Skiing when pregnant?

[Onlymydogunderstandsme]

We are going away next week for Christmas on a skiing holiday with friends. We knew I was pg when we booked although it was very early days but I said it was fine and I didn't mind not skiing. As it draws closer I am wondering weather it would be ok to just do a bit of very easy skiing, not over exerting myself and just for a couple of hours? I will be 16 weeks when we go, little bump but not massive. I am an intermediate skier, sometimes fall but not when doing easy stuff and I don't plan on doing anything harder than a Blue IF and it's a big IF I decide to do a little bit. I have never fallen on my stomach so I am not particularly worried about that. Has anyone done a bit of easy skiing when pegnant? Like I say I don't mind not skiing and can fill my time reading and drinking delicious hot chocolate but just wondered if anyone had any experience?

I did a bit of easy skiing at 7 weeks pg (didn't know I was going to be pg when I booked). Also intermediate (well was before DCs). My sister skied close "around" me all the time so she'd likely get hit rather than me if some moron -rear- -facing- -snowboarder- came out of nowhere. She let me loose on empty blue runs.

What I did find -
Felt more sick on plane
Really felt the cold
Really felt the altitude
Got v tired v quickly
Missed my Vin Chaud!

Will your salopettes do up?

I am fairly cavalier about pregnancy but don't think I would risk it. The thing about skiing is the number of unknown factors - you don't know until you've actually ski'd the run if there are some big patches of ice etc / a group of half pissed blokes coming down too fast and out of control just behind you etc.

I briefly met a girl on the slopes a few years back (my instructor stopped to talk to her) who had been hospitalised when a
tourist ran her down on a red run. She was an Olympic hopeful at the time, but there was nothing she could do - he was way out of control and twice her size. She had been horribly injured and hospitalised for months as a result.

And if anything did happen, even a minor fall, you'd be talking air ambulances etc just to get checked out.

So no I wouldn't risk it. Sorry.

Sorry to sound harsh but why would you risk this...even a tiny bit?

Seriously, why cant you just NOT do it for this one time, you have years ahead of you to ski.

Im biased as i have had 6 miscarriages, you are SO lucky to be in the situaltion that you are in, please do everything that you can to keep it that way.

At 16 weeks no way I would be skiing for the reasons mentioned by new regarding cold, altitude and alcohol (I am a black/red run skier). Unless it is a low lying upmarket resort and there are plenty of good facilities beyond wintersports.

I accidentally skied when I didn't realise I was pregnant (9 weeks - I was a bit gormless back then!). I would agree with NewBikeforChristmas - it was all so much more tiring than normal and I really felt the cold. I wouldn't (knowingly!) do it again.

I did a weeks skiing at 10 weeks pg with my dd. I didn't know I'd be pg when booked. I did normal skiing inc reds and one black but mostly blues, but struggled with severe morning sickness (on medication) and the cold. I didn't fall, and this time I feel too rubbish and am too paranoid (and having twins so enormous) but I didn't worry about other people etc, just checked, stopped at side if a big group were passing etc. I mean you could get hit by a car or bike when pg, I don't know any stats on number of people injured by others ploughing into them but guess its not massive?! I think its up to you what you feel comfortable with but i certainly did ok and enjoyed bits if my last skiing hol for years!

I did a weeks skiing at 16 weeks pregnant, however I'm an experienced skier and know the resort well (and it wasn't Christmas so not as busy). I only fell once when a beginner fell in front of me on the way home, and I landed gently on my hands and knees. It's the other slope users who really present the danger.

My salopettes wouldn't do up so I kept my jacket pulled down! Have also skied a number of times earlier in pregnancy but then the baby is well in your pelvis.

My Dad is an excellent skier and NEVER falls. He was totally wiped out by a novice who came out of nowhere. I wouldn't risk it, to be honest.

Having said that, I wouldn't do it again!!!!

I skied at 20 weeks pg in Les Deux Alpes (quite high alt). It was fine. My major asset was being very fit which helped with the whole pregnancy, tbh. I did get tired more easily and so I skied an hour or so less than I might otherwise have done. I loved choc chaud as much as I would have loved vin chaud. Bump also loved choc chaud, and really let me know about it!

Yes, there are risks in skiing, including being hit by someone else. I judged that this was no greater than the risks I was encountering in my daily life at home (driving, my work environment, crossing roads...) Also, a sharp landing on your bum does not immediately translate into the worst outcome for your baby, just as it's perfectly possible to have disasters on a beach holiday. My philosophy was centred around not putting my life on hold. Once you've had your baby, you have years ahead of you to not be able to enjoy the full range of the pursuits you formerly loved.

Only you can decide about this - and if you are feeling at all nervous you probably should not do it. If you are a confident skier at your level, and you have someone with you all the time, you may well be fine. If you are going to rely on someone to chaperone you around, they need to be comfortable with your decision as well.

