Research-backed
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Would you consider going on a roller coaster ride when you know quite well that you are pregnant? We bet not. What if you went on one such ride not knowing that you are soon-to-be mom?
Kate Smith, from Liverpool, did just that when she went to visit Disney World in Florida with her husband and two children.
It was a family vacation where the 34-year old was having a whale of a time at Disney Land with her husband Gerard and her children taking all the roller coaster rides at the amusement park. And suddenly she began throwing up.
She had been really nauseous on the trip and decided to avoid the rides, altogether. After all, she went around trying almost all the rides that there were.
When the situation did not improve, her husband suggested that she take a home pregnancy test. To their surprise, the home pregnancy test turned positive. Smith figured out that her sickness was not owing to the twists and turns of the roller coaster rides, but that she, in fact, had morning sickness.
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The couple was thrilled with the outcome because they had always wanted more children together. However, persistent nausea had begun to bother them.
Three weeks later when they went to see their doctor, it turned out that Smith was not carrying one but four babies! At first, the couple laughed at the news, but as it seeped down, Smith began to cry wondering how as self-employed couple they would cope with the whole thing.
At the 12-week scan, it turned out that one of the babies that Smith was carrying had died. The nurses explained that it was a common thing to happen. But the couple was disappointed at losing one baby and wanted the rest to survive and be healthy. A few months later, fortunately, Smith gave birth to two girls and a boy who were named Annie, Dolly, and Gerard.
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While the three babies brought joy to the family, Smith admits that the pregnancy was certainly uncomfortable and more intense than the past two pregnancies, but the gain was all worth the pain.
Well, in the case of Kate Smith who wasn’t aware of her pregnancy, going on the roller coaster ride seems to be valid. But it serves as a lesson to all women to be sure they are not pregnant before they go on the amusement rides.
The American Pregnancy Association does not recommend roller coaster rides for pregnant women. The major concerns associated with roller coasters during pregnancy are the fast starts and pauses accompanied by the jarring effects during the rides. The jarring forces within the uterus could cause placental abruption where in the placenta is disjoint from the wall of the uterus. While the trauma might not be directly felt in the uterus, it could still be a risk to the pregnancy leading to other complications (1). While there are no adequate cases of problems arising from roller coaster rides during pregnancy, there is no documented evidence that it is safe to go on these rides either.
To be on the safe side, it is always best to avoid roller coaster rides during pregnancy.
