Anyone ride the "forbidden" rides when pregnant?

[tpimental]

I am going to Disney over 4th of July and will be 15 weeks pregnant. I know some of the rides are no nos, but I really want to ride Splash Mountain, Test Track, Thunder Mountain, and teh safari at Animal Kingdom. Are they really that bad for pregnant women. I have been on on SM and TM 100's of e times and really don't see the big deal about them.

Thank you!

I did both Splash Mountain and the Safari at 32 weeks.

 

[Magpie]

Deleted, because I am being a wee bit cranky.

 

[Suzanne74]

This entire thread is really taking me back to my own pregnancy days. The way people talk to pregnant women!

If you don't do (whatever) you're irresponsible. You don't care about the welfare of your child. You don't appreciate what a gift it is to even be pregnant. Why would you even CONSIDER this, you terrible person? You'll never forgive yourself if anything happens regardless of your actual culpability. Of course the flip side of that last statement is that if DO forgive yourself, you're probably some kind of inhuman monster.

You also get talked down to like a child. "The parks will still be there." Uh yeah, I really wasn't expecting them to be destroyed in a combo earthquake/tsunami/volcano next week.

"Just do what your doctor says and don't ask questions." Because all doctors are exactly the same and no other doctor has ever made a different call with regards to this situation. (For the record, mine told me I could do whatever I wanted, just pay attention to my personal comfort level.)

It's one thing to give personal anecdotes, and describe your feeling on the issue. It's also awesome to share scientific studies and links and what-not. But when it comes to pregnant women, for some reason, everyone seems to think that they're foolish children incapable of making up their minds about anything. And it's our duty to shame them into behaving "properly", however we personally define that.

Phew! Okay, now that I've got that off my chest.... OP, once you've done your research, please then go ahead and do whatever you want, without shame or guilt. It's your pregnancy, no one else's.

And it's good practice for the future, when everyone will be trying to tell you how you should be raising your child.

No offense but this post makes no sense. There are posts at every one of the rides she wants to go on saying "Pregnant woman can not go on this!!!" and her doctor is telling her not to go on them. Yet she posted in spite of that asking for opinions and you are chastising the moms who are telling her to wait, please listen, rides will be there later? If she didn't want opinions, she wouldn't have posted. If she was only going to research and formulate her own decision like you tell her to, then this post should be removed.

I am really confused. Do you want everyone here to just say "Don't listen to your doctor or Disney's rules - just do whatever you want to do - oh and have a magical time!!!"

 

[Magpie]

No offense but this post makes no sense. There are posts at every one of the rides she wants to go on saying "Pregnant woman can not go on this!!!" and her doctor is telling her not to go on them. Yet she posted in spite of that asking for opinions and you are chastising the moms who are telling her to wait, please listen, rides will be there later? If she didn't want opinions, she wouldn't have posted. If she was only going to research and formulate her own decision like you tell her to, then this post should be removed.

I am really confused. Do you want everyone here to just say "Don't listen to your doctor or Disney's rules - just do whatever you want to do - oh and have a magical time!!!"

What makes me cranky aren't people with differing opinions from mine. It's people who try to tell other people that "formulating their own decision" is just wasting everyone's time. There have been many responses on this thread, with many different points of view, from "my doctor said I could go" to "no, don't!" She can choose to follow anyone's opinion that she likes, or none.

It was a legitimate question, and worth asking even "in spite of" her doctor and the signs. That's what this board is all about - it's a place to research options, and make up your own mind.

 

[Minniesgal]

I find this very childish and entitled. A pregnancy is only 9 months not that long. It isn't worth the risk to the mother or the baby to do rides that are forbidden. If anything was to happen would medical insurance cover it? A 30 second ride could end up in a lifetime of regret it just isn't worth it.

 

[Magpie]

I find this very childish and entitled. A pregnancy is only 9 months not that long. It isn't worth the risk to the mother or the baby to do rides that are forbidden. If anything was to happen would medical insurance cover it? A 30 second ride could end up in a lifetime of regret it just isn't worth it.

I think the Universe is laughing at me right now. I should go weed the garden!

 

[dsneygirl]

I did the safari and the teacups, no coasters.

 

[pearlieq]

I think the Universe is laughing at me right now. I should go weed the garden!

I do get your point, but can you honestly say it doesn't sound just a wee bit childish?

"Even though there's giant signs saying no and my doctor concurred when I asked directly, I still wanna do what I wanna do! *stomps foot* Maybe if I post a thread about it, enough complete strangers with no medical qualifications will tell me what I want to hear...?"

I don't have a problem with people calling a spade a spade.

 

[mrsltg]

I was newly (and unexpectedly!) pregnant with my youngest dd when a surprise trip for just my oldest and I rolled around. My options were to either not let my dd (then 6) ride any of the rides she loves (i.e. Splash, EE, and safari), or go with my gut on what I thought was appropriate. I chose the latter. YMMV. If this is your first, welcome to the world of superior parenting, mommy wars, and guilt. When it comes to your child, only you can make these decisions.

