Being a parent is an experience many dream of. For this reason, when there’s risk associated with a particular activity, the immediate reaction from a pregnant woman is to stay away.
Riding a lawnmower is one such activity, but is it safe to ride on one while pregnant? And at what point does it become too risky even to consider it?
Generally, riding a mower while pregnant is safe. However, you’d have to consider some precautions, listen to expert medical advice, and pay attention to your body. That’s because many things could go wrong, putting you at risk of losing the baby.
This article will help you understand when riding a mower is safe and give tips to help you avoid the attendant dangers.
Is it Safe to ride a mower while Pregnant?
Ideally, riding a lawnmower while pregnant is safe and, in some cases, encouraged by professionals. However, it has to be carefully done. Supervision might also be useful, but the general conclusion is that it can benefit pregnant persons.
Further, how safe riding the mower gets will depend on some factors specific to your pregnancy. Some of them are a history of medical issues, the terrain you want to run over, and the mower itself.
Are There Benefits of Mowing While Pregnant?
Yes, there are some benefits. When you consider that doctors and other specialists advocate for some physical activity while pregnant, riding helps. Riding a lawnmower is a good physical activity.
Further, riding takes minimal effort, but you’d be doing it outdoors. That means getting fresh while at it. But always listen to your body and do not go overboard.
Another benefit you get is that riding a lawnmower prevents extra weight gain. The action releases endorphins or “feel good” hormones. Since the machine vibrates while moving, your body feels sensations.
The Stages of Pregnancy
As mentioned before, staying safe is important if you must ride a lawnmower while pregnant. Also, how you ride, if permitted, depends on how far gone you are. That’s because some stages demand more precautions than others, thanks to the risks involved.
Let’s look at some significant stages of pregnancy and how riding a lawnmower can affect you.
Riding at 10 Weeks Pregnant
At this point, you’re probably still processing the fact that you’re pregnant. You’re not showing too many signs physically as well. But a child is growing inside of you even if you go about your everyday business.
You can ride a lawnmower in this stage without many hindrances. Still, you must follow the safety precautions. An electronic lawnmower is perfect because it does not carry fumes like its petrol counterpart.
Riding at 15 to 20 Weeks Pregnant
After hitting ten weeks of pregnancy and heading to fifteen, riding a lawnmower is perfectly safe. But if your doctor has instructed you to avoid many physical activities, you should stop. Conversely, if you feel well enough, riding is a safe way to get some exercise.
Listen to your body. If you feel dizzy while mowing your lawn, get off the mower and take a break. It’s early weeks, but you shouldn’t push yourself too hard in the early weeks. This will make your last few weeks of pregnancy more challenging.
Further, at twenty weeks, you’re already halfway through your pregnancy, with changes to your energy levels and immune system set in. As a result, you might get tired faster, so you’d best take frequent breaks while riding the lawnmower.
Riding at 30 to 40 Weeks Pregnant
Thirty to forty weeks represent the other half of the pregnancy. It gets harder from here because the baby is more developed while your body is getting ready for labor. You’ll experience different feelings across your whole body, including soreness and exhaustion.
Riding a mower to cut grass is not recommended at this stage because your body is quickly exhausted, and little exercise can strain your health. However, you can still ride only when you feel well enough and have some distance to go before your due date. You also have to mow safely.
A rider mower is preferable to push mowers because you sit and steer around the yard. That’s far less stressful than pushing some weight around.
Stay hydrated, and when you’re less than two weeks away from your due date, it’s best to stop any form of exercise, including riding a mower. It will help you avoid going into early labor.
Risks associated with riding a mower while Pregnant
As you’ve seen, riding a lawnmower while pregnant is safe, especially when you observe some precautions. However, there are still risks involved in the process that you must know to have the best time riding outdoors. Some of them are discussed below.
1. Irregular Landscape
How your yard’s landscape pans out plays a serious role in your mowing exercise. If the surface is mostly flat, you will quickly and safely ride without worrying about your health. Conversely, a rough, hilly landscape is worth avoiding. That’s because such a yard poses a significant risk for pregnant women.
Constant up-and-down movement and strong vibrations can induce nausea or harm the baby. Whenever you have such feelings, it’s best to stop mowing immediately.
2. Exposure to Allergens and Diseases
The air outdoors and the fresh lawn all look clean and pristine. But while riding your lawnmower, know that you may be exposed to allergens in the air and bugs that can carry diseases. Bees and other insects can spread pollen and particles, leaving you with allergic reactions while mowing the lawn.
The pregnancy factor can make the allergies worse. Along with your hormone regulation and immune system, your body might react negatively to things not considered harmful. If you have a medical history of such happening during pregnancy, it’s best not to mow.
As for diseases, some of them are spread by bugs, usually from one backyard to another. For example, Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in tall grass. While mowing, these ticks may land on your skin and clothes, and when they bite you, they transmit Lyme disease. The disease can severely affect your health and pregnancy.
3. Dehydration
Your body could get too hot from being outside riding your lawnmower, leading to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. While pregnant, you’re more prone to these conditions, especially if the day is hot.
Heat can cause dizzy spells, leading to falls and other accidents that may cause harm to you and the baby. For this reason, you’d best avoid hot days and staying on the mower too long.
Dehydration is just as bad because your body does not have enough water, leading to headaches and exhaustion. It would help to stay hydrated at all times to encourage new tissue growth, extra blood volume, transport nutrients, help indigestion, etc.
Safety lawn tips to help you while Pregnant
Following a few directions and precautions can help you avoid many safety hazards. Tips to help you ride mowers and care for your grass include the following:
- Prepare the yard beforehand so you don’t have so much work. Items like toys and sticks can be removed to clear the way for smooth mowing.
- Wear appropriate clothes for the occasion. Some covering will help keep insects at bay. Also, don’t wear clothing that is too tight or draws heat.
- Get someone to help out. Family or that trusted neighbor can help you do some light tasks around the yard. If it all proves too much, hire someone to mow the lawn.
- Seek medical advice from experts before riding your lawnmower while pregnant.
- If you feel discomfort, it’s time to stop so that you do not harm yourself or the pregnancy.
Conclusion
Generally, riding a lawnmower while pregnant is safe, but listen to your body and get professional advice. You can’t go wrong when you know your limits and stick to safe practices. For example, wear appropriate clothing to prepare the yard days before mowing.
Early weeks of pregnancy are best for riding lawnmowers and keeping you in shape. However, towards the last weeks of the pregnancy, it’s best to stop riding or do so less frequently.
Now that you know this, you can take advantage of mowing to exercise your body, getting it ready for the date of delivery. Apply the safety tips, and you’ll be fine.
References
- Prabha, B. S., & Venkatesh, N. (2019). Validation of Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (TAMIL). Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 10(8).
- Zhang, Y., Dong, S., Zuo, J., Hu, X., Zhang, H., & Zhao, Y. (2014). Physical activity level of urban pregnant women in Tianjin, China: a cross-sectional study. PloS one, 9(10), e109624.
