Can pregnant women dive?

[booga_roo]

hey! I saw my sprog fror the first time yesterday (12 week Ultrasound) It was quite a relief as I had been diving before I realised I was pregnant, so to see that he / she had all the obvious bits was a relief.

It also made me glad that I have suspended all diving activities for the meantime. I will go snorkelling as soon as the weather improves. The weather here is crap at the mo.

Personally, I think 9 months no diving is worth it for peace of mind.

 

[Pita]

Found this thread as part of my research...I have my trip scheduled for my Advanced Diver certification for the end of this month. If we wear protection to make sure we are not pregnant before then, is there any need to wait after the last dive to start trying to conceive? I don't seem to be able to find any articles about this, I have found sites that recommend a waiting period of 1 month after miscarriages, 6 months after long term use of oral contraception, etc., etc. but no mention of diving. Does anyone know of some references re. women divers trying to get pregnant?

 

[KC_Scubabunny]

Pita,

I am not an expert of a medical professional but I am an expectant mom (Due 12/19/02) who went through this same dilemma earlier this year and I will tell you what my OB/GYN (a diver) told me.

When I was merely off the pill but not actively trying to conceive, she said diving was fine as long as I paid close attention to my cycles and did a home test if I was even two days late for my period. Once I switched to actively trying to conceive and targeting the most likely days of the month to have sex in order to increase chances, my doctor advised that I stop diving. The probability of getting pregnant is just so much higher when you are actively trying.

My last dive was 1/26/02 and I got pregnant in March. I will be out of the water approximately one year since my baby is due in December and I probably won't have the energy or time to dive for the first month or two post partum. It is hard not diving when your spouse is. We went to Wreckmania last month and I got to meet many of my Scubaboard friends but I couldn't dive with them. I have found that being involved with this board and still talking and reliving diving memories has helped me get through. I have almost finished putting together a scrapbook of our photos from our January trip to Roatan that I would have never had the time to complete if I was diving every weekend this summer.

Diving is a lifetime sport, plenty of time after I have a healthy baby to dive again!

Best of luck in your quest to conceive and I look forward to hearing about pregnancy surface interval soon!

KC_Scubabunny

 

[Rick Murchison]

KC_Scubabunny once bubbled...
I am an expectant mom (Due 12/19/02)

That's a wonderful day for a baby... The Lovely Young Kat and I will have been married twenty one years that day, and our baby, Sasha, will turn 14.
You have much joy ahead...
Rick

 

[Fatimah_Dive_Instructor]

There are few studies to support diving while expecting. That is in the first or third trimester. Guess they just can't get enough women for a blind study.
Fatimah