Dr. Katie demontrates how pregnant women should put on seat belts (Image: dr.katie.h/ TikTok)

We've always thought putting on a seatbelt was a pretty straightforward thing to do, but it turns out some of us might have been doing it 'wrong'.

According to a specialist emergency doctor, if you're pregnant, there's a very specific way you should wear your seatbelt, in order to protect your baby.

In a post on TikTok, Dr Katie, who has over 133,000 followers, explained the safest way to wear the belt around your baby bump.

She decided to share the tip after meeting a mum-to-be in the emergency room who had been involved in a car accident.

Dr. Katie, who is currently pregnant herself, explained: "I was working in the emergency department and I was looking after a young lady who was in the third trimester of pregnancy and unfortunately she had been in a car accident.

"As part of my assessment I was asking her if she was wearing her seatbelt, she indicated to me that she had.

"And it dawned on me that not everyone may know the safest way to wear a seatbelt during pregnancy when travelling in a car."

 Never put on the safety belty across the baby bump (Image: dr.katie.h/ TikTok)

Dr Katie proceeds to demonstrate the best way to wear it, placing the shoulder strap between her breasts and over her shoulder, with the lap belt positioned under her baby bump.

She warned women never to wear the belt across the bump.

The expert added: "Also you should have your seats as far away 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 if they do go off.

"If you are involved in a car accident when you're pregnant, no matter how minor it is, you must go and see your obstetrician or your midwife because even minor accidents can cause complications for you."

Her TikTok video quickly went viral, being watched over 70,000 times and garnering thousands of likes.

Many people also took the time to comment with a number of mums admitting they didn't know about the seatbelt before.

One person said: "I was taught this two hours before I was in a bad car accident at 22 weeks. It literally saved my son's life."

Another replied: "Fantastic info - thank you!"