Falling While Pregnant
Some Important Facts About Falling While Pregnant
If you are pregnant, the thought of falling while pregnant may be scary, but in reality it is something that happens on occasion. One of the reasons that falls are not all that unusual is because a pregnant woman doesn’t have the same balance and coordination that she did before becoming pregnant. When a woman is pregnant not only is her balance offset due to gravity, but in some cases she may not even be able to see her feet; this is especially true in the last few weeks of pregnancy.
When a woman reaches the fourth month of pregnancy, she will begin to lose some of her balance, an in a sense becomes a little top heavy. In addition to this, there is weight gain to deal with, the joints and ligaments are more relaxed due to hormone changes; all of this serves to make a woman feel clumsy and out of sorts. It is at this point that falling while pregnant becomes a danger.
In most cases falling while pregnant will not hurt the baby. Mother Nature has taken a woman’s clumsiness while pregnant into consideration and provided an amniotic sac that is full of fluid; this is what helps to protect your baby when you fall. The sac and fluid acts as a barrier to keep the fetus from being injured if there is sudden pressure on the stomach, like what can happen if you end up falling while pregnant. In cases where the baby is injured during a fall, the mother has sustained serious injuries herself.
To be on the safe side, if you do fall while pregnant you will likely want to call your doctor and tell him or her what happened. After you explain what has happened to your doctor, he or she may want you to come into their office so they can ensure listen to the fetal heartbeat has not injured the baby. No only will this ensure that your baby is okay, but it will go a long way in helping to calm your own fears about the fall.
If you have experienced a fall there are a few things that you may want to watch for. The most obvious sign that something might be wrong is if you begin spotting or hemorrhaging. Bleeding at any point in your pregnancy should be reported to your doctor, but this is even more important if you have recently sustained an injury. You will also want to pay attention to your baby’s movement. One of the best ways to monitor your baby’s movement is through the fetal kick count.
With the fetal kick count you will want to sit down and relax; make sure that you have a watch or clock that you can see. The fetal kick count involves paying attention to how many times your baby kicks or moves within a half hour. You should be able to feel the baby move at least ten times in 30 minutes. If you feel him or her kick at least ten times then chances are your baby is fine; if you don’t get at least ten kicks you will want to call your doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will want to check the baby’s heart and possibly do a stress test.
Falling while pregnant can be a frightening event, but it’s important not to worry about it too much as many women fall when they are pregnant; in only a few cases will a fall actually harm your baby.
To help prevent falls, you always wear comfortable walking shoes and try to avoid walking on wet surfaces and ice.