Exercises with low impacts are helpful for pregnant ladies. These workouts help the mothers and babies stay healthy. But can you snorkel while pregnant?
Yes, you can snorkel safely during your pregnancy until you move to the mid-third trimester. However, never free dive and hold your breath for too long.
We will give you a comprehensive guide to snorkeling while pregnant. Let’s join us and learn how to enjoy this activity safely!
Is It Safe To Snorkel While Pregnant?
Yes, snorkeling is typically a safe and beneficial activity for pregnant women. Yet, they should always check their doctor before engaging in any exercise.
Snorkeling and Trimester
Doctors may allow you to do something based on your trimester. This factor qualifies your health in performing specific tasks.
Pregnant women already know that there are three trimesters in their pregnancy:
- 1st trimester: week 1 to week 12
- 2nd trimester: week 13 to week 26
- 3rd trimester: week 27 to the end
A mother’s weariness is common throughout the first trimester. It is also the most critical stage in a baby’s growth. This tiredness usually decreases in the second trimester, if not totally gone.
Unfortunately, women frequently experience fatigue, difficulty breathing, and sometimes even sleeplessness in the last trimester.
In other words, you might claim that going on a snorkeling vacation would be most enjoyable in the second trimester from a trimester viewpoint.
Of course, if your doctor approves, you can go snorkeling in the other trimesters; nevertheless, bear in mind that you may get exhausted quickly.
Risks of Snorkeling While Pregnant
The first is about the air we take when we’re underwater. Many people are at risk from compressed oxygen during this time.
Although most individuals are safe under standard snorkeling conditions, any variations in the levels of compressed oxygen can pose disproportionate effects on the baby.
The second danger of snorkeling during pregnancy is that you raise your chance of developing decompression disease, sometimes referred to as the bends.
Many snorkelers are aware of how this illness emerges: tissues absorb nitrogen bubbles during descent.
While ascending gradually, the body may safely disperse the bubbles. Because of the pressure change, coming up too soon allows the bubbles to grow.
The consequences of bubbles expanding may be severe, and it’s considerably worse for an unborn kid.
The reason for this symptom is that oxygen tends to move to a fetus in the pregnancy through the placenta rather than the lungs. As a result, once the nitrogen bubbles have developed, the newborn may have difficulty releasing them.
How to Safely Snorkel During Pregnancy?
You can enjoy your time in the water. However, make sure to take safety measures. Here are some things you must and must not do for this experience.
1. Visit Your Doctor
For any pregnant lady, visiting the doctor is the most crucial step. Make sure to discuss all of the circumstances and overall health with your physician.
Check with your doctor, not yourself, if you can snorkel. You are free to engage in aquatic sports such as swimming and snorkeling if your doctor determines that your health is excellent.
Expectant mothers with excessive blood pressure or anemia should take extra caution. Ask your doctor carefully before doing anything.
2. Prepare Travel Medical Insurance
A comprehensive medical insurance policy is essential just in case, so you don’t have to worry about bills if something bad happens.
When you’re pregnant, the last thing to bother is coping with an emergency and attempting to raise money.
3. Check The Area
This step may sound excessive, but it is essential. You don’t want to get hurt by a marine creature while enjoying your time.
When entering the water, take care not to walk on any sharp plants or rocks that might cause infections.
Some people have encountered jellyfish directly, and they all agreed that this creature was terrifying.
Even while its sting is rarely deadly, it can trigger severe allergic reactions, which are dangerous for the baby.
4. Check The Weather
Any stress might impact your baby, so try to be as attentive as possible during your pregnancy. Because sea weather is unpredictable, don’t rely just on the weather around you, particularly if you’re snorkeling away from the beach.
Getting stuck in current or bad weather may be unpleasant and hazardous for you and your baby. Consequently, before you go out to the water, remember to check the weather forecast.
5. Stay Close to The Surface
When you rise to the surface suddenly, nitrogen bubbles form. These decompressions will cause fetal discomfort. If they happen frequently, they turn out to be fatal to your baby.
As a result, diving during pregnancy is not advisable. Even when snorkeling, you should stay as near the surface as possible.
6. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is essential for body temperature control, joint lubrication, illness prevention, and healthy brain and body functioning.
To prevent overheating, which might harm the unborn baby, pregnant women should take precautions to remain hydrated. The water can be refreshing and cool. However, it does not imply that you are adequately refreshed.
Swimming raises your body temperature even higher, leading to dehydration and pregnant hot flashes. These issues may cause birth abnormalities. As a result, you should take water breaks and avoid snorkeling on hot days. You can drink juice and tea, but water is the best. Be sure to get enough to keep your body functioning correctly.