 

[Magpie]

I do get your point, but can you honestly say it doesn't sound just a wee bit childish?

"Even though there's giant signs saying no and my doctor concurred when I asked directly, I still wanna do what I wanna do! *stomps foot* Maybe if I post a thread about it, enough complete strangers with no medical qualifications will tell me what I want to hear...?"

I don't have a problem with people calling a spade a spade.

I don't think the original post sounded childish at all, and I seriously doubt she's thinking any of the words you're trying to put into her mouth. Stomping her foot? Using words like "wanna"? Really? This is exactly what I meant about all the unnecessary shaming.

You've decided you know exactly what kind of person she is based on this question, and you've decided harshly. What a way to discount a person's value and worth, without even knowing them. Do you really believe your case is so weak, that you need to insult her to get her to do what you want?

Meh. Maybe she'll just go find a medical professional to tell her it's okay. In which case, that spade just became a safari.

 

[SRiley1985]

You will get all sorts of answers from people here and you'll also get the people that err on the extreme side of caution and hardly walk during pregnancy.

I will tell you that when I went during that timeframe of pregnancy I rode everything and rode them often. At the time it was a very slow time at WDW and DH and I rode RnR a few times right in a row, then walked over to ToT and rode that multiple times. I rode Space, Splash, etc. and anything that I wanted to ride. Granted I didn't know that I was preggo so a couple of weeks later after I found out I asked my OB about it and she assured me that the baby was the size of a peanut (if that big) and was very well protected. She said that if anything were to happen (like a miscarriage) that it would be from something either being wrong with the pregnancy or my body behaving badly against the pregnancy. The chances of a theme park ride causing some catastrophic damage to the baby was pretty slim to none.

Of course talk with your OB, educate yourself on the rides and make your own informed decision.

At 15 weeks, your baby is not the size of a peanut. I had a miscarriage at 14 weeks and she was 4.5 inches long and weighed 4 ounces. Definitely larger than a peanut. I'm hoping that you misheard your OB, not that she was that clueless about fetal development.

To the OP- the question you need to reflect on is can you live with yourself if you rode the big rides and then you miscarry or your baby is born with any sort of defect? If the answer is yes, then by all means go ahead. you might be fine, you might not. Same thing with drinking while pregnant or any other risky behavior.

 

[SRiley1985]

Sorry if my above post comes across as sanctimonious or whatever. As someone who had 3 miscarriages, I just can't fathom doing anything that could potentially cause problems for a pregnancy. I went to Disney at 9 weeks with my youngest and I sat out everything that had a warning. Again, really sorry if I came across badly but it is something that I feel really strongly about because of personal reasons so I may not be objective enough about it.

 

[RMulieri]

Pregnancy is only a precious 9 months..Disney is NOT going anywhere.. I personally wouldn't chance it.Listen to what your Doctor says

 

[mrsltg]

To the OP- the question you need to reflect on is can you live with yourself if you rode the big rides and then you miscarry or your baby is born with any sort of defect? If the answer is yes, then by all means go ahead. you might be fine, you might not. Same thing with drinking while pregnant or any other risky behavior.

That's astoundingly unfair to ask anyone. In this case, the OP is 15 weeks pregnant, and as you should be aware from your later miscarriage, major systems are formed and the possibility of "defect" is small. Further, as the parent of a stillborn baby, I can tell you most mothers, including myself, feel guilty regardless of what they may or may not have done during pregnancy.
The OP is not the only pregnant woman who will read this thread, and what if someone does miscarry? Added to their own (likely unfair) stress and self-doubt, will be the voices of those accusing these women of doing something to harm their babies.

We are overprotective and more than a little obsessive as a group when it comes to pregnancy these days. Case in point, when I was expecting my oldest, eating lots of fish was highly recommended. By the time I got to my second daughter, fish was highly restricted because of mercury. Now the pendulum seems to be swinging back the other way again. Which is it? Theme parks have these restrictions on almost all rides and the reason has more to do with litigation that safety during pregnancy. There are flight attendants who fly pregnant. The amount of gravity and air pressure changes they are exposed to are significant. However, they manage to have healthy babies. I would ride the Kilimanjaro Safari while pregnant over spending hours at 30k feet four times per week.

 

[MeeskaMomma]

Actually I will stay out of this one. Both sides have been argued sufficiently.

 

[PJHuntleyCO]

I went while pregnant and no I didn't ride rides that are no no's. Having lost a child at 36 weeks due to blood clots - there was not a chance I was going to take even a small chance. Babies are precious gifts and should you feel that you need to ride those rides - maybe it is best you reschedule your trip or Don't ride the darn rides.

