Driving Mommy-To-Be. Driving while pregnant.

In the modern world a woman cannot afford a 9 months’ waiting for her miracle, without the need to actively move around in space. The question whether or not to carry on driving while pregnant is not less relevant and there is not a single view among obstetrician-gynecologists into the issue.

A car has long become a regular means of transport and a usual element of comfort for a modern lady, so as a doctor and furthermore as a female doctor I treat pregnant women going behind the wheel with respect. Pregnancy is not an illness, so there is no reason to radically change your habits, if everything goes perfectly normal. By the way to “move” a woman from her personal car into a means of public transportation is a way too much of stress, taking into consideration not only the crowdedness and stuffiness, characteristic of its present state, but also the risk of infection. Also we shouldn’t forget the fact that many pregnant women develop particular aversion to odors, enclosed spaces, accidental bumps, etc.

Driving a car is quite permissible and justified, yet, if a woman is being realistic estimating her powers and capabilities, if there are no medical contraindications for her and if she’s well aware of everything related to going behind the wheel in pregnancy. I have to say right away, an expecting lady shouldn’t count for any special attitude towards her on the road, no matter how many signs reporting her state are going to be stuck to the rear window.

Driving in pregnancy is absolutely contraindicated in conditions including the following:      

• the risk of termination of pregnancy (increased uterine tone, bleeding from the genital tract, abdominal pain, etc.),
• toxicosis (nausea, vomiting, weakness, drowsiness),
• anemia of the pregnant woman (dizziness, weakness, fainting, by laboratory test – low level of hemoglobin),
• changes in blood pressure (hypotension, hypertension),
• swelling,
• big belly,
• emotional lability, fear, insecurity.

You should understand that this list may be extended depending on individual peculiarities of the course of gestation. You should also understand that some complications may even appear spontaneously, – leg movements while pushing the pedals stimulates an excessive flow of blood to the pelvis, this causes a strain of the uterus and may create a risk of miscarriage. Women who previously had miscarriages or gave premature births should always take this into consideration. This is why it’s better not to go behind the wheel in the early and late pregnancy, and for some time after childbirth.

A pregnant woman (and her loved ones) should be very attentive to any changes in her state (of course not to fanaticism), especially if she is “driving”. If there are no contraindications, the wheel is at your disposal. Thus let’s talk about the peculiarities of behavior when driving during pregnancy from A to Z. So, let’s start:

Getting Driver License     

Many pregnant women come up with the idea to urgently get a driver’s license. A novice driver is in a state of continuous stress. The factors resulting into this are the need to constantly control the car itself, the traffic situation, to estimate and in many ways to predict the behavior of other road users, to perform complex maneuvers and to trace the route. Therefore, dear ladies, I do not recommend getting driver’s license and acquiring the first driving skills in pregnancy.

Car Safety, Serviceability and Comfort

Your decision to drive or not to drive should largely depend on the serviceability, state and class of the car. It is necessary to ensure proper condition of the car; a pregnant woman is going to drive. The best decision is to lay the car maintenance duties onto her husband or a car service staff. While driving, a pregnant woman should feel as comfortable as possible and since her belly is constantly growing, there is a need to adjust the position of the seat, mirrors and the wheel every time before driving. There should be at least 10 cm of space between the wheel and the belly, and the seatback should be slightly tilted back. The following technical elements will make your so-called MOTHER DRIVING safe, easier and more comfortable:

• automatic transmission
• air conditioning (climate control) and air cleaning system
• power steering
• the ability to raise and lower the steering wheel
• heated seats (for winter)
• ABS (anti-lock braking system)
• adjustable seat
• airbags (considered to be the least traumatic safety means for the mother and her fetus’ safety in case of a road accident)
• seat belts
• clean and high quality filters.

A few words about the belts. Some women do not fasten seat belts being afraid to over tighten the belly while braking. If your bump has grown that much, you may use one of the Berlin obstetrician Johannes Decker’s advice. Not so long ago his recommendations for pregnant women drivers were published in one German automobile magazine. Among those recommendations are the following:

1. You want to mind the belt position all the time: its bottom part should always be as low as possible.
2. The safest type of seat belt to wear is a lap and shoulder belt combination. The lap belt should be placed below your belly, touching your thighs, and low and snug on your hip bones. Never wear the belt above or across your belly.
3. The airbag is a good car safety means for a pregnant woman, and it does not put into risk her baby’s life.
4. If you are forced to make a long trip, every two hours make a stop and do some light gymnastics in the open air.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the American Ford Motor Company started to work under the development of the first seat belts for pregnant, the reliability of which was to be verified by long-term studies. The complexity of this work was in the need to test the invention in pregnant. For this purpose, they created a dummy of a pregnant woman, it was named Linda. They investigated the loads all types of human tissue are exposed to during accidents using Linda and other dummies. These studies also showed that there was no need for a special seat belt for pregnant. If properly fastened, the usual three-point safety belt does not make any harm to a baby. The proper placement means that the shoulder belt should lay on your shoulder and the lap belt should be as low below your belly as possible, not putting a pressure onto it). And even so, today you may buy special safety belts for pregnant – “Maternity seat belt”. Their safety and suitability was tested not on the basis of long-term studies, but only on the basis of crash tests. They are more elastic than the usual seat belts and have not three but four attachment points, due to which they effectively take the pressure away from the belly.

If you wear the seat belt properly, it will save you and your child from big troubles.

The color of the car. If you can choose the color of the car the future mom will drive during the upcoming months, it’s better to give up black – it can be stuffy in there in summer due to its intense heating. I want to point out that the traffic accident reports analysis shows that yellow color cars appear to be the safest on the road. In addition, a pregnant woman will become even more discernible on the road if she places a special sticker signifying her state to the rear window of her car.

A bit more on the comfort of seats – massage wood beaded seat cushions or canvas seat covers with an air layer can do a good job. In addition, you can put a pillow behind your back or/and to install an additional armrest.

Traffic Rules Compliance and Documents in Full Order

When meeting with representatives of the traffic police, you should not hope for indulgence, even if the growing belly is already obvious, and even more so – if the pregnancy is not noticeable at first glance. And unnecessary “explanations” to the law representatives can bring you unnecessary negative emotions. Along with the usual driving documents (driver’s license, technical passport, insurance, power of attorney when needed), you should have special documents that every pregnant woman is required to carry with her – a passport, an exchange card pregnant and a medical insurance policy (if any).

Pregnant women get tired much faster, which leads to a decrease in attention and in the reaction rate.

Attention to the Routes and Travel Time

Pregnant women should better avoid driving during rush hours, or when the movement is hampered. It is not recommended to drive for more than 1 hour straight, that’s why if you need to drive for more than that it’s good to make stops to get some rest. It’s also a good idea to take with you some fellow traveler who could replace you in the driver’s seat when needed.  It’s also good to remember that a prolonged sitting posture is undesirable for pregnant as it is causing circulatory stasis.

To remove unpleasant sensations caused by stationary position – stop every hour or two to restore blood circulation and to eliminate back pain with the help of light gymnastics.

It is better to refrain from long trips, from driving through busy streets, as well as from driving fast and from extreme, high-risk situations. Naturally I do not recommend driving on your own to the hospital to give birth to your child.

Properly Equipped First Aid Kit

It is worth adding painkillers recommended for pregnant and some sedatives to a standard first aid kit content. A pregnant woman should always have a bottle of drinking water in her car. Some bags with nuts and dried fruits, placed into your car as a kind of first aid, will help you to cope with unexpected hunger attacks.

Reliable Mobile Connection and Insurance Support 

It is important to maintain good communication with your relatives, as well as with the insurance commissioner and a car service center, but in no case should you use a mobile phone while driving   as it averts your thoughts from the road to the conversation and the driving is hampered. Also, choose a good insurance company that provides round-the-clock quality assistance everywhere and in various situations. It’s a good idea to keep in a phone book mobile numbers of those friends or relatives of yours, who will never refuse to help, as well as tow truck numbers.

Do not go behind the wheel if you feel bad!

If your general condition worsens while driving, you need to stop the movement in a way that will not interfere with the traffic. It is better to pull on to the hard shoulder to catch your breath and to come to your senses. But if you’re not feeling well, don’t look for a parking space, turn on emergency warning lights and stop, try not to interfere with the movement, take actions, ask for help.

Towards the end of the gestational period, the belly begins to noticeably interfere with getting in and out of the car, the baby kicks hard, which may even hurt.

Summarizing the above mentioned, I’ll say that adhering to these recommendations, a driving mommy will have a good time, because apart from the medical aspects, a feeling of comfort and peace in the car is very important: as well as the fact that according to psychologists, driving gives a powerful positive charge, – an additional source of joyful emotions.