New mom needs dive certification advice

[tbone1004]

Update: thank you everyone for your advice and answers to my questions. I appreciate all your feedback.

Hello everyone,

I am a new mom (6 months) and am planning on having more kids, but I want to start diving so badly! I am not certified yet, but my mom just got hers and has no one to dive with. I need advice on whether you think it'd be okay for me to get certified or should I wait? For each baby I'd have to take a year off because of the nitrogen build up that comes with diving. Do you think it would be okay for me to take a year off each time and get back into diving or would I have to take a refresher course each time? If that's the case would it be better for me to just wait until I'm done having kids?

I'll avoid the specific baby discussion because I'm not a doctor and others have sent the DAN recommendations which track and make sense.

As an instructor, I would say that it depends on the interval that you're planning on having kids. Irish twins/triplets are common in my family which is nice because we are all close in age, and in that case I would recommend waiting until you are done having kids before you go back which is what my mum did since the gap was so small. If you were already an experienced diver then that recommendation may be different because you would have already had a solid foundation but coming in as a new diver you would probably find yourself very frustrated with starting and stopping.

If you're planning on waiting a few years between them, then go ahead and have fun!

 

[ACRYLICPINE22]

Oh wow, that's great! Thank you so much! I was hoping they'd be that way, but it took 3 years for this one so I'm honestly not sure how soon it'll happen. I will talk with my husband and see what he thinks. Thank you again!

 

[wnissen]

Oh wow, that's great! Thank you so much! I was hoping they'd be that way, but it took 3 years for this one so I'm honestly not sure how soon it'll happen. I will talk with my husband and see what he thinks. Thank you again!

Here's a recent thread where they took 20 years off! Trip Report - Almost like Riding a Bike

 

[tbone1004]

Oh wow, that's great! Thank you so much! I was hoping they'd be that way, but it took 3 years for this one so I'm honestly not sure how soon it'll happen. I will talk with my husband and see what he thinks. Thank you again!

If you think it may be a while, then I would go ahead and get certified. Chase the dream while you can and enjoy the experience while doing something for yourself. If you have to take a year off then it is what it is, most divers are very infrequent anyway so it is something we are used to as instructors and it won't be the end of the world for you.

 

[lowwall]

Get certified! It doesn't expire and nearly every dive op offers a short refresher course if you feel you've had too long of a layoff.

 

[boulderjohn]

As many have said, you don't want to be diving while in the process of pregnancy, and the DAN article gives you other information.

But it takes very little time to get certified, and you should have plenty of time between pregnancies to enjoy diving after certification. Just create a common sense schedule.

 

[pauldw]

Do you know what diving while pregnant makes you?

A submarine.

 

[formernuke]

For medical advice call DAN and your local Dr. If your Dr. Has questions DAN has DR's who will consult with other DR's

 

[GJC]

The need for a refresher course depends totally on your level of comfort when you resume diving. If you have been swimming and are very comfortable in the water when you are not diving, you may not need a refresher course. If you're not that comfortable and feel like you forgot a lot of the course content, a refresher would be appropriate. Refresher courses are not that expensive (maybe $75-$100).

There are alternatives to taking a refresher course. A lot of dive shops offer free pool sessions for certified divers where you can get wet and practice your skills. Some dive shops or dive clubs have mentor programs that will pair up new divers with experienced ones that will help you out on shore dives or boat dives.