Falling While Pregnant: When to Worry, Tips for Prevention

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Pregnancy is a special time for any woman, but the third trimester can be especially challenging. As the baby grows, your body must adapt and your center of gravity shifts to accommodate the changes. The result is that you may lose some of your balance and find yourself falling more often. Falls during the third trimester of pregnancy can be especially dangerous and can lead to injury and even complications for the baby. It’s important to understand the risks and take steps to prevent falls. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the dangers of falling on your knees while pregnant in the third trimester, and how you can stay safe.

What happens if you fall while pregnant?

When you’re pregnant, falls are common, and it’s likely that both you and your unborn child will be fine. However, make sure to speak with your healthcare provider to let them know about the spill and to make sure everything is alright.

If you’ve had a more serious fall, you may have sprains, broken bones, or other problems, but your doctor will be able to diagnose you accurately and recommend the best course of action.

Additionally, it’s perfectly acceptable to worry about the baby or about falling again, but try not to worry excessively. Additionally, be sure to discuss your worries or anxiety with your OB/GYN or midwife if you can’t seem to get rid of them.

Could falling while pregnant hurt your baby?

Even though you might feel embarrassed and shaken up after falling, it’s unlikely that your baby will be harmed by a slip-up. Your belly is designed to withstand challenging situations at every stage of pregnancy in order to safeguard your unborn child.

For starters, a muscular uterus, shock-absorbing amniotic fluid, sturdy membranes, and your abdominal cavity, which is made of muscle and bones, all surround your unborn child. Any blow would need to be extremely severe in order to get past all of those protective layers and affect your baby.

Additionally, try not to worry if you are concerned that a fall could result in a miscarriage. Although falling hard on your bottom is unlikely to harm the unborn child, there is a slight chance of a placental abruption in the second or third trimester if there is significant direct trauma to your abdomen. In the first, your pelvis provides good protection for your uterus and it is frequently shielded from injury.

Pregnancy can be challenging for many reasons, especially in the third trimester.

One reason is that as your belly grows, your center of gravity moves forward, making it more difficult for you to maintain your balance, especially on uneven ground like a curb.

Additionally, the pregnancy hormone relaxin causes your joints to become looser as you approach delivery. Over time, this hormone will benefit you because it allows your pelvis and cervix’s joints and connective tissues to stretch during labor, making it easier for you to push your baby out. But until then, having loose joints can also make you clumsy and unsteady on your feet, increasing your risk of falling accidentally.

Remember that you are likely worn out, uncomfortable, distracted, and overwhelmed as well (being pregnant will do that to you! ), which increases the likelihood that you will trip and fall.

What Are The Reasons For Falling During Pregnancy?

Although falls can be prevented while pregnant, there are some circumstances that could cause you to lose your balance.

  • Alteration in the center of gravity: The growing bump makes it difficult to balance your body as the center of gravity of your body is shifting. Therefore, there may be chances of a fall (1), especially on uneven surfaces. Dr. Kimberly Langdon, MD, an Ohio-based obstetrician and gynecologist, says, “Your balance is off and so is your center of gravity. This makes it easier to fall. Try not to fall forward onto your baby bump. Try to hit your knees, sides, or hip first.”
  • Pregnancy hormone relaxin: Relaxin hormone, which helps relax the joints and ligaments, may also affect your movement, gait, and walk. This hormone eventually enables the tissues of the pelvis and cervix to stretch during labor, thus making it easier for you to push the baby (2). These loose joints might make your feet unstable, making you vulnerable to fall.
  • Low blood sugar and blood pressure: These conditions, which are usually common during pregnancy, may also make women feel dizzy and lose balance while walking.
  • The swelling of feet might make your steps clumsy and feet a little numb. As a result, you may not feel the steps as clearly as you did before pregnancy and are prone to falling.
  • Pregnancy could make you uncomfortable, exhausted, and overwhelmed, all of which may put you at the risk of a fall.

    • Did you know?Age below 30, height over 160 cm, advanced pregnancy, multiparity, hyperemesis gravidarum, unintended pregnancy, and lower back pain are other identified risk factors for falling during pregnancy

    FAQ

    Can falling on your knees while pregnant hurt the baby?

    Your uterus probably won’t suffer any permanent damage or trauma from falling lightly. But if the fall is very hard or hits at a certain angle, it’s possible you could experience some complications. Examples of potential complications related to falls include: placental abruption.

    Can falling on your knees cause a miscarriage?

    The simple answer is that, yes, trauma can lead to the unfortunate loss of pregnancy. The actual risk is largely influenced by the stage of pregnancy and the severity of the accident. The female body is built to withstand a certain amount of bumps and bruises when carrying an embryo or fetus.

    Accidents In Pregnancy (English) | By Dr. Mukesh Gupta

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