Skiing at 8 weeks pregnant

[Trickytricky]

We have booked a ski holiday and I have just found out I'm pregnant (only 4 weeks at the moment). I'm assuming that this won't be a problem (provided I don't have horrendous morning sickness by then)!

Does anyone have any advice? Thanks.

[TheLondoner22]

I went skiing and was 10 weeks pregnant .... I didn't know thou!!!

I know of people who have still gone at 19 weeks WTF?!? I would've toppled over.

Saying all that, just get a little "expert advice" as of course God forbid you did have any kind of accident I'm no expert on physical exercise as it is, let alone whilst pregnant

[LIZS]

Baby should be fine ,well cushioned , but you need to be aware that your ligaments could be more stretchy so potential for injury and if you were unfortunate enough to have a mishap ( you can't legislate for others) your treatment options could be affected. Also consider avoiding high altitude and hope you don't suffer morning sickness. Plan lots of rest, drink plenty of water and look up non ski activities.

[SaltySeaBird]

Is it your first pregnancy? Maybe check with your GP as assume it's not the sort of exercise you do regularly.

I wasn't allowed to do ANY exercise apart from swimming during my pregnancy and they said especially during the first 12 weeks but that was due to medical history / high risk pregnancy.

Most people seem to be fine if they are doing regular exercise pre-pregnancy.

[BikeRunSki]

I went on a prebooked ski trip at 7 weeks pg. I have never had such great technique on my life! No flinging myself down black runs and no crazy apres ski! I tended to stick to quieter slopes to minimise being hit by anyone else.

I felt fine all during the trip, but hyperemisis hit on the way home from the airport. . I always thought it was brought on by fatigue and altitude, but I got it again in my second pg.

Go, take it easy, be careful and have fun!! It may be your last ski trip for a while.

[SkilledatSkiving]

It will be fine! I skied at 24 and 28 weeks with no ill effects.

[madwomanbackintheattic]

We live in a ski resort, and I asked my doc. He said it would be fine until the baby moved above the shelter of the pelvis, as any damage I did to myself would have to be substantial to affect the foetus before then. So, I decided it was pretty safe and carried on.

As it happened, I did take a fall (I'm an extremely cautious skier. Competent, but a healthy sense of self preservation) in fairly poor light as I hit powder unexpectedly. I went into a full-on superman style flight through the air, as my skis stopped dead and the momentum carried me on. Landed face (and obv belly) down.

I felt fine, got up, skis back on, and skied off. Carefully. Didn't ski after that, as I figured There were just too many unknowns - too many people I know have had snowboarders hit them etc.

As far as we know, the fall had nothing to do with dd2's subsequent brain damage, but it doesn't stop me wondering.

[CrispyFB]

I did until 11 weeks at an indoor real snow slope. Normally most people don't get up to very high speeds with only 160m of rather crap gradient so I figured I wouldn't be having any horrific mishaps especially as it was off-season and therefore quite quiet. I also took into account I'd been doing it every two weeks for nearly 8 months and never fallen over or had an incident in that time so I figured it would probably be fine.

After that point the baby pops out the pelvis as has been mentioned so the risks increase a little, as well as the whole placenta/attachment stuff (risk of it coming detached etc)

The point about ligaments is a really important one as one of the first things that happens to me in pregnancy is lots of new aches and pains as a result. Then again I end up on crutches by about week 15 (another reason there's no way I could ski beyond 12 weeks really!!) with SPD so I'm not a typical case.

I was feeling sick just on the button lift going up the indoor lift at times, so don't discount it! I had M&Ms in my jacket pocket to help it a bit as it's usually blood sugar related for me. I pretty much never puke but have all day nausea and it's really not very compatible with skiing.

And finally madwoman raises an excellent point. If you did have an incident, and then later on there were complications, even if you could be reasonably rationally sure they weren't related, you're always going to wonder in darker moments. It's human nature.

[Trickytricky]

Yikes! Glad I asked I had no idea about these things. I'm seeing my GP before we go so I'll ask her advice on all of these things.

[lovetoskimum]

Tricky Tricky, I skied at 5 and half months !! Got letter from doc etc, I was very very fit at the time though !!

I am sure you will be fine, have fun and enjoy xx :)

[madwomanbackintheattic]

I am lolling at the idea that a letter will protect your foetus in some way. Is it a magic letter? Sort of a Harry Potter thing? Do you have to carry it in your salopettes in order for it to be effective if you fall or get hit? what if you leave it on your bedside table accidentally?

Damn it. Why didn't I get one when I asked my doc? Do you think I could somehow ask for one in hindsight? Maybe dd2 wouldn't be brain damaged! Do you think it would cure her?

In all seriousness, a letter means fuck all. Only you can determine whether your own risk assessment means you are prepared to take the chance or not. Would I ski at 5.5 mos? Kudos to lovetoskimum, but she either has a much higher tolerance for risk than most of the pg women in my town (who ordinarily ski every weekend) or she has a blatant disregard for the safety of the unborn child. I can't decide which.

[madwomanbackintheattic]

Still I'm glad she was lucky, and had no accidents, and the baby was fine. Luck was definitely on her side. That or the magic letter, lol.

[lavendersun]

I skied when about 14 weeks pregnant. I am high risk, blood and other issues, my consultant told me 'it would take an atom bomb to shift a healthy baby'.

I was very fit otherwise (no letter though! ).

