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Bump in the Night – Should You Visit a Haunted House When You’re Pregnant?
My four-year-old carries around our local haunted house guide — basically a newspaper insert that advertises all the local scary spots. She’s loves everything Halloween, but can’t bring herself to actually look inside. Too scary!
Little ones are far too young to visit the scariest haunted houses, though their parents might find it fun. But if you’re pregnant and carrying around your own little pumpkin, should you go inside?
According to a post a CafeMom, haunted houses aren’t the best place for pregnant women. That’s because it’s not really safe, says MichelleZ, and she’s not talking about the headless guy in the corner with a chainsaw.
Instead, Michelle says pregnant moms should watch out for:
- The darkness and tripping over something you cannot see. (I know my balance is certainly off.)
- Loud startling noises can also affect the baby.
- Smoke or fog machines are not healthy to breathe in.
- They are often crowded and people push and shove — could be dangerous.
When I was pregnant, the last place I wanted to be during a night out was a dark, crowded house/barn/warehouse being screamed at by local teenagers in fake blood. Not because I might get too scared, but because I was already uncomfortable. Why make it worse?
Michelle makes some valid points here, though. If haunted houses are really your thing, and you can’t imagine missing them this year, just being aware of the risks can go a long way toward keeping you and your baby safe.
But if, on the other hand, a night out to dinner and a movie is more your speed, feel free to print off those warnings above and use them as an excuse to tell your partner, “Sorry honey. Not this year!”
Would you go into a haunted house if you were pregnant?
Photo: Trostle, Flickr
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snarky mama commented on Oct 06 09 at 12:29 pmFunny, 3 of the 4 things preggos are warned to look out for at haunted houses can also be applied to going to the movies:
1. It’s dark and you might trip–over that giant handbag some chick left in the aisle at the movie theatre.
2.Loud, startling noises? Depends on what movie you see.
3.Often crowded? Yep, that applies to movies. People shoving? Not so much, but not unheard of (some peeps really like that theatre popcorn).
It’s not usually smokey in the theatres, but one of my favorite second-run theatres is sandwiched between two bars. What with the “no smoking inside bars/restaurants” law just passed here, I actually do need to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to the movie.
Rebecca commented on Sep 10 10 at 6:12 pmWhen I was a preteen I went into the haunted house at our local fair for the first time. Never, ever again. Maybe we just had especially mean teenagers hanging around inside, but I got repeatedly tripped and shoved. Once or twice I got stepped on by other people before I could get back up. Not to mention, I’m terrified of mazes and caves, so going into a pitch black maze of a building was probably not a good idea in the first place. Anyway, I ended up curled up in a corner, crying my eyes out because I couldn’t find my way out and kept getting pushed to the floor when I tried. A nice man who was going through the house took my hand and convinced me to follow him out. Good guy. So yeah, no haunted houses any scarier than the one at Disneyworld for this gal!
Kristen commented on Oct 09 10 at 9:24 pmI went to four haunted houses when I was pregnant with my first child… my husband was nervous until our obstetrician said that it would be “fine” and that there was even research that suggested the increased adrenaline may even be good for the baby in much the same way that an orgasm would be (a cursory review of academic research articles suggests this is true). Snarky Mama makes an excellent point — a pregnant woman could be in danger in any darkened room, or even walking from point A to point B. We pregnant women have enough legitimate dangers to avoid — alcohol, overheating, medications — without having to fear living our lives, in this sense defined as WALKING, HEARING SOUNDS, NAVIGATING OBSTACLES, and BREATHING. Please stop spreading fear, even if ’tis the season for goblins, spooks, and specters.
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