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Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do???
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Hi there - I am entering my second trimester with my 1st :) I am looking for some realistic advice and some insight on what lays ahead. Even though I've raced long course regularly for the past few years, I'm pretty realistic about easing back into a race season next year - i get more of a kick out of the training anyway :) - I'd just like to be in some reasonable shape next summer :)

Right now I'm spinning easy 1-2 days a week and swimming 3 days a week. I don't push the spin but I do push a little in the swims. The only medical advice I was giving was; don't over heat, don't have an accident (so no biking outside) and don't push it to hard.

For those of you that have been through this (HAPPY Moms day!!!) and what tips or advice do you have for the last few months?? What were you favorite workouts?? And when did you have to stop flip turning!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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Hi ! Congratulations, we’re in the same boat J Starting my 2nd trimester with the 1st. I still run (quite a bit actually, 3-4 days/week weather depending), which I didn’t read in your list above. In fact, my doctor approved a half marathon (with running guidelines) that I completed a week ago – and felt great the entire time. But know that I haven’t been sick at all so far during my pregnancy.

Here’s the advice I was given from my doctor:

· Keep your pace conversational (aka, don’t push it too hard) – my training runs average 70-90 secs/mile slower than when I wasn’t prego (and getting slower, but at least I’m still able to run)
· Stay hydrated – I carry water with me on all my runs regardless of distance
· Don’t overheat (I don’t quite get this one, but I go with it) – I actually still go to my heated yoga class, will sometimes step out or cut it short when it gets to be too much (but it sometimes feels so good to actually sweat a lil’ bit)
· No accidents - can’t bike outside either
· Swimming – I don’t flip turn anymore (my yoga instructor gave me the advice of no crunches, and no yoga poses where you are bending at the waist and twisting to the side at the same time)
· Don’t try anything new
· Lift lighter weights: if I feel a strain in my belly or have to hold my breath to lift something, it is too heavy
· Don’t be afraid to do isometric core work – while you still can

My doctor also told me that I’ll know when I need to give up running – it could be in 4 weeks in could be in another 8 weeks – who knows, but you’ll know when the time is right. I think once I give up running I’ll start swimming, walking and going to yoga classes more.

· I also signed up for a tri relay – I’m completing the run portion of the event, just to keep a pulse on the season
· And, I volunteered for a tri – what a perfect time to give back to the tri community
· I might sign up for a charity 5k/10k that I normally wouldn’t do – keeps me motivated to keep moving for a good cause
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [i-tri] [ In reply to ]
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Hot yoga = not so good. And for that matter, any activity that raises your core temp too much is bad.

From what I've been told by my doc, the baby has no way of shedding heat - so if you are overheating and sweating pretty good, the baby is just plain hot. Not so good for them. Regular yoga is fine if modified for the pregnancy, or better yet, prenatal yoga, but hot yoga is probably not the best.

I can't give much advice to the OP, after my first tri, any activity more than walking and easy swimming causes contractions that I'm not comfortable with. So I'm mostly sedentary. But I'm only 2 weeks from due date and can back into things after the all clear from the doc.

**********************
Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."
Last edited by: RockyMtnChic: May 9, 11 15:01
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [RockyMtnChic] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the tips,

My doc just told me flip turns are ok as long as you're comfortable doing them. Might try some gentle yoga.....good idea! Shouldn't work up to much of a sweat and get to hot doing that!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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I did lots of elliptical after the 4th month since my already hyperflexible hips couldn't handle any running. My uterus was also very "irritiable" the whole time. In week 23 I jogged just over a mile and ended up in the hospital overnight with contractions 2 minutes apart. I didn't know that viability really doesn't start until week 24 which really scared me. Definitely not worth the risk. Before pregnancy was running 50ish miles per week. Elliptical was great-- I swear it prepared me for an easy labor. 6 hours. Have a 14 week old boy now. Best wishes to you!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [A_Gal] [ In reply to ]
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I quickly did some Googling on 'pregnancy and overheating' and found a temp range where your body (when pregnant) begins overheating: 100.4 - 102 F (depends upon your normal body temp). The symptoms were fairly obvious: dry mouth, thirst, confusion, irritability, muscle cramping (typically in the legs, which I actually didn't know), etc.

But I did discover a new "no, no" when reading some general pregnancy FAQs that I wanted to share: no bug spray. Which makes sense when I think about it, but living in the 'land of 10k mosquitoes' I sometimes spray it out of habit in the summer.

One last note - for the record :) My yoga class is slightly heated, not a HOT yoga class. As someone that is frequently cold/chilly year around, it actually feels really good (but I do step out when the heat gets to be too much) - and yes, I have water with me at all times.

