[gfloyd2002]

I'm in the camp that it shouldn't be done, but that the choice should be the parents' choice to make. There are all manner of things that are against general recommendations during pregnancy, particularly in late stages, that involve potential blows to the stomach and significant risks to hard hits there. My wife, for example, gave up horseback riding on doctor's advice due to risk of injury to the baby in case of an otherwise minor fall. Just seems like common sense to reduce risk to the baby by giving up actitivities where an otherwise fairly simple injury could threaten health.

A study of injuries to pregnant motorcyclists concluded that the most significant risks occurred due to riding in the third trimester (40.4% increase in risk) and recommended against riding then. It didn't make recommendations in the first two trimesters, but noted increased risks of a ruptured uterus and recommended any pregnant rider involved in any accident immediately report to an obstetric emergency unit for evaluation, irrespective of apparent lack of injury.

On a related topic, and perhaps telling of my conservatism on this issue, my wife and I won't ride two up to this day. She's not pregnant (God, I hope not), but because of our young kids, we don't want to risk both of us hospitalized or worse in the case of accident with no one to care for them. When you start bringing your kids into the equation, time to be more risk averse. But it is all about your own personal risk tolerance. I still ride, and I think I do so safely. You wouldn't want to go to the extreme mentioned below of banning any risk.

Also . . . in before this is moved out of off topic! Good discussion of important motorcycling issue.