Pregnancy can seem like a lifetime of dos and don’ts. It’s the little things in life that you once enjoyed that you may find yourself questioning if it’s safe. You may feel silly asking ‘is it safe Going to Theatre During Pregnancy?’ But it is perfectly plausible and warrants an answer to ensure you’re not putting yourself or your baby in harm’s way.
Going to Theatre During Pregnancy – Is It Safe?
Can pregnant women watch movies in the theatre? The answer varies from woman to woman. There is no evidence to suggest catching the newest flick can cause any harm but conflicting advice from other experts suggest that loud noises and bright lights could hinder your baby’s development not to mention how you feel sitting for long periods of time during a movie.
Free Time
Some say watching a movie is a great way to destress whilst others merely watch a movie to pass the time. Obviously, your pregnancy is a unique journey, one to cherish, and even though you may be desperate to meet your little one, many expecting moms feel like they want to make the most out of their spare time because before you know it you will have a little boss that needs your undivided attention.
It is normal to feel as if you can’t enjoy fun activities whilst pregnant whether it’s catching drinks after work or eating your favorite foods from the deli but one question that can crop up is, ‘Is it ok to watch movies in the theatre while pregnant?’
Things To Think About Visiting Theatre During Pregnancy
You may be surprised to realize going to the cinema can come with health risks whilst pregnant. Even though there’s controversial advice, have a think about the following factors if you are going to the theatre while pregnant.
- Noise levels – How loud is too loud?
- Genres – Can certain genres be worse than others?
- Comfort – Can sitting in the movies be the best position?
- Emotions – From fear to tugging on your heartstrings, can different emotions affect your baby?
To try and lift the haze on an already grey area I will look at each of these factors in turn to identify can pregnant women watch movies in the theatre safely.
Effects of Loud Noises
As you progress further in your pregnancy you take pleasure in finding out what your baby can do in utero.
Your baby can actually hear your surroundings before they are born. Notice the baby doesn’t flinch if the dog barks? This explains that the dog barking has become a normalized sound for them. But going to the cinema has intense sounds that surround you, loud bangs that aren’t normal in your day to day routine. So, is the cinema too loud when pregnant?
‣ For Mom
Firstly let’s take you into consideration. When you are pregnant your senses tend to heighten. This can leave you with less commonly reported pregnancy symptoms such as Tinnitus – ringing in the ears. As you can imagine loud noises can exacerbate the ringing which can be extremely irritating.
Alongside pregnancy symptoms, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that loud noises can increase stress levels. A rise in your stress puts unnecessary strain on your baby during pregnancy. This in turn leads us to believe that maybe the theatre is not a great choice for you and your unborn little one.
‣ Baby
What effects do loud noises have on your developing baby? Barbara McLaren, a certified OBGYN, advises that loud noises for prolonged periods should be avoided as it can damage hearing for both mom and baby. Who knew seeing your favorite flick could pose so much danger?
To help you decipher how loud is too loud it is best if we turn to the decibels deemed safe.
When Can a Baby Hear?
As you move from your first trimester your baby is now looking like a small baby, developed in all physical areas it’s time for your baby to grow bigger and stronger. It’s what’s going on inside that we may overlook.
According to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) from around 18 weeks, your baby will become familiar with sounds inside your body, your stomach, blood swish, and heartbeat. Further into your pregnancy, at around 6 months, they can identify sounds outside their watery hotel. So opting to sing, getting your partner to talk to your bump, or listening to music may warrant a response from your now active little bug. This is proven as when they are born you may find the sound of your voice is soothing or they are unphased by the noise a sibling makes.
My little girl is happiest when I sing! I sang a lot during my pregnancy; it helped in stressful situations and allowed me to unwind. Don’t get me wrong I am no Celine Dion but knowing my baby likes my singing allows me to belt out a tune without fear of scaring her!
Let’s look at the noise levels in the cinema. Part of the movie theatre experience is the ground shaking surround sound, but can this be too loud for you during pregnancy?
McLaren recommends that pregnant women should refrain from being in an environment that is louder than 115 decibels. Remaining in an environment louder than this could cause damage to your baby’s hearing. I must point out that for noise levels to be considered a threat to development an expecting mom would have to be in a high noise level for long periods of time. Taking this into consideration a movie doesn’t tend to be loud for the entire time hence why Going to Theatre During Pregnancy is such a grey area.
How Do Decibels Work?
To help you understand what factors contribute to the level of decibels you and your baby can withstand look at the table below:
| Decibels | Activity |
| 40 | General noises at home |
| 60 | Background music |
| 75 | Vacuum cleaner |
| 90 | Lawn mower |
| 100 | Motorcycle/ chainsaw |
| 110 | Concert |
| 120 | Aeroplane take off |
As you can see all noises in our environment can affect the way we feel, and how our hearing will be affected. A movie can range between 74 – 104 decibels which is on the louder scale. Clearly, it would depend on the type of movie you choose to see as action and horror tend to be louder than your typical rom-com.
