Baby on board?

Myths like expecting mothers should not travel are baseless but it’s true that extra care has to be taken and long drives should be avoided. Below is a set of tips that will not just help the mother to lead a happy and regular life but also make sure that she doesn’t over exert while travelling.

Getting in and out
Ingress and egress both require a good amount of effort but keeping these points in mind, it can be done easily and safely, making sure that the pressure on both tummy and back is minimum. While getting in, bend a little and sit on the seat first and then lean back and raise your legs into the car. To get out, place one leg out first, then leaning backwards place the other leg out. After that, taking support from the car’s door or if someone’s available then taking support of that person, stand up and get out of the car.

Once on the seat, it has to be made sure that the seat’s leaning backwards, so that there’s minimum pressure on the belly, bladder and chest. Keeping a pillow behind the lower back will further help in keep the pressure low. After attaining the right seating position, it’s time to put the seat belts on. Make sure that the belt passes over the shoulder and in between the breasts, while the lower belt should be below the belly, which makes sure that there’s no compression in case of sudden jerks.

All the stale gases should be pushed out of the car by turning the blower on and keeping the windows rolled down. These gases can be dangerous for the yet unborn child, hence utmost care must be taken about it. Same can be said about air fresheners and car perfumes. Keeping them away makes sense. Should the need arise to get rid of smell inside the car’s cabin, roll down the windows.

Precautions for driving the mother-to-be around town

Sudden jerks can prove to be very harmful for both the expecting mother and the foetus she’s carrying, so make sure you slow down when roads become bad. Be slow and steady and don’t go too fast, as pregnant women are prone to motion sickness.

Regular breaks are important. First, because it’s not the most important position to be in, it can get quite uncomfortable if sitting for a long time. Swelling and the chance to develop blood clots in feet and hands are two problems that arise due to sitting in one position for a long time. Standing and stretching, pointing toes downwards and then upwards is advisable for pregnant women. Flat shoes, loose fitting clothes are advisable.

Keep at hand the medical papers, emergency contact numbers and most importantly your gynaecologist’s number. A car kit, with a couple of medicines, healthy snack (preferably low salt content), wet wipes and water bottles should be carried at all times.