There has been no single guideline that fits all, so you can ski while pregnant as long as you are comfortable with it. However, the NHS advises care, especially between four and thirteen weeks, when the baby is most likely to develop. The significant dangers are falling over or being hit by another skier. So, if you do go to the mountains, do this during the off-season and stick to the less-crowded slopes.
Since you’ve never skied before, this isn’t the time to begin. If you don’t want to ski, there are many other things to do at a ski resort, such as snowshoeing, sleigh rides, swimming, or simply relaxing in a cozy cafeteria and taking in the scenery.
Are there any health advantages?
During pregnancy, exercise provides a variety of health advantages, and it will be more fun if you ski.
- Maintaining your fitness level will help you avoid back discomfort, edema, and bloating.
- Building strong muscles and tendons can also help your body cope with the extra weight.
- Furthermore, going outside in the pure mountain air can improve your mood and perhaps improve your sleep quality.
Skiing Tips for Pregnant Women
- When the mountain is less busy, allowing you to ski slowly with plenty of opportunities to relax.
- Allow yourself time to adjust to the high altitude.
- You may feel more weary than usual, so limit your time on the slopes and take breaks whenever you need them.
- Drink lots of fluids and stay warm.
- Before strapping on those skis, listen to your body and make sure you’re comfortable and confident.
The Dangers of Skiing While Pregnant
Skiing during pregnancy is typically not recommended by doctors. Indeed, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) includes skiing, along with surfing and horseback riding, as one of the activities to avoid since it “puts you at a higher risk of injury” due to the danger of falling. Here are a few things to remember.
Collisions and falls
The most severe risk of skiing or snowboarding while pregnant is abdominal trauma. Collisions and falls can happen if you collide with another skier on the mountain or if you fall on the icy slopes.
There are various opinions on when this type of trauma is more likely to interfere with your pregnancy. Consider the following during each trimester:
- First trimester: The miscarriage rate is highest in the first trimester; some doctors will advise you to avoid taking any unnecessary risks during this vulnerable stage of pregnancy. At the same time, your baby is so tiny that it is well protected inside your uterus, so trauma in the first trimester may be less dangerous than trauma in the third.
- Second trimester: The second quarter of pregnancy is the most comfortable for many women. You’ve passed the fragile and nausea-inducing first trimester, but you’re not yet in the waddling, “nothing fits me anymore” the third trimester. Of course, you’re still at risk of collisions and falls while skiing. Various factors influence how likely such accident harm you and your baby. However, if all else is equal, the second trimester may have the lowest risk.
- Third trimester: In the third trimester, you have two things working against you: your center of gravity and your baby’s growth. The shifting weight of your belly will most likely affect your balance in the third trimester, making staying confidently upright on your skis more difficult than usual. Your baby has grown in size. While they are still moderately shielded inside your abdomen, that layer of protection has shrunk as your baby has grown. A moderate abdominal trauma at this stage of pregnancy could cause placental abruption or even rupture of your uterus. Reliable Source.
Muscle Injury:
This danger is more dangerous to you than to your child. During pregnancy, you are more vulnerable to muscle injury because the hormones that prepare your body for labor by relaxing your pelvic ligaments also loosen the rest of your ligaments.
That means you’re more likely to develop strained muscles and torn tendons, which, while they won’t harm your baby, will be highly uncomfortable for you to deal with during pregnancy.
Mental acuity
ICYMI, pregnancy brain is a natural condition, and you’ve most likely been affected by it to some extent during those nine months. When your instincts have slowed just enough to make your regular snap judgments and cat-like reflexes obsolete, you may find it difficult to determine how to deal with a skiing-related difficulty fast while on the slopes.
Mental fog is only one of the many changes that can occur during pregnancy, but it is something to be aware of if you intend on doing anything that demands quick thinking.
Tiredness and dehydration
Because your body is practically functioning 24 hours a day, seven days a week during pregnancy, any rigorous activity might lead to burnout sooner than when you aren’t pregnant. In your pregnancy, do not leave your water bottle at home.
Neglecting your self-care while skiing or snowboarding may rapidly lead to excessive exhaustion and dehydration, both of which raise your total safety risks.
Steps to Make Skiing Safer While Pregnant
You may opt to continue skiing during pregnancy now that you are aware of the hazards – with some changes and adjustments, of course. Here’s how to adjust your daily routine to pregnancy while keeping you and your baby safe.
- Please Consult your physician: Skiing is typically not encouraged during pregnancy, but it doesn’t mean you can’t do it; instead, the choice to continue skiing should be decided as part of a discussion with your OB-GYN. Skiing may be safe for you depending on your experience and general health, or your doctor may advise you against it for personal reasons. The first step should always be to consult with your doctor to see what they think.
- Understand your talent level: If you’ve been skiing for decades but have never progressed past the bunny slope, now isn’t the time to try more challenging runs. If you’re an expert skier, your doctor will probably permit you to continue doing what you’re used to, but the general rule is to stay at or below your pre-pregnancy ability level.
- Do not begin for the first time: Unfortunately, if you are new to skiing learning, you will have to wait until the baby is delivered. It is not good to begin a recent rigorous activity during pregnancy. While people who did more strenuous sorts of exercise before pregnancy are typically allowed to continue, physicians aren’t usually in favor of learning new abilities unless it’s for a pregnancy-safe practice.
- Maintain your position on level terrain: If you’re afraid of careening down a ski slope and collapsing at the bottom, consider cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. Although you may still fall, your chances of getting hurt significantly decrease. You’ll also have more opportunities to react and avoid crashes with other skiers, thus reducing your danger.
- Stay away from crowds: Because you cannot control what other people do on the slopes, you should stay as far away from them as possible. Ski at non-peak hours, such as weekdays, to avoid the busy vacation weeks and holidays. Become used to the altitude.
- Become used to the altitude: Pregnancy generally makes it more challenging to adjust to high altitudes, so you’ll need to give yourself extra time to change. Take things slowly, and don’t go skiing unless you’re comfortable. And, because blood pressure can rise at more significant elevations, avoid going to the mountains at all if you have pregnant hypertension.
- Take your time: When it comes to taking things easy, you can’t conceive of yourself competing with anybody during pregnancy. It’s an accomplishment to be on your feet in skis when pregnant! Instead of trying to outrun everyone else, concentrate on the health benefits of exercise during pregnancy and enjoy your time outside.
- Drink plenty of water and take frequent rests: During pregnancy, you’re more prone to fatigue and dehydration, so drink plenty of water, dress accordingly for the temperature and the amount of exercise you’re doing, and take a few more rests than average.
How to Decide When to Stop, skiing white pregnant?
It’s challenging to go from a long-distance skier to a pregnant woman with half your typical stamina, but if that’s your reality, there’s no point in resisting it. It’s essential to respond to your body when engaging in any workout during maternity, particularly one as strenuous as skiing.
Here are several indicators that it’s time to quit skiing
- You’re having difficulty balancing or remaining on your feet.
- You’re feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or exhausted.
- You’re warm, sweating profusely, or thirsty.
- You are nervous or severely concerned about your pregnancy safety
- You are experiencing discomfort or soreness of any type, particularly in your back or legs.
Check out – How to Stop On Skis – 3 Techniques you should follow
While these are some instances of situations in which you may need to call it quits, there may be more. The idea is to carefully evaluate your physical and emotional comfort level before going skiing while pregnant: It’s preferable to be safe than sorry if you’re feeling nervous, weary, ill, or uncomfortable in any manner.