta has refused to open from the drivers door so I am always clambering in from passenger side. Wondering how long I will be able to do that until! Keep having students saying they see me drive and I think, at least you didn't see the way I got in :rotfl:

I haven't even thought of a date to stop, my husband is learning to drive but until he passes I am the only driver and work is a 45 min commute. As with everything in pregnancy, it's individual isn't it?

Be careful where you park!!! No parallel parking next to lamp posts :rotfl:

I was one of these women who ate/drank what I wanted when I was pregnant. Never ate unpastuerised cheese or anything, not because I shouldn't, just because I didn't like them.

With the first I worked right up until the 38th week, had a few health problems with the 2nd, but the boobs would have hit the steering wheel before the bump did, stupid mastitis!!!!


We are all different and you will know yourself by your concentration, tiredness etc. With some it's not a factor, with some it is. Each pregnancy is different. Do what you feel is best. Just don't let some of the opinions on here influence you one way or the other

osian

I drove nearly until the end. Then I had pre-eclampsia which can cause problems quite quickly and I thought it may be dangerous to drive if that happened. I then made sure I had someoneone to drive me to hospital appointments etc.