Diving and pregnancy: what a female diver needs to know
Clear medical guidance for a female diver during pregnancy and the safe alternatives during this stage.
Diving and pregnancy do not go together. This is not an opinion but a medical consensus around the safety of mother and fetus.
Why a pregnant woman should refrain from diving
The fetus cannot process nitrogen bubbles that may form in its blood during diving because its lungs are not working yet. Any bubbles in the fetus’s blood cause serious harm that is hard to reverse.
When diving is forbidden
From the first moment pregnancy is confirmed until birth and the breastfeeding stage, it is advised to avoid diving with a cylinder.
What about freediving?
Freediving without a cylinder poses a different risk, but it is still a concern in later stages of pregnancy because of pressure on the abdomen and the risk of lack of oxygen.
Enjoyable alternatives for a pregnant woman
- Walking on the shore and observing the sea
- Surface snorkeling in calm shallow water
- Aerial photography of marine areas
- Waiting and planning a return to diving after birth and medical advice
Diving will be waiting for you after birth. The fetus is a trust that cannot be replaced.