I just posted “Notes From A Pregnant Triathlete” and ST may be the better venue for sharing similar training, work out, etc. experiences.
www.johnpostmdsblog.blogspot.com
I would be interested in hearing recommendations regarding biking and the theoretical (although not so theoretical in some cases) risk of crashing. I would wonder if there were some over lap with those athletes who take Coumadin or other blood thinning agents.
thanks,
John
I would be interested in hearing recommendations regarding biking and the theoretical (although not so theoretical in some cases) risk of crashing.
My wife & I welcomed a baby boy into the world at the end of January. She continued to exercise throughout her pregnancy, but kept it to just swimming & elliptical/weight workouts at the gym. Cycling & running were kept up until they became too much of a risk: cycling, when her center of gravity shifted due to the growing baby; running, when the joints began to ache due to increased weight and/or hormones affecting bone strength. For cycling, the fear of crashing was legitimate.
Since the birth, the misses has been slow to reintegrate exercise, as she does not want to negatively impact her milk supply. She has resumed gym routines, including indoor rowing (which she gave up when she got too big to comfortably row) and will get back in the pool when she returns to work next month.
Hope this (somewhat) addressed what what you were after.
I can’t imagine trying to ride a tri bike while pregnant. I’d recommend unlimited swimming and running to the extent tolerated amd supported by past levels of training and would restrict cycling to stationary spin bikes while pregnant.
Not sure if this is exactly what you are after, but this is my experience. I’ve had 2 little ones. With the first, I biked outdoors up until I was really showing. At that point, I felt the risk of crashing was too great.
With the second, I was more conservative and stopped riding outdoors earlier on. In hindsight, I would have stopped sooner with the first too. All of my concern was about the risk of crashing. Especially after having the first, my perspective changed a lot. Thinking back to what could have happened, I definitely question myself as to what benefit there was to riding outdoors when I could safely ride indoors (or swim or run/walk). Clearly just my opinion…
I had no concerns about the exercise itself and did spinning classes up to 37 weeks with both, then it was just too uncomfortable.
John - I seem to only post on slowtwitch in response to something you’ve written, because you seem to hit ever condition I have. Last time I posted was regarding Reynauld’s. What’s next for me? 
I am curious as to what other pregnant women do for biking. I am about 4 months along and haven’t taken my bike outside the season at all, but it’s not solely because I am pregnant. I was diagnosed with DVT about 4 weeks ago, spent a couple of days in the hospital, and have been on Lovenox ever since. I really, really want to take the bike out for a spin (it’s in the 80s this week here!!), and I would if I were not on the blood thinners. I just don’t know how easy it is to bleed out if I were to crash… I am debating signing up for a very short sprint tri with a 10 mile bike in a couple of weeks, but I don’t know if it would be the right move. I think doctors are sometimes overly cautious (I was told not to run at all after the DVT, but I started after a few weeks when I had no symptoms), but being on the blood thinners is a huge unknown for me and I certainly don’t want to risk the baby in any way. I have been riding on my trainer, no problem, although the aero position is starting to constrict my breathing.
As for the other sports, I’ve been swimming and running regularly, although at a much slower pace than before. That is probably what I found the most shocking - how quickly you slow down. I went from being a 1:25-1:30 1/2 marathon runner to struggling to run a 1:45 half when I was about 8 or 9 weeks along. I don’t mind that at all, but it’s amazing how much more effort working out becomes. Swimming had slowed too, but not as drastically. Hopefully I can continue doing both throughout the entire pregnancy.
Perfect. thanks.
John
Elsa - your response was the kind we can benefit from. How knowledge changed your behavior. Thanks for sharing. (Got anything else?)
John
I wasn’t active at all with my first child (he is now 12), I may have walked some, but that was the extent of it. I started jogging some when I was trying to lose the baby weight with him and 19 months later had my daughter.
I did BodyPump classes and the elliptical with her until I was put on bedrest for preterm labor.
With this last one, I had bleeding through the entire first trimester so I was relegated to yoga. I did walk/yoga for the second trimester but was put on bedrest and delivered at 35 weeks.
I wish I had been able to run or swim. I would not have biked for sure. Too many risks there.
I have not read the article yet.
My opinion,
The risk of crashing while riding outside may not be great, but it is obviously higher than not riding outside at all. Not worth the risk.
Pregnancy is a temporary condition. It will pass and most can get back to regular activities.
Long term anticoagulation is just that, long term. Lifestyle choices can be made with that in mind.
Not to get into a politcal/religious debate, but cycling during pregnancy puts both Mom AND fetus at risk.
I have a friend who is on anticoagulants due to a coronary stent. A routine crash (is there such thing?) turned into surgery due to abdominal bleeding. He still rides, and is making lifestyle choices based on collaboration with his cardiologist.
I was talking with one of the surgeons I work with. Typically anticoagulants are held for a couple weeks before surgery. We were talking about the 81mg of baby asprin that many take. He said if he cancelled surgery for that he would have an open calendar.
Dockaroo is 22 weeks pregnant with twins. So far she’s put 25+ lbs onto her 105lb frame and they expect another 25.
She’s currently running, doing prenatal yoga and will be doing a prenatal swim class. We rode mountain bikes on the Boulder bike paths yesterday, which let us get in 1.5 hours without riding on the road. Biking at this point is low-risk and recreational.
