To continue exercising, despite being pregnant and my husband not wanting me to?

[mummytoonetryingfortwo]

I found out ten days ago that I was nine weeks pregnant with twins. I’m 27, everything is totally healthy with the pregnancy and with me.

My husband and I struggled to conceive for three years before finding out about these babies. Before I got pregnant, I was very active. I had actively put on a bit of weight, as I was veering towards underweight and thought this may have been contributing to the difficulties conceiving. I’m one of those people where if I’m not careful, weight will drop off me easily.

I’ve had a phone call with a private GP who has confirmed that, as I was very active before my pregnancy, I’m okay to continue with my normal routine until such time as it becomes too difficult. I run most days, I tend to run as part of my commute (about six miles a day). It is my safe space, my time to turn off. I have a very stressful job in the city and without my running, I think I would go insane. I also tend to do Pilates or weight training 3-4 times a week, at home after work when our daughter is asleep.

My husband’s concern is that I’ll start to lose weight again now that I’m pregnant, or that the exercise will lead to a miscarriage. I had a scare just after I found out, where I bled for a couple of days. I think I should be fine, and I’m hoping to work with a PT to taper my workouts down when I am heavily pregnant. Fitness is something that I turned to when our daughter was young, and it’s kept me sane. I’m open to working with a nutritionist to ensure I’m eating right, but he thinks I should just stop.

AIBU to want to keep working out?

Listen to your body and professionals, not your husband,
Yes, it is lovely that he wants the best for you and his babies, but this could so negatively so quickly (his attitude).
If you feel good and there are no medical reasons not to continue just do what you do and what feels good.
Best wishes!

YANBU. I get your DHs concerns from an emotional point of view, but he’s factually wrong. Moderate exercise will help you stay healthy in your pregnancy and will not lead to a higher risk of miscarriage. At the end of the day this is 100% your choice, he does not get to control your body just because you are pregnant. But can you work with him to alleviate his fears? Book a joint appointment with the private GP to talk him through it. Talk through your plan with him, including diet and weight management and how you intend to protect yourself?

If you are maintaining your same level of exercise, without losing too much weight or doing weighted hip thrusts, inversions or other exercises that put weight on your abdomen, you can continue. Especially as a doctor has said it is fine.

I am a keen cyclist and had terrible sickness. It was such a relief to cycle and not have to ride in cars (which made me sick). GP and my maternity consultant encouraged it. I even cycled to the hospital at 41 weeks to be induced! They took a photo of me and hung it on a noticeboard for a while.

Just be really conscious of your feelings and if you are struggling with the fact that you are getting bigger and trying to exercise to prevent that, maybe see a doctor again.

Id seek medical advice or specialist physio especially with twin pregnancy and a bleed. You may have to taper much sooner than you would like

Thanks everyone - I definitely don’t exercise to look a certain way, I do it to look after myself and my wellbeing. The bleed was confirmed to just be a hematoma which they believe will clear naturally.

As PP have said listen to your doctors. I have had 3 pregnancies and all of them resulted in healthy babies and was told every time - if your body is used to the exercise it won’t be a problem. I exercised throughout even the day I went into labour!

Running will quickly impact your pelvic floor with twins. I would look at a different exercise sooner rather than later and look at more like 3 miles if you do want to keep running.

Twin pregnancy and a bleed/scare already. Tbh I’d be super super careful... I can see why he’s worried. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

You do need to bear in mind that a multiple pregnancy of any kind is intrinsically a high risk pregnancy. Riding a bike to the labour ward is never going to happen (apologies, @Confrontayshunme, but your healthy singleton to 41 weeks is completely different medically).

Perhaps planning for less intense exercise would make it less of a fear for him and when that happens, less of a loss for you? Like swimming instead of the impact of running?

I understand his concerns, but I’ve been running and exercising in the way I do for the last 6 years, consistently. I’m very athletically focused and I’ve been cleared by my doctor

I completely agree it would be counter-active to give up exercise completely - mental health is as important as your physical health - but is there any room for compromise - e.g. jog rather than run or do shorter distances?