When you are in the water, you may ignore the initial signs of dehydration. Hence, don’t just stop when you feel thirsty. Thirst is a sign of dehydration. You should solve this problem immediately by drinking water.
On the other hand, drinking too much water may cause overhydration. So what should you do to hydrate yourself correctly? Just drink enough water to feel fresh and energized. Besides, eat some water-rich fruits and vegetables.
7. Don’t Go Snorkeling Alone
Even if you are a skilled scuba diver, you should always bring a partner when participating in this activity.
It may be your pleasure to explore the undersea world to its fullest extent, but it might also be a risky decision.
To avoid any incidents that might harm you and your baby, make sure there is someone with you at all times.
If you’re traveling on vacation with your partner, this pastime might be a dreamy date before your baby arrives. If you’re going on a family trip, snorkeling may be fun for everybody.
8. Protect Your Skin
UV rays are harmful to everyone, but especially to pregnant women.
During maternity, your skin becomes more sensitive. Exposure to the sun can cause various problems, including skin cancer.
When you go to the beach, a maternity swimsuit is not enough. You need strong gear for snorkeling.
A rashguard will effectively protect your skin against UV radiation while also safeguarding your unborn baby.
Besides, choose the best sunscreen and apply it all the time. Even if you don’t plan to head to the beach, applying sunscreen before leaving the house is good.
9. Use Your Own Equipment
It may be more cost-effective to have your own snorkeling gear when going on vacation rather than renting a set.
Before using shared equipment, make sure that it is thoroughly sterilized. Yet, there’s always the chance that it wasn’t, and you would not want to take this risk when you’re pregnant.
10. Do Not Overexert Yourself
With the ideal weather and magnificent sea, you feel terrific, but don’t let your body overwork.
You may be ready to face this challenge. However, since you are expecting a baby, things are different.
This rule is essential during the first trimester when you’re tired after a walk or climbing up the stairs.
There is so much stuff going on in your body. It’s normal when you become exhausted so quickly.
The same idea is accurate in the third trimester. If you get overwhelmed, return to the beach as quickly as possible to avoid early childbirth.
11. Don’t Hold Your Breath
Pregnant people should have access to oxygen at all times. While snorkeling, do not free dive and hold your breath for longer than a few seconds.
You may have heard of decompression disease. It is a severe condition that can have catastrophic consequences. Hence, when snorkeling, try to take frequent rests to avoid losing your breath.
You may think that you’ve got everything under your control. Even when using a snorkel mask, you may notice yourself holding your breath unintentionally as a natural response to your physique in the water.
12. Contact The Tour Operator in Advance
If you’re planning a snorkeling trip, contact the tour operator ahead of time. Many tour companies are willing to assist pregnant women on their excursions, while some cannot do so (often because of their insurance policy).
The tour operators also have a great idea of what to expect regarding weather and other valuable information. As a result, speaking with them ahead of time might help you prevent unforeseen problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions pregnant women often wonder when they want to snorkel. Let’s check as you may have the same problems.
1. What is the difference between diving vs. snorkeling?
These two activities differ because you swim just at the water’s surface when snorkeling, whereas diving allows you to dive deeper into the water.
- Cost: Scuba diving is much more expensive since it requires more equipment.
- Difficulty: Snorkeling is a safer option. It involves much less training, experience, and skill than scuba diving to handle any risks.
- Safety: Scuba diving may be dangerous when not done correctly. There’s a chance that equipment will malfunction, causing decompression sickness or drowning.
- Skill level: Scuba diving is significantly more challenging. You need training and even a certificate to guarantee that your mental and physical health is in excellent condition.
According to experts, pregnant women can snorkel because this sport is quite safe. On the other hand, due to its high risks, scuba diving is not an experience you should try while expecting a baby.
2. How can I get the energy to exercise while pregnant?
Before you put on your equipment, have a quick, nutritious snack — think protein and carbohydrates, like a pear or string cheese — to keep your energy levels up.
Also, stay hydrated by drinking lots of water before, during, and after a workout.
3. Can you go near animals while pregnant?
Pregnant ladies should avoid having close contact with farm animals or marine creatures. Infectious germs can be available in animal delivery fluids, especially in sheep, goats, cattle.
4. Can ocean waves hurt a pregnant woman?
While pregnant, stay away from the beach waves since riding large waves might make you lose your balance and fall.
When going on the beach, be careful not to go too deep into the water and avoid sharp rocks or other dangerous objects.
Conclusion
Pregnant women can go snorkeling. However, there are multiple things to bear in mind when heading to the sea.
You may need to expect undesirable circumstances. To avoid them, take extra caution in everything you do. Do not try your luck when you are expecting a baby.
Hopefully, you will find this article helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next post!
