Skydiving While Pregnant

[peregrinerose 0]

I phrased badly with the having an opinion thing... More that you can't possibly have a truly educated decision without looking into it, being in the situation where you have to make that choice... like the whuffo who's never even met a skydiver but thinks skydivers are all suicidal maniacs and every other skydive results in a fatality. Sure, it's an opinion, but not a very educated one. More information would probably result in a more valid opinion.

My hunch is that if I was pregnant, I'd probably jump until the OB/GYN that jumps at the DZ with me told me not to... after all, he's got the expertise in both fields, so probably a far better person to asses the risks than I am.

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I hope MY name never gets into that conversation.
May I suggest Turtlespeed instead?

I am going to be at the Farm in a couple months.....

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And what about jumper Dads? Fuck them? Sorry, this is not a one-woman, one decision deal.

I agree, but this thread was about jumping while pregnant. I don't see to many knocked up dudes falling out of airplanes
There are as many opinions on this topic as there are people voicing them. I don't think it's wrong to stay on the ground during pregnancy, or to stop jumping until the kids are 18, or to keep right on jumping until the kid pops out. Every person/couple/pregnancy is different. I have friends that have made all three decisions listed, and all of them seem to be happy and healthy (both parents and kids). Isn't that all that matters in the end?

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[georgiaskydiver 0]

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My hunch is that if I was pregnant, I'd probably jump until the OB/GYN that jumps at the DZ with me told me not to... after all, he's got the expertise in both fields, so probably a far better person to asses the risks than I am.

I came as close to that as I could find. My OB is a scuba diver & a rock climber, so she understood our lifestyle and the level of activity my body was used to.

[georgiaskydiver 0]

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And what about jumper Dads? Fuck them? Sorry, this is not a one-woman, one decision deal.

Fuck dad? That's how I got knocked up in the first place!


Hubby did get a vote and was all for my continued jumping. We both decided I was okay to continue until my body told me to stop. We also agreed to restrictions on who I jumped with. Once my breasts got so large I couldn't see or fasten my chest strap, it was time to stop.

And now that the Little Guy is here, we have an agreement not to go up on the same load together anymore. Just in case.

[popsjumper 2]

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Hubby did get a vote and was all for my continued jumping. We both decided I was okay to continue until my body told me to stop.

See? A joint decision and that's OK. I wouldn't agree to that but you did. OK.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[peregrinerose 0]

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See? A joint decision and that's OK. I wouldn't agree to that but you did. OK.

That might be why she's not married to you

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[georgiaskydiver 0]

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See? A joint decision and that's OK. I wouldn't agree to that but you did. OK.

That might be why she's not married to you

That, and about a half dozen other reasons!!

[popsjumper 2]

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I phrased badly with the having an opinion thing... More that you can't possibly have a truly educated decision without looking into it, being in the situation where you have to make that choice...

OK, Jenn, let's discuss.
What sort of education do you have that allows you to make the choices you would make and what sort of education do I have to have to allow me to make the choices I would make with respect to the topic at hand?

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More information would probably result in a more valid opinion.

So, you still choose to look at a different opinion as invalid?

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My hunch is that if I was pregnant, I'd probably jump until the OB/GYN that jumps at the DZ with me told me not to... after all, he's got the expertise in both fields, so probably a far better person to asses the risks than I am.

Do you see how this ties in with your first and second statements about "educated decision" and "more information"? Apparently you have already made a decision (as per your 1st and 2nd statements) but have yet to discuss with your OB/GYN (as per your 3rd statement).

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I hope MY name never gets into that conversation.
May I suggest Turtlespeed instead?

I am going to be at the Farm in a couple months.....

Does this mean what I think it means? A chance in...nah...couldn't be. Nevermind.

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And what about jumper Dads? Fuck them? Sorry, this is not a one-woman, one decision deal.

I agree, but this thread was about jumping while pregnant. I don't see to many knocked up dudes falling out of airplanes

I was talking about the Dad having a voice in the decision-maiking process.

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...I don't think it's wrong to stay on the ground during pregnancy,

So we agree on that part of it.

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or to keep right on jumping until the kid pops out.

And there's the disagreement.

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Isn't that all that matters in the end?

All's well and good, eh, until the tradgedy happens...now what? Sorry Jenn, I prefer "better safe than sorry" in an instance where a defenseless human with no dog in the hunt is involved...
(damn, I can't believe I interjected that into this conversation. I'm starting to sound like a pro-life bozo.)

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[VincentVL. 0]

First of all, don't call me ignorant please. If anything is ignorant, it's statements like "me not jumping is more dangerous than me jumping ololol".

If you want to go ahead and participate in a high risk activity with an unborn baby inside you, that's fine. Your body, your kid. It's probably going to be ok anyway. (as you said: it turned out great)

Just be honest about it and say "I'm willing to expose my child to the same (probably even bigger) risks I'm exposing myself to".

