Is downhill skiing and snowboarding safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about downhill skiing and snowboarding during pregnancy?

1. Skiing is named among the fall-risk activities to avoid during pregnancy, alongside gymnastics, horseback riding and surfing. 1
2. Reviewing guidelines from 11 countries, all of them ruled out sports involving risks of falls, trauma or collisions, listing skiing as a specific example. 2
3. In pooled alpine skiing data covering more than 64,000 injuries, falls are the predominant cause of head injuries, lower limb injuries make up 43 to 77 percent of the total, and head and neck injuries about 13 percent. 3
4. Falls are reported in roughly 13 to 27 percent of pregnancies and are most common in the third trimester, as weight gain, relaxin-driven ligament laxity and reduced abdominal muscle strength cut postural control. 4
5. Placental abruption complicates roughly 1 to 6 percent of minor injuries and up to half of major injuries in pregnancy, which is what turns an ordinary ski fall into an obstetric event. 5

Is downhill skiing and snowboarding safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. The uterus is still tucked inside the pelvis, so the fetus is better shielded from a direct blow than it will be later. What does not change is the chance of a high-speed collision or a fall hard enough to injure you.
• Second trimester. Balance is measurably different by now and edges that used to feel automatic no longer do. Most skiers step back to gentler winter activity around this point.
• Third trimester. This is the trimester when falls are most common and the abdomen is most exposed. Ski towns also sit at altitude, which stacks breathlessness on top of everything else.