Pregnancy (and bikes)

[Karma]

I think if I get pregnant

You need a hand with that?

[Quartida]

So. A few hours after squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a plum, SHE RODE HOME ON HER PUSHBIKE.

Gah. Every time I think of that, I have to cross my legs in sympathy.

Ooh, me too

[Nicksta]

You need a hand with that?

Um not right now thanks......
i quite like to keep my figure for a bit yet....

[klingon]

It's funny how different people perceive different risks. If I were pregnant I think I'd keep on riding just as long as I kept enjoying it. As someone pointed out, to do damage to the baby you'd have to do a heck of a lot of damage to yourself too.

On the other hand I was having my nails done yesterday () and the woman doing my nails told me she was a couple of months pregnant. And there she was breathing in all those solvents and toxins - grinding away at acrylic nails and breathing in the dust, etc etc. There has just been some sort of bonding stuff banned because it gets absorbed through your skin and causes all kinds of health problems and this woman was using it several times a day until a few weeks ago.

Hairdressers also suffer a very high incidence of certain kinds of cancer because of all the horrible chemicals they breathe in and absorb through their skin.

Not to mention the risks of drinking, smoking and stress.

So my point is, everyone should assess their own risks but if I get pregnant I'll choose to be a scruffy-headed, chipped-nail, happy biker!

[GN1NiteStnd]

Yeah I like bikes too much to give up entirely for nine months, I'd ride until its either impossible, or too uncomfortable. It would be bad enough have to cart the kid around in a cage, wasting valuable bike time . Means I'd have to get my cage license

[muzz]

My ex pillioned up to 7 months until we had an off both end up in hospital for the night no problems thank god. She was a week over due so we went for a ride (triumph hardtail) and that night we had a baby girl. Must have been the vibrations stirring things up a bit.

[judecatmad]

Am really pleased I found this thread cos it's a question I've been wanting to ask someone for ages (since we're trying for kids and I've only recently taken up riding a bike). Only problem for me is I'm a fat heifer to begin with so the bike pants could be an issue beyond about...ooh....2 weeks! LOL

[kickingzebra]

Have fun trying!!
No one ever said you had to do the zip up?! (that could help with the trying too come to think of it

Depending on how the trou close you might be able to extend them a bit.

[Deano]

I've refused to take a pregnant friend as a pillion before.

Just thought that it wasn't worth risking an additional and vulnerable life for the thrill of a ride on a bike.

Taking a pillion is a responsibility in itself - a further life just compounds things IMO.

(I should add it wasn't my baby so felt even more obliged to say no)

[hellnback]

My wife is currently pregnant and has been riding right up until now (only 15 weeks to go!!). Not a lot of info out there on riding while pregnant, I'm assuming that people say not to do it because it's considered dangerous eg. if you come off, not because it can be harmful to our unborn baby... eg. having your bits bounce up and down on the seat for 8 hours...

[babyB]

well i think baby will suffer WAY more from the affects of smoking &/or acahol than riding a bike.

hell ya could trip over the doormat, slip on the floor even crash a car anything is possible. ya just shouldnt stop doing everythings cause ya pregggy ............but do stop smoking & drinkin

[Keystone19]

I crashed a quad while pregnant early on with my first with no undue effects (at least not that I can tell). Having said that, although I ran until 7 months pregnant I stopped riding a mountainbike once the foetus had grown to a size where it was no longer protected by the pelvis as I felt the risks were too great from crashing. You are far more likely to come off a mountainbike than a motorbike.

I imagine the main reason I would stop riding a sportsbike would be that I wouldn't be able to reach the handlebars after a while!

As the above people have posted, it is entirely up to the individual as to what they perceive the risk to be and what level they choose to take that risk to.

[SPman]

My ex rode as pillion until about 3 weeks before the birth - including one epic haul from Westport to Auckland nonstop apart from the ferry.

Yeah - I never lived that one down...........

[mstriumph]

was broke and bikeless at the time but rode a borrowed 'blokes' pushbike [it was far from modern - bummer, i can STILL remember how HEAVY that thing was!!] until the day before the birth ............. it must have looked HILARIOUS!!

[hellnback]

The missis just got back from talking to her midwife, she seemed to think that no harm would come from the physical act of riding, but to rest often and probably not to do a marathon trip...
She also said be aware that your centre of gravity changes as your baby gets bigger then your bike may react differently... (or something along those lines).
To conclude the wife's decided that since she can't drink, smoke, take drugs, play netball, eat raw anything, blah blah blah, then f*ck it she'll ride until she can't ride no more!!