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 was a very good, very confident skier black runs, moguls, off-piste, all conditions yada yada. I hadn't fallen for years.

However, my even better, unbelievably good brother, skied flat out into me on an empty blue run when he turned towards me as I was stopping. Totally freakish accident, neither one of us had ever skied into some else before, or since, or had any other kind of accident. Unfortunately he's a 6'3, muscle machine. I'm slightly faster at turning than he is, and if it had been the other way around I might just have got around him. C'est la vie.

Skis popped off pretty much instantly. I somersaulted several times down hill and landed so hard I couldn't breathe for several seconds, couldn't think for more, and couldn't move for several minutes. One foot jammed into the snow as I was still fallling. I dislocated my hip, badly tore three ligaments in my knee and displaced my foot and tore a tendon in my heel, all down one side. I was bruised all down both sides of my body (where my brother hit me and where I bounced). Plus strained ligaments in the other leg and very sore muscles all over.

I used to be extremely sporty. Not any more. I'm too injured. It was over 5 years ago and I've only recently worked my way back up to challenging skiing, and I can't do it long. I can maybe do moguls a few times in a week of skiing or my knees are knackered etc etc.

So when we went skiing I was 8 weeks pregnant I wouldn't go on the slopes for love nor money. And even not skiing the altitude really wiped me out. We're not going this Christmas either as I'm pregnant again.

So just a warning that you don't have to be the one to fall, it doesn't have to be a snowboarder, and it doesn't have to be a beginner. It might very well be your ski partner.

Also, having dodgy ligaments now means I can really feel the effect of pregnancy on them, so even aside from anything else I would be worried about the damage the strain of skiing would do to them.

OMG my typing is appalling today, sorry!

I love skiing. We usually go twice a year (cheap holidays and camp in the summer), used to race, ski fast on blacks and moguls. This Christmas I'm 20 weeks pregnant and we are not going. Its too easy to have a tumble, be skied into or be jarred hard by a fast chairlift for me to be happy risking it. And that's before thinking about pelvic and leg joints being a bit looser and its exercise I'm not used to.

Next year however we plan to go with my parents so that we can all take it in turns to ski and look after DC (don't really want to put a baby in a foreign creche). There will be chances to ski in the future.

Take your swimwear and some shoes that are good for walking on snow and give it a miss this year

I have skied at about 8 weeks - everything still well contained within pelvic "bowl"; very gentle slopes only; and an off-peak week and very quiet.

I would not ski at all after about 12-14 weeks when the bump has grown out of the protection of the pelvis.

MrsHoarder: try Switzerland; the creches there are invariably excellent.

I skied when I was pregnant with DC1, I think I was about 6 months pregnant.

I skied only in the mornings when the snow was at it's best and I was fresh. I skied with a large group who pretty much surrounded me (although I wasn't aware of that at the time, only from seeing photos and videos and hearing what others have said since .)

I did discuss it with my midwife beforehand who advised me to fall forwards if the situation every arose and I had a choice which way to fall! I chose near empty slopes and felt very confident. My skiing actually was the best it's ever been because my centre of gravity was lower .

I personally don't regret it but that's easy to say seeing as I didn't fall or get knocked over. And incidentally, DH was more concerned about my wanting a water birth than he was about my skiing while pregnant. I hadn't actually given that much thought at the time - it's just occurred to me.

Some good posts here. Just to give you my experience to help you make a choice, I am a ski instructor & I skied up to 22 weeks in my first pregnancy. When I say skied, I mean cruising blue & red runs in good snow conditions. To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable - my balance felt a bit off & I felt quite vulnerable & exposed. Remember also that pregnancy hormones can loosen your joints & tendons making soft tissue injuries much more likely. My second pregnancy I only skied to around 14 weeks (bigger bump earlier IYKWIM).

If I were you, as an intermediate skier, at 16 weeks I'd skip the skiing this time & enjoy a lovely vacation pampering yourself & eating good food! If you get the chance snowshoeing is a fun way to get some wintery fresh air & exercise with even a big bump.