Even if you go on the holiday and stay off the slopes, inform your travel insurers. They shouldn't refuse to insure or change the price (discriminatory etc) but if you claim for even a totally unrelated injury (one of my party dislocated a thumb having over-planted a pole, for example) and you have a 'condition' you haven't told them about, you might be somewhat stuffed.

Hell no would I go skiing at 16 weeks pregnant

You might be a very experienced skier but you cannot guarantee that others around you are. Far too risky imo.

However my opinion may be coloured by the fact I have lost 7 babies-3 of them in late pregnancy.

To those posters who say that having a fall doesnt cause a msc-I fell badly when I was 15 weeks pregnant. I went for a scan which showed an area of bleeding in the placenta which was probably caused by the fall. I later lost that baby at 20 weeks

Just dont do it op-your baby is far more important than a holiday.

Why do I read that you cannot go skiing when the baby arrives? I have been skiing with groups where parents bring their 2-3 yo in skiing creche. In the US childcare facilities seem to be particularly great for all ages (never used them myself though as I do not have my own kids yet, but skied with 4 dsc youngest aged 5).

It's not that you can't ski with small children, but... My son will hopefully come skiing next winter (he will be 3.6 ish) and at child rates his one-week holiday will cost about £300-400. My/DH's holiday will cost full price, and if you add the creche cost (if we both want to ski) or the sunk cost of being there and not skiing (as I might be PG), it's pretty extravagant.

Onlymydog, as others have said, its not so much you falling over but the fact that some other skiier or snowboarder could crash into you at great speed. I have been wiped out myself and seen many skiiers knocked flying by other skiiers/boarders. I personally would not risk it but then I am not a particularly confident skiier.

I went skiing when I was only a few weeks pg and was VERY cautious, which made the whole experience quite stressful. Personally, I wouldn't do it again. Also, I find that my balance goes completely 'off' when I'm pregnant so that doesn't help matters either.

If I were you I would enjoy relaxing in cafes and enjoying the scenery.

i appreciate the extra costs, but this is the matter of personal choice/affordability, not a matter of having 'years ahead of you to not be able to enjoy the full range of the pursuits you formerly loved'.

Oh yes, and as QTPie says pregnancy hormones loosen ligaments. Your muscles ache enough from skiing as it is and may be a lot worse when pregnant.

I am a black run/off piste skier so reasonably experienced. This is the first year we could afford skiing in the last 3 years and I wanted to go but now I am pregnant not a chance. I am not worried about my own abilities but I and so have many of my family been wiped out by stupid people who have no idea what they are doing and showing off to their mates. You cannot protect yourself against this however good you are. There are risks every day some you cannot do anything about but I do my best to protect against any I can like not running down the stairs etc. personally I already love my bump far to much already to intentionally put it at risk from anything I could prevent.

This is true- skiing much earlier- as I did in my first pg- is a bit different as baby is so cushioned in your pelvis. hmm. I still think you shoudl do what you feel comfortable with. I think I was a bit blase at first, and just assumed that as I was being very sick, this was a wonderful sign and nothing would go wrong plus it was our honeymoon and I didn;t want to let dh down in a way, Wierd in hindsight, but it was the choice I made at the time and I was lucky. We also went to a quiet resort at a quiet time!

Last year I skied with a leader who was 7 months pregnant and she had skied all through. It was her job and she was very laid back. I don't think that I would risk it-accidents come out of nowhere.

I'm a confident skier on pretty much any kind of piste and also do a fair bit of off-piste, but wouldn't have been able to ski at 16 weeks due to loose ligaments and general fatigue really making me feel under the weather (the thought of carrying skis around, and even just walking in ski boots was exhausting). If you feel totally fine in yourself then these may not be considerations.

However, I would echo what others have said about others crashing into you. It's probably 10 yrs since I have fallen of my own volition, but have witnessed lots of perfectly sensible confident skiers being wiped out by out of control idiots.

Yes, the risk is probably no worse than crossing the road, or driving a car etc. but the point is, in most cases you have to do those things, whereas you don't have to ski, this year, this time.

I wouldn't, if it were me.

D

No, definitely not. Would not risk it.

I think it depends on a few things.

• Where you ski

As people have said, the greatest risk is from idiots crashing into you. Quite likely to happen in Argentiere, less likely in a family (and mostly French) resort such as Les Saisies

• Ski conditions

Poor snow and you run the risk of catching a stone and coming a cropper.

• How good a skier you are (not just how confident you feel :))

I ski blacks, moguls, off-piste and in all weathers. However I can't ski backwards while chatting on my mobile phone, unlike some of my friends who grew up in Europe and have skied from the age of 3. They wouldn't bat an eye-lid at some gentle skiing, it's what they do every day, but if you don't ski for most of the year, it's a totally different kettle of fish.

Actually my GP agreed with this view - he said if you're doing something REGULARLY at which you are competent, no reason to stop (although of course take some extra precautions). It's good for your mental health. However, an annual ski holiday doesn't come into this category!

For me, decision was a no, but it's how you weigh up the risks.