to wonder if I can go punting at 32 weeks?

[Aworryingtrend]

I will be 32 weeks pregnant at the hen do of a friend which involves punting in Oxford. I have emailed the bridesmaids to ask them to let me know the company we are going with so I can email them to check whether it will be ok for me to do this, but have yet to have a reply despite emailing them 2 weeks ago! The date for payment is coming up but understandably I don't want to pay until I am sure I can participate.

Does anyone know if it will be practical or permissable for me to go punting at 32 weeks?

TIA

What's punting?

can you be the one who just sits while someone else "rows"... ?

well the trickiest part will be getting in and out of the punt...so if you are reasonably mobile and dont have SPD or anything then I would say its fine.

Aha just googled it

A punt is a sort of flat boat and a man steers it for you with a pole.A bit like the English version of a Venetian gondola I guess.

Don't google punting whilst pregnant though as I just did: apparently it has another rather disturbing sexual meaning!!!

I went on a motorised boat at 32 weeks. Your biggest problem will be getting the life jacket to fit round your bump

I can't see why you would be unable to sit down in a boat as opposed to sit down anywhere else just because you'll be pregnant.

Why wouldn't you be able to go punting?

Your group will probably be punting yourselves, no? Assuming you can get yourself in the boat (or indeed be placed there!) can't see why not. You could punt if you felt like it, but you've got the perfect excuse if you don't want to.

Do you actually know what punting is? It's hardly white-river rafting.

Punting should be absolutely fine. You'll get to lie down in a punt and be propelled along the river by your mates. It will be like lying on the sofa. Punts are normally big and take up 12 people (sometimes more) so they'll be plenty of other people to do the actual punting (rowing). Often people take out chauffeur punts so everyone gets to loll around while admiring the view and drinking champagne. Punts are very stable and you'll never be more than about 2 meters from shore. It will be fine. I would have gone punting without any concerns whatsoever until the moment I went into labour.

It is wrong that I actually thought 'punting?, punting? Is that some disturbing sexual practice I haven't heard about? - better not google.'

I haven't recovered from Dragon Butter quite frankly!

Thanks all-I haven't been pregnant nor punting before so not sure how I will feel at the time but sounds like it should be fine, thanks for the reassurance.

Why do you think it wouldn't be OK?
I've been punting a lot of times, drunk and sober and pregnant. Let someone else pole, make sure you are handed in and out of the punt and take some extra furnishings so that you can lounge in comfort.
It's not exactly an extreme sport.

Don't forget a seriously yummy picnic.

I wouldn't want to fall into the Cherwell when pregnant. Mind you, if you are not actually doing the punting, that is unlikely.

Depends.

Leisurely punting fine.

Screaming, rowdy, how-wet-can-we-get punting I'd avoid. Rivers are not pleasant to ingest and the stomach bugs can be horrid.

Absolutely fine and you don't need a lifejacket. DD3 fell in twice last week with absolutely no ill effects.

What neolara says. I organised a punting hen do with 2 pregnant hens who joined in with no problem - in fact one of the reasons I chose punting was that it was suitable for them.

Get the others to bring the punt round so that it is parallel to the river bank (rather than at 90 degrees which is how they are tied up) - it will make it much easier to get in and out.

Why wouldnt you be able to go punting? Are you worried you might sink the boat?!

It will be fine, go and have a lovely time!

Punting is pretty unstrenuous provided your not doing the actual punting, having been lots of times before I wouldn't even have thought to question whether I could do it or not.

I was slightly disappointed to google and only find a rather dull but precious thread about how pregnant women shouldn't be expected to go punting and do murder mystery on a hen do, some people so precious (not you OP you just hadn't been punting so how would you know).

Punting is lovely. Take a cushion and don't worry at all.

You should be fine, it's meant to be pretty relaxing. I assume that as it's a hired punt there will be someone experienced doing the actual punting, so you shouldn't worry about falling in etc! If it's on the Cam it's really shallow anyway, just down two cans of full fat coca cola if you do, trick to ward of stomach bugs from my canoeing days.

In fact the only problem I can forsee will be getting out of the punt, as you lounge in there. You may need some helping hands...

I actually wouldn't go punting at 32 wks. Getting on and off requires a bit of agility and if you fall in you could catch something nasty.

You won't fall in. No one ever falls in unless they are arsing about or actually punting (and even then it's pretty rare).

Yes you can and you will probably really enjoy it! Very relaxing!