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Exercising during the First Trimester
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I am 11 weeks this week, and in between the bouts of nausea and fatigue, I have not been able to exercise at all since the pregnancy.

For those ladies who managed to exercise throughout the first trimester, how did you manage it? How did you control the morning sickness? I am just so so tired. This morning, I went to a group swim session for the first time in 2 months, and I could barely manage a lap. Any input would be appreciated.
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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Admittedly i was lucky to not suffer too much fatigue/nausea but for me i found getting a workout in the morning was the best bet (after a snack of dry toast or rice crackers/coconut water/something to stave off morning nausea); I reduced the intensity and duration of workouts just to know I'd moved each day; my minimum was 20mins, at a lower intensity i could usually go for up to 40mins but during the first tri didn't put any pressure on myself to get any real quality workout in...once past 13 weeks all my energy came back and within a week i was back to working out how I wanted...and i've heard that is quite common. Many women have to give up running for the first tri (I didn't run through my pregnancy but that was because it took us a long time to conceive so I'd stopped running anyway) but resume it again in the 2nd tri. Oh, and congratulations!! Best of luck picking things back up again in a few weeks, I found weeks 9-11 the hardest...
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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+1 on things getting dramatically better at 13 weeks. It was simply amazing how much better it got, almost overnight.

A few things that helped me:

saltines
big red gum, but maybe just a half a stick
sprouted almonds (I don't know if regular almonds would also do it, I just have a thing for nuts, and like the almonds sprouted)
soda water with some lemon or even a little grapefruit juice

The energy and exercise will come, but try not to be too hard on yourself--you're growing a new human, and it is hard, exhausting work. The physiologic changes that you go through in pregnancy are just huge, and although some women trip right through without any issues, for others it is very different. If you happen to be one of the unlucky few who don't feel better at 13 weeks, at 40 weeks you'll feel like it was all worth it;)

I wasn't really a swimmer before my first pregnancy, but I've heard that is wonderful when you're pregnant. I was a runner, and I ran almost throughout, but I also liked the elliptical because it was easier on the joints. I walked a ton, and even though it wasn't intense, I enjoyed it a lot and liked spending time with my babies that way. Even after they were born, I liked to "baby wear" them in a sling or Bjorn (I like this one because it's so easy to kiss their sweet little heads), and when they were big enough a backpack. They all loved walking, and now they all love walking and hiking. Cool.

Congratulations. It is such an awesome journey. Hugs to you.

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Trying to fight gravity on a planet that insists
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [luckytotri] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you ladies. It took a long time for us to conceive, and I have been trying to be conservative. Initially, I did not suffer from morning sickness, but it started a bit after week 7. I have not thrown up too much, but I am constantly nauseous. It is like having a constant hangover. I can only eat white rice, plain pasta, crackers, pudding and toast. Despite not eating much, I have gained 4 lbs, and now I am concerned that I am gaining too much weight and losing fitness. I was healthy 5'8" and 125 lbs before this.

I have been walking and hiking with our dog, but only 30-40 minutes per day. I am looking to get back into biking (indoor) and swimming. I am going to wait until my week 14 ultrasound to resume running because my cervix is a bit short.
Last edited by: Undertrained: Mar 2, 13 16:52
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations! I can't say I know the feeling as I have never been pregnant, but I treat a lot of pregnant women! I am sure you know by now that the morning sickness is actually a good thing! Usually means a good strong pregnancy!

Some things that may help your nausea: black or mint tea both have anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) properties, and I second the gum, saltines. Try to sip water as the tendency is to become dehydrated quickly.

Exercise to tolerance here's more info: http://running.competitor.com/...ecting-mothers_46684

good luck and congrats again!

________________________________________________
Don't Just Live, Thrive!
Thrive Kinematics Physical Therapy - http://www.facebook.com/...8178667572974?ref=hl
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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Oh - and I should mention - really do NOT watch the scales too much. everyone gains very differently; I was training as much as pre-preggo and eating about the same (didn't suffer excess cravings at all) and the scales just went up occasionally even 2-3lbs a week late in the second tri...your body will do what it needs to for the pregnancy and truly there is little you can do to stop it (!)...I made myself feel better by always reminding myself of how strong my legs would be postpartum through all the "weight" training they did in pregnancy by hauling extra weight :) A friend of mine gained 10lbs by the end of the first tri - and she hardly ate anything due to nausea! It sounds like you were quite slim going in and I know there is recommendation that slimmer people will gain a little extra...look at yourself as a bit of a science experiment - you'll only do it once or a few times in your life.
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [cherelli] [ In reply to ]
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All of this. Your body has a pre-programmed way of dealing with pregnancy and unfortunately you have very little say.

