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-   -   Driving Tips - With a pregnant woman (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-safety/51574-driving-tips-pregnant-woman-3.html)

Hi Arun , congratulations to would be parents.
AFAIK, first three months are very crucial for the baby to settle in properly, ek you should be very cautious now as it's just been over a month for you guys.
As far as my experience with pregnant ladies goes, yes I do think wearing seat belts would be uncomfortable and not good for the baby.
I ad to once drop my colleague who was pregnant and I didn't know. I asked her to wear seat belts and she said she is not comfortable.
So , let your wife travel on the rear seat and you become a chauffeur:).
But I think after three months she can travel by the office cab.
The same colleague of mine used to travel by auto rickshaw when her husband didn't come to pick her up, and this happened till 8th month. And she was fine with it but offcourse that was her 2nd time.
So If everything is normal and there are no complications,then there's nothing to worry about and just follow your docs instructions.

Abhinav, congratulations to you as well.

Do NOT listen to acquaintances. If you are in doubt, ask her obstetrician.

My wife did, and the doctor told her to carry on, no problems :-) She drove around till she was in the third trimester (short distances - 7-10km one way) and then condescended to be driven around. She delivered a very healthy baby last month.

The best advice for you is to consult the obstetrician :-)

Totally agree!! Best person to ask for advice is the obstetrician. The below points were mentioned by the obstetrician whom we are consulting. Your wife's doc might have different suggestions based on her condition and health.

Is it alright to take a trip to a hill station in the second trimester? We are thinking B'lore-Yercaud or B'lore-Ooty. My wife is in her 5th month now and we would like to take a short vacation.

Do go ahead and take that holiday. If your wife is in her 2nd trimester, then things have (hopefully) settled down, so she should be more comfortable with longer drives. However, would advise you to budget for more time on the journey. Plan your route so that you are never more than 15 minutes away from a clean loo (as far as possible).

And drive smooth - real smoooooooooth :D

Thanks KiloAlpha, we have checked with her doctor too and she has also given a green signall. Most probably it will be Bangalore - Ooty provided the current road conditions are good.

Do take a holiday and drive slow and carefully over the humps and pothole. It will be major test for your patience, but I am sure you will come out trumps.
Also, have your doctor's number handy and if possible gather info on hospitals/clinics at your destination, just in case , if there's any emergency. Carry all the prescribed medicines and enough food for the road.

@arun, congrats first.
Although there is no problem for travelling, I think travelling for long distances might be tiring. Plus sitting for a long time might not be that comfortable.
Ooty will still be there :)

Ideal time. Please rack up all the trips you can. Unhurried of course.

Make her sleep on the backseat (with seat belt) if the distance is long.

We did a few trips at a similar time when our son was due. Really helps perk up the mother and gives her a needed break!

This is something I did when my wife was expecting, as far as tackling bumps/potholes are concerned. I would find the ideal speed on which to drive over broken surfaces, minor bumps, etc. There is a speed at which the suspension works best to isolate the occupants of a car from jerks. It differs from car to car. Find that speed, and stick to it when tacking bad roads. Funnily enough, going slower than that speed also causes more jerking for passengers!
Of course, there are those massive potholes/bumps that are best taken at almost standstill. Use your best judgement.
Have a nice holiday, and congrats!

Thanks all for the wishes and tips. My wife read all your responses and is already excited about the trip.

I had to drive my pregnant wife (in 2009 end) on her 7th Month from Bangalore to Salem. Took a detailed advise from our Doctor before the trip. Here are my few cents:

1. No speeding at all (and forget about overspeeding). I kept a max limit on 80 kmph even on empty highway.
2. Take ample brakes in between, the carrying mother needs little walks & exercises to stretch herself, else her legs will be swollen very soon.
3. Talk very good things about the kid, sweet moments you shared, etc... It has 2 benefits: a. she feels special and b. she is diverted to a big extent from the tensions that could araise in traffic.
4. Since you would be driving slow, choose the slow-moving lane in your way so as to allow the fast moving vehicles with no disturbance.
5. Don't honk as much as possible, your sleeping child could be scared!
6. Use a good fragrance / preferably natural flowers that she likes to keep the cabin Fresh.

Drive safe :)

I had my share of nervous bouts, chauffeuring a 8 months pregnant lady, who happens to be my carpool user. The first time, I didn't realize she was pregnant. She was happily running to catch me. I had stopped a little ahead, to avoid a traffic congestion. The next time, she was late by 5 mins and she was sweating, huffing and puffing. The next time I asked her and she told me the due date is n 3 weeks. My jaw dropped. I felt uncomfortable driving a almost-due-date-pregnant-lady.

I told her that I'm uncomfortable, primarily because, I'm a strong believer of no road travel during the first and third trimester. I She said she's comfortable and doesn't have a problem. Lady I have a problem. I'm already nervous and what not. Next time, please don't come to office. She smiled and said thanks. 'Thanks' ?!!

I wonder how pregnant ladies travel in my office contraption, called bus.

Btw my wife says she's more comfortable in the XUV than in a train ! Either she's exaggerating the comfort of XUV or is not comfortable sharing space in a train.

FYI - My wife commuted by our car every single day - even went to office till the day before our kid arrived. No such issues.

As a car pool person, I can imagine your worries - I would rather excuse myself from the car pool than ask her not to come to office. You are not a gynaecologist knowing her case history!

Is it safer for pregnant women to travel back-facing than front-facing? Not able to find any comparison on the internet.