Running is very hit or miss. Some days we can get in an hour of 8-minute miles and other days she’s struggling at 10-min per mile. We got her a “belly support” which has really helped her comfort. We’re careful to keep her volume and intensity dependent on how she feels. If she “pushes” it, there is typically reciprocal soreness in her hip musculature.
Prenatal yoga has been a lifesaver. Its really helped with each of her soreness issues.
Congrats on the twins. I sent my older two (5, 10) off to school and am getting ready to load my 3 year old identical girls into the Burley for a ride to Grandma’s house.
Gotta love this March weather in MN.
I recall that the late Mary Jane Reoch (multi-time national champion) created quite a controversy in the early 80’s when she rode her bike to the hospital to have her baby.
More info in article here…
http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/Cycling-During-Pregnancy_-Yes-or-No_.htm
A friend of mine did her marathon training while pregnant and ran Rock n Roll Marathon at 27 weeks.
markg - that’s pretty cool about Mary Jane Roech. I have a friend, an Ironman Hawaii course record holder as a matter of fact, who went to his doctor - on his bike - with chest pain. He was told that he was having an MI and that he needed an urgent cardiac cath. As my friend prepared to ride his bike to the hospital two blocks away, he was told, “Oh no you don’t,” and they took him by Rescue Squad the two blocks. On a back board.
He was cathed and received a lovely stent. He’s raced Kona since.
John
My wife and I just had a baby 2 weeks ago. She is an elite athlete and former Olympic Water Polo athlete. She competes mostly in K1, surfski and paddling races but still does the odd end tri and loves Mountain Biking. She competed on the paddle board and surfski during her first month but was fatiqued VERY quickly. She ran less and less until month 5 and then quit. She quit cycling immediatley because of her fear of crashing and she hit the spin bike up until month 7. She quit paddling after almost throwing up during the first month. She stuck to swimming until 4 days before birth. She would swim 4-5k at the start and she ended around 1500-2k per session just 1 week before. She also did a :45 minute olyptical 3-4 times per week but did not make it through the 8th month. She only took per-natal vit’s and no meds. Good luck. A healthy Mom is the best bet for a healthy baby! She started a walking routine yesterday and was wiped out this morning. But, she packed up the boy and was headed to the beach for a walk. She wants to be running like her normal self by July though I think it will be sooner. Who knows?
(My training time has now been cut back by at least 75%…and I have ZERO regrets!!!)
I’m almost 14 weeks and am very cautious about riding outdoors (and miss it!). I will ride on a bike path but avoid group rides or anything overly hilly. I’m just nervous about crashing Noreen than anything. I’ve kept up my runningnand swimming and have found that cycling (even on trainer) leaves me more exhausted than other activities.
Last summer I was riding my bike in the morning before work and I saw one of my wife’s friends out running (very serious runner, former Division 1 5k and 10k’er). We chatted for a second and I asked her how long she was running that morning. The answer was 6 and as we talked she sheepishly admitted that she was running to the local hospital to have elective gall bladder surgery. Really cracked me up. Didn’t sound healthy to me (how do you drink water before your run when you can’t have any food or drink prior to the anesthesia??) but she survived without issue.
Back to the OP, my wife skiied until her 3d? or 4th? month with our first and swam right up to D-day. No exercise whatsoever leading up to the birth of our second.
I rode up to the 5th month with #1 and it was fear of crashing that led me indoors. I also did yoga and swam. I’m not sure I did anything for #2 as I seemed to be cooking the boys short terms (37 weeks for #1 and 35 weeks for #2) so I tried to keep the physical stressors to a minimum with #2. I was actually hospitalized from 32 to 35 weeks with #2. After both boys I was dragging them around in the Burley. With the girls (#3 and 4) I again tried to take it physically easy and was disabled after the 2nd trimester to try and keep them cooking longer. Both girls were born at 40 weeks. First was hospital birth and the last 3 at home. Eldest is now 17 (going on 18) and youngest 10. Life FLIES by.
Phil - your addition shows us that the specifics of one’s exercise regimen are an individual choice. Some posters have chosen to try to completely eliminate risk while others seem to do their best to manage same, within their own personal comfort levels.
John
Just adding my personal training routine so far. I’m 12 weeks pregnant, have been racing in marathons, triathlons, duathlons and cycling races for 5 years in Asia.
So far, I have continued my run / swim training regimen, with less intensity & at a slower pace. I no longer push myself, due to fear of stressing my body too much, lack of oxygen or getting dehydrated. I have also started to force myself to walk 5min every 20min to avoid internal overheating. I have completely cut out outdoors cycling. Personally, I’d have been OK with it, I have never fallen off my bike in training or competition (besides learning how to use my clips when I first got them!) - but my husband is more concerned for me & baby - so out of mutual decision, I am no longer cycling outdoors. I despite cycling indoors, but I will have to force myself to use the trainer now :).
So far: I cancelled 2 half marathons during my 1st Trimester, but will pick it up again as I head into the 2nd Tri. (I was too nauseas and fatigued from wk5 - wk11). Next week, @ 13 wks, I will be doing a 51.5 relay with my husband (I will swim/run, he’ll bike). I do not plan to race competitively for PR or time, only to finish while enjoying my favorite sport.
Hope this helps any other pregnant women out there!
EM - it will be interesting to see if you both feel like, and have the stamina, to complete your plan. As you’ve read above some did but many did not. Best of luck!
I was in Taipei many years ago; nice place. Hope it treats you well.
John