Driving while Pregnant – A complete safety guide

Driving while pregnant

Are you scared of Driving while pregnant ? Every parent is worried about how to protect their little muffin even while he is “still in the oven”. Pregnancy comes with a long list of do’s and don’ts.

What about driving while pregnant?
Do you wear a seat belt?
Do you go without?
Do you just start walking everywhere?
Do you start to work from home and have everything you need delivered to you?
What precautions should be taken when driving while pregnant?

If you keep worrying about these questions, don’t worry and read on to know all about it.

For most pregnant women there’s no reason why you can’t carry on driving as normal. You may have to stop a bit more often for washroom breaks or to rub your tummy, have a walk or stretch to relieve any body ache. Other than these common problems associated with pregnancy, driving while pregnant is considered safe.
However, during the last few months of your pregnancy when your bump grows large you would find it difficult to enter and exit a car, specially because the steering wheel would get in the way.
Although there isn’t any rule as such, most pregnant women end up avoiding to drive around 30 weeks and prefer somebody else to drive, just because it is usually easier and comfortable to take a back seat.

What’s really important to know is that you should be really careful while driving while pregnant, since you may experience  insomnia, stress, nausea or fatigue during pregnancy which might be responsible for a driver error.

Driving while pregnant

Here are some tips that would help you stay safe when you are driving while pregnant:

Try to Be a passenger: Try not to drive when possible, specially when your bump grows and gets closer to the steering wheel.

Getting in the car: Bend a little and sit on the car seat first. Next you Should lean a little and raise your legs into your car.

Getting out: After the door is open, turn a little in your seat and place one of your leg out and ensure that you are stable. Lean back and place your other leg out. Next with the car door’s support or of someone standing up, get out of the car. This way there will be really less amount of pressure placed on your bump and back.

Put the Windows down first: Never turn the air conditioner on immediately after sitting in the car. A closed car ends up trapping various gasses that might be harmful for you and your baby.
Keep the car windows open for the first few minutes which would allow all harmful gasses to escape. After a few minutes you may roll up the windows and turn the air conditioner on.

Keep a check on how you feel: As mentioned above, pregnancy brings along with it symptoms like nausea, fatigue, lack of focus, etc. which could be responsible for errors. So ensure that you keep a check on how you feel, before you leave your house. In case you feel any of the above symptoms avoid driving and ask someone to drive for you, or wait until you feel better.
Drink some water, eat something, take some rest and see how you feel.
Ask yourself are you feeling more awake and focused? If so, go ahead and travel safe.

Get a car essential kit handy: You would most likely feel more thirsty and hungry because of the changes your body is going through. Hence its best to be prepared. A car essential kit should include a bottle of drinking water, some healthy snacks (preferably something which has less salt content), a puke bag ( in case you feel like throwing up), some wet wipes, your prenatal vitamins and anything else that you feel you might need.

Wear comfortable shoes: Ideally one should be wearing comfortable shoes during pregnancy. Wear flat shoes since they are comfortable and they go easy on swollen feet and also support your back.

Wear simple clothes: It’s best to wear loose fitted clothes while travelling, since tight clothes can cause risk of developing clots. Also choose clothes that would allow you to use the washroom easily, since the frequency to use the same would be high.

Cut down on any distractions: While you are pregnant there’s a lot that goes on in your mind and body, so keep any kind of additional distraction at bay. Keep away from your mobile phone and music system. You should be extra cautious or not drive at all in case of any inclement weather condition or when it’s expected to have high traffic.

Take breaks frequently: Stop, stretch and take a little walk if you will be in the car for several hours. You should anyways be stopping often for your washroom breaks. This will get the blood moving and you would feel more alert.

Position your bump far back from the steering wheel: When you have to drive, move your seat as far back as is comfortable. Try to position yourself in a way that your breastbone is at least 10 inches from the steering wheel. If you have an option in your car, move steering wheel towards your breastbone rather than your abdomen.

Wear the seat belt in a correct manner: Wear your seat-belt with the lap portion placed under your abdomen and around your upper thighs, never over or above the belly and as low as possible towards your hips. The safety belt should be snug and the shoulder straps should run across the chest.
Don’t place it behind your back or under your arm.