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suggested that my child would be born with a third eye in the middle of his forehead

No he didn't. If he did, you should have found a different doctor long ago. Get a second opinion from a doctor.

It's like the old "riding mah motorcycle while pregnant" discussion. If everything goes well, no problem. If Granpa McBlindeye wipes you off your socks at the reasonable speed of 30 miles an hour, baby might not come out like he should.

But alright: I'm not a pregnant woman so I don't know these things. I wish I was a doctor so I could tell my friends how unhealthy smoking is.

[peregrinerose 0]

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So, you still choose to look at a different opinion as invalid?

Nope... getting more information and coming to the same conclusion as you had before makes it a more valid opinion. I don't care if anyone agrees with me or not... I actually prefer that people don't agree with me because it makes conversations more interesting and I tend to learn more that way. I don't learn crap from people that agree with me all the time. Makes for a boring discussion.

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Apparently you have already made a decision (as per your 1st and 2nd statements) but have yet to discuss with your OB/GYN (as per your 3rd statement).

Nope, I have not made a decision on it. I said what my hunch would be, but I also haven't talked to an OB/GYN, I've never been pregnant, and will never be pregnant, so it's also not something I've done any research into. I also said I'd never pack a reserve, never pack for another person, never pack a tandem, never do a night jump, never consider CRW and a crapload of other things that I now do. The more I learn about any topic the more likely I am to change or modify my opinions on them.

I'd rather admit to being wrong about something than be all stupidly bullheaded and unwilling to examine my own opinions and change them from time to time. I've had too many uneducated opinions that I hotly defended and then found out I was really undereducated on the topic. It's embarrassing when that happens. And sometimes just dumb luck when my opinion happened to be valid from the start.

So, faced with pregnancy and after talking with an ob/gyn or two, I might do something completely different than what my initial hunch is. Doesn't really matter since it won't ever happen.

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Sorry Jenn, I prefer "better safe than sorry" in an instance where a defenseless human with no dog in the hunt is involved...
(damn, I can't believe I interjected that into this conversation. I'm starting to sound like a pro-life bozo.)

I think 'better safe than sorry' can go to all kinds of extremes. There's the obvious... drinking/illegal drugs while pregnant has a pretty high risk of less than desirable consequences. Then on the other end of the spectrum, there are much lower risks, say the odds of getting run over by a bus in a mall parking lot while pregnant. Short of living in a bubble during the entire pregnancy, everything the pregnant chick does from eating dinner to driving a car has some degree of risk to it. I just think it's up to the pregnant chick (and SO if applicable) to weigh the risks/benefits for themselves.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[wmw999 2,123]

a. You don't have to be a doctor to tell your friends how unhealthy smoking is. You can already refuse to be around them unless it's outdoors.

b. Everything you do is about risk management, and when one is pregnant, then you're managing risks for two. Living in the city vs. the country (pollution, traffic, crime), living in the country vs. the city (remoteness from medical help), eating a less desirable diet, flying, lots of stuff.

BTW, for the first few months, what peregrinerose said is reasonably accurate, according to the OB/GYN I went to; the majority of miscarriages (aka spontaneous abortions) are due to fetal problems, and not anything the mother did. The fetus is very small, protected by fluid and the mother's bony structure and soft tissue.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[popsjumper 2]

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I think 'better safe than sorry' can go to all kinds of extremes...Short of living in a bubble...I just think it's up to the pregnant chick (and SO if applicable) to weigh the risks/benefits for themselves.

You're right on those counts, of course. It is their call, not ours. My weight of risk far outweighs the weight of benefits with respect to pregnancy and skydiving...as well as other high-risk, life-threatening sports and events.

It just going to be a sad day when the worst happens...as it probably already has somewhere, sometime and will probably happen again in the future.

You jumpers that will be talking to your doctors about it, be sure to mention that even highly experienced skydivers smack the ground...oftentimes hard enough to gum up internal works. Your doctor should be educated as well and it may well be up to you to educate him/her.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[peregrinerose 0]

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Your doctor should be educated as well and it may well be up to you to educate him/her.

I wholeheartedly agree with not being afraid to educate your doctor. Docs don't know everything, so for crying out loud, teach us what we don't know. I've learned just as much from some of my patients as I did in school. A good doc is one who doesn't have a God complex and is willing to learn more.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[georgiaskydiver 0]

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suggested that my child would be born with a third eye in the middle of his forehead

No he didn't.


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Yes, in fact SHE did. Which is precisely why I did seek a second opinion.


And although I never called you ignorant, your continuation of this conversation belabors the point.

[VincentVL. 0]

A FEMALE doctor????? Now I've heard it all.

Ok all bets are off...

[denete 2]

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...Another thing, the minimum age for skydiving is 18 in the US, so how old is the fetus while jumping? Sounds like a DZ could actually maybe get in legal trouble for allowing a pregnant woman to jump should something terrible happen to the mother or the child.

