Pregnant crew

[rogerroger]

Hi

We may have a crew member later this month who'll be 8 months pregnant. Weekend plan is only Portsmouth - Chichester and back.

Obvious precautions such as not doing any rope pulling and always wearing a life jacket etc are a given.

Her main concern is getting on and off the boat - pontoons and tender.

Can anyone give some advice - or is it safer for her just not to come?

 

[tcm]

um, if in any doubt - best wd be not to come along, i think.

 

[LittleShip]

"or is it safer for her just not to come?"

Err I think you already know the answer to this one!!

Tom

 

[danielbroad]

My wife crewed on our boat up until a couple of weeks before she was due, we just made sure we had friends along to help with anything strenuous. The restricted mobility wasn't too much of a problem.

Now we have a 7 week old baby boy who's been boating twice already....

Daniel.

 

[ZuidWester]

Flight rules apply

How fast can you get to a hospital if something happens? Eight months is beyond the normal limit for flying.

 

[davidbains]

My wife worked till 8mths but then had our daughter two weeks early in the space of
six hours. God forbid your wife should fall overboard at 8mths.
However you can start again very soon afterwards. My daughter lived
onboard in the Med from her 3rd to 5th months of age!

 

[AIDY]

We had a 8 month pregnant crew member on board a couple of years ago. We had no idea until she turned up. We were racing in hayling bay and round the NAB. We could not of picked a worse day weather wise 6 gusting 7 and rained all day. But she was keen to come and didn't want her situation to come in the way of her enjoyment out on the water. We found that the best think was for her to helm. and a jolly good job she did too.

thankfully every thing went okay and we did not come back with an extra crew member. but it was the biggest sailing worry i had ever had.

 

[Talbot]

Bet you had a problem finding adequate foulies!!!!

 

[AuntyRinum]

She can get on in the normal way and get off via Coastguard helicopter.

 

[MedMan]

It's not for you to make medical decisions on her behalf. Spell out the risks and just what is possible and impossible re getting her back to land quickly and insist that she takes the decision. There is too much passing the buck these days. She's a big girl now and needs to make her own mind up. If it goes wrong, it was her decision, not yours.

P.S. But better get some witnesses to the discussion - just in case!

 

[AIDY]

Good Job I'm a fat bloke ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Avocet]

Mrs Avocet is currently suffering from the same condition so we can sympathise. As Medman says, it's her decision - she'll know her own limitations and only she will be aware if she has any of the various complications sometimes associated with pregnancy. One, in particular involves the joint at the front of the pelvis softening to let the baby out (as is normal) but in some cases, it can do so prematurely and this can make taking big steps, lifting a leg over a guard wire etc very painful. I know this because that's what has happened to Mrs A...

... some weeks ago, we had one of those very rare weekends when it was boiling hot and there was no wind. A colleague of mine had been really keen to come sailing and was going to drop in on us because he was going to do a job down South the following Monday so we were (kind of) on the way. Despite her protestations, I also persuaded Mrs. A and our 7 year old daughter who hates boats and our 2 year old son who loves anything potentially life-threatening to come out "...just for a couple of hours on the tide..." After all, I said, what could possibly go wrong on a day like this"?

Mrs A. agreed, although she wasn't keen because her pelvis had fallen to bits and she was on crutches. the only condition was that she would just sit there and my colleague and I would sail...

As there was no wind, it was more of a "float" than a "sail" but we enjoyed it nevertheless and then, just as the 2 year old was getting ratty, we decided to go back in. As I turned on the radio to ask if it was OK to come back into the harbour, I heard another boat calling for a tow. It had broken down, not far from our position. Mrs A. gamely agreed we could to to help, so we then got involved in a "rescue" (well, towing another yacht with a knackered engine).

All went well until we got to the harbour we found we were locked out because the sea lock gates were broken!

So I now had a colleague with me who was due to be 250 miles away the following morning, a 7 year old who never really liked sailing anyway, a 2 year old that was fed up and a 30+week pregnant wife on crutches. (oh yeah, and a broken down yacht on tow!) None of whom were particularly keen on anchoring and waiting for the next tide at 02.00 the following morning! Given that the tide was ebbing fast, I finally decided to put them all ashore on the stone steps cut into the outer harbour wall while I still had enough water to float in. As you can imagine, we got a fair few odd looks from the crowds on the harbour wall as I tried to get the boat close enough to the steps in the swell to unload one able-bodied bloke and one rather nervous 7 years old. I couldn't put the boat right against the wall because the swell would just have ripped the fenders clean off as we grated against it. As you can imagine, I got a few filthy looks from the onlookers as we tried to encourage the 7 year old to jump the 6" gap on to the slippery stone steps! These, however, were nothing compared to the looks I got when Mrs. A had to make the same jump looking very obviously 32 weeks pregnant - especially when I then threw her crutches up after her! (she didn't enjoy jumping from a pitching boat on to a slippery stone stairway with a broken pelvis - honestly, I tell you, they loose all sense of fun once they get married)! Finally, just as everyone thought it couldn't get any worse, I had to pass the 2year old up the wall to my colleague! (By which time, the onlookers were reaching for their mobiles to call Social Services!
So the moral of that tale is...

...well, that's why we like sailing isn't it? You never know what's just around the next corner!

 

[tugboat]

In your shoes I would play safe and plan for a 'worst case scenario' such as engine fire or sudden ingress of water and then decide if that would be a reasonable situation to have to deal with in the presence of your pregnant guest.

 

[tcm]

\"not for you to make decisions\"

normally true. On a boat - not true. Skipper makes decisions. By all means have the chats but she doesn't "decide" to make the trip or not.

 

[wiggy]

My wife and I went for a long W/E on my brothers etap 22 with 2 weeks to go. Shouls be no problem just take it easy

 

[woody001]

sod that, risk is to high for the baby being hurt

 

[cliff]

I would ask her if she thought it wise and if she says "yes" then advise her to get a letter from her Gynecologist to confirm she is fit to go sailing. in the meantime contact your insurance company - I doubt if they will accept the risk.
Remember as "Skipper" you have a duty of responsibility not only for the safety of your vessel but also the crew (I assume you are the owner/skipper).
If she insists on coming along have a disclaimer drawn up! In addition I would class her as "cargo" and hence of little or no use onboard except as ballast.
Sorry to take such a negative approach but things "happen" at sea and i would not like the responsibility nor hassle of dealing with a pregnant crew member.
Personally I would not take the risk.
----------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"

 

[Alistairr]

I would say its not worth the hassle or the worry!

My wife is currently just over 7mths pregnant, and she finds its struggle moving around the boat. It also depends how the individual is feeling, she may be having a great pregnancy, and feels great with everything she does, but we are told, babies have a habit of arriving whenever they feel like it, and we were told they can arrive anytime between 35wks and 42weeks.

You are incharge of the boat, and your friend at 36weeks, may decide to have a baby, while on your boat, I wouldn't like that responciblity!

At 33wks gone, My wife will not stay over on the boat, has her hospital bag packed, and is ready for whenever and whatever is going to happens next.

Good Luck.

Alistairr.

 

[KREW2]

Hi
You have to ask yourself a simple question, how would I feel if something went wrong?

 

[tyce]

are you mad, my wifes eight months pregnant (with twins tho) and i would not even consider it.

not that she'd want to anyway