Is it safe to drive?
Some studies have argued that pregnancy can lead to driving errors — and road accidents [1].
However, there are no direct reasons to think driving is unsafe during pregnancy. Casey Gaiter, MD and director of the Montefiori Perinatal Center in New York [2], is confident that you can drive not only within the city, but also during a small road trip — for example, on weekends. There are a few simple rules to follow: always keep a bottle of cool water in your car to keep yourself hydrated, stop every two hours to get out of the car and stretch so that the blood flow in your legs is even. And be sure to wear seat belts.
Doesn't the belt tighten the belly?
Only if located incorrectly. The safe position of the belts is as follows: the waist strap goes below the abdomen, along the thighs, and the shoulder strap goes between the breasts. For comfort, you can move the driver's seat a little further. Studies by Japanese scientists, conducted in 2010, confirm that seat belts can greatly reduce the risk of injury to both a woman and an unborn baby, even in a serious head-on collision with another car [3].