Weedris – I hope you have tried and enjoyed yoga, I find it physically and mentally refreshing when I’m done.

RockMtnChic – good luck with your last few weeks!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [i-tri] [ In reply to ]
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Man! There is no end of things to worry about when you're pregnant, is there? I flip turned right up until the day I delivered. It never even occurred to me to ask if it was okay. I guess it must have been in my case, since I now have a healthy 19 month old...

I ran until the end of my 6th month (it was the summer heat more than my size that stopped me), I commuted by bike to work until the 8th month (I know a lot of folks don't ride outdoors, but I did get the dr's okay on that one) and swam right up to the end. If I had it to do over again, I would have tried to be more active (maybe water running?) in the last six weeks or so. I sort of let things slide towards the end b/c I was just so tired and sleep seemed like the bigger priority after work, but then I would just lie in bed awake. I think I might have slept better if I was more active - it's a bit of a vicious cycle.

[And if I might give you a little unsolicited advice about training after baby: be kind to yourself. I, too, spent much of my pregnancy planning my return to racing, but unless you are lucky enough to have everything go right, your first season back may be very modest. I may be more sensitive to sleep deprivation than most, but my training pretty much came to a standstill when my son was getting up 5-6 times a night between 10 mo and 18mo. Hopefully your baby will sleep like an angel, but just in case s/he doesn't, remember that you're asking a lot from your body already between recovering from pregnancy, nursing and getting up every 2 hours. Significant training may not be in the cards until junior's a little older. Sorry.]

btw, my son is sleeping much better now, I'm just quit nursing and I'm training for a half mary and a few olys this season. Just as everyone says, the little baby phase really does pass off quickly.

Best wishes!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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I stopped flip turning the 9 month. Swam right up until the end with my masters group,just had to keep moving down a lane! I ran until i was uncomfortable then I walked fast. I biked indoors until I couldn't stand my belly being in the way. 10 years ago, we didn't have an elliptical but I would have done that all the way to the end, Instead I had some old step reebok videotapes that I did in the living room! I ran the NYC marathon 10 months after giving birth.

__________________________________________________
Twitter: @jayasports
Web: http://www.jayasports.com

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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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Hi! Happy 2nd Trimester - better than the 1st, I hope! My ran the day before I gave birth to my beautiful son, who is 12-months-old now. I swam & went to spin up until the end too. I stopped riding on the road at about 5.5 months b/c I was scared I might fall. Other than that, I just reduced the intensity of my workouts and watched my HR, but kept the same workouts and routine. Oh - except I did cut out Bikram Yoga, just didn't feel good about getting that hot w/ a bun in the oven. Good luck. Motherhood is the best!

Tracy M. De Soto
Femme Designer/CFO/Attorney
De Soto Sport
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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First off congrats!
I would check out the book "Exercising through your Pregnancy."
I just gave birth to triplets 3.5 weeks ago and was able to walk until I was put on modified bed rest at 20 weeks, I did stationary cycling till 14 weeks (tummy was too big after that!) and swam till I was on strict bed rest at 23 weeks. Granted everything I did was Z 1.
After my C-section I've been able to walk (with my triple stroller which is pretty hard up 10% grade hills) since my 2 week follow up. Planning to start training for a sprint tri at the end of August after my 6 wk appt. I have no expectations except to finish and keep my sanity since I really enjoy training too.
Biggest thing is to do what you feel comfortable with and listen to your body.

Team Danbury Audi - Triplet Mommy!!!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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In pregnancy do whatever you like to do. If you love to read books go and buy some good books. if you love drawing draw some pictures. It is always better to do whatever your mind tells you to do.

Bike Racks
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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It's remarkable how much more fun a pregnancy is when you stay active. My first pregnancy was not enjoyable at all. It was unexpected to begin with so it took some time to adjust to the idea, plus I broke my leg in my first trimester, gained 65 pounds, and had a lot of complications. I did do modified prenatal yoga which was a lifesaver as stress relief and I highly recommend it! My class was really social and I became good friends with some of my classmates. We still see each other and have a toddler playgroup now.

I just entered my third trimester with my second and this pregnancy is a breeze and a completely different experience. I swim almost every day at a pretty good pace and I'm still doing flipturns easily even though my belly is getting pretty big. I was taking a spin class once or twice per week, but last week I decided I was done because it was getting too uncomfortable. My husband and I hike almost every weekend and I haven't had any issues other than getting tired more quickly. We camped and hiked all of the holiday weekend and it was fine. I've only gained 16 pounds so far this pregnancy and my doctor says I'm right where I should be. I admit, after losing all the baby weight I was really worried about weight gain this time, but it's not hard to gain the right amount when you aren't stressed with a broken leg!