[lovetoskimum]

Madwomanbackintheattick, shock attack on me, the letter was for fit to fly not ski, my choice to ski not anybody else ???

Up to the individual person, and kinda think your comment on blatant disregard to my unborn child was un called for ?? Why so nasty ??

Sorry I even bothered to post :(

[DeanKoontz]

Didn't Princess Di ski while quite pregnant?

I came back from a skiing holiday to discover I was 5 wks pregnant. All was fine.

[PurpleStripedSock]

It's the same sort of risk as eating soft cheese while pregnant, while you are unlikely to contract lisisteria, the repercussions if you do are really quite serious.

Re: skiing, while you are likely to fall in a way that would cause a problem, there is still a risk that you might.

You have to decide whether that risk is worth it for you.

I am not a competent skier (first lesson at 35 and only three seasons before falling pregnant) so chose not to with my pregnancy. I did however go on a ten day hill walking holiday which nearly wiped the floor with me.

[madwomanbackintheattic]

Lol, not nasty. I read it as though the letter was letting you ski, not fly. The thread is about skiing, not whether you can fly at 5.5 mos!

Don't be sorry you posted - that's why I said I couldn't decide IF you needed kudos for being so hard nosed in the risk assessment department, or whether it was blatant disregard yada yada.

We are all different. Some people are comfortable with the risks. You were lucky - you had no falls, and everything was fine. I had a fall, and my dd has brain damage. Forgive me for posting to point out that it is an individual choice, and that there ARE risks, however small. You were lucky, I wasn't (although technically, it was dd2 that wasn't lucky, but iIdidn't feel lucky at the time - I'm not out to elicit sympathy btw. She's a cracking young lady, just happens to have cerebral palsy. Probably nothing to do with the fall at all. But it's human nature to wonder, and it's human nature for me to feel I ought to point out the teeny tiny risks, in amongst the gung ho 'I got off the chairlift and gave birth' stuff )

But y'know, you could just take it all personal-like and and accuse me of being a giant meanie. No skin off my nose. I'm entirely comfortable with the idea of a magic letter.

[massistar]

I snowboard so tend to spend more time on my arse falling over than most skiiers and I wouldn't risk it, personally. I quite enjoyed my time lounging in the sun with hot chocolate and a book while DH scooted off for a few runs and then came back.

Like madwoman says, it's about your attitude to risk. Unfortunately there is no way to account for other people on the slopes and I have been taken out by many an incompetent skiier in my time.

[TeaNCakes]

I went snowboarding at 7 weeks pregnant last year. I'm a good snowboarder and figured that baby was safely tucked up inside my pelvis at that stage. Like others have said think about the altitude - I think there's some advice on that on the nhs choices website.
Unfortunately, I started feeling sick as a dog while we were away but still managed to get out on the slopes most days - the fresh air helped with the morning sickness!
Hope you have a lovely holiday whatever you decide to do!

[tomatoplantproject]

I am a good skier (skied every year since childhood, did a season at 18 so happy as a pig in muck on steep mogul fields and thigh deep powder) and I wouldn't risk it - sorry. Your sense of balance changes, losing your confidence won't help you get down easily and the worst accident I had was standing still when a kamikaze boarder crashed into me. And yes to having looser ligaments. Personally I would get some cozy snow boots and spend the time walking, pampering myself and relaxing in the resort.

[HettyD]

And don't forget to check your travel insurance covers you - both for pregnancy related issues but also just generally because you are. I had to pay extra (although seemed far more sensible than previous trips!!)

[HerRoyalNotness]

I was 6mths with DC1 and went skiing. I stuck to greens and blues and didn't do anything outrageous.

My midwife was fine about it, she was more concerned if I fell that I would hurt myself rather than the baby.

It's your choice, personally I would go.

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

In your shoes [subject to doctor saying everything is a-ok as we have no personal knowledge of your pregnancy/current weight/general fitness etc] I'd be perfectly happy to do some gentle skiing in the mornings, greens and blues provided the snow cover was good, no mogully powder runs on top of ice, and the sun was out. In a reasonably calm resort.

Would I ski in the afternoon once the runs start to get icy, people have had one or two beers and started to get reckless, or visibility is anything less than perfect. No, I would not.

Wear plenty of sunscreen as you can burn more easily/chloasma (?) in pregnancy.
Stay hydrated
Steer clear of the cold cheese boards and shellfish (though the latter is probably a given in any case up the mountains].
Bring your preg notes
Make sure you have the EU medical card thingy
Make sure you are insured
Download some stuff to watch/read onto an ipad and check out other things to do in the resort like learning to drive off road in snow or snow-shoeing etc so you are not bored.
Take it easy - it's hopefully an opportunity for a chilled relaxed week away with friends in the sun and crisp air. About 7 months from now you'll relish the thought of an uninterrupted afternoon snooze/readathon

[lovetoskimum]

madwomanbackintheattic

Thank you for posting, sorry to hear your story, I can now understand

Thanks xx :)

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

Regardless of the baby inside you, it's probably worth considering the impact to you if you damage your knee(s), get concussion or break a leg while also being pregnant. The baby might be fine but you will be getting bigger and heavier while having physio etc. That in my view is why it's worth being conservative and taking as few risks as possible.

I'm really sorry to hear your story madwoman. It must wreck your head to think about it, even while you probably dismiss it as unrelated, plus just as likely to have fallen down at home. Horrid to wonder though.