pregnancy & diving

[oravake]

I have a theoretical question and may be someone can also share the experience. Itseems to be a big and experienced community here.

Does diving somehow affect on getting pregnant and should one stop diving right from the first weeks u know about the condition (usually considered 6-7th week by med personel) or is it under some conditions allowed later on as well?

i have looked around in the net etc and in some natural birth schools a "slight diving" - up to 3 m is considered healthy even up to the end of pregnancy - so kind of part of preparation work for labour. Any comments on that?

and of course i mean healthy preganancy, not the ones that have a complication risk, or bring along syptoms like nausea, aching, weakness - conditions u have to postpone the dive anyway.

Finished OWD in July - but this question came into my mind only now

 

[Walter]

This is a frequent topic of discussion here. If you make a search you'll find lots of discussions. Bottom line - as soon as you suspect you might be pregnant stop diving. Why take a chance with something so precious?

 

[SubMariner]

As Walter indicated, there have been several threads on this subject.

However, the bottom line is that as soon as a woman knows she is pregnant she should no longer dive.

Frankly, I would think this would be a no-brainer. Why there is ever any discussion on it is very puzzling to me.

~SubMariner~

 

[otter-cat]

Is free-diving (aka breath-hold diving) during pregnancy also considered problematic?

 

[Ontario Diver]

SubMariner once bubbled...
As Walter indicated, there have been several threads on this subject.

However, the bottom line is that as soon as a woman knows she is pregnant she should no longer dive.

Frankly, I would think this would be a no-brainer. Why there is ever any discussion on it is very puzzling to me.

~SubMariner~

I guess because swimming/floating in the water is considered very good for the soon-to-be-mommy (exercise, relaxing, less pressure on the back, etc. etc. etc...)

But diving (any - not shallow versus deep) in frowned upon because..... because.... well because there hasn't been a scientific study? I agree that the effects of canned air and pressure have not been studied on the fetus. But it reminds me of what my Dr. said when "the mother of my children" was pregnant. "We don't know how much alcohol causes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome but we do know that some level of alcohol causes it. Thus we state medically that pregnant women should drink NO alcohol so that nobody gets sued."

sigh

I agree that no child is worth the chance but I am not comfortable with the logic.

 

[Zept]

Ontario Diver said...
But diving (any - not shallow versus deep) in frowned upon because..... because.... well because there hasn't been a scientific study?

I have had the same thoughts. While looking for answers, I came across this thread, which has details of some scientific studies.

BillP makes a good point when he says, "Because of the potential for increased risk to the fetus from diving you can't ethically ask pregnant women to dive for your study." Maybe you could find a group of women divers who were prepared to get pregnant, go diving, then abort the fetus so it could be autopsied. I doubt you could find an ethics board that would accept the study or a journal that would publish it. And besides that... ick! IMO it would be beyond the boundaries of acceptable science. There are some things we don't need to know.

It isn't that hard to take a break from diving. It would be very hard to determine exactly what the safe limits might be.

Zept

 

[Rick Murchison]

It is not the effect of the "normal" dive that is a big concern to my mind - it's the abnormal dive, or the undeserved hit - the dive that requires recompression with high PPO2, or the dive that requires a CESA or the dive that causes an embolism however small and the subsequent treatment.
It just isn't worth the risk.
Rick

 

[SubMariner]

If memory serves they have been doing studies on sheep with regard to this subject. And I seem to recall there being evidence of microbubbles being found in the bloodstreams of the sheep embryos.

Now, if I could only remember which publication I read this in so I could post more info! :shaking:

~SubMariner~

 

[KC_Scubabunny]

The Wreckmaniacs can back me up on this since I tried this while we were in Florida, pregnancy makes you very bouyant. Pike diving is almost impossible. I was in my 18th week when we were in Florida and had enough of a tummy at that point that even snorkeling was not an option.

I am now in my 28th week (time flys when you are having fun) and my doctor has got me enrolled in a prenatal water aerobics class to help with my circulation. I am carrying very low and blood flow to my legs is restricted.

My doc did not advise stopping diving while trying to get pregnant. I knew by my 5th week and haven't dove since. I believe this is the only safe option.

KC_Scubabunny

 

[Nudibranch]

Dr. Eugene Clark, the renowned shark expert, was diving well into her 7th month without any adverse affects to herself or the baby. I'm not saying women should or shouldn't, just stating a fact. I think it is ultimately the woman's choice on what she feels comfortable doing.