kent_1848
Guest
1) Congratulations
2) Don't dive pregnant
(not necessarily in that order)
2) Don't dive pregnant
(not necessarily in that order)
my pregnant wife
- Thread starter gandhiReBreather
- Start date
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Call DAN. But it sounds like we know what their answer will be...
kent_1848
Guest
The reason not to do it, is your unborn child is not using their lungs. You can't off gas as a fetus. If they could, your belly would blow up from the gases that they would breathe out...oh wait, your belly is going to blow up anyway 
Congrats again by the way.
Congrats again by the way.
andydiver06
Guest
Congrats .
Its awful that you have to cancel your dive trip. But if you have already paid for the trip there will be a quite a few divers around here who would take it.
Cheers! We will all wait for you to hand out the cigars.
Its awful that you have to cancel your dive trip. But if you have already paid for the trip there will be a quite a few divers around here who would take it.
Cheers! We will all wait for you to hand out the cigars.
I'm no doctor, but I would think the fetus, at that point, is offgassing using the mother's lungs for offgassing, just as it is using the mother's blood for... blood. As the levels lower in the mother's bloodstream, that fresh blood with lower Nitrogen levels would pass through the fetus as well.kent_1848:The reason not to do it, is your unborn child is not using their lungs. You can't off gas as a fetus. If they could, your belly would blow up from the gases that they would breathe out...oh wait, your belly is going to blow up anyway
Congrats again by the way.
It seems clear that it is a bad idea to dive preggo, but I just don't quite see that specific issue as the problem.
EDIT: Yes, I now realize the mother and fetus don't share blood. But they do share gases... the O2 comes through from teh mother's blood supply. Presumably the Nitrogen would, too. There must be some mechanism for things to go the other direction, as well. That said, my most important point stands: Don't do it.
You should both spend some time reading the extensive threads in the Womans forum. The bottom line is no compressed gas when preagnant. Skin-diving is allowed.
It's a small sacrifice for a short time to avoid risks that are not fully understood. It's the lack of understanding that makes it a black and white decision.
Pete
It's a small sacrifice for a short time to avoid risks that are not fully understood. It's the lack of understanding that makes it a black and white decision.
Pete
Congrats! I have a 1.5 year old. It is the best thing ever! (but start sleeping now while you can)
Do not dive while pregnant as you have heard. Especially in the first months a lot of things have to happen from the embryo to the fetus stage. Lots of cell trafficing, deviding, growing etc. Nitrogen micro-bubbles will probably not be very good to have present when your baby's nerve cells or blood vessels are being formed, or fingers, legs or whatever. Nature is amazing at making sure that everything nearly always ends up perfect. But don't mess with nature!
Another thing is that your wife might have morning sickness, not good to be on a boat perhaps.
I do recommend a vacation though. It is a good time to go somewhere to relax and if it happens to be near water, you might be able to steal yourself away for a few hours while your wife is reading a baby name book. Be careful, when you get back she might have chosen a really terrible name without you
All the best to you and your new family!!
Alex
Do not dive while pregnant as you have heard. Especially in the first months a lot of things have to happen from the embryo to the fetus stage. Lots of cell trafficing, deviding, growing etc. Nitrogen micro-bubbles will probably not be very good to have present when your baby's nerve cells or blood vessels are being formed, or fingers, legs or whatever. Nature is amazing at making sure that everything nearly always ends up perfect. But don't mess with nature!
Another thing is that your wife might have morning sickness, not good to be on a boat perhaps.
I do recommend a vacation though. It is a good time to go somewhere to relax and if it happens to be near water, you might be able to steal yourself away for a few hours while your wife is reading a baby name book. Be careful, when you get back she might have chosen a really terrible name without you
All the best to you and your new family!!
Alex
erparamedic
Vampire Girl......er Dork
I highly recommend NOT diving while pregnant. I have been in that situation, although, it was not a livaboard (prolly not a good idea= seasickness + morning sickness= misery!!). My husband and I planned a dive trip to Key West with other diving members of my family. Six weeks after it was planned, I was pregnant! I knew then that I couldn't dive on our vacation. By the time the trip rolled around, I was nearly 8 mos pregnant. Here's what I did do... while my husband and the rest of my family dove, I snorkeled above them. I still got to see lots of fishies, and had a very close encounter with 3 dolphins (amazing experience... dolphins can sense ultrasound fetal heart tones). I also sat at the dock, explored some beaches, and walked around parts of Key West when the sea-sickness/morning sickness was too bad. I do have to say though, that the nausea/seasickness was definitely exacerbated when on a boat.
If I were you... I would sell the live-aboard trip (if it's already been paid for), or cancel it and take another romantic trip that maybe doesn't include diving. This may be the last time for you and your wife to really "connect" for a while! Make it an extra-special trip, and have fun! But... I definitely WOULD NOT take any chances of diving while pregnant... It just isn't worth it.... and any dive operator would be nuts to take a pregnant lady diving.
If I were you... I would sell the live-aboard trip (if it's already been paid for), or cancel it and take another romantic trip that maybe doesn't include diving. This may be the last time for you and your wife to really "connect" for a while! Make it an extra-special trip, and have fun! But... I definitely WOULD NOT take any chances of diving while pregnant... It just isn't worth it.... and any dive operator would be nuts to take a pregnant lady diving.
There is actually little research on pregnancy and diving. The strong recommendation is not to dive while pregnant because they don't know how diving may affect fetal development. Check out this link on DAN's website for more information.
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.asp?faqid=103
Hope this helps.
PF
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.asp?faqid=103
Hope this helps.
PF
Answer is no. But you may not need to cancel the trip. If she does get morning sickness you can increase your and others chances of seeing lots of fish if she just heaves over the side and chums the water a little! I recommend feeding her cheerios or something similar for breakfast. Fish love 'em!
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