Do what you can & try not to worry or stress. The amount of time you spend pregnant is very small. You will be the "you" that you can control soon enough.

And congrats!! My little guy is 16 months and it SO MUCH FUN.
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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First and foremost, congratulations!!
I am 25 weeks along and you could have written my pregnancy story. The first trimester is so hard - the fatigue is unlike anything I had experienced (I stated many times that peak training for Ironman is easier). I concur with the other ladies that it magically gets better around week 12-13, almost overnight. I am sleeping better and eating better, plus the progesterone drops and estrogen rises, all leading to a happier mom-to-be.
Give yourself a break for the next couple weeks.... Second trimester is so much better for exercising. Heart rate and breathing even out and stamina returns. I typically work out first thing in the morning. I eat a small snack (usually applesauce) immediately before and a protein shake immediately after and that seems to work well. Hydrating has been my biggest challenge. Also find that my pace is slower (about 1min/mi) and that I do not recover as quickly - difficult to do strong back-to-back days, so I have incorporated walking and elliptical into the routine as well as weights.
One last thing - you mentioned weight gain. Like you, I was pretty lean going into the pregnancy, and I gained 7lbs almost immediately, like by week 9. Now, at 25 weeks, I am up 14lbs, so it tapered quite a bit. I chalk it up to my body gaining exactly what it needs to in order to support growing a little human, maintaining a full time job and life and continuing to exercise. I take comfort in seeing all my girlfriends with rocking bodies after pregnancy. :)
Good luck to you!!
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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Wow, congratulations. How exciting for you! It has been many years since I have been pregnant, but I do know this......this time in your life is so fleeting. Enjoy being pregnant and do exactly what you feel like doing. If you are tired, then rest, if you feel like eating, then eat. There will be years to come when you stress over your weight and your fitness (I should know!!) so just enjoy this time without worry.

I hope your pregnancy travels along smoothly and ultimately you have a beautiful, healthy bubba!! :)
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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One more voice telling you to try to not to worry about the weight gain. I know it's really hard.

Prepregnancy I was 5'6' and 135, but low 11% body fat.

Baby 1 = 50lbs. Babe came 5 weeks early, lost all the weight in 5 months.
Baby 2 = 65lbs. Got pregnant with babe two when babe 1 was 7 months old. Babe 2 came 10 days late, induced, lost all the weight in 8 months.
Baby 3 =73lbs. "Oops" baby, conceived 3 years after babe 2, came ten days early. Tore my gastroc in month 5 of the pregnancy, severly limiting my mobility. Took almost two years to lose that weight, but had lots of other life shit going on, and didn't prioritize it seriously enough. Once I got serious about it, and ramped up my training intensity, it fell off.

Now I'm maintaining at prepregnancy weight and my youngest is 2.5 years (bodyfat is now between 9-10%). I'm lucky that I don't have stretch marks from that weight gain :) I didn't eat junk food, but I absolutely wasn't working out with the intensity that I normally did. I really think your body does what it needs to do, to an extent. I was very active throughout all of my pregnancies, except the third one after I tore my calf. I feel stronger now post pregnancy, than I ever did before, and I'm definitely running faster. I feel like childbirth redefined my pain threshold a bit :) I also find it super motivating to know that I'm modeling fitness for my littles, and I love doing active stuff with them.

One thing I noticed with each weight loss period was that the weight didn't come off in a linear fashion--it was very "stepwise". I would go a week or ten days and not lose anything, and then lose 4-6 lbs over two days. Weird.

