Pregnancy (and bikes)

**Quartida** · 16th July 2006, 01:13

This is a rather bizarre question, but I was reading a thread the other day in which a woman talked about riding while she was pregnant.

How many of you have ridden while you were pregnant? What about as a pillion? And were you nervous?

As I read the thread, I thought to myself, I think I'd be too scared to ride while pregnant..surely even a minor bin could cause some serious damage.

But then these days it seems you can't do anything while pregnant, so perhaps I'm being over-cautious!

NB: No, I'm not pregnant. This is a purely hypothetical (or perhaps very, very pre-emptive) question.

**Karma** · 16th July 2006, 01:32

Riding while pregnant should be fine up to a point I'd imagine.

Once the water retention comes into your feet and you can't operate the gears anymore then I'd say stop there.

BTW... Congratuations, you look radiant!

**Mr. Peanut** · 16th July 2006, 01:54

Bad idea.

**Goblin** · 16th July 2006, 02:01

Well I rode my bikes with all 3 of mine. First one I had a bit of an off but didn't hit the ground, buggered my bike so I couldnt ride. Next two I rode until my tummy wouldn't fit behind the tank. I never got scared. Pregnancy isn't a sickness....you can do pretty much anything you used to before pregnancy, only your muscles waste away a wee bit. Well for me anyway.

**thehollowmen** · 16th July 2006, 09:17

funnily ene enough I was talking to a lady at work who used to ride. But she gave up riding while pregnant..jumped back in the saddle directly afterwards. She didn't take a break because she didn't fit on the bike, but because the tank and the baby made a sandwhich out of her bladder and she had trouble even getting to work without a pit stop.

**Motu** · 16th July 2006, 09:30

My wife rode well into her first pregnacy,but decided to stop went she couldn't get her rigid frame Triumph Tiger 100 out of a ditch on a gravel road.Then she decided to give up being pillion when we nearly got taken out at 145kph on my BMW at 8 mnths.She had given up going on my side car much earlier when I nearly flipped it trying to do a 360 on a narrow road.

**babyB** · 16th July 2006, 10:56

Originally Posted by Goblin

........ Pregnancy isn't a sickness....you can do pretty much anything you used to before pregnancy........

agrees this is so true. if your fit, healthy and happy, why stop doing thing ya lov doing.
i did a 10day tour in second trimester the only probs i had was me jacket got rather tight rather fast :slap:
I rode pillion untill about 8months without too many hastles, just didnt like the gravel too much

.
i think its all about trust...... but i think if your going to be nervious about riding/pillion i dont think you should be on there, couse your feelings will transfur to baby.....

as for the dangers, well you dont have to be on bike to fall or to be knocked down.

I also do belive that some things need to be put on hold....i like i stopped claybird shooting, seems ppl couldnt concentrate with super-large earmuffs stuck to me belly

point being for some things there is no way on knowing how or wether they effect baby.

**kickingzebra** · 16th July 2006, 11:14

Hmm, the danger thing can be overdone. I get reprimanded by people all the time for taking my wife on the back. she is 5 months preggers at the moment, but some people seem to think as soon as you find you are pregnant, you should go and get wrapped in bedding, and stay there until you get better.

Life is for living, and it is not as if life ceases when one becomes pregnant!

Funnily enough, the people who give the funniest looks are the mothers in their remuera tractors, who drive their children to and from school everyday.

The statistical anomaly is, the people who do everything to make sure their child is safe, eg, take them to and from school, walk them to the door etc,
They are the ones whose children are most likely to die. In car accidents.

While I am not saying go wild with risk taking, I am saying a healthy balance of risk, and risk aversion is the way life should be lived. Hence giving up motorcycling would for us, be too much risk aversion.

That would equal putting life on a shelf, I don't want to do it when my children are able to talk to me, so I am not going to start doing it now!

**yungatart** · 16th July 2006, 11:20

I didn't ride while I was pregnant - something to do with not having a bike, I guess, but I did take up skiing for the first time. One of my sisters did marathon kayaking until she could no longer fit in her boat. Listen to your body and trust your instincts. Pregnancy is a normal process for most women, common sense and your feelings should be the guiding force. Good luck BTW

**Colapop** · 16th July 2006, 11:26

I've never ridden while pregnant. I can't believe you'd ever consider it! - getting pregnant that is.... having a 16 year old is reason enough not to.

**Edbear** · 16th July 2006, 12:09

I won't ride while I'm pregnant....

**pixc** · 16th July 2006, 13:05

I didnt have a bike when I was pregnant, but i did take up a form of wake-boarding but with-out the wake. Used to get towed behind a car mid-tide at the estary by waihi beach. Used to get some speed up and when you came off in a flying heap, the water was only a foot or so deep. Not the same I know but its all about what you feel is right. I worked up untilll I was 8 months pregnant, I still drove a car, mowed the lawns and played indoor soccer untill i was 7 months pregnant (Thats when people started to notice and I was basically asked to stop)...I didnt want to feel fat and useless. If i had a bike at the time, Im sure I would have riden untill it became too uncomfortable. Women have only been treated, and behaved like they need to be wrapped up in cotton when pregnant for the last 50-100 years. Before then u carried on as usual if you were pregnant. And back then it was probably more often then not. Ok so not the same I know...but women worked harder for a lot less back then and being pregnant wasnt going to stop you doing what you needed to do. Its about time more people realize that pregnancy is a fact of life and not some sort of freaky and unusual disease that makes u less mentally or physically enabled...for the most part :P Unless you are specifically told otherwise by a doctor, IMO women should continue their normal way of life untill it doesnt 'feel' right.

**Quartida** · 16th July 2006, 13:33

OK, I agree with what you've all said...and it's true pixc, for years women DID just have to get on with life, pregnant or otherwise. I guess what I was getting at was that surely a bin that would usually just cause a few scrapes and a bit of a shock when not pregnant could be potentially dangerous if pregnant?

Having said that, one could also be in a car crash. Or fall off a pushbike. Or fall down the stairs.

Life's a dangerous place, ain't it?

**Goblin** · 16th July 2006, 13:44

Originally Posted by Quartida

I guess what I was getting at was that surely a bin that would usually just cause a few scrapes and a bit of a shock when not pregnant could be potentially dangerous if pregnant?

Having said that, one could also be in a car crash. Or fall off a pushbike. Or fall down the stairs.

Life's a dangerous place, ain't it?

Or even fall out of bed....eh krash!
You'd be surprised how well protected the baby is inside the womb, surounded by fluid and nice soft organs. Would take a very hard knock to harm a foetus. The mother would probably be in more danger as later in pregnancy the muscles and bones soften for the birth.