 

[LilGMom]

At 15 weeks, your baby is not the size of a peanut. I had a miscarriage at 14 weeks and she was 4.5 inches long and weighed 4 ounces. Definitely larger than a peanut. I'm hoping that you misheard your OB, not that she was that clueless about fetal development.

To the OP- the question you need to reflect on is can you live with yourself if you rode the big rides and then you miscarry or your baby is born with any sort of defect? If the answer is yes, then by all means go ahead. you might be fine, you might not. Same thing with drinking while pregnant or any other risky behavior.

Bolding is mine. I'm sure my OB wasn't "clueless" and I either A) heard her wrong or B) have forgotten exactly what she said since it was over 12 years ago that I delivered a very healthy baby despite riding such extreme life-threatening rides at WDW. I probably experienced more bumps, jolts and jars driving to and from work each day and helping to lay sod on a half acre lot while pregnant than what I experienced at WDW.

While I am sorry that you have experienced miscarriages there are many women that just have a hard time with pregnancy and there may be nothing "external" that causes their miscarriage. And some women that can work up until the day they give birth, jog, exercise, run 5K's, lay sod, etc. and nothing "harmful" happens to the developing baby.

During your child(ren)'s lives you (as a parent) will continually question your actions and wonder what you could have done to keep your child safer. Should I have taken the training wheels off so early to prevent the skinned knee? Should I have removed all glass items from the house in case one falls and the child steps on it? Etc, etc, etc. The point I am trying to make is that you have to educate yourself and make an informed decision that you can ultimately live with regardless of what the question is that you are asking.

 

[brymolmom]

I am going to Disney over 4th of July and will be 15 weeks pregnant. I know some of the rides are no nos, but I really want to ride Splash Mountain, Test Track, Thunder Mountain, and teh safari at Animal Kingdom. Are they really that bad for pregnant women. I have been on on SM and TM 100's of e times and really don't see the big deal about them.

Thank you!

Welcome to parenthood....Where your wants go down the priority list significantly! And come in second (or third...) to the needs of your child(ren).

I've been to WDW while pregnant and was a bit sad to miss some of my favorites...But it made it all the sweeter the next time we returned.

Oh and be sure to strike this bargain with the daddy...On the next trip - YOU get to call the shots...If the baby/toddler (by then) is colicy/fussy and needs a nap - Sounds like prime opportunity for daddy/child time for them to go back to the room and let you roam to your heart's content. You made the sacrifices on the trip when pregnant...He can make the sacrifices on the next trip!

I know you'll enjoy it anyway - I sure did!

 

[MartDM]

There are a lot of remarks recommending OP do what she likes as long as she "can live with" the potential consequences. I find that so odd!

Just because a person carrying a baby decides they can live with any negative impact the risks they choose to take have on their baby, that makes putting a baby at risk an acceptable choice? I guess then we could equate this logic to women who do drugs during pregnancy...because they can live with the impact the heroin has on their baby, it's OK that they use it during pregnancy?



I still say this would be an excellent opportunity for OP to get used to the notion that the baby's needs now come before her wants.

 

[Magpie]

There are a lot of remarks recommending OP do what she likes as long as she "can live with" the potential consequences. I find that so odd!

Just because a person carrying a baby decides they can live with any negative impact the risks they choose to take have on their baby, that makes putting a baby at risk an acceptable choice? I guess then we could equate this logic to women who do drugs during pregnancy...because they can live with the impact the heroin has on their baby, it's OK that they use it during pregnancy?



I still say this would be an excellent opportunity for OP to get used to the notion that the baby's needs now come before her wants.

There's a necessary limit to how much we can control a woman's choices, in the name of protecting the baby.

Any pregnant woman who gets in a motor vehicle is putting her baby at risk, in the event of an accident. Is it okay for women to do that? Or should pregnant women stop using cars?

Any pregnant woman who sleeps on her back, or even her right side, could be at greater risk for stillbirth. Is it okay for women to choose their own sleeping positions?

Any pregnant woman living in the country might have to drive over bumpy roads every day, comparable to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Is that okay? What if she runs a farm?

ANY pregnant woman with older children is lifting them, carrying them, and running around after them. She might easily find herself hauling 30 lbs around in her arms. Or have small children head butt her forcefully in the belly. Or climb on the couch when she's trying to rest and jump on her. She could be on her feet for hours at a time, pushing vacuum cleaners, cooking and doing laundry. Is it okay for pregnant women to care for their own families?

I walked everywhere when I was pregnant. I went swimming. I pushed a car out of a snowy ditch when I was 7 months along with my first. I carried that baby in a sling throughout my second pregnancy. She was only 21 months old when the second was born.

Life is risk. It's up to each individual woman to decide whether the Kilimanjaro Safari is on the same order of risk as taking illicit drugs. Some may think it is. Me, I doubt it.