I know how hard it is to not worry about it, but I am sure whatever you gain, you'll get it off and come back as strong, if not stronger than before :)

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Trying to fight gravity on a planet that insists
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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I'm 15 weeks today with my first and just getting back into the groove of things. First trimester wiped me out! Some nights I'd come home, take an hour nap, eat, then go to sleep. I tried to workout a few times but that only made things worse. I slowly started being less exhausted. Last week, I little switch was flipped back on and I wanted to work out again! It wasn't much but it made me feel a little bit like myself again. I finally don't have to take a nap before I go to sleep. ;-)

Along the lines of not watching the scale, I felt a little like maternity clothes meant that I was giving up. Buying a pair of maternity jeans and work pants at 13 weeks helped make me feel better too - WAY more comfortable! The work pants I got were way more flattering too! Putting on regular clothes and not being able to button them just made me feel like I was getting fat and not pregnant. My head's much more pregnancy minded now.
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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I was lucky to not have any nausea but I definitely got hit hard by the first trimester fatigue. I dealt with it by telling myself that exercise for the most part (with the exception of days when I REALLY couldn't muster the energy) was NOT OPTIONAL and that I would do what I could. Sometimes that meant getting in two good workouts in one day and sometimes that meant going for a walk in the neighborhood. Pretty much the deal I made with myself was that I would go to work and I would get in SOME kind of workout but after that was done I was free to sink into the couch for the rest of the evening, which is pretty much exactly what happened most days. My husband is a patient man. ;)

It also really really helped me to remember that suffering through it early on would make things a lot easier in the long run, and I believe that it did. I had a hell of a time getting/staying pregnant but my pregnancy itself was *very* easy. I think a large part of it is luck but I also think that staying active and trying very hard to not gain more weight than I needed to really helped in those last few weeks when you are just generally pretty uncomfortable. It'll also help you feel more normal again post-baby.

It also really helped me to focus on being healthy and doing what felt good more than on "training", and honestly it was kind of a refreshing break from always being focused on getting faster/stronger/whatever. I did what I felt like doing on any given day and did NOT beat myself up about it. And the interesting thing is that I think that mental break was really good for me because post-baby I came back hungry to work hard again.

Things really do tend to get a lot better in the second trimester - and you're almost there! Hang in there. :)
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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The first trimester is interesting. I would say one of the things that I really helped me early in my pregnancy is figuring out when I was up for a workout and not be afraid to miss a workout if I wasn't feeling up for it. Also it took me a while to realize that the focus was fitness and not triathlon performance. Once I accepted and modified my workouts towards fitness working out became much more pleasurable.

I am in my last 2 wks of pregnancy now and I am glad I have been able to stay fairly active because in general my pregnancy has been fairly uneventful. Even now while it is starting to get uncomfortable I don't have any horror stories about how horrible I feel and still feel like I can move around fairly well. I am still coming to terms with weight gain so I don't have any advice there.

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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [cherelli] [ In reply to ]
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Cherlli, congratulations on your pregnancy! And same to everyone else too.
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [trailbait] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Erika! My daughter Charlie arrived 6 weeks ago - she is beautiful and very healthy...and now telling me it's time for a feed...I'm glad i stuck it out to finally be rewarded with her :) Hope all is well with you and all your activities - running, business, motherhood etc!!
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [cherelli] [ In reply to ]
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Cherelli - Congrats on the arrival. Others pregnant - congrats!

It is hard to enjoy pregnant with this miserable morning sickness. I am 11 weeks 3 days today, and I am not seeing any end to this nausea. I was going to go swimming this evening, but not sure if I can even get up with this nausea. I am going on a week long business trip next week, and I may actually have to take some Zofran my doctor prescribed.
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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I've never had morning sickness nausea as I've never been pregnant, but candied ginger or ginger tea helps me when I am nauseous. Hope it goes away soon!

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Exercising during the First Trimester [Undertrained] [ In reply to ]
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My wife had same experience...just awful for her and not being able to work out (or really do apmuch of anything) drove her up the walls. Until she got a script for Zofran.....amazing antiemetic. Literally turned her early pregnant life around. I am not a doc or med person but I am not aware of any contraindications for it and pregnancy. Only side effect she experienced was low level headaches. But headaches are better than crippling nausea right? Once she was feeling better my wife ran and biked until about 34 weeks, mostly switching over to just biking around 30 weeks.

Another friend of ours ran through her whole pregnancy. I think she was still doing 10 mpw at 36 weeks ie a week before she had her son.
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