Climbing while Pregnant

When I was pregnant with my first, we were living in Garmisch, Germany. My doctor over here said it was fine for me to keep climbing, as long as I didn't go to an altitude too high and felt comfortable doing it. I was still so scared that somehow I could hurt the baby and googled to find anything on the subject! Hardly any info out there!

Once I found out I was pregnant (around 9 weeks), I quit leading and only top roped.  I purchased a Petzl Body Harness online and started using it at about 6 months. Until then, I was using my husband's harness so it would be big enough to fit over my growing belly. I quit climbing at about 7 months, after only using the body harness a few times because I was just getting too scared because it was my first, and I kept banging my belly on the strange limestone we just were getting introduced to. Perhaps if I had been used to the climbs, it wouldn't have been so intimidating.

Then, my second came along. This time, everything was different. I already had my body harness and started using it early on (I grew huge must faster the second time around). And know what? I climbed all the way to the 9th month just fine and listened to my body. If small contractions starting coming, I stopped and just played with my son at the crag. I only did climbs I didn't have to worry about falling on for the most part. Top Roped 5.12s until my seventh month, then only did climbs under 5.10 for the last 2 months. It was great. It felt so good to keep climbing and not worry and just enjoy myself.

Eight months pregnant belaying my son in Arco

Climbing 6 months pregnant at Gorge Du Tarn