As a pp said, twins will mean you won't be sprinting in the same way within a few months anyway so for the sake of a few weeks is it worth stressing him out if he's that worried if you can lighten the exercise a little bit while still getting the benefits?

My plan at the moment is to just continue until I don’t feel comfortable - I’ll happily change my morning run for example, or my evening weight lifting routine. But I just don’t want to give it up completely. It really is what keeps me sane between being a mum and working like I do

Congratulations on your dual pregnancy op!

Medical advice is what is important here and listening to your body.

I would want to know for sure that the advice to continue moderate exercise if you were active before also applies to twin pregnancies? Have those tests been done in other words?

Other than that, twins take more out of you, so in your shoes I would perhaps be doing a few swaps and walking rather than running, because of potential pelvic floor issues towards the end of your pregnancy, but I’m not you, and I am talking with hindsight because I suffered a prolapse! Maybe the exercise will protect you from that though to an extent?

You know, it might be worth booking in a chat with a post-partum pelvic floor specialist to discuss? I am no expert but your ligaments do relax during pregnancy so you have to be careful about potential injuries.

Good luck 💐

You are totally right about the differences, but I was actually high risk as well for multiple reasons. And the ride to my induction was at pootling speed for less than a mile so not onerous. Just an example of a consultant who understood all the risks and still encouraged me to do exercise because of the massive benefits.

I get you. I am a former professional athlete (swimmer) and if someone told me that I had to park my arse in a chair for the foreseeable and be mollycoddled I would be pointing them in the direction of the nearest cliff and suggesting that they take a jump.

Work with a PT who is used to working with pregnant women OP. Exercise is safe, healthy and recommendable for most pregnant women.

i carried on refereeing rugby matches until I was about 5 months pregnant and couldn’t do my shorts up any more. A bit extreme for a twin pregnancy maybe!

I think you probably know your own body better than anyone, and as long as you are prepared to really listen to it and not push yourself you should be ok. If you can actively plan to reduce the volume and intensity you can still feel in control.
Id try and get some professional advice though but find someone who specialises in exercising while pregnant.

Congratulations!!

Being fit will make for a far easier delivery.

I used to nanny for a professional ballerina (at a national company) & when pregnant she did & was advised to do ALL the training she did prepregnancy barring the leaps/lifts so I think YANBU.
Otoh I would be understanding of your DH's concerns (assuming it is coming from concern not control) because he's probably just scared & needs to be reminded just how amazing women's bodies are!
Happy healthy pregnancy 💐

OP I ran until I was 27w with the DTs.

I felt fine and was quite fit beforehand BUT I have had some pelvic floor issues since and kinda wish I'd stopped earlier. The damage is visible later.

That said, def do not stop working out. I went to the gym 4 days a week during my pregnancy. I worked with a personal trainer who had expertise in antenatal fitness. I did a lot of crosstrainer, TRX band work, pregnancy friendly core stuff. I did 30 flights of stairs during my induction!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I'd be in agreement with your husband though. Anything that potentially risks the little ones I'd be very, very wary.

Think of the challenge of getting back to where you are afterwards as a goal for not doing what you are doing now!

I admit I come from it losing two before our rainbow baby was born though so maybe harder to see your view.

OP, have you spoken to your twin consultant yet? I have twins; my GP and the midwife who booked me in both told me to exercise as normal but my twin consultant was far more conservative - but, this was based on me of course/personal circumstance and the type of twin pregnancy.
I am absolutely not saying stop, at all - I’m like you I need it to stay sane - but I found I just had to adapt the training I did. I also got PGP which really put the brakes on things for me!! So while you’re feeling good I’d say exercise, with caution - and try and see your consultant.

Congrats - twins are wonderful

I had my second at 42. In complete contrast to my first pregnancy at 29, I was advised to carry on and I did until the day before I gave birth. I did two classes a day of Body Combat, Body Pump, Spinning alongside weights. I just adapted as I went along and was sensible. I always had somebody to lift weights off me and I did stop spinning at around 30 weeks because bump was uncomfortable. I always always took advice from a PT trained in pregnancy care. The outcome was a fit mum, easy drug free birth and a quick return to normal body.

I do understand your husband’s fears because this has been a