Paintballing isn’t just a game played by men — plenty of women enjoy being part of the extreme sport too.
However, women’s bodies undergo certain changes and developments that may prevent them from taking part in a paintball game, such as pregnancy.
Today, we address the question of “can you paintball while pregnant?” as well as other important questions asked by expecting mothers about paintballing and other extreme sports.
Let’s get started!
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Can You Paintball While Pregnant?
Pregnancy is one of the most unforgettable moments in life for any mother, especially if it’s your first time. You want your baby to get only the best things from the world; however, you also don’t want to sacrifice too much of yourself to your new responsibilities.
If you’re someone who used to go paintballing with the gang every other weekend, you might be wondering if you can paintball while you’re pregnant.
Well, the questions shouldn’t be a matter of “can you paintball” but “should you paintball.”
The answer: absolutely not.
Paintballing is an extreme sport that involves a ton of risks that could put both you and your baby at risk.
Below are just a couple of examples of instances that could put your baby’s safety and health in danger:
- Getting hit with a paintball to the stomach
- Collisions
- Broken bones and ligament strains
- Tripping and falling
- Overheating
Getting Hit With a Paintball to the Stomach
Paintballs travel at high velocities, which can cause significant bruising and pain if it comes in contact with unprotected areas of the body.
Fetuses are well-protected by the pelvic bone during the first three months of pregnancy.
But once the fetus starts moving higher in the womb, getting hit by a stray paintball on the stomach or near the womb can cause severe damage to the developing baby.
Collisions
The adrenaline rush people can feel from paintballing can cause them to act in extreme ways, which can both make the game more fun and more dangerous at the same time.
While collisions aren’t typical for games of paintball, they do often happen. If you were to collide with a teammate or opponent running at high speeds, they might accidentally hit your stomach, causing trauma to your developing baby.
Broken Bones and Ligament Strains
With all the running and dodging involved during a game of paintball, it’s often inevitable for players to get broken bones and torn ligaments. More so if the said player was pregnant. This is because pregnancy increases the laxity of the joints, making them more flimsy.
Sudden stops, turns, and twists during a game can very easily end you up in splints. You don’t want to add more pressure to ligaments that are already under a lot of stress due to your pregnancy.
Tripping and Falling
Paintballing usually involves a ton of obstacles that can cause you to trip and/or fall while you run and duck for cover. If you trip and hit yourself against an object (a tire or a wooden plank, for example), it can cause you pain or, worse, can even lead to a miscarriage.
Miscarriages are caused by a ton of different factors. Stress and excessively strenuous activities are two of the most common situations that can lead to a miscarriage.
During this time, the best exercise for mothers is not one where they run around and break a huge sweat. Perhaps you can try stretching and breathing exercises. There are tutorials available online — try Yoga or Tai Chi.
Overheating
Pregnant women have higher body temperatures compared to people who aren’t pregnant. This is why most pregnant women feel warmer much easier.
That said, running around in full gear won’t help your situation get any better if you’re pregnant. Nope, it will only make you feel hotter, making it more likely for your body to overheat.
Overheating for pregnant women can result in feelings of nauseousness or weakness.
These two symptoms can make it very easy for you to trip and fall over obstacles in the paintballing field. Not just that, high body temperatures are also linked to causing abnormalities to develop in babies within the womb.
Things to Consider When You Paintball While Pregnant
There’s certainly nothing stopping you from going paintballing while pregnant. After all, it isn’t exactly prohibited by any institution. So, you definitely can go paintballing if you want to.
But first, check some tips below:
Assess Your Skill Level
If this is your first time playing paintball, you don’t want to play with a group of pros that may cause you to feel pressured to up your methods during the game.
You want the game to be exciting, but not to the point where your heart rate is racing, and your body temperature is off the charts.
Limit Your Exposure
Paintball sessions typically last around 30 to 45 minutes. To keep yourself away from harm, limiting the amount of time you’re exposed to paintballs and other dangerous obstacles can help.
If you plan to go paintballing while pregnant, try and keep your game to a short 30 minutes.
Put On Proper Gear
It’ll be tricky to work around a baby bump but find a way to make it work. Paintballs are shot at high-velocity speeds, which will hurt you and your baby if it makes contact with your stomach.
By putting on the right gear, you protect your baby from possible complications that could develop during a game.
Have an Emergency Kit Ready
Accidents are inevitable, and the best thing we can do to stop them from getting worse is to prepare ourselves. Therefore, make sure that you bring an emergency kit with you, complete with medication and equipment that will help you in case of an emergency.
Stay In the Shade
Again, pregnant women are more likely to experience their body overheating due to excessive physical activity. As much as possible, stay in the shadier parts of the paintballing field, especially during particularly warmer days.
Furthermore, make sure to always have a bottle of cold drinking water nearby to refresh you whenever necessary.
The Bottom Line
Women can go paintballing while pregnant, however, experts recommend that they don’t.
Besides the obvious reasons, i.e., paintballing is a risky sport that requires special care and attention to avoid injury, paintballing also carries the possibility of stress and overheating. Both conditions can be detrimental to both a mother and a child.
To avoid harmful situations altogether, it’s best that you lay off the paintballing for a while and come back when it’s safer.