To wish more pregnant women were like this?

[LisaExpress]

Good example

Running a marathon at 7 months pregnant. Good on her.

Actually, pondering holyghosts post for a moment, I think women should move into nature reserve style pregnancy communes...

YABU.

Before DS2 I'd just lost my weight from DS1 and a little more, and was the fittest I'd been for years. On finding about my pregnancy I switched from circuits to the gym to keep up as best as my body would allow. I continued Buggy Babes until 21 wks, then I switched to aquafit- that lasted around 3 weeks as I realised my hips were not liking it and I was drifting back into the wonderful world of PGP/SPD which pretty much had me housebound in the last month of DS1. I managed to remain more active than before by giving up the sofa for a supportive chair, and being aware of my limitations rather than being bamboozled and mis-diagnosed like the last time. I had to source crutches myself as from being referred to physio at 25 wks, the system meant that I couldn't get any until 37 wks- I did get a pelvic support then.

So let to 6mile runner feel proud of her achievements, and I shall feel proud that in wk 39 I dragged myself round an edited version of the week's shop giving instructions to DH (hadn't been able to push a trolley in months) and that I dragged myself half a mile down the hill to the MW, politely declining a lift from my neighbour in the hopes that I might induce myself. After the appointment, I went round the corner to the chipshop and caught the bus home as walking uphill was impossible to do. It brought on labour most effectively- I had DS2 in my arms about 12 hrs later.

I've yet to meet one of these infamous women that chooses to let herself go. Most women do what their bodies allow. Yes in the 3rd tri both times I've eaten more sugary food than normal- that's my instinct to counter feeling fluffing nackered. When your body is uncomfortable/ in pain and you're very limited in what you can do, food can be one of the last pleasures.

Incidentally, my friend did the Great North Run at 5mths pg, was driving long distances 3wks post-CS and started running soon after the birth... her physio dealing with her parted stomach muscles now thinks she's made enough improvements to avoid surgery to repair them...
Even if your body is co-operative, intensive excercise should only be done with great caution.

It would be great if more pregnant women felt well enough to excercise, and if the world didn't judge those that don't.

What is unreasonable: being blind to the fact that some women find pregnancy akin to an illness, ie, they feel sore, ill, tired, need medical intervention, need rest and can not and should not run marathons.

What is reasonable: expecting all women to maintain a decent level of fitness, whether by walking, running, cleaning the stairs, whatever. Its not fair or acceptable to allow your health to decline in preventable ways when you're pregnant/have children - you need to look after yourself to care for them.

Yes, yes, i recognise there are some things that can't be avoided, but a hell of a lot of pregnancy related complaints, can be controlled through diet and lifestyle (before and during pregnancy). If you just think fuck it, I'll eat pizza every night and get the bus everywhere instead of walking don't be surprised if you get more aches and pains, gain more weight, have higher risk of GD, SPD.

To the PP who suggested midwives run exercise classes, what a brilliant idea. That would make the concept of exercising while pregnant mainstream.

hmm so I do wish women wouldn't do things that put their babies at higher risk of life limiting conditions....maybe I shouldn't care about the health of others children, but I do...

So although I was going to give a massive YABVU (and I still am in fact) I realise it is a tad hypocritical of me....

YABU - she is a runner anyway so she is just continuing what she has always done.

It would be madness for a pregnant woman to take up running.

I used to teach aerobics and was still teaching at 36 weeks...because I had been doing it for years. Nothing amazing and I was lucky to feel well enough to continue.

Plus - she hasn't done it yet and has another few weeks....who know if she will actually feel ok enough at the time.

I ran a marathon when pregnant. Only a few weeks and I didn't know. I was near collapse at 17 miles and only just finished, which was surprising as I had regularly ran further during training and was very fit

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that is pregnant, a marathon takes a massive toll on the body, and you regularly see people collapse and even sometimes people die. Being pregnant is a strain on your body in itself without trying to be super woman.

That being said I did continue to run during my pregnancy but just more sensible distances, 10k max. Also if you run too far into your pregnancy, as your bump gets bigger you are putting a lot of strain on your pelvic floor muscles and weakening them more.

"If you just think fuck it, I'll eat pizza every night and get the bus everywhere instead of walking don't be surprised if you get more aches and pains, gain more weight, have higher risk of GD, SPD. "

Or as in my case, if you're so stubborn and think that before getting pregnant you were a black belt karate-ka so your body can cope with a bit of slow walking (slow because any fast movement makes you throw up) you may well find yourself signed off work and confined to bed for a week because the walking was causing you cramps, pains and contractions at 4 months (I couldn't stand up straight).

Every pregnancy is different. I felt really really bad and guilty that my exercise was reduced from 5 hours karate training a week to walking up 6 flights of stairs once a day (no lift). But anything more than that made me throw up and/or get signed off work (despite me trying to refuse - I am stubborn). So I had to accept it.

Basically my motto in pregnancy was do whatever you have to to get through the day. But thats probably related to my severe morning sickness. I would have loved to have felt fine all through my pregnancy.

Nicolaeus, that's shit and v unlucky given that you were an active and healthy person pre-preg.

I agree that every pregnancy is different, but here's one way in which every pregnancy is the same - if the mother cares for her health, diet and activity levels, she has a better chance of having a less painful and problematic pregnancy. It won't work that way for everyone but midwives and NHS should be more open to encouraging exercise, good diet and active lifestyle in those pregnant women that can, and pregnant women shouldn't think their job is done just by giving up booze and pâté.

I'm currently pregnant and my first reaction to the OP and article was 'fuck off,' it hit a really raw nerve. This is worse than the epic first class passes/seats on train thread a couple of weeks ago.

Some women have problem free pregnancy when they look glowing/blooming and can continue with their normal lifestyle. They are very lucky. But I am so sick of the social pressure to be like that, it makes the whole experience so much worse.

I'm 5 months pregnant, have HG so have had 5 months of vomiting (pregnancy feels like a flipping illness) with repeated hospital admissions to be put on a drip. I have bruises on my arms from cannulas, my throat and teeth are damaged by the acid and yes I do feel like 'my bladder will break.' The weight of the baby and the violent vomiting has lead to continence issues.

I know a couple of people who were extremely fit and active during their pregnancies and continued to run. I also know people who were hardly able to walk let alone run a marathon. It wasn't because they sat at home on the sofa stuffing their faces with digestives, each pregnancy is different that's just the way it is.

With my first pregnancy I felt very well and fit even though I was hospitalised with complications. Second pregnancy more straightforward but I felt terrible I could barely walk. I had csections with both and recovered very quickly, I had no pain and was going on country walks within days. Some people take ages to recover from csections. A lot of it is down to luck.

I think you are being unreasonable because wishing that there were more women running marathons during pregnancies implies that you think the majority of women could do more to help themselves.

littleducks - I am sorry you feel social pressure to keep up more activity than you are able to... I get a bit of how you feel as I had a terrible first trimester.

BUT... there is no lack of social pressure on people who feel well also - going into my third trimester I am seriously fed up of all the people who say I am overdoing it or doing something 'selfish and risky' because I choose to cycle. I am taking traffic-free routes, taking it very gently and I am very comfortable on my bike, in fact it releases pressure in my pelvis that builds up sitting at a desk or standing. It's easier for me than walking or taking the bus and possibly having to stand. I also cycle on traffic free routes for fun at the weekends, it is gentle exercise and makes me feel good. But I get an endless stream of 'are you sure it's ok for you to still be doing that' and 'when are you going to stop cycling' questions accompanied by judgy looks.

walking instead of getting the bus everywhere would make spd a lot worse, not better