Skiing in early pregnancy- Would you? Have you?

[jemimafuddleduck]

Long time lurker, first time poster here.

This is all a bit hypothetical really as who knows what will happen in the future etc but I’m looking for opinions on this...

We are planning to TTC our first baby around end of October 2018. We are also committed to a ski holiday over Christmas 2018. IF I got pregnant on the first go (unlikely, I know), I’m guessing I’d be around 8 weeks pregnant, maximum.

I’m a fairly experienced skier, but like to ski at a leisurely pace and wouldn’t be racing around/doing jumps/off piste etc. I rarely fall (but sometimes do!)

I appreciate you can never foresee accidents - other people skiing into you etc...

WIBU to still ski? At that stage, would my risks be ridiculously high if I were to fall? Or would it be negligible?

Sorry if anyone thinks I’m crazy here but looking for honest opinions/experiences.

Skiing is expensive - regardless of risks to baby I wouldn’t start ttc until after the holiday as it has the potential to ruin your holiday if you get the crippling tiredness that often comes with early pregnancy and not to mention sickness etc. You might not but I would just wait a couple of months and maybe start trying on the holiday

I didn't ski whilst pregnant but I did continue horse riding until 16 weeks pregnant with each of mine. I only rode quiet horses in an enclosed arena but I suppose there was a slight risk still. The only reason I stopped at 16 weeks was because my balance started to get a bit squiffy and I could no longer fit into my breeches!

I remember my midwife telling me off at my final check (think it was 39 weeks?) because my stomach muscles were too strong for her to be able to palpate the baby properly!

No way! I got pregnant on the first go and my HG started before I even got the line on the pregnancy test, I couldn’t even get myself out of bed, never mind go skiing!

I would.

It would take more than just a normal fall to cause a miscarriage at that stage, more like an extremely serious accident. Which is very unlikely to happen if you aren't doing black diamonds and jumps etc.

I was 8 weeks pregnant on a skiing holiday but I didn’t know... I fell very badly quite a distance down a mountain, probably the worst accident I’ve had in my life! (Ouch!) But she was okay in there

My friend did - she's a v good skier and baby is now 2. I agree with PPs, it's perhaps not so much whether you could hurt the baby as whether you'll be up to it at all - even if you'd had ten babies already, that would still be a complete unknown as every pregnancy is different! Also you'd need to make sure you had good insurance just in case you were unlucky and had to visit hospital.

Thanks again all!

We do want a baby, but we both love our skiing and I know what will happen... we will go on the Christmas holiday and then think “Maybe we should squeeze in one last ski trip at the end of the season as we won’t be going for a few years”. Then before we know it it’ll be April before we start trying!

Argh, what will be will be, and who knows where our lives will be in October?!

First world problems eh!

I would have happily skied at 8 weeks if I hadn't felt so wretched with morning sickness!

I went snowboarding over Christmas 4 years ago. It was my first time. I was 6 weeks pregnant. I was shitting myself the whole time, felt unbelievably tired and nauseous it completely ruined my holiday.
Added to which (slightly misses point of thread) conceived in November on very first attempt and gave birth to a very healthy boy in the August. I’m now beating myself up that in September I’ll be sending my just turned 4 (literally 1 week before) boy to school because I didn’t wait until after Christmas to conceive. (Summer horns are nortorious for struggling in the early years) But I guess that’s a whole other conversation!

I skiied at 6 weeks pregnant with my doctor's blessing. It was fine but I did have to go to bed super early as was soooo tired and no apres ski for me that year. By week 7 I had started throwing up so I was lucky that that didn't coincide with the skiing.

As pp have said, you'd be unlikely to damage the baby at that stage but have you thought about what would happen if you injured yourself? Being pregnant might well seriously limit your treatment options or the treatment itself might pose risks for your pregnancy. I wouldn't fancy breaking something and feeling as though I shouldn't take anything more than paracetamol.

I did. I only found out I was unexpectedly pregnant the day before heading off for two week's ski racing. Didn't know how far on I was (turned out to be about 8 weeks).

Because of the timing and the planned racing, I rang my GP and asked whether I should go. He laughed and said of course I should.

I would, but I’ve skied a lot. Baby is absolutely tiny at 8 weeks so even if you fell you’re so well protected. (Unless you fell on a spike that pierced your womb!).

I’d be more worried about feeling rubbish, but every pregnancy is different and you may feel fine.

I wouldn’t ski now (32 weeks), my balance would be rubbish and baby is so big that there is no where near the same amount of protection.

We are an active couple and keep planning on TTC then some kind of event comes up which means it keeps getting pushed back and back.

I dont know how old you are but I would strongly recommend just getting on with it. You can’t micromanage conception.

Buxbaum, you are right. I’m early 30s so no huge rush, but equally need to get moving!

Absolutely no way José from me.

Hard to say what the right thing to do is - you may well not be pregnant, unfortunately.

We've been try for ages and have date booked soon. My skiing companions know I may be chalet-bound but if by a miracle I am pregnant then I will take advice from midwives/doctor and will ski if they say it's OK.

I'm a competent and not risk-taking skier, for what it's worth.

Wait until after the trip to start trying. My DH and I got pregnant in our first week of trying so it’s not unheard of to conceive straight away.

Um. Actually I would say if you definitely want children and you are ready, just go for it. You don't know that there isn't a rush, sadly - it may well take much longer than you think.

I would. As pp have said the baby is incredibly well protected in the first 12 weeks. I'm still cycling 20 miles to and from work at 37 weeks, and crossfitting. Both of which have people horrified at the risk of falling and hurting the baby. But there is a risk of falling whatever you are doing.

I was 7 weeks pg with my second and went skiing. I didn’t know I was pregnant although the shattering tiredness should have been a clue. I ate all of the blue cheese, drank all the wine, skiing every day and even did my first jumps. Tested the day we got back and found I was pregnant. Now I don’t think I’d have done all that if I’d known, and one of our friends was pregnant and spent the whole holiday in the chalet which just seemed a waste. But no harm was done and we had a great holiday.

You have no idea what will happen conception wise so I’d just crack on with that and deal with the holiday as a separate issue if you do fall pregnant at the time, and see how you feel.

Not skiing, but mountain biking and rock climbing. They're 2 sports I know well and know my limits with. I've never skied so wouldn't have done it. But if I was an experienced skier then I would have done.
Just like I'd never ride a horse whilst pregnant as it's not something I know, but my sis did. But she's never go biking or climbing.

You know your limits, no one else

I wouldn't personally. You don't know how you'll cope with pregnancy and morning sickness whilst skiing would be a fantastic waste of money. You wouldn't enjoy it much if you were worried about falls. FWIW I fell down the stairs at 8 weeks pregnant and the baby was fine.

Family friend was 9 weeks gone and decided to just do easy greens and blues, chairmlift got stuck just after she got on and she had to jump about 4ft down (caught by others) she lost the baby that night. Awful coincidence? Bad timing? Unlikely accident? Maybe but I (havibgbhd a mC myself) no way on gods earth I'd risk it. Feet up in slope side bar with hot chocolate and warm hat. Worse ways to spend a holiday.