Congratulations! I never thought I wanted to be a mother, but becoming one has been the most joyful experience of my life. :)
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [icequeen] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for all the advice!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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So good to find this thread (don't stray into women's much).

I'm only half way through my first trimester and am already finding it hard to run. I get breathless so much faster! I'm still going to our windtrainer spin classes 2X a week (it's winter where I am now) and I'm swimming 3X a week. Going to try running again this week, but only a 5km loop (and will probably be more of a run/walk).

My Dr has told me to stay as active as possible as it will make labour a lot easier (her words). Her only advice was to not try anything new (but since I did IMNZ in March she knows I was already exercising), keep my HR below 140 (but it's allowed to go over for very short periods, as in sprint sets on the trainer) and to swim as much as I like.
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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hi,
I ran probably four times a week, one dog agility class and one to two swims. As I got to big for much running I would still do agility with my dog (short sprints), run just once (slowly) and swam atleast 2 times.

I believe it helped with recovery after my baby (he's 6 months). I had a c-section, released on a wednesday adn the following Wednesday I was back at agility with my dog. Point? Just keep working out, it will make everything so much better.

my 2 cents

Lana

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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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This is sad, but to avoid taking any risks while pregnant, I did water aerobics. That is, the classes with the little old ladies at the local pool. The cool water ensured that I didn't overheat. The exertion for me was something akin to a 2/10 to 3/10.
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [karencoutts] [ In reply to ]
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5 weeks after my first post and things have changed. Still swimming and spinning but the bike will have to go soon. I want to pee every time I'm on it (the slight tilt forward puts pressure on my bladder). I find these days pushing a lawn mower is a tough workout!
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [weedris] [ In reply to ]
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Oh, and here's a secret for after the baby is born: breastfeed until the cows come home. Breastfeed as long as you can, and pump out extra milk too while you're at it. It uses up all your body fat so you'll have nothing left! After my baby was born, my "womanly bulge", as I called the bulge of fat between my belly button and crotch, well, that bulge *completely disappeared* for the first time in my life! Yes, that's right... you will be thinner than before you had a baby. I looked like a Playboy centrefold, the unrealistic skinny body with large (lactating) breasts. Unfortunately, the B cups disappeared once I stopped breastfeeding and disappeared after leaning out from triathlon, but that's another story.

I was a breastfeeding fail, so I had to pump milk for 10 freakin' months before I gave up from sheer exhaustion. I produced enough milk to feed the baby and then some, 10% more. When it was over, I had to throw out 30 POUNDS of frozen breastmilk! Incidentally, my breasts are size AA.

Have fun, and know that you will come back stronger and leaner than before. Many women are formerly MOP and move to FOP after giving birth. Don't worry so much about your training while you're pregnant.
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [allyballybee] [ In reply to ]
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I have had the same experience with running. Starting around six weeks, even easy running got very difficult cardio-wise. Like running at altitude. I am still running 3x/week, just huffing and puffing very slowly for about 30 minutes at a time. I'm registered for a half-marathon in August, but at this point I can't imagine shuffling that far!

Sadly, swimming makes me seasick. Really hoping that gets better soon.

Some sort of sciatica or SI joint pain is making walking painful, too -- but not running, funny enough. I'm looking into chiro, massage, acupuncture, etc. to try to get that feeling better. Anyone have any experience/suggestions?
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [Ariel] [ In reply to ]
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Prenatal yoga frequently addresses sciatica, ITB pain, etc. I know pigeon pose is great for sciatica. Here's a quick video: http://video.about.com/...Yoga-Pigeon-Pose.htm
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [SynchSkater] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on your pregnancy! I was able to swim until the end (flip turning), however I had a lesson in pushing it too hard, that would lead to nearly constant braxton hicks contractions. Very annoying. My advice is if you start getting BH contractions when you are swimming, then lay off a bit on the intensity. I also ran until 23 weeks and then I just knew it was time to stop, I was too uncomfortable. So from that point on I walked a lot and swam about 4 times a week.

Regarding the post-baby training...everyone is different and bodies bounce back in different ways. Some people are lucky and breastfeeding sheds the extra lbs, but your body can also do the opposite. My body held on to weight when I was BFing, and I"ve heard many women say the say thing. You won't know which side you fall on until you are there, so just keep that in mind.
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Re: Pregnancy & Staying Active - what did you do??? [SynchSkater] [ In reply to ]
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My hospital offers free (and conveniently scheduled) prenatal yoga... I'll be checking it out this Saturday for sure. I have a feeling I'm going to wish I had started going sooner. (I'm 18 weeks along now.) Thanks!
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