You don’t need to laze around on the beach all day if you’re pregnant.
I’m sure you’ll be as desperate as anyone else to get in the water. In fact, if you’re a ninja you might want to go snorkeling.
But you’re probably wondering if it’s safe to snorkel while pregnant, so let’s find out and we’ll delve into some things you need to know.
Can You Go Snorkeling While Pregnant?
Yes, you can definitely go snorkeling while pregnant. Studies have shown that swimming is good for expectant mothers. But there are a couple of big things you have to keep in mind to keep your baby safe.
Staying Safe Snorkeling While Pregnant
Snorkeling isn’t considered a strenuous activity, especially if you’re wearing the best snorkeling fins on your feet. You’ll be able to glide through the water with ease like you’re not carrying a human being around in your belly.
But like anything else in life there are risks involved. We’re going to discuss the most important ways to minimize them:
- You shouldn’t hold your breath
- Make life easier on yourself
- Stay hydrated and fueled up
- Strong waves throw you around
- Avoid sudden changes in altitude
You shouldn’t hold your breath – Babies need oxygen to breathe so you shouldn’t hold your breath underwater. If you’re wearing the best full face snorkel mask you’ll still be able to see plenty of sea life without going deep. You can still go snorkeling without being fully submerged.
Snorkeling a little deeper is still possible for a few seconds here and there. That being said, pregnant women might want to avoid it due to reasons we’ll discuss in a few minutes.
Make life easier on yourself – Snorkeling can be quite strenuous if you push yourself to your limits? That might be okay if you’re not pregnant because you can use the workout to lose weight, but it’s different when you are with child.
You’ll only want to enjoy yourself and admire the wonderful things to see under the sea. So wear something on your feet even if they’re bodyboard fins. Snorkeling with flippers on your feet will make life much easier on yourself. You can concentrate on having tons of fun.
Please Note: You can make life easier for yourself on land too. Wildhorn snorkel fins are like shoes and you’ll be able to walk around in them. It’s easy to slip and fall over while wearing some fins.
Stay hydrated and fueled up – Take breaks at regular intervals to drink water and eat food. Pregnant women burn extra calories due to the fact they’re carrying a baby. When you add physical activity on top you’ll need to eat to keep your energy levels up.
Staying hydrated by drinking lots of water is even more crucial to your health. Not only will it help your baby but it will help you avoid things like cramps too. Leg cramps are a nightmare when you’re in the ocean struggling to stay afloat.
Strong waves throw you around – Do you walk into the middle of the street without looking? Imagine what could happen to your baby if you were hit by a car. Large waves can produce quite a lot of force too. Far too much to put your baby through.
Always check weather reports before you go snorkeling unless you’re close to the shore. The sea conditions are completely unpredictable and can change in an instant.
Avoid sudden changes in altitude – Pregnant women aren’t allowed to go scuba diving. Do you have any idea why? The pressure changes suddenly as you dive deep into the water. The fact this could hurt your unborn child won’t come as a surprise.
So don’t jump into the ocean from a boat. When you’re in freefall you’ll pick up lots of speed. Who knows how far down you’ll end up?
And the most important thing to remember: stop immediately if something doesn’t feel right. If you have a tingly feeling you should stop, you’re right.
Main Benefits Of Snorkeling While Pregnant
Snorkeling actually has some surprising benefits you’ll appreciate while pregnant. Here are a few of the top things you can look forward to:
- Improves labor
- Less sciatic pain
- Helps with swelling
- Eases morning sickness
Improves labor – It’s hard to push your baby out, so I’m sure you’ll want to make it as easy as possible. Snorkeling will allow you to build up your endurance while maintaining your muscle tone. Both will come in handy when you’re finally ready to give birth.
Less sciatic pain – Pregnant women aren’t just carrying a few extra pounds around with them. Babies can press down on your sciatic nerve and it hurts. This goes away when you’re snorkeling because your baby will be floating through the water with you.
Helps with swelling – Your feet and ankles will swell when you’re pregnant which isn't great. Snorkeling will relieve your pain for a while. There are also some benefits you won’t notice, like your circulation improving preventing blood from pooling down there.
Eases morning sickness – I bet you’ll do anything you can to keep your morning sickness to a minimum. Cool water is known to provide a nice relief from nausea. A large number of pregnant women falsely assume snorkeling will make their morning sickness worse.
Some Snorkeling Tour Companies Might Say No
Unfortunately, you might not be able to take part in snorkeling tours while pregnant. Even though you might run into this issue with certain companies it’s nothing to worry about. It’s still safe to go snorkeling when you’re pregnant. It’s their problem.
Maybe they don’t want to risk taking a pregnant woman on a boat when the sea is rough. A lot of snorkel tour companies won’t want to take on any extra liabilities. They would freak out if you went into labor in the middle of the ocean.
It just means you’ll need to go snorkeling on your own. Look on Google and you’ll find places close to shore where you can snorkel. Don’t forget to ask the tour companies who turn you down for advice too.
But make sure you always have someone else with you. Preferably a strong swimmer who can help in the event of an emergency.
Speaking To Your Doctor Before Snorkeling
If you’re reading this while on holiday it might be too late. But it’s always a good idea to speak to your doctor before you go snorkeling while pregnant. They’ll be able to give you specific advice based on your individual needs.
And they’ll be able to give you more detailed pregnancy advice too. For example, if you’re going somewhere very warm they might tell you to avoid snorkeling in the middle of the day when it’s boiling hot.
When your temperature is elevated for too long it can cause birth defects. A tropical climate and warm waters aren’t always an ideal combination. Doctors will have plenty of other great advice too.
So Can You Really Go Snorkeling While Pregnant?
The short answer is obviously yes, it’s safe to go snorkeling when pregnant. If you follow the advice we’ve talked about today you should be okay unless something completely unexpected happens.
If you are looking forward to going away, I hope it’s put a smile on your face. You need to do something to keep yourself occupied when you can’t drink tons of pina coladas while chilling on the beach.
