Viral TikTok PSA Demonstrates How To Wear A Seatbelt When Pregnant

There are a lot of safety guidelines pregnant people should follow. Most of these are recommended after decades of research, peer-reviewed studies, and serious scholarship. And while much of that has to do with dietary information, alcohol consumption, exercise, and more, there are other safety guidelines to being pregnant that some people might not realize — like how to safely wear a seatbelt. But in one viral TikTok PSA, an ER nurse reminded the public that the guidelines surrounding how to wear a seatbelt when pregnant should always be taken seriously, and she showed exactly how to buckle up safely.

Dr. Katie Waldman is an emergency room specialist. She has a TikTok account where she shares a variety of videos. But her “safety first” video on how to safely wear a seatbelt while pregnant has gone viral. Dr. Waldman filmed the PSA in her car to share the story of a pregnant mom who had been through her ER after a car crash.

“Yesterday I was working in the emergency department, and I was looking after a young lady who was in her 3rd trimester of pregnancy and unfortunately, she had been involved in a car accident,” she said.

“As part of my assessment, I asked her where she was wearing her seatbelt, and she indicated that she was wearing it across her pregnant bump like this,” she continued while panning the camera down to show the seatbelt across her belly at the belly button level.

“So as you can see, I’m 34 weeks pregnant just now, and you should be wearing your seatbelt underneath your bump like this,” Dr. Waldman continued, again panning the camera down to show the seatbelt under her pregnant belly this time and more across the top of her legs.

“The shoulder strap should be above your bump and in between your breasts,” she said. ” You should have your seat as far back from the steering wheel as is safe to do so, and this is to minimize the impact of the airbags hitting you and your pregnant belly.”