Nothing says summer like a trip to a theme park - sunshine, long lines, greasy foods and tons of rides that are sure to get your adrenaline pumping. Unfortunately for pregnant women, theme parks can present possible dangers to your developing child.
Whether it's the local state fair, Disneyworld or Six Flags, riding on rollercoasters and other rides can be potentially harmful to an unborn baby. If you take a look around you will notice that all of these venues have posted signs warning pregnant women not to go on certain rides.
While there are no actual studies proving that these rides are dangerous for pregnant women, there are many elements involved in roller coasters and thrill rides that are a cause for concern. Thrill rides can be very jarring to the body and usually involve very rapid starts and stops. All of this rigorous movement can be transferred to the uterus, causing the placenta to prematurely separate from the uterine wall, a condition that is referred to as placental abruption.
The placenta is your baby's life support system and when it separates from the uterine lining before you go into labor, the transfer of oxygen and essential nutrients to you baby can be interrupted. Once the placenta has detached there is not way to reattach it. Even partial placental abruption can cause premature labor and low birth weight. This can even result in fetal death in cases of severe placental abruption.
Pregnant women involved in very minor automobile accidents have suffered placental abruption, miscarriage and other serious complications, even when the trauma is not directly to the uterus. While typically less jarring than even a minor car accident, roller coasters and other thrill rides present a similar risk.
It is true that pregnant women have ridden rollercoasters and other rides without any complications and went on to give birth to normal, healthy babies. However, this is not a time in your life where you want to take risks with your body. There are many activities that can be potentially harmful to a fetus that many pregnant women still take part in without any known harm to the baby. However, they wouldn't call it "taking a risk" if it could be proven to be unsafe. If you can't make it nine months without riding a rollercoaster for the safety of your unborn child, then you aren't ready to be a responsible parent. This is a time in your life where you want to take every possible precaution to ensure that you are giving your child every opportunity to be strong and healthy. The momentary thrill of a roller coaster ride just isn't worth the chance, however small, that you could cause your unborn child a lifetime of pain and suffering.
This is not to say that you can't enjoy a day at a theme park with your friends and family just because you are pregnant. There are plenty of rides that are deemed safe for pregnant women, as well as games to play, food to eat, and some great opportunities for some interesting people-watching. Remember that theme parks aren't going anywhere and in fact get better with time, so wait it out and come back after your baby is born.