skiing when pregnant

[sparechange]

DH and I are currently TTC.
The conversation came up at the weekend about skiing in the new year. We normally go as part of a bigger group and the others are starting to look at booking something up soon. If we want to go, we'd have to pay a deposit when we book.

Assuming we get lucky next month, I would be around 3 months pg when we go.

I've had a look online and opinion seems to divided between. Some sources are saying that for the first 3 months, everything is well-protected in the pelvis. Others say 'avoid'.
I'm a fairly good skiier, so am not worried about falling over, and would obviously stay on-piste and slow down, but obviously can't account for an out-of-control snowboarder hitting me! I'm a generally active person and I intend to keep running for as long as I can into my pg

There is always the option of waiting until nearer the time and booking something on our own, but this would be no where near as fun as going with our friends (hopefully for the last time for a few years)

Any advice/opinions welcome...

As with everything else in pregnancy; it is about weighing up possible risks vs your enjoyment and making a call on it. It is a very personal decision.

I know someone who windsurfed, rode a bike and didn't let pregnancy hinder her sporty lifestyle. Both she and her bub were absolutely fine.

But would I ski or partake in any of the above activities?? Not on your life.

If you do decide to go for it, make sure your travel insurance covers you for skiing when pregnant. I know my general travel insurance wouldnt have covered me.

greenwich Most people on this thread are totally in favour of it and I'll be skiing this winter whilst pregnant, however I won't be going to California in March as first planned... simply because whilst I trust my own ability it'll be high season then and it'll be crowded and unfortunately I can't get to Alberta in January. I really don't think there's anything wrong with skiing at 5 months but unfortunately if you're 5 weeks now you'll need to know of a secret mountain not to be surrounded by wankers come 20 weeks. Psssst Revelstoke!

I'm also reluctant to fly all the way to the US just to vomit all day.

There are lots of anecdotals on www.theskidiva.com from all sorts of ski gals, some who chose not to ski, some who stopped because they simply couldn't balance and others who skiied right up until and including their due date! Awesome ladies!

Thanks Skihorse - that's good to know. I had a look at the Skidiva's website which was great - but clearly everyone posting spends a lot of time on skis! I don't think my 1 week p.a. necessarily qualifies me to be that confident.
Anyone know how tricky cross country skiing is if you are an intermediate skier? Would be nice to get out and get some exercise in the sun.

Well I didn't know I was prgnant with dd when I went on holiday and did my deep diving qualification - apparently a big no no!! I ran up to 6 months, and was in the gym on cross trainer and weights on my due date.

If you are confident skier and prepared to take an assessed risk then I would say go for it. The point about insurance is very well made though.

people all different, if anything happen to you, dont blame yourself.
it depends on hw far pregnancy gone, how good you at skiing etc...
think twice.

I went skiing when 12 weeks pregnant with my dd and loved it! I did ski slower than normal and only did half a day. Only thing that worried me was being knocked over by someone else so I just stuxk to the side of the piste and would often wait for quite moments when i could have the piste to myself! I would go and enjoy. As you said who knows when you;ll get another chance!

I went glacier skiing this summer at 20/21 weeks and was fine, took it easier than I would normally have done and skiing was mornings only - even so got very tired carting all the kit around! I had to borrow a size 16+ friend's ski gear as my own wouldn't fit! One thing you might want to bear in mind though is the altitude you go to - it didn't do my blood pressure any good at all.

We are currently investigating resorts with creches from 3 months in the vain hope we'll find some cash to get away in March to introduce the little one to the mountains - he's due next week!

I didn't ski either time when PG. Sorry it goes against most of the others, but it just didn't seem worth some twat snowboarder or out of control skiier skiing into me.

And I am a very good controlled skiier. HTH.

my two-penn'orth.

i skiied at 14 weeks and took a tumble in powder (don't normally do the falling over thing, but bad vis and lapse of concentration lol - no-one else involved - empty slopes in alberta ) had checked with (canadian) gp who said 'yes, yes, no problem.

dd2 is 6 and has cerebral palsy.

the two things are probably not connected lol, but tbh i'll always wonder.

it's a personal decision, but i always feel the need to share my experience.

Sorry - I am with IrritatedMe - I love skiing, am pretty good and well controlled. I am not particularly risk averse during pg and I maintained v good level of fitness throughout 1st and 2nd pregnancies (running until after 5m with 2nd) - so I am all for staying active and keeping up fitness levels but with skiing you can't control other people and the risk, for me, of someone crashing into me was too great to take, I know too many people who are great skiers/boarders who have been badly injured this way. Think how you would feel if it did happen and something happened to the baby - would a few days skiing really have been worth it?

Book the trip, risk the deposit - then if you are pg by then and if you think you won't enjoy the trip not skiing and not drinking (will depend a lot on the resort and the group), then just let DH go and enjoy it. You will have plenty of years afterwards to make up for it (admittedly probably not for a while though, especially if you go on to have more DC's, ski trips get really complicated and expensive when there is more than 1!)

lol, sleep. even more expensive when you have 3 and have to pay for an adaptive instructor for one of them

but now she's 6 and the youngest, i can safely say we're going to be making the most of our family rcr season pass.

madwoman - ouch, I dread to think of your bills! Encouraging to hear you haven't given up though - we have DC3 arriving in Jan so I will be missing yet another season but I will be back !!