Oooooo, I didn't think of that. Fetus Rights and all. Ooooo..future parents might want to check their state's stance on that. Even the parents could be charged in some states maybe. Child endangerment? Neglect? I dunno.

If you're going to go down that road, then the woman would have to have a tandem rating...and should be grounded for signing the fetus' waivers before age 16 in the US.

Case closed. Asshat out.

[riggerrob 558]

Last year the Autralian Parachute Federation published a lengthy article on the subject of skydiving while pregnant. The article included interviews with a dozen senior Australian skydivers who had jumped while pregnant.
I will try to find the issue date for you.

The bottom line is: the Australians have already done a study and we would be wise to listen to their conclusions.

[EricaH 0]

Just a question to you & any man who would advise his S/O to not skydive during "your" pregnancy.

Would YOU stop jumping during the same time in support of your child bearing love?

There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear.

PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[tbrown 26]

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I have just learned I am pregnant, and my doctor has grounded me. I think this is whuffo bullshit! Can anyone out there please let me know your experiences with skydiving while pregnant, good or bad, and how far into your pregnancy you jumped.

If there are any medical types out there, I would love to have your input as to any unique risks to the baby that skydiving might pose.

I know a few women who were just fine jumping pregnant. One couple even asked USPA for an honorary B license for their baby.

I don't see how your doctor can ground you anyway.

That said, I also had a slammer opening last summer that was bad enough just on me. I'd hate to think of a baby having a slammer. But the same goes with driving your car. It's your call.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[VincentVL. 0]

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Just a question to you & any man who would advise his S/O to not skydive during "your" pregnancy.

Would YOU stop jumping during the same time in support of your child bearing love?

Sure. If she wanted me to. She doesn't even have to be pregnant to ask me that.

First I'd try to explain to her that it's not about "support", "living" or "what's fair"...
It's about the safety of the unborn child. I can still support her even if I do a couple of jumps a month. And if I have an unfortunate landing the kid will still pop out unscathed in due time.

My s/o is a woman though. She might not listen to reason. I personally don't think in terms of: "If I can't jump then why should you be able to jump it's just not fair nagnagnagnag ".

[lauraliscious 0]

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It just going to be a sad day when the worst happens...as it probably already has somewhere, sometime and will probably happen again in the future.

I can think of one highly publicized incident where a pregnant woman had a terrible malfunction on BOTH her main and reserve, spun into the ground, and landed in a parking lot. And her baby came out just fine. If you consider having Shayna Richardson as your mother being fine.

But yes, it would be a sad day if the worst happened. That being said, I've thought about this and will probably skydive as safely as I can if and when I ever get pregnant. Of course, it will be a joint decision with my partner and our doctor.

Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091

[popsjumper 2]

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Just a question to you & any man who would advise his S/O to not skydive during "your" pregnancy.

Would YOU stop jumping during the same time in support of your child bearing love?

If I was prgenant? Yes. No question.

If she were pregnant with my child? Irrelevant to the dicussion. My jumping wouldn't be putting the baby in jeopardy. The question at hand does not include how well or how badly your relationship with the SO is going. But, to answer your misdirected question, if she asked and it was important to her then yes, I would sit out with her...no problem.

Do try to think in terms of what's best for the baby instead of self-gratification.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[billvon 2,402]

>I can think of one highly publicized incident where a pregnant woman
> had a terrible malfunction on BOTH her main and reserve, spun into the
> ground, and landed in a parking lot. And her baby came out just fine.

Yep. But keep in mind that, in general, it's the more minor injuries (i.e. slow car crashes) that cause most miscarriages, especially later in the pregnancy.

[popsjumper 2]

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...I can think of one highly publicized incident where a pregnant woman had a terrible malfunction on BOTH her main and reserve, spun into the ground, and landed in a parking lot. And her baby came out just fine.

I'm going to assume that you are not pointing to that one incident as saying, "SHE came out alright so therefore it must be OK."

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[lauraliscious 0]

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I'm going to assume that you are not pointing to that one incident as saying, "SHE came out alright so therefore it must be OK."

Nope, I never said anything of the sort, I am not making any blanket statements for or against jumping while pregnant. I think it should be an individual decision, and not up to an outsider to judge the situation. Just pointing out that a pregnant woman HAS had a terrible landing and the baby was fine. Not that the baby would be fine in every situation, because obviously that is not true.

Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091

[popsjumper 2]

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...I think it should be an individual decision, and not up to an outsider to judge the situation...

That would seem to exclude a doctor's opinion unless you're considering a doctor as an "insider". Even then, I see some on here who would disregard the doctor's opinion anyway and continue jumping.

I question the decision to put the baby at unnecessary risk...usually driven by a need for self-gratification. Pure and simple.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239