To not exercise (33 weeks pregnant)

[roarfeckingroarr]

I've always been very active. With DC1 I walked far / swam / did yoga almost daily until he was born. I walked about 15km on my due date.

This pregnancy has been much harder physically plus I now have a two year old to look after and I'm still working FT. The temp at the local pool has been turned right down and I'm feeling really sensitive to the cold for once, so I just can't bring myself to swim 4 times a week over the past two weeks. Yoga - my hips ache, I just can't be bothered. Walking - meh, I'm getting out and about every day but not a proper distance.

AIBU? Should I push myself to exercise daily? Non-pregnant me is feeling very judgmental of current me and I can feel myself get sluggish and putting on a bit of actual fat not baby bump. Please be gentle. I feel like a tired, lazy weakling.

You don't need Mumsnet to justify this.

You know your own body and if you don't fancy it, don't do it.

Really? Thank you. I think this may be related to an old ED. I feel disgusted with myself for not exercising.

By 33 weeks in my second pregnancy I was in a wheelchair. Pregnancy is bloody hard. Some pregnancies are much, much harder than others. Give yourself a damn break and stop putting pressure on yourself for no reason. If you want to run a marathon the day before or the day after giving birth then do, if you want to sit on the sofa and eat Terry's chocolate orange non-stop from conception until she starts school, do that (or anywhere in between is fine too). Don't compare yourself to others, don't compare this pregnancy to previous or future pregnancies - pregnancy is weird and incomparable. Just do what you need to be comfortable and happy.

@Bumperr ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ thank you. I really want a Terry's chocolate orange now. That's this afternoon's plan.

I exercise every day. After I had DD1 I did no exercise but walking for years. I had 3 pregnancies in quick succession, I had no family help with the DC (it was just me and DH) and I BF each child for ages. When my youngest was 2 I started exercising again. Pregnancy and early motherhood are hard on your body so do what feels right, try and eat a varied diet and do whatever gentle exercise you can manage and be kind to yourself. Remember the strain pregnancy puts on your heart would kill a man so don't think you're not currently working hard just because you aren't flailing your limbs about.

@JaninaDuszejko is that so? That's really interesting - do you know why?

I didn't know that?

OP I do think your history of ED may be to blame? Please just eat healthily and be kind to yourself. I bet you do plenty of running around anyway with a 2 year old.

I was going to suggest aquanatal but not in a cold pool! Plus it's usually during the day.

I could have written this! I'm pregnant with my second (25 weeks), and have been so lethargic this pregnancy compared with last and how I usually am. I seem to need a nap immediately after any exercise now (I last went to pregnancy yoga at 18 weeks and was so knackered afterwards I slept for 2 hours! 😂)

I had awful pregnancy sickness from around 8 weeks to 12ish weeks and completely stopped exercising/ could only keep down bland carby foods. I've literally not been in the mood for exercise or healthy eating since then!

Only ever crave carbs and chocolate and basically CBA to all exercise! This is weird for me as I usually run 12-15k a day, walk loads, do weight training and exercise classes, am one of those odd balls who usually bounces out of bed at 5am ready to move!

On my last maternity leave I loved it as was able to be outside, exercising all the time. I'm not too worried as am fairly confident after I have baby I'll get back into my fitness.

It's a strange feeling tho when exercising is such a big part of your stress relief and you feel that you can't really do it. I keep seeing people out on a jog and feel envious of them!!

Gave you had your bloods checked? Mine came back fine on iron so think pregnancy is just making me lazy haha

@Fearnecuptea sorry to hear you're also feeling lethargic. I agree it's hard when exercise is such a big part of your routine. Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

@Fearnecuptea I meant to say I had my bloods checked and I'm pretty badly anaemic but with supplements I'm just ok.

This pregnancy has just been so much harder. I don't know if it's because I'm 2 years older than my first, or maybe this one is a different sex (haven't found out, DC1 is a boy), or just every pregnancy is different. I'm still nauseous at 33 weeks!

If you have a 2 year old you are probably still quite active. My son was 2 and half when I had my second and with my first I swam and did yoga.

With my second - I felt there was so much less time and plus we were in lock down.

I kept my energy was chasing my two year round the park!

Just to clarify, it's completely untrue that a man's heart couldn't cope with the strain of pregnancy. Pregnancy puts a huge stain on the heart of anyone but, if a man could get pregnant, a man's heart would probably be better suited to the strain than a woman's tbh. Some people do chat utter bollocks sometimes.

I've always been fit and active but my last pregnancy was absolutely and utterly miserable. I signed up to a pregnancy yoga class (while I was actually feeling miserable) and my gp very nicely told me to cop on and go and lie down and relax in the evenings and forget about the class. While the yoga might have been nice it was effort to do anything at that stage. We need to listen to our bodies.