Preggers on bikes? Why not, it’s not like driving is all that safe.
A recently received email titled ‘Preggers on a Bike‘ asked:
“I’m into my 6th month of pregnancy and getting a little out of balance. People have been warning me to give up biking but it’s hard to imagine a summer without bike. I’ve decided that I’d be willing to ride a tricycle for a couple of months but I missed out on the only one I’ve seen offered for sale. Do you think you could put a notice out on your blog or keep your ears open for someone who might rent/lend/sell a trike? I’m pretty sure I’d only need it for a couple of months.“ (Leave a comment if you can help.)
Ultimately, riding a bike is one of the safest modes of transportation around. Statistically, the raw numbers show that it’s safer to bike than walk in the United States. From 2000-2007, pedestrians were involved in 11.3% of all traffic fatalities, bicyclists 1.8%.
Still, I completely understand the concern of acceptable risk with a baby on board. Thankfully, there are a lot of moms out there sharing their experiences.
The star of the show at the BLOG 'A Most Civilized Conveyance' rides in comfort in a bucket bike.
One BLOG that is instructive on the topic is A Most Civilized Conveyance, which grabbed my attention with the post Baby on a Bike! back in January. Posts here cover a range of issues involved with choosing to be ‘car-free’ and to “thrive without it.”
Sure this mom lives in Portland, but it’s not like her and her partner don’t have to contend with their share of cars, potholes and disconnected infrastructure, as well as a midwife who was really concerned about her walking the mile to the birth center. (They took a pedicab home with their newborn.)
In April, San Francisco’s Street posted a piece by writer Regina Hope Sinsky about her pregnant pedaling experience. The two responses she receives while out and about: ““You go girl!” or “You shouldn’t be doing that, girl.”.”
Sinky’s main advice:
To be safe, I don’t ride in the rain, stick to streets with bike lanes, and avoid areas with heavy traffic. Fortunately there are lots of streets in San Francisco that fit the bill. I also always wear a helmet and multiple blinky lights. Duh. From what I’ve read, some women experience balance issues in their third trimester… if that’s you, then, well, maybe a stationary bike?
Families are choosing to go car-less all over the world, not just Portland and Copenhagen and even in little ol’ Traverse City mothers and mothers-to-be are thriving with less motorized miles driven.
I shared the message above with area writer and mom-on-two-wheels Cari Noga. I sat down with Cari back in January after I heard about her commitment to biking whenever possible, even while pregnant. She explained that it wasn’t that big of a deal once she had the routes plotted out. There were certain parts of town she simply avoided, but she got around fine.
Today, Cari posted an entry at TART’s blog, Inspiring Active Living that is a response to tricycle question, titled: Pedaling pregnant. With Smart Commute week around the corner, she answers the tricycle question with a general answer for all of us.
“What I can tell her – and everyone, X or Y chromosome, who might be thinking of trying bike commuting during Smart Commute Week – is that they key to success isn’t your wheels. It’s your confidence.” She concludes, writing,”if that expectant mother feels she’ll be safer on a tricycle, then she’ll be more confident riding it. Likewise for the person who’s overweight/got a bad knee/uses an inhaler/fill in the blank. With your doctor/midwife/health care practitioner’s blessing, do what you have to do to accommodate your particular needs. And then?… Giddy up.“
There’s more car-less moms out there, for certain. If you rode, or are riding, while pregnant what was the biggest surprise? Difficulty? What made it easier than you imagined? If you’re thinking about it, what questions do you have? If you know someone out there with a story to tell, please pass this on and encourage them to post a comment.
And, if you have a trike that can be loaned out, let us know.
I would also factor in how important exercise is during pregnancy. Biking is such a great way to keep your body toned while you’re growing a baby. The more you exercise the healthier you and your baby will be. It sounds like you’ve already made changes to make riding safer. I would simply slow down, wear a helmet and trust that your body was designed to keep that baby safe even if you do fall over.
i rode early in my pregnancies, but stopped when it became uncomfortable for me. i found when my belly became big, i didn’t like the pedaling motion, or the posture required for riding.
my experiences were all just around town here in traverse city, so i can’t speak much to safety issues involved in more intense traffic situations. but i felt confident when i did bike, that i wasn’t putting myself at any higher risk than driving, jogging, etc.
i am very concerned about newborns in trailers however. everything i have read indicates it’s not safe for an infant to be in a trailer until they are able to sit up. the issue is that a newborn must ride reclined, and doesn’t have neck muscles to support their heads. therefore they are subjected to every pothole and bump, which places them at risk for brain injury at this age.
I biked while pregnant and preferred it to walking. Always on flat roads or in neighborhoods (Holiday Hills subs) or on the TART so the roads/trails were easy to ride on no-gear beach cruisers.
It was easy riding, no stress or strain involved…
Now my 10-month old has his own seat, a Wee-Ride, attached to the frame of my husband’s bike. He wears a helmet, has feet and back support and can lean forward if he wants and rest his hands on a platform. It’s the coolest thing ever!
I’ll never forget how amazed and intrigued I was while in Amsterdam back in 2000 and saw an entire family on a bike! Mom pedaling with an infant and toddler arranged in bike seats, with groceries in a basket in front, it was the coolest thing I had seen!