Pregnancy is an important and fragile time in every woman’s life. It is true that some people will want to experience the joy of pregnancy at some point in their life. However, although pregnancy is a wonderful thing, it comes with its share of challenges.
One of the major challenges of pregnancy is that you won’t be able to participate in all the activities that you could before you were pregnant, and if you are an avid fan or participant in some extreme sports such as skiing or snowboarding, then being pregnant will hinder these activities.
Snowboarding and skiing are two sports that require balance, coordination, and strength.
These activities are great for fitness and health, especially for women who want to stay fit and healthy throughout their pregnancy.
Skiing and snowboarding also provide a great way to enjoy nature and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
However, these sports come with certain risks associated with them. In case you are planning to take up skiing or snowboarding during your pregnancy, then you should be aware of some important things.
As a rule, pregnant women should avoid skiing because it can be dangerous not only for the baby but for the mother too.
However, if you do want to go skiing while pregnant then you should consider the risks associated with skiing while pregnant and also how to ski as safely as possible while you are pregnant.
When Skiing Is Safe For Pregnant Mothers
Skiing is never recommended during pregnancy. Pregnant women should avoid any activity that could cause injury or harm to themselves or their babies.
If you are planning on going skiing while pregnant, here are a few ways you can stay as safe as possible:
You should not ski while pregnant if you are not already an experienced or professional skier. Although even the most experienced skiers can easily fall while skiing, you are more likely to fall if you are a beginner or intermediate skier.
Even if you are very experienced at skiing, you should still avoid going on runs that you aren’t used to or challenging yourself in new ways. Stick to light runs that you know.
Doctors recommend that if you are pregnant and planning to go skiing, it’s best to avoid black-diamond trails.
You should not go skiing after your 12th week of pregnancy, after the 12th week, your balance would have changed significantly, and even the professional skiers will feel like beginners again.
How Your Skill Level Comes Into Play When Pregnant
If you are a beginner skier, then you should stick to easy runs and terrain parks where you don’t need to use much energy or skill to complete.
Beginner skiers usually start out by learning how to turn and control their body weight over the edge of the slope. As they gain confidence, they move on to more difficult slopes and terrain parks.
Intermediate skiers typically learn how to turn and stop quickly without losing their balance. They also learn how to jump and land safely.
When pregnant, this will all change, if you are a beginner skier then you should immediately stop skiing after you have become pregnant, beginner skiers are way more likely to fall than any other skill set.
We would also recommend you to stop skiing altogether if you are only an intermediate skier, although you have the basic knowledge, you are still very likely to fall and injure yourself or your baby.
If you are an experienced or professional skier then you can still ski while you are pregnant to an extent, we highly recommend that you stop skiing around your 12th week of pregnancy whatever your skill set, but leading up to your 12th week you could still enjoy skiing.
That being said, if you are an experienced or professional skier then you should only be skiing on slopes that you are familiar with and not giving yourself new challenges.
You should also stay away from the harder slopes and only ski on beginner and intermediate slopes for your pregnancy.
What Risks Are Involved With Skiing While Pregnant?
Pregnant women should avoid skiing when they are far along in their pregnancies. Skiing could cause serious injury or even death to the baby.
Falling
Doctors are most concerned about force traumas that could affect the baby in the womb. Even the most experienced skiers have accidents.
The risk of falling dramatically increases when you’re pregnant. Why? Because your center of gravity has shifted.
Your extra weight can throw off your balance, your center of gravity is important to keep you balanced even when walking from the sofa to the refrigerator, but when skiing, even a slight change in the center of gravity can be very dangerous.
If you fall late into your pregnancy, it could trigger premature birth and subsequently a miscarriage.
Altitude Sickness
Altitude affects the health of both the mother and the unborn baby. A slight variation in altitude might cause nausea or other symptoms in the mother.
High altitudes put stress on the organs of the mother and the unborn child.
Skiing In Early Pregnancy
Skiing is dangerous for pregnant women. Pregnant women should avoid skiing until after week 12.
During weeks 4-12, the fetus is developing rapidly, and there is a risk of miscarriage. Some new mothers try to eliminate unnecessary risks during this period.
Exercise during pregnancy is fine for most women and can be quite important for a healthy birth, but there are some things you should be aware of.
You may want to consider stopping your regular exercise routine until after you give birth and changing to a lighter exercise routine.
Skiing is very strenuous and could cause problems for you and your baby. Also, you might get tired quickly and feel exhausted.
Skiing In Later Pregnancy
Pregnant women should avoid skiing in later pregnancy because it could cause injury or death to themselves or their unborn child. In the later stages of pregnancy, your body is already strained by just breathing and walking.
If you add an extreme sport into the mix, even if you do not fall due to the changes in your center of gravity, you will put a huge amount of stress onto you and the baby.
How To Stay Safe And Still Enjoy Skiing
Pregnant women should avoid skiing or any snow-related exercise during the winter months because there is a higher risk of injury due to harsher weather.
If you are in your early weeks of pregnancy and you are an experienced skier then choosing an easy slope and going down slowly and carefully can be a great way of exercising and having fun at the same time.
Another great way to keep fit skiing while pregnant is to try light cross country skiing because there are fewer inclines and declines in cross country skiing, it is safer.
The Best Ways To Stay Safe During Snowboarding While Pregnant
As mentioned above, there are many reasons why skiing is not recommended when you are pregnant. The same applies to snowboarding.
Even though snowboarding doesn’t involve falling down as much as skiing does, it is still considered dangerous due to the fact that you are constantly moving forward and backward. This makes it harder for you to maintain your balance and control your speed.
In addition to this, snowboards are generally larger than skis so they require more effort to maneuver around obstacles and jumps. This will be especially true while pregnant due to the change in your center of gravity.
If you are not an experienced snowboarder then we recommend that you do not attempt to snowboard while pregnant, and even if you are an experienced snowboarder, do not attempt to snowboard past the 12th week of your pregnancy.
What Activities Should You Avoid When Pregnant?
Exercise is essential for maintaining good health during pregnancy. However, certain types of exercise need to be avoided. These include running, cycling, swimming, diving, horse riding, hockey, basketball, football, and rugby.
Other forms of exercise such as golf, tennis, and squash should be avoided after the first trimester.
Avoid swimming as it puts pressure on the uterus which can lead to miscarriages. Avoid contact sports such as football as they increase the chances of a miscarriage.
Any sports that could be considered extreme should also be avoided. For example, you should avoid downhill skiing as it increases the risks of miscarriage and other complications.
For reference, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends avoiding all activities with high levels of impact including downhill skiing, skating, hockey, tennis, basketball, volleyball, running, horseback riding, martial arts, gymnastics, soccer, rugby, and baseball.
A great rule to go by is that if you are asking “Should I do this while pregnant?” then 9 times out of 10 the answer is, probably not.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to enjoy yourself without endangering yourself or your unborn child. If you do decide to go skiing during pregnancy, make sure you follow all the guidelines given by doctors. It’s important to know what to expect so you can plan ahead and prepare accordingly.
If you are an experienced skier then it depends on how far along you are. As long as you’re not too far along, you should be fine.
For example, if you were 6 months pregnant, you’d have to wait until after the first trimester before doing anything like that. But if you’re only 2-3 months pregnant, you should be able to ski/snowboard.
Of course, the safest way to ski while pregnant is to not ski at all, and we do recommend that you refrain from skiing while pregnant. You should always consult your doctor before doing anything out of the ordinary while pregnant.
