Why can't pregnant women ride?

[Giselle]

I've seen some signs that say "don't ride if you're pregnant. . . " Why is this? It doesn't seem like there would be any danger to a pregnant woman. Are they just afraid of motion sickness?

[MNNHFLTX]

You see that sign on rides that involve sudden movements--twisting, drops, acceleration, sudden stops, etc, all of which have the potential to cause the fetal placenta to separate from the uterine wall. While pregnant women could possible ride these attractions without any problems, it is not worth the risk to both mom and baby (plus Disney is rightfully concerned about liability issues--hence the signs).

[FutureCorpsFan]

Yup, Liability. They don't want in and they transfered it to you once you read the sign..

[darthmacho]

With all due respect, I think the warning is self-explanatory. Sure, it's a liability issue, but I think the bottom line is that some rides pose a health risk for pregnant women and their unborn children. I think WDW is concerned with more than just a little puke.

[Main Street Jim]

If I recall, the signs do NOT say "Pregnant women can't ride"...they say, "Pregnant women SHOULDN'T ride", along with those that have "heart, back, or neck problems, suffer from motion sickness, or any other health-related issues that may cause you NOT to enjoy this attraction".

[lawgirl]

The last thing you want to do as a pregnant woman is to be in any situation that causes your body (and therefore your baby's body) any undue stress (including raised blood pressure, jerky motions, etc.).

You'd think it would be pretty self-explanatory and just plain smart to not ride anything that causes your body stress while pregnant, but its smart of Disney to limit their liability for those who don't care or simply don't know better.

[jonahbear2006]

I agree that it should be the pregnant girls choice. If you wanna take the risk it should be ok, its not like you are getting behind a wheel pregnant and drunk. you are riding a ride that could POSSIBLY hurt yourself and the baby, its not definite.

[thatkindofday]

It is the pregnant woman's choice whether or not to ride anything there, just like anybody else. The signs are there as a warning AND to let Disney off the hook if someone with any of the conditions listed decide to ride. The CMs will not stop you from getting on the ride if you are pregnant.

[Jodi]

I am stunned that the question was even asked. Even with the signs posted, if a pregnant woman did ride and something happened to her or the baby, can you see the headlines already? "Pregnant Woman Sues Disney for allowing her to ride..." Oh, my !!

[Main Street Jim]

If someone asks, we tell the guest that we "don't recommend it"; not that they *can't*, just that we don't recommend riding (such as at Space Mountain). But yes....the signage is there *for a reason*.

[Janmac]

I think the OP had a valid question. Why. What are the reasonings behind the warnings. What I have heard - from an OB/Gyn doc - was the same as what Beth posted: placental separation. Not good.

If a pregnant woman knows the reasons behind the warnings, she can make a more informed choice.

It's the same with the heart problems warnings. What specifically is the reasoning behind the warnings. There are all kinds of different heart problems. We spoke to one cardiologist who didn't think anyone should be riding any rollercoaster anywhere. Too much risk of a glob of plaque breaking loose and causing a problem. He wasn't limiting his restrictions to those already diagnosed, he didn't think anyone should. Too risky.

Kilimanjaro Safaris has the warnings as well - the ride is bumpy. We have ridden it before and know it not to be as bumpy as the 1/2 mile of unpaved county road we travel on to get to our house. So my niece chose to ride KS even while pregnant, after speaking with her OB/Gyn. She chose not to ride any of the rides with warnings. Including some of the slides at Blizzard Beach.

Jan

[IloveJack]

It is the woman's choice. I found out I was pregnant with our most recent :: the morning that we left for our last trip (talk about bringing the magic on early AND changing plans a lot). I chose to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris, having done so many times before, and even rode the Hogwarts ride at US:IoA. However, I didn't ride any of the traditional coasters. I was more concerned with the sudden stops than with bumps. I'm a teacher, and not much is bumpier than a school bus on a field trip.