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Is It Bad to Use a Laptop While Pregnant?

Everything you eat, drink and do during pregnancy has the possibility of affecting your unborn baby, sometimes in undesirable ways. Considering how prevalent computers and laptops are in everyday life, it's understandable to worry that their use may unknowingly and adversely affect the growth and health of the developing fetus. Rest assured that, with one small exception, laptops do not pose any viable threat to your baby.

  1. Stay Cool

    • While laptops do not produce any radiation or other harmful emissions, they do generate heat and can reach fairly high temperatures. This heat can pose a danger to you and your baby if left to build for extended periods of time. These high temperatures could cause irritation or even burns to your skin, and cause overheating in your baby. According to AmericanPregnancy.org, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to an increased risk of birth defects. While the temperatures a laptop produces are a far cry from other heat-related activities such as a sauna, sitting the laptop directly on or near your belly can focus that heat to the womb.

    Use Support

    • Pregnancy alters your center of gravity, making everyday activities more challenging. Sitting for long periods while working on a laptop can cause discomfort in the form of back or hip pain. Use a chair with firm back support to prevent bad posture and avoid soreness or aches. Position the laptop screen and keyboard at a comfortable height so you don't make repetitive, awkward movements.

    Take Regular Breaks

    • Working too long while looking at a computer screen can cause eyestrain. Take a 10-minute break every hour as you work on your laptop to allow yourself time to move around and refocus your eyes. Grab a snack, hit the bathroom and get some water to give your eyes a few minute's rest and to move around to shift your weight.

    Proper Positioning

    • If using your laptop in your lap, or what's left of it thanks to your expanding belly, move the laptop forwards so it's closer to your knees. Do not balance the laptop on your belly, as the heat can cause problems and it won't be a sturdy-enough surface to prevent tipping. Use a lapdesk on your legs to prevent discomfort from the heat and raise the laptop to a better height for working.

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