Can You Skydive While Pregnant?

Most skydivers will tell you that any time is a great time to skydive! But, of course, there are certain circumstances that require a caveat. Many of us have health considerations that need to be taken into account before skydiving – like asthma, lasik surgery, or even the common cold, all of which we’ve covered on our blog. 

Here’s an important health question that isn’t always asked: Can you skydive while pregnant? The short answer is no; not really. Unfortunately, some major life milestones are best experienced separately. Let’s get into the details.

Can You Go Skydiving While Pregnant? 

A lot happens to your body when you’re pregnant – you’re growing another human! Those changes mean that your muscles and joints are going to react differently to extreme situations. As a result, you could be at increased risk for injury or other health complications that you wouldn’t normally worry about. And that’s not even taking the baby into account.  

Whether or not skydiving can cause a miscarriage is a complicated medical topic, but the bottom line is that there’s an increased risk of complications if you jump while pregnant. And that goes for any part of the pregnancy, even the early days. As soon as you know a little one is on the way, it’s best to not partake in any unnecessary risks. 

You may have noticed that some licensed skydivers do choose to continue to jump during their pregnancy. This is a personal choice and one that is made in accordance with a deep understanding of the sport and with the help of a doctor. 

Making a first tandem skydive or any other student jump is a different animal and would put undue stress on the pregnancy. As a result, making a tandem jump while carrying a wee stowaway is a pretty explicit no-go. 

Health & Safety Considerations

But why not? Isn’t what happens during pregnancy up to the parent? Besides, current research shows that the more active someone is while carrying a baby, the better. While all of this is true, everything has its limits. 

Jumping out of an airplane reaches far outside the bounds of typical levels of activity. Adrenaline and cardiological impacts aside, skydiving puts your body to the test! Skydivers have to climb, squat, crawl, and scoot to get in and out of airplanes, maintain an arch position in freefall, and hold their legs straight out in front of them to land. 

A pregnant person’s body releases the hormones relaxin and progesterone. These loosen joints and ligaments and reduce musculoskeletal cohesion to help make room for baby. But that also means that a pregnant person’s body is at a higher risk of injury while things are loosened up. 

Add to that the inherent risk that comes with skydiving and you don’t exactly have a recipe for fun. Your first skydive should be the time of your life – not an event that puts you in a tailspin of  worry.

Just think how amazing that skydive will feel after you’ve been waiting nine months to make it happen! 

Skydiving Center Policies

If all that isn’t reason enough to skip the jump until baby arrives, your last obstacle to making a pregnant skydive is Long Island Skydiving Center’s policy on not skydiving while pregnant. And this one is a little harder to get by. 

Each dropzone is different, but generally speaking, most skydiving operations wouldn’t allow a pregnant person to make a skydive until after the baby is born. It’s in the best interest of everyone involved (even those yet to arrive!) to wait it out and make the jump once you can leave any babes on the ground. 

If you have any questions about your eligibility to skydive or just want to plan for when you’ll be ready, give us a call! 

Alternative Adventure Activities

The good news is that skydiving isn’t the only fun adventure activity out there. And you also don’t have to avoid the dropzone just because you can’t jump! We love sharing our world with everyone and you’re welcome to hang out and watch other skydivers land while you wait for your chance to fly. 

You can stay active by getting out in nature and enjoying other low impact adventures like:

• Hiking
• Fishing
• Sporting events
• Kayaking
• Camping
• Biking

Just remember to take care of yourself and your body by staying hydrated, planning ahead, and paying attention to what the little one is telling you! 

And once you’re ready, book your skydive with us and finally satisfy that nine month craving! Blue skies!