You have started a journey toward parenthood. Congrats!
While being one of the most joyous occasions for anyone, being a parent means a lot of responsibilities and they start even before the baby arrives.
Expecting mothers have to change a lot of things starting from their diet to their daily routine, and even their sleeping habits.
When driving, the cardinal rule to always buckle the seat belt still applies but there are a few differences when it comes to wearing a seat belt while pregnant.
Let’s take a look at them!
First Things First: Are Seat Belts Safe in Pregnancy?
The short answer is yes.
Not only is wearing a seat belt safe but it’s also recommended for anyone.
Seat belts are supposed to be worn at all times but you have to be even more responsible when you’re pregnant.
This would keep both you and your unborn child safe from any car accidents or bumps on the road.
Think of the seat belt as your child’s first car seat and always secure it properly to ensure that you and your little one reach the destination safely.
While it’s true and understandable that pregnancy indeed changes your body in more ways than one.
You might wonder how it can be safe to maneuver with a big belly in the car and stay comfortable with a seat belt on.
But the fact is that achieving both comfort and safety is simpler than it sounds.
How to Properly Wear a Seatbelt While Pregnant
It’s essential to ensure that you’re always wearing a seatbelt no matter what.
Pregnant women or not, the seatbelts must always be snug across the chest and shoulders to ensure safety and security.
However, being pregnant means major changes in your body and your comfort levels.
Here are a few things you should be careful about while using seatbelts during your pregnancy.
- Lift your belly up before buckling the seat belt below
- Position the seat belt between your upper torso and across the side of the belly for maximum protection
- Ensure you have extra room near your belly by readjusting the seat
- Tilt the steering wheel upwards
- Sit in a comfortable upright position
All these tips may sound simple, but they have a lot of benefits for pregnant women.
When you are pregnant, even the smallest of such things matter because you have to ensure that there isn’t too much pressure on your belly.
One thing you should be careful about is the best sliding up your belly.
Properly adjusting the belt is the best way to ensure that it doesn’t happen because the belt can put a lot of pressure on the uterus in the case of an emergency brake.
Is Driving Becoming Too Uncomfortable for You? Here’s What you Need to do
Once you are far along in your pregnancy, you’ll probably start feeling a bit too uncomfortable in the driving seat.
This is the sign that it’s time to take a break from being behind the wheel.
It takes a village to raise a kid and that starts right from the time you’re pregnant.
Consider letting someone else chauffeur you and help you out with your daily tasks.
Doing so would be the best for you and your kid as even the smallest accident can create a lot of issues.
Airbags: How Safe are They During Pregnancy?
Airbags are the primary safety equipment after the seatbelt. However, they can be very dangerous.
Especially for pregnant women. At the time of the accident, airbags deploy at a breathtaking speed, which can hurt the baby in your belly.
While pregnant, it’s important to move your seat as far as possible from the steering wheel as airbags can hurt you or your child during deployment.
Are Maternity Seat Belt Adjusters a Myth or an Effective Solution?
A popular product that many pregnant women lean toward is a maternity seat belt adjuster.
People seem to think that it’s the right solution but the facts are completely opposite to that.
No one knows if maternity seat belt adjusters work or not as there is no crash test data supporting their performance in accidents.
Are you really willing to experiment on the safety and security of your child? Maternity seat belt adjusters are exactly that.
Furthermore, if you look at the design, you’ll see that it introduces slack in the chest area, which is rarely a cause of the problem in case of a crash.
Wearing a seat belt exactly how it’s supposed to work is indeed the best way to ensure the safety of both the mother and child.
Data shows that unborn babies are about 5 times more likely to survive and grow without any issues in the case of a crash if the mother wears a seat belt.
Final Thoughts
Wearing a seatbelt properly is the primary responsibility of any driver, pregnant or not! However, it’s true that pregnancy brings about a lot of changes in the person’s body.
It’s your responsibility as a parent to ensure the safety of you and your child and seat belts are the primary protection in the case of an accident.
The best part is that wearing the seat belt properly during your pregnancy isn’t even that different from regular.
Simply be careful about your belly and follow all other aforementioned tips to ensure that you and your babies remain safe.
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