Racing a car while pregnant (yes really)

[fourlegstwolegs]

I know this is going to sound really random, but I was supposed to be racing at the end of June. Proper racing, speeds over 100mph, 20 other cars on the track, etc. Obviously the car has all the safety kit and a proper racing harness. However, I just found out I'm pregnant (yay!) and would be 10 weeks by the time the race comes around.
Should I do it? If I crash at 100 odd mph I would survive, but would the force of the impact possibly kill the baby?
I'm really in two minds as I've always wanted to do it but I really want this baby....

I found out I was pregnant (turned out to be 6 wks) a few days after playing a rugby game, if I had known before I wouldn't of risked it purely due to the impacts invovled and potential injuries.
The risk was small at that stage and all is fine with the baby (now 30 wks) but something could of happened.

Even though not exactly the same I would have thought the impacts involed are similar in there mechanisms and once known my club and therefore myself would not have been covered.

Provided the insurance was OK and I was confident that I could keep myself safe (which I would have to be, otherwise I wouldn't be racing. Hypothetical me is clearly a better driver than the real one!), I think I would have done it at 10w.

I don't think you should put your entire life on hold while TTC and pregnant. Yes, there are things that increase your risk of miscarriage, and some of them (racing) are more easily avoidable than others (eating food, crossing the road). On the flip side, some amazing opportunities don't happen very often, and I imagine your first race is one of them.

From your description, I don't see an indication that the race going normally (i.e. you NOT crashing) would harm the pregancy. For me, if the 100mph crash risk was low enough that I'd do it myself I'd probably take a Raspberry along for the ride.

A lot of people have said they wouldn't, e.g. ski hard slopes at 10w. I would (would have, there wasn't any snow!). I've been skiing since I was 2 and am apparently safer on skis than walking around my own home, based on the number of major & minor injuries sustained!

I do think talking to the medics & insurers is smart though - there may be risk factors you're unaware of that you need to consider.

Midnight absolutely - racing is perfectly safe, it's crashing that isn't! I know I can get myself around the track without crashing or spinning in the same way that I can drive my car on country roads and not hit a tree. It's the other drivers I cant control. Still waiting for a response from the MSA to get the rules/medical perspective. The racing team themselves are happy for me to go ahead if I want to. I'm still in two minds...

So - the MSA have replied (and written to me!) There is no policy on racing while pregnant (as I don't expect anyone else ever has) but they weren't terribly happy about it. Anyway, I'm not going to do it. I don't want the worry and I know I'd be driving defensively and that wouldn't end well.

I think the decision not to race is probably sensible. I skied at 8 weeks but I played it safe, stayed on piste and didn't do any silly runs. As you say it wasn't so much me that I worried about, but the other people who might not be in control. I can see how that would be a lot more difficult to do when racing.