The pregnancy does not have to affect driving, and a doctor does not consider there is a high risk of abortion and save the mother should rest. If it is a normal pregnancy, let yourself be guided by common sense and gradually adapt to the natural transformation that the body experiences. Of course, we must not relax on the issue of security because it is key to save the mother and the baby in an accident. Here are some tricks that you have to keep in mind before getting into a car in this period.
The belt
Even though in recent years, social awareness with road safety measures has implanted among the mentality of Spanish drivers, not everyone assesses the dangers behind the wheel. 21% of those killed on the road during the past year were not wearing a seat belt, a figure in line descending year after year (in 2004 the percentage was 39%) but it is certainly a fact that still worries.
For this reason, there is no point in those voices that urge embassies not to wear a seat belt. If placed properly, the belt not only does not harm the baby but in many accidents, it is essential, as in any other person, to save the life of the mother and the child. In case you find it uncomfortable, some adapters are responsible for carrying the pressure of the belts from the belly to the mother’s pelvis.
According to the family doctor and researcher Jordi Gol, “pregnant women should properly place the belt, without pressing the belly, below the abdomen, on the thighs and adjusted to the maximum on the hips, tightening the pelvis.” The frontal band must pass over the clavicle and the breasts, surrounding the abdomen, and never in front of it.
At the wheel
Not only is it important to wear a well-placed seat belt, but you have to pay attention to the position taken when driving. Do not forget that the backrest must be straight, and the headrest must have the upper part at the height of the head. As for the distance between the driver and the steering wheel, the ideal is to keep at least 25 centimeters.
Travel alone
Naturally, as the months go by, the mother loses speed and agility. Ideally, after the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy, another person will drive. Not only the physical issue, but the situation will lead to stress for both the mother and the baby. Obviously, if the woman is comfortable and does not want to do without her car and has no medical recommendation, she can drive until she decides.
Long travel
As in the previous cases, if the pregnancy follows a normal rhythm and does not have any medical restrictions, there is no reason to avoid a long car trip. It is true that when spending many hours sitting, a pregnant woman should take some extra precautions. You should drink several liters of water during the trip and stop every two hours (at least) to stretch your legs, go to the sink and walk for a few minutes. It recommended that you breathe deeply from time to time too.
Airbag
Generally speaking, the airbag is not dangerous for the baby. When a shock occurs, the device swells only in the environment of the head and chest. Besides, the airbag acts before the seat belt so that it will prevent excessive pressure on the belly.