Your belly is getting bigger and you may be getting uncomfortable. I remember when I was later on in my pregnancy, getting in and out of my car took effort! To be honest, there were moments when I couldn't wait to have the baby and get the pregnancy over with.
We often talk about child car seat safety with clients when they're preparing for their new one to arrive. But what about pregnant moms? What differences do you have to accommodate in terms of wearing your seatbelt through your pregnancy? With help from Natalie Nankil at GM Canada, I uncovered some common questions and answers that pregnant moms might have about seatbelt safety.
You probably don't need me to say this, but I'll say it anyway—it's important to always wear your seatbelt, even when you're pregnant. In terms of seatbelts, pregnant or not, I'm amazed every time I hear on the news that someone has been ejected out of a vehicle because they didn't wear a seatbelt. When you're pregnant, a seatbelt protects you and your unborn child.
In order to make it most comfortable for you, you should move the seat back as far as possible. You should aim to always maintain a 10-inch gap between the steering wheel or dashboard—as your stomach grows, the seat should be moved back. As a general rule, you should never sit too close to the steering wheel or dashboard. Keep in mind, too, that your seatbelts and airbags work together to keep you safe.
First, adjust the height of the shoulder strap so that it starts above your shoulder and lies away from your neck. The best way to wear a seatbelt is to have the shoulder strap fall between your breasts, while having the lap belt below your belly and fit snugly across your hips and pelvic bone. Never (pregnant or not) put the seatbelt under your arm or behind your back.
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