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Trying to conceive after IM
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I completed my first Ironman in August and now I am trying to get pregnant. I've suffered 2 miscarriages and I am just wondering if anyone has had similar issues after participating in high intensity events. I have 2 healthy boys (ages 6 and 3) and I had no issues conceiving either of them. When my sons were conceived I was exercising daily, but not training for anything. I am feeling frustrated about what could be causing this. If you have similar stories, I would love to hear your input. Thank you.
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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [triemugirl] [ In reply to ]
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Could it be that your body is completely depleted from the training and racing for the IM? My advice would be to allow your body to heal, recover. Put on some weight, if you are skinny. Try to relax. Eat, Sleep, relax. Don't TRY to get pregnant, just see if it happens. Best of luck.

Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [triemugirl] [ In reply to ]
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"When my sons were conceived I was exercising daily, but not training for anything."


Isn't it quite possible that you may have just answered your own question? Give it up for awhile. Gain some weight, exercise less (but don't give it up totally) and relax more. IM isn't that important. If this doesn't work seek medical advice.
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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [triemugirl] [ In reply to ]
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I got pregnant with my first 2 months after completing ironman st George. I did spend a month recovering after the ironman and exercising but not ironman training. My pregnancy was relatively uncomplicated.

I am now pregnant again but did have a miscarriage before my current pregnancy. I wasn't ironman training and haven't done one since IM St george. I still run at least 5 days a week. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what causes the miscarriage I still have no clue what happened in my case and I didn't change much in the last few months when trying to conceive my current pregnancy vs when I had a miscarriage.

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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [marcia] [ In reply to ]
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It's really easy to blame yourself for miscarriages. It is such a taboo subject for women. I bet if everyone who read this post who has had a miscarriage replied it would be a very long thread! The reality is that 20-30 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage and 70% are thought to be secondary to chromosomal abnormality. The older you are, the more likely you are to both have trouble conceiving and to have a pregnancy that will have a chromosomal problem that ends in pregnancy loss. Although training hard can lead to problems with fertility because of ovulation suppression, I certainly wouldn't blame a moderate amount of exercise for miscarriage. As has been said before though, your family should trump your training so if there is any doubt, scale back.

I got pregnant with our first the day after a half marathon. We just started trying again and I decided to scale back my running, gain a little weight and see what happens. It's likely going to take some time since I'm still weaning off pumping for my son and haven't had a cycle since I got pregnant with him. I also read (although not sure how scientific) that it takes about a year after you stop nursing to replenish all the nutrients your body loses during pregnancy and breast feeding. That is without training. Take your prenatals!

Good luck to everyone trying!

Jodi
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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [triemugirl] [ In reply to ]
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We started trying after one of my iron distance races. In my case it took about 3-4 months before my cycle actually happened. I was on the pill before that so I assume between the pill and the training switch, it took some time for my body to get in balance. After the race and while trying to conceive I was still "training" but at less volume and somewhat less intensity. I finally got an appointment with my doctor to examine why no monthly visitor. She put me on a medication to induce a period and start the process of figuring out what was wrong (for lack of a better term). Apparently the medication helped because I got preggo not long after.

Have you seen your doctor about the difficulties?
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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [triemugirl] [ In reply to ]
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I got pregnant with my second baby 6 days after I did my first full IM. I trained about 10-12hrs per week for it (nothing crazy), had my regular menstrual cycles, but was only at 11% body fat, so getting pregnant was a surprise. In contrast, I couldn't get pregnant with my first baby for two months and the doctor told me to cut down on exercise (which I did not do) and gain weight. I gained 10lbs. By the way, my pregnancy and baby after the ironman were normal and healthy. I think the ironman does not impact fertility provided you were eating healthy and resting enough (and had regular cycles). There are so many other factors that come into play in terms of getting pregnant or miscarrying. Don't blame yourself, make sure you are eating nutritious food, and if exercise makes you relaxed and happy, then you should continue with it. I think 7-10hrs per week for an ironman finished is not excessive at all!
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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [triemugirl] [ In reply to ]
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I hope this might not matter anymore but I got pregnant 2 days after my first full IM in 2013. I was in the best shape of my life and I think it helped me to get pregnant.
I hope your struggle is short-lived!
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Re: Trying to conceive after IM [triemugirl] [ In reply to ]
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I signed up for ironman florida in November 2015 & Augusta 70.3 in September. I just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in October 2014. I'm Planning on breastfeeding for 6 months plus and wondered if my body will still be depleted for these races (pregnancy & breastfeeding) or if it will be ok for these endurance events? My obgyn didn't seem to think twice about my decision. I will not be breastfeeding during these events/stopping breastfeeding prior to.

Anybody have any anecdotal or firsthand advice ?
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