Remove any extra layers: Remove any coats of jackets, as it may interfere with the seat belt’s placement.

Keep car perfume away: Car perfumes are considered to be bad for the little one inside you.

Drive slow on bumpy roads: Be careful while maneuvering your car on pothole ridden bumpy roads and avoid as many potholes as possible.

Airbags are life saver: For optimal protection ensure that you wear your seat-belt even if your bar has airbags. It’s benefit would outweigh any risk to your pregnancy.
It’s believed that the side airbags don’t pose any risk to the passengers, just remember to avoid resting against the side air bag storage compartment, in case it deploys suddenly.

Always be prepared for an emergency: It’s adviced to carry your medical documents, emergency numbers of the place you are traveling to, your doctor’s number and any medication that you might need in an emergency. Remember to contact your doctor immediately in case of an emergency.
Being prepared is always best.

You might also want to read : 10 Things that you should Never say to a work at home mom | A hilarious take on the serious questions


Get on a discovery session With Life Coach Preet and discover new horizons. Reach me on Instagram to book one to one session or a group session.

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Preetjyot Kaur
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Preetjyot Kaur
Preetjyot Kaur is an Internationally Accredited Life Coach for Kids and a Certified Parenting Coach who strongly believes in breaking the stereotypes. She helps her clients to learn how to fulfil their dreams by helping them train their mind, manage emotions & energy to achieve what they truly desire. For over 6 years she has mentored quite a number of kids and parents to move closer to a better way of living.

42 comments

  1. Here it says it all, super put together and covers all. I know so many who believe safety belt would harm them

    1. Thanks Dieter.. I totally understand.. I have seen many people who feel the safety belt wouldn’t be comfortable.. However it’s proven that if worn properly it could save your life.

  2. I love to drive, and people around were so apprehensive that they scared me so much that I didn’t drive for the entire 9 months and also few months post delivery. Only if I had this resource of your blog at that time….
    it’s such an informative post

  3. What an informative post! You know, I never thought about how difficult driving can be or the safety measure one should take. We were in Singapore when I was pregnant and didn’t own a car so it never even struck me. But after reading you tips, I just realised there are so many pregnant friends of mine who should keep these things in mind.

  4. This was really helpful… I drove almost till the last few weeks during my first pregnancy but the second time around my Lil one was just 2 so I would drive only occasionally

  5. Great pointer list Preet. I wanted to drive till the last day of my pregnancy , but family never allowed me and they eventually stopped me from doing so in the seventh month of pregnancy.

  6. Great and informative piece of article for pregnant women who want to drive in this period also but can’t drive coz of some problems. These points will help them for preparing themselves for driving.

  7. Reading this, I wish I had known how to drive when I was pregnant. I still don’t. But these are very effective pointers. Especially because I know a lot of friends who have been refrained from getting behind the wheel while pregnant.

    1. Thanks. I can totally understand that. However there are so many moms who have no option but to drive and I thought why not share with all all these tips that helped me.

  8. I don’t drive so I didn’t have this dilemma when I was pregnant. But I am sure these tips will help those moms that do! You’ve compiled a wonderful list! Sharing this. <3

    NIkita.

  9. Great Tips! I always missed driving while pregnant because I was advised strict bed rest. And now I feel I have almost forgotten the basics of driving and need to relearn.

  10. I don’t know how to drive and not sure when will I learn it, but after reading this post, I am going to share with my friends who drive. Great post.

    1. ?thanks Poornima, really like your input. That’s right. I specifically didn’t mention this Coz it comes under the point where we shouldn’t drive when there is too less space between your bump and the steering wheel.

    1. Yes, using a seat belt is very important during pregnancy to ensure the safety of both the mother and the baby. It is also recommended to take frequent breaks during long drives to avoid fatigue and stress. It’s always better to be cautious and take necessary precautions to prevent any mishaps during this time.

    1. That’s great to hear! It’s always important to prioritize safety while driving, especially during pregnancy. Seat belts can be uncomfortable at times, but it’s important to wear them properly to protect both you and your baby.

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