Advice on exercise please?

[Onlymydogunderstandsme]

Hi there, I am currently 5 weeks and I play netball, the new season is about to start. I asked my doctor if it was ok to train (as league rules state you can't play past 12 weeks as you may gain unfair advantage!) and she said she saw no problem with that at all and her advice would be to carry on for as long as I felt comfortable. Any ideas when this would be? I don't want to pay all the upfront fees if in a few weeks i'm going to feel uncomfortable. How long did you exercise for? Any advice much appreciated, I really enjoy it and would like to continue as long as I can!

[cravingcake]

I dont play netball but do have two rather active dogs and I continued to walk them almost daily (20-30 mins at a time at a reasonable pace) up til around 16 weeks before I was getting out of breath. However, I did have morning sickness quite bad some days and found if I walked them while feeling unwell it mad it worse.

I stopped walking them regularly around 22 weeks (partner does it for me) and I just did shorter walks when I had the energy. Now (31 weeks) I can hardly walk them around the block without stopping at least twice and its a slow wander rather than a good paced walk but I still try to go out when I can.

[melliebobs]

I know netball isn't supposed to be 'contact' but contact sports should be avoided. When I've played in the past it can be ruthless. One whack to ur abs with someones arm or a misplased pass with the ball then what? Also things that compromise balance (rapid changes of direction etc) are also recommended to be avoided.

Sup to you. I've had to give up football. I'm almost at 16 weeks and I I had the energy, physically I could still be playing. Id just rather not take the risk

[Booboostoo]

I rode till 23 weeks but then was too large and too tired to continue. Towards the end I could hardly walk I was so huge and so exhausted!

[nunnie]

I continued to box (glove and pad work only) until 25 weeks when I transferred to swimming and light gym because I really didn't feel comfortable anymore.

This time round I hadn't really got back into my boxing before getting pregnant again so I have avoided it. Still swim and gym now and I am 36+5.

[dreamc1]

I'm only 9 weeks, but go to aerobics 4 times a week, I have to say the body conditioning class I'm struggling with, I have had to slow down during the class, the next day I'm totally exhausted!
Even walking the dog in the evening, I'm on a go slow; tired and out of breath very quickly.

[nunnie]

I was told to avoid contact sports, hence the glove and pad work only for me.

I listen to my body and adapt my routine (gym at the moment) to what my body is telling me that day, I drink plenty and have slowed down a heck of a lot now.

[northernsecondtimemummy]

Hi there, I played netball up to about 12 weeks, thereafter I just wasn't prepared to take the risk as the games I play in can be very physical. I switched to running and aerobics classes which I did happily up to about 30 weeks and then just went for the odd swim.

[naturalbaby]

i used to do step aerobic classes and had a bleed at 6weeks so didn't feel confident or happy running, jumping or doing any sort of impact activities if that makes sense. the doctor said it would be fine but i didn't want to push it.

[Onlymydogunderstandsme]

Thanks for replies. I wouldn't take part in matches even if I was allowed to as they are very physical and sometimes very pushy and shovy! However training is more running, ball skills and general fitness with a bit of match play. In training this definately isn't as physical and I know the girls I play with aren't agressive players but if I felt this wasn't safe I can sit that bit out. It's more about keeping my fitness up and I really enjoy the social aspect, it works out cheaper than gym membership and I want to keep as fit as possible! I just don't know how long I will feel up to it but seems that evryone is different on that. I do Pilates too and hope to keep that up!

[CrazyAlien06]

Hi I'm 35+4 and still walk my dog for 45 mins every day without getting too out of breath :) im hoping it is keeping me in shape and will help lose weight after!

[hawesmead5]

With my first pregnancy I swam 100 lengths 3 x a week and even swam 80 lengths on the day I gave birth (I am a runner really but was unable to run due to bleeding at 6, 12 and 14 weeks caused by a large cyst)
With my secondd pregnancy I countinued to run up until I gave birth. I had a very fast labour (42 mins) and was sure this was to keeping fit throughout my pregnancy.

[Joolyjoolyjoo]

With my first pregnancy I did nothing, and I got very depressed and fat!

With no's 2 and 3 I carried on with combat and spin up to about 30wks, (when I couldn't get my hands to the handlebars and looked frankly ridiculous doing the jump-kicks!!)

My spin teacher recently did her last class- at 36 wks pregnant! And the lady up the road from me runs a lot- I saw her out running, with bump, one week, then out with a pram the next!! I'm guessing the last two are extreme examples, but there seems to be no hard and fast rule as to when you "need" to give up your normal exercise, as long as you are sensible.

[ghosteditor]

I think it's generally accepted that if you're used to a sport it's fine to continue through the early stages. I play hockey and played my last match at 15 weeks (summer league, so not too serious, but it was a final). By that stage I was starting to show and quite a few people gave me funny looks. I'm 21 weeks now and would be at training tonight if I didn't think it would worry other people (they'd be afraid of bashing into me etc), though I wouldn't play a match now and have slowed down quite a lot. Like netball, hockey is officially a non contact sport but you get occasional full on contact and falls.

During the first trimester, the baby is fully hidden behind the pelvis so is protected from incidental knocks for the most part. It's really about what you are prepared to live with - if the worst happened, would you blame yourself for exercising even if you couldn't be sure what had caused the problem?

I'm also doing slow short runs and using the gym, but will have to give up the impact stuff soon as my bump is huge and all out front and is making my back sore.

However, it's not just the physical stuff - I wasn't being sick but was very nauseated from about 8 - 14 weeks and was much more tired then than I am now, so there's that to consider too - you may just not feel like training if you're tired.

[ghosteditor]

oh and of course congratulations and good luck!

[chickydoo]

I was teaching yoga at 37 weeks pregnant, taught my last class, went for check up, told a had a small "leak" kept me in, had lovely baby 10 hours later.
Baby very chilled out, great experience, went back to teaching when little one was 8 weeks old. All fine.....everyone is different though, seek advice, listen to your body and stop if anything hurts. Avoid deep squating, avoid raising your heart rate too much. watch out for over breathing, and sit down if you feel dizzy.

[ZhenXiang]

I am 14 weeks and still going to the gym. I have stopped running on the treadmill not because I cannot do it, but because my heart rate goes too high so I do fast walking, cross trainer, bike and step machine instead.

Like others have said your level of tiredness will increase so you may not feel like training especially evenings as it starts getting darker earlier.

[Woodifer]

i was doing some gentle running to start with - but got a bit carried away at 14 weeks and triggered SPD running down hill in the lakes, so i had to keep off the running, and can't walk as much/far as i would have liked - though i have relatively mild SPD (ie can walk nearly 3 miles, am not on crutches).

i still bike to the station (at 30 weeks) and back on my way to work (about 3 miles each way), and have been doing progressively steadier, flatter bike rides, and riding up the hill home slower :)

i have also been swimming a few times a week - having to work on the crawl - as apparently breastroke (my old favourite) is a bad idea with SPD.