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Is it safe to ski during pregnancy?

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Experts Answers

 

Is it safe to ski during pregnancy?
Mary Lake Polan

ob-gyn

It's probably not a good idea, especially in your last trimester. As you get further along in your pregnancy, your sense of balance decreases and your weight distribution changes. So things that require good balance — like skiing and diving — will be more difficult as you head into the third trimester. You don't want to trip and fall because that could be dangerous to the baby and to you. It's true the baby is very well protected in the uterus — it usually takes a car accident or major trauma to harm the baby. But it does sometimes happen. If you're skiing and you take a fall or go hip first into a tree, that could be a problem.

 

Jeanne-Marie Guise

ob-gyn

It's best to avoid sports, such as downhill skiing, with a high likelihood of impact or falling. Changes in your center of gravity as pregnancy progresses make keeping your balance more challenging and put you at greater risk of falls. A fall could lead to premature delivery by causing the placenta to tear away from the wall of your uterus (called a placental abruption) or by bringing on preterm contractions. Additionally, the higher altitude, especially above 6,000 feet, could affect how much oxygen your baby is receiving.

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