I wouldn't. And I'm a good skier. But you can't always avoid bad ones. I was pregnant after a bit of a trial though so I was maybe a bit more careful than I would have been if I'd been able to get pg at the drop of a hat

hope everything goes well!

I skiied for a week with DS at 25 weeks and with DD (Unbeknown to me) at 16 weeks.

never had a problem, but agree with other posters here that may have been lucky and I didn't happen to have sickness or any other issues.

Given you aren't currently PG, I'd say go for it, and modify your behaviour if it does happen.

I'm currently 9.5 wks pg and booked a ski holiday a couple of months ago in the knowledge that I might fall pregnant. I'll be 5 months when we go and as tempting as it is, I'll be sticking with some gentle sledging with DS (20mths) and eating lots of cake and hot chocolate I am planning on running up until 5/6 mths as I did with my first, but personally I just feel skiing is an added risk that I don't want to take.

I think if you are a confident skier then 3 months is probably fine to ski as the baby is tucked away inside and well protected. However, if you are going to spend the whole time worrying about someone bashing into you then it wouldn't be fun and you would tense up and therefore probably not ski as well and therefore more likely to fall over (that's what happens to me anyway!). It is such a personal choice as some people worry more than others!

Also worth remembering that you may feel sick and tired beyond belief in the first 3/4 months - are you going with any non-skiers that could keep you company if you opted out of the skiing?

OK, sorry to wade back in but I really think it depends where you're skiing and what your ability really is - and sorry, but I think most Brits are "crap" . For example, if I'm skiing Lake Louise I spend most of my time off the Summit Platter and the back bowls - you will not get hit by some numpty up there... however if you're doing some home run in France in half-term week you'll get taken out.

I don't know anyone at any serious level who gets taken out by dickheads. When you're off-piste and skiing fast you simply do NOT get hit by beginners/twats.

I've got no money to get away unfortunately right now, but I will be skiing in the terrain park at my local dome.

madwoman I'm really sorry to say this, but I think in some manner you're scaremongering because your DD's illness doesn't have anything to do with your fall.

skihorse...if someone does decide to ski while pg (and obv it is their personal decision), I doubt many would be going "off piste and fast" - a whole different set of risks to take that most people, particularly crap skiing Brits as you put it wouldn't be up for! Much more likely that they would be taking it a bit easier on non-black pistes where the chance of being taken out by some out of control beginner/idiot is of course greater.

I disagree that madwoman is scaremongering - she admitted that there is probably no link whatsoever between DD's condition and her fall, but she does illustrate the point that if something did happen wouldn't you always wonder and possibly regret taking the chance?

Even as someone who loves skiing it just seems crazy to me that people who would spend 9 months avoiding alcohol, soft eggs and blue cheese etc would then take such a chance for a few days of fun...that can be had after the baby is born.

Greenwich - just in response to your question about x country skiing, I am no expert but since no one else has responded, I think you should be fine, I know people of average skiing ability and fitness who have done it and found it v enjoyable.

Never mind the risks, the thing I really want to know is: how the hell do all you 20 week + lady skiiers find anything to fit?

I'm skiing mid march. I'll be 26 weeks. I doubt very much that I'll be doing anything more strenuous that hoicking DS2 along on a sled, but even that will probably require some sensibly waterproof/warm trousers.

Can anyone point me in the direction of suitable snow clothing for women with large bumps?

In our long time of TTC enjoying our annual snowboarding holiday was one thing that kept me sane. I think it's easy to forget just how dispiriting TTC can be. I took it a bit easy on the drinking side, but now I am pregnant (hurrah!) I am so glad I didn't put my life on hold before that happened.

So good luck, spare change, I hope you get your BFP very quickly... deal with the issues that arise as and when, and in the meantime, enjoy time with your DH on the slopes and here's wishing you good snow!

No chance for me this year, due in feb .

"Even as someone who loves skiing it just seems crazy to me that people who would spend 9 months avoiding alcohol, soft eggs and blue cheese etc would then take such a chance for a few days of fun...that can be had after the baby is born."

I love soft eggs, will drink when I'm past 12 weeks (dammit) and I can't stand blue cheese so avoid it for that reason. Go skiing and enjoy it FFS - your life doesn't stop just because you're pregnant. Your body's amazing at protecting everything. Have fun and avoid the nutters who may get in the way. Oh, and if I was a really good skier (which I'm not), I'd be going on the hard runs and off piste to avoid the usual bumpy suspect.

, only popped on here to read it to pass it on to you, then saw you here

Good luck with TTC

I skied pg with DS1 at 1 week and 10 wks. I'm competent enough but got so freaked out by the Meribel-masses (half-term) bombing past me that I ended up spending most of the time in the cafes inhaling other people's vin chaud fumes...and my ski gear was uncomfortably tight by then too, not to mention a pain in the arse to take off every time I needed the loo (v.often)

The fresh air did wonders for morning sickness though.

gizmo Decathlon do ski wear up to a size 24 I believe, failing that Columbia do a generous range, if you're still having no joy, men's stuff can come up really big around the waist and you can just sellotape a pair of socks in the kendoll bit if you feel the urge!