How Can Genres Affect Me?
We clearly identified how noise levels can affect you and your baby whilst pregnant but surely you don’t have to concern yourself if the latest horror is not suitable right? What about action films? Or those tear-jerkers?
Is It Ok To Watch Horror Films in Theatre While Pregnant?
Horror films are created to get your heart racing. They create a tense atmosphere where you either love or hate the thrill of watching brutality unleash on the screen. This in itself creates a whirlwind of emotions when you are not pregnant let alone when you are expecting.
Being pregnant already subjects you to what may seem like irrational feelings but those feelings are 100% real. Putting yourself through extra stress by watching a horror movie can stress out your baby too!
Too much stress can induce labor which is risky if you are already at risk from premature delivery. Generally speaking, if you are a horror movie fanatic then you can clearly tolerate the thrills more when pregnant but if you are a scaredy cat, like me, watching a horror is probably not the best recommendation during pregnancy.
Can Sad Movies Affect My Baby?
Have you ever watched a movie and cried at the end? Even children’s movies can be sad. I can be an emotional mess at times!
Watching sad movies that lead you to tears is not only emotional but according to Healthline excessive crying during pregnancy can affect your baby. Emotions run high during pregnancy and it may not take much to tip you over the tears waterfall so watching a sad movie would be totally dependent on you as a person.
We all cry now and again which is thought to be harmless for your baby so seeing the newest tear jerker in the movies could be questionable.
Personally, I had to refrain from watching anything to do with death. That’s right even Bambi became a movie on my pregnancy no nos! The part when the mom dies was a huge trigger for me emotionally and flicked that ‘what if’ switch in me!
Triggers are unique to us all and knowing yours will depend on how you can logically deal with your own feelings and emotions.
Are Violent Theatre Films Ok During Pregnancy?
Violence and action movies are created to keep you enthralled. This can have the same effect on you as horror films. Watching intense movies can heighten your feelings of fear meaning your nervous system is activated releasing adrenaline.
Watching films can make your heart race, and this raises your blood pressure which for anyone who is pregnant will understand can be dangerous.
Obviously seeing that one off movie that enlists these effects on you is not on the don’t list but research suggests that a happy, calm mom tends to have a happy calm baby.
Comfort is Key
We can all respect the fact that any form of comfort whilst pregnant tends to go out of the window!
You are larger than the average person, have wider hips, and off balance by your shift in gravity. Theatre seats are not the best when you are expecting, so sitting for a long period of time in a cramped, dimly lit room is not for everyone.
Consider the physical limitations of being in a small seat for longer than an hour, if you think it’s perfectly manageable then great but personally I couldn’t think of anything worse, my butt is aching just thinking about it!
Lighting
The lighting in theatres adds to the overall experience. Isles are highlighted with dim reflectors showing you the safest way out.
Logic is to choose a seat closest to the aisle so it’s easier to find your seat but if you haven’t got this choice then getting in and out of your seat in low lighting can increase the risk of falling.
Critical Times During Pregnancy
The first and third trimesters are critical to an expectant mom. During those early weeks, your body is transformed with the cocktail of hormones and stretching it is common for a woman to suffer a miscarriage in the first trimester.
Being in a crowded theatre with a range of adrenaline rushes isn’t thought to increase risk but many women prefer to keep a calmer mantra in those first few weeks.
As you near the third trimester we have identified the risks of premature labor, watching a horror movie could kick your body into early contractions which is why you may wish to refrain from a theatre trip for the next few weeks.
3d Movies While Pregnant
We have identified the risks of a theatre visit but would you need to be extra cautious in a 3D sitting?
The 3D experience is a brilliant way to include the audience in the film. Producers are continuously finding ways to make what we watch convincingly real. With this in mind caution may be needed if you are pregnant. Seeing a killer come at you from the screen isn’t really a calming activity for you and your growing bub.
In hindsight, there is no evidence to show 3D movies have a developmental effect on your unborn child but rather the effect it has on you as the mom which could, in turn, affect your heart rate, blood pressure, and of course emotions.
Wrapping Up
Going to Theatre During Pregnancy can be a fun-filled activity. The risk factors vary depending on your pregnancy health. If you are classed as low-risk then going to catch a new flick is a great way of socializing with friends.
You must consider all practicalities as we have mentioned with cramped seats, crowds and low lighting could pose a hindrance for those repeated bathroom breaks.
If you are unsure if the movie you are considering is suitable, talk to your OBGYN and they will be able to provide you with advice unique to you.
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