Is skiing safe in first trimester?

[northlondonchoclover]

In particular in the first 6 weeks?

I'm sure people will say it is safe.

I'm a good skier but I didn't go. Entirely personal decision. People will tell you it's safe. And it probably is. I just didn't want to take any risks.

Thinking of TTC - if we do it this month, then might be pregnant while skiing. Worried that it might affect implantation chances?

Or best to wait until after the ski holiday?

If you're talking about six weeks post menstruation, implantation will have taken place approx 2 weeks earlier, so no, it shouldn't affect that.

As far as I can see there is no reason why skiing is any worse at that stage than any other strenuous activity: it is an intrinsically risky sport but it shouldn't affect the progress of the pregnancy.

I would have thought it would be fine that early on. I rode horses throughout my third pregnancy and although I didn't fall off, I do know people who have fallen of early on and been fine. My doctor told me that the baby is pretty well protected until about 20 weeks.

isn't there a concern about altitude?

Yes, it's fine to ski in the first 6 weeks.

Nothing on earth will affect implantation - especially smooth linked turns in the fresh air. Masturbating with a blender on the other hand...

I am going at 9 weeks. I am just going to ski within my capabilities rather than pushing the boundaries and risking massive head plants/long falls down steep/moguly slopes. I am also planning to stay (mainly) on piste or at least where I can traverse to a piste easily. Basically trying to avoid situations where I could have a bad fall.

We are going to Japan which is not high altitude skiing anyway.

might be ok for baby but not necessarily for you.

One of my best friends wrapped herself around a tree last year slipping on black ice in usa while 16wks she snapped her femur in half and snapped all but one of her tendons. Luckily her baby was fine. she has 2 ops, one emergency one with morphine, the other, one under local anaesthetic to repair her tendons with only gas & air and paracetamol as pain releif. She spent 6 weeks in hosp/rehab clinic before coming home and spending most of her pg being unable to even walk up her own stairs and the first week at home in a wheelchair. We used to drive her to the beach and drive onto it so she could get out and have some air as she could not walk.

IF you insist on doing it, make sure your insurer knows you are pg. Luckily, being in a US ski resort she had the best surgeons on hand and the best technology, she has a titanium bar holding her femur together, and replacement tendons. It cos her insurance company £90k and her DP had to front £3k for an ambulance to take her from hosp to rehab clinic which he has only just got back. She did fly back first class though and had a driver bring her home from the airport (heathrow to devon!)

of course this could happen to a non-pg person, but is seriously affected the quality of her pg, luckily she was able to walk normally by the time she had her baby

Tbh ArcticFox I think you'd be safe away from the pistes where all the out-of-control numpties are... if you're a good skiier with faith in your abilities I'd just avoid the crowds - they are your biggest danger.

Anyway, for all of this, I've not skiied this season - not because I felt it was "unsafe" but because bastards morning sickness is swinging me around by the nipples and it seemed utterly pointless to fly somewhere to sit in a hotel room gibbering and puking. Roll on 2011!

Thx Skihorse. I'll probably play it by ear. We cant get a refund so we are definitely going, but I am doing lessons all day instead of heading off into the unknown with the powder hounds. Won't be too exciting for me, but looking forward to a nice change of scene and some fresh mountain air!!

However, had we not booked it, then we wouldn't be going.

I think like you, if I'd had it booked I'd have gone anyway, even if I'd just been pottering around reading a book and taking in the view... and trying to control my rage/jealousy.

went skiing when 14 weeks with my last baby, just skied mornings and took it easy afternoons. Had a fab time I agree with the advice, ski in control and avoid busy pistes. hth

i pulled out of a ski holiday when pg because in the past the only time I had ever had a fall was when someone else crashed into me. i had booked the holiday, paid deposit etc and we let down some lovely friends but it was a lot of money to go and not ski.

I've skied in both pregnancies. The main danger in the first trimester is to you - your baby is still well down inside your pelvis, and quite well protected. I was skiing in Jan at 7 weeks, and noticed that my ligaments were loosening up, resulting in me not having such precise control of my skis. (Although this was only a problem on steeper black runs .) Also there is a tendency to tiredness in the first trimester. I dealt with this by asking OH to carry my skis everywhere for me (I carried his poles) and having a kip when we got back in, before dinner.

There shouldn't be a problem with altitude - even the highest glacier runs in the Alps are only 11000ft-ish. This sounds high, but to put it in perspective the pressure altitude of the aircraft cabin you will be travelling to the ski resort in is generally about 8000ft. The oxygen problems people think about with pregnancy are more likely to be down to over-exertion than altitude, so just take it easy if you head up high.

The main thing I would say is that how you cope with a ski holiday is determined by how good and confident a skier you are. It is obviously a lot easier to stay safe on the slopes if you are happy in your own ability. Also, as others have said, the biggest risk is generally 'other people.' PavlovtheCat raises a point that it is miserable to be injured and pregnant, but I do think that the example she has used is an extreme case. A more likely scenario is what happened to my friend, who wobbled a bit on her skis and threw herself over at an awkward angle to avoid landing on her tummy. She tweaked her knee in the process, but was fit enough to be skiing again 6 weeks later!

pandora absolutely it is an extreme case, but she did not for a moment consider it would happen to her, but it did and it involved no other people. When we first had a missed call and a message saying 'xx has had an accident, call us' we thought it could not be bad, they rarely happen. It is worth just bearing it in mind that is all, that i can happen.

Ladies - thanks for the replies! sorry if its a bit long winded , but my story is as follows.. 2 MCs last year, first time in Sept, second time on xmas day

Just on the first cycle after the MC, and would love to TTC immediately, but booked to go skiing in about 3 weeks. My main worry is the skiing might dislodge the bean but i take your point skihorse, its unlikely to affect implantation.

I am a decent skier, can ski down all red runs and most blacks, have done some off-piste. And I agree, the main danger is out-of-control other people !

pavlov - your friend's experience is rather scary!! I will be very careful and take it easy...anyway might not be pregnant anyway

I went at 7 weeks - because it was all booked and paid for - I have never skiied so well in my life! I stuck to the quietest pistes.

I have never skiied before at skiied at 8 weeks - no problems apart from everyone wondering why I wasn't drinking!

I am encouraged by the responses. Really looking forward to the skiing.

I did very basic cross-country skiing at around 10/11 weeks and had no problems. I didn't ski as much as I would have normally as DH had buggered up his back at home the previous week so skiing alone wasn't much fun. I fell a couple of times but as a very basic novice, I wasn't going very fast and landed on my amply padded bottom each time. I did rest in the afternoons quite a bit and spent a lot of time in the hotel pool. Even if you don't ski, the fresh air (and hot chocolate) will do you good.

great... now i can start enticing DH

i reckon being knackered and puking are your main worries

however, if you were to have an early MC how would you feel being away from home?

my friend didn't ski because she had previously had MCs and didn't want to be too far from the EPU.

It would suck big time

But TBH both times when I went to A&E, they didn't manage to do much for me anyway. Was just a huge wait to be told that nothing can be done.