How to Wear Seatbelt When Pregnant?
Wearing a seatbelt is a standard safety measure that everyone should perform when riding in a vehicle. Using it properly minimizes the risk of getting hurt in an accident and may save your life too. But how to wear seatbelt when pregnant? It’s tricky to buckle up when you are sporting a baby bump. Doing it wrong will not only make you feel uncomfortable but also cause you injury and hurt the baby.
How to Wear Seatbelt When Pregnant: The Correct Way
Wearing a seatbelt while pregnant is uncomfortable, which encourages many women to skip this step. Many even think that the belt could crush the baby as it puts pressure on the belly.
DON’T DO THAT!
The rules for wearing pregnancy seat belts are not complicated and it can protect you and your baby from grave injury. You have to put on both lap belt and shoulder strap in a way that they feel snugly.
Follow these steps:
Step 1
Stretch the lap belt under the belly and over the hips so it fits around your pelvic bone without putting pressure on any area. Be careful not to put it on top or across your belly.
Step 2
The shoulder strap also has to be placed in a way so it does not put pressure anywhere, especially on the belly. Place it between your breasts but away from the neck, and off to one side of the belly. Wearing it this way will prevent the belt from staying loose. For a better adjustment, you should fix the strap’s length. Never put it behind your back, under one arm, and too close to the neck.
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Step 3
The third step is adjusting the seat to the way you feel most comfortable sitting there. Try to keep it in an upright position to create a distance between the steering wheel and your belly. However, the distance should not be too far to reach the pedals and wheel comfortably. When you are in the passenger’s seat, tilt the seating back so you can sit in a resting position.
Other Safety Measures
So you know how to wear seatbelt when pregnant but there are still a few more safety measures to observe to ensure complete safety.
- Don’t turn off the airbag switch. The seatbelt works with the airbags to provide the best safety for the riders. Some pregnant women think they don’t need the seatbelt if there are airbags, which is dangerous. With fastening the belt, you can bump into something or get ejected from the car if it crashes into something.
- Don’t drive over 5 to 6 hours each day. Driving for long hours can be exhausting for pregnant women.
- If your car collides with something, go to a hospital immediately even if you are not injured.
- If you develop pain or any kind of fluid or blood leaks from your vagina after a collision, you should immediately seek medical attention.