7 Important Tips For Driving While Pregnant

By Lauren Levy
Shutterstock
Shutterstock

Before you have a baby on board, there's a lot of planning and prepping that's involved. Even though many moms-to-be spend a majority of the nine months focused on how they are going to keep their little one safe — from the things they eat to the way they plan on baby proofing their home — many overlook key details that are important for expectant mothers to know while driving. Ford understands that driving for two can take some adjustments, so it partnered with Well Rounded NY for some safety guidelines.

  1. Keep Adjusting Your Mirrors: It's hard to forget to adjust your seat as your belly grows but fewer people think about checking their mirrors. Even when you just slightly move your seat back, you've still changed the position of your head in relationship to the mirrors and should check to ensure they don't need to be tweaked now as well.
  2. Lose the Layers: To ensure that your seatbelt is protecting both you and baby as much as possible, remove any bulky jackets or pieces of clothing before buckling up.
  3. Properly Buckle: The correct way to wear a seat belt while pregnant is to fasten it as low as possible with the lap portion settled below the bump (to avoid putting any pressure on the belly) and the hips as anchors. Position the shoulder belt centered on the collarbone (between the breasts) and have it run along the side of the belly, not directly on top.
  4. Sit Back: Sit as far away from the steering wheel as possible. Find out if your car has the option to adjust the pedals — this will allow shorter mamas-to-be to position their seats further away from the airbag while still being able to reach the gas and break pedals.
  5. Plan Your Route: Even if you're a master navigator, the struggle of pregnancy brain is very real. Put your destination in your phone or navigation system before you start driving to avoid distractions.
  6. Prepare For Nausea: The only thing worse than morning sickness is morning sickness while you're tying to operate a moving car. Whether you've dealt with motion sickness your entire life or have had an unpredictable (and sensitive!) stomach since getting pregnant, limit this discomfort while driving. Invest in a motion-sickness bracelet or have an easily accessible bag filled with antinausea candies in the car at all times.
  7. Account For Distractions: If you're a second-time mom-to-be, you now not only have to get used to driving with a large bump again but also have distractions coming from the backseat. Instead of ever taking your eyes off the road, allow extra time to pull over and check on your little one but also remember to trust their car seat to do its job while you're doing yours — you purchased it for a reason!