With Halloween approaching, many people are preparing for fun activities such as pumpkin carving, trick or treating and… haunted houses.
But during pregnancy, is it safe to visit a haunted house?
The answer actually depends on YOU, and if YOU personally feel comfortable going to haunted houses. There are risks to visiting a haunted house, just as there are risks to many things in pregnancy, but no two haunted houses are the same, and you need to make a decision based on the haunted house and your own knowledge of your body.
Increased adrenaline and high blood pressure can be bad for baby, but usually only if they’re increased for extended periods of time – most haunted houses don’t go for very long. Bigger risks are involved in getting bumped, pushed over or jostled while inside.
If you do decide to visit a haunted house, there are a few precautions to keep in mind:
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- You should not go if you are easily frightened or suffer from anxiety, heart issues or high blood pressure. Issues that are minor outside pregnancy can intensify once you are pregnant.
. - You should not go if you are at risk of preterm labor, are on bedrest or have a high risk pregnancy, without asking your doctor.
. - You should check to see how scary the house is and how large. Some are smaller and less interactive, while others may involve a much wider range of special effects.
. - You should check ahead to make sure that pregnant women are allowed (or that it’s not ‘recommended’ that pregnant women don’t visit.) Some haunted houses don’t allow women in after a certain gestation, such as 7-8 months.
. - You should go to a reputable haunted house; one that has proper public liability insurance, disability access and are careful that their patrons have both a scary and safe visit.
. - You should take at least one other person with you to make sure you’re not bumped or jostled in darker areas of the house.
. - You should stay at the back of the group to avoid being jostled.
Susannah is a certified Birth Doula through Childbirth International and the founder of Trimester Talk. With a background in journalism and digital strategy, she combines evidence-based research with real-world knowledge to create accessible content about pregnancy and parenting. She’s a mother of two and stepmother of two more, all of them now teenagers.
This is so timely! I want to go to Knotts Halloween Haunt, but I’m 33 weeks pregnant. Great article, thank you!
I’ll only be 16 weeks by the start of haunted house season, and my dad really wants to take me. I was just making sure that I wouldn’t be putting me or baby at risk.
I am 27 weeks pregnant and went to 5 haunted houses at sea world San Antonio Texas and my baby was kicking so hard I thought his feet were going to burst out of my skin I do not recommend going into haunted houses the ones I went to were hardly even scary but still impacted the baby