Zufelt Family Feb 2015

Zufelt Family Feb 2015

Saturday, August 9, 2008

High Altitude for a Pregnant Lady

All my growing up years in Utah, I knew that the pregnant leaders of our youth group weren't allowed to go to camp with us up in the mountains. I just didn't know why. Something about going into labor, I don't really know. I figured I wasn't far along enough to really worry about going into labor at 4 or 5 months. We headed up the mountain to my family reunion. Heber Valley Camp sits between 7,500 and 10,000 feet depending on where you are. Fairfax, Virginia is right near 400 feet above sea level. Quite a change to do in a week for anyone to adjust.
I was just fine for a few hours and then I started feeling not so great. I was a weird kind of sick though and my abdomen hurt in a funny sort of way. After a while, I went to lay down on my bunk. Everything got better pretty quick, but every time I got up and around again it would start. I asked our local nurse Kristie and seasoned mom Juli why pregnant people really weren't supposed to go camping. Turns out the baby doesn't get the oxygen it is used to getting.
The rest of the time, about 12 hours more, I just took it really easy, laid down when I needed to and chose not to participate in the high adventure course stuff. Everything was just fine as long as I was relaxing and we were home in no time at all. Guess you learn something new everyday.

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