Loads of good advice given. I am an avid skier who lives near the slopes - skied for about 55 days last season, mostly off-piste, so I would consider myself relatively experienced. I'm pregnant this season and seem to have timed it imperfectly to miss out the complete season (about 17 1/2 weeks now). I will be going up to the resort a few times but intend to stick to snow-shoeing, as there is no way I want to risk anyone running into me on a slope. Unfortunately the blues and reds tend to be the ones where you get the largest percentage of people skiing outside of their comfort zone and can be the most dangerous (one of the reasons I love off-piste so much is the lack of idiots people). After all we have been through to get here it would just be too much of a risk.

As for skiing next season, we fully intend to go for a few weeks with the baby (should be around 8 months old by then). Don't really see it as a problem - just need to watch hydration and temperature. We have friends up in the resort doing it this year with a six-month year old so will get some good tips!

fretfree, ha ha, are you me?!

We took both our DC backcountry skiing from around 8 months. Feel free to PM me if ever you want any info on gear / advice / whatever. It's a mission but so worth it.

QT, the relaxin affects everyone differently. Did you have ligament issues in your last pregnancy / postpartum period? My advice would be to listen to your body - any skiing you do in that post partum / breast feeding period be aware of how your body has changed & adjust your activity accordingly.

For what it's worth neither myself nor any breast-feeding skiing mums I know had ligament issues that affected our skiing post partum but it is definitely possible that things will be a bit looser putting you at risk for soft tissue injury especially if you are back doing a sport you haven't done in a while or a bit out of shape. Having a toddler & a baby meant I wasn't at my usual fitness levels my first season back - hoping to return to form this year!

i had a ski trip booked and then discovered we were pg with dd1. we cancelled the holiday (and paid the deposuit of sil and bil as they were inconvenienced too as they were meant to be coming along). i just wasnt prepared to risk it at all.

Well I did go skiing when 14 weeks pregnant with DS1. I was unsure whether I would until I got there. I took lots of books and music to listen to.

Ive been skiing since I was a teenager and am competent and experienced. We stayed on the high quiet slopes, took it really easy and I just skiied mornings with one full day off.

During my pregnancy I had lots of sickness and nosebleeds but the fresh air, exercise and endorphins helped me loads. I look back now at a fantastic holiday.

We haven't been skiing since - since DS2 arrival its too £££ now so Im glad I went for it.

Like others have said you need to weigh up the risk and then decide for yourself.

as much as id love to, love to feel the fresh air rush by my face and the freedom and the fun.
i personally would do it, just enjoy the spa find somewhere for a swim, nice food and relax.

QTPie - I do intend to breastfeed. I don't know for sure if my friend who is up there now does, but do remember seeing formular in their flat when I saw them at the beginning of the season, so maybe not.

Kahu - thanks for the offer of advice: I think I will definitely take you up on that. DH and I ski with an off-piste guide / group so I am currently imagining a routine of me off with the group one day (him getting quality time with the baby), him off the next and then getting a creche so we can ski together on day 3 of the cycle (if off-pisting then it would probably only be from 0845 - 1300, depending on the snowpack). One thing for sure is that it will definitely give me motivation to get my fitness levels up again after the birth (fitting back into ski kit and ability to skin-up without collapsing at the top!!)

No No No No! Get used to the fact that now you have another person on board you can no longer have it all. From conception onward I'm afraid you come second or third but most especially LAST.

apprenticemum sounds very depressive-just avoid it while pregnant, but after that you can certainly ski. We took my mother as the best option when he was a baby, she was a non skier and loved looking after him.

As long as you make sure that you have the DCs best interests at heart there is no need to come LAST. There is nothing worse than the saying 'I am devoted to my DCs', it is a terrible millstone for them when they are older. You need a life too. It is a much better adult relationship when you can share things-and have 3 DCs who love skiing-rather than a mother who sacrificed it all.

Thank you for all of your replies! It's not that I mind not skiing I just wondered if anyone had! think I will stick to the cafes and the spa! If I had been less than 10 weeks I probably would have done a little gentle skiing but I do have a definate bump now so baby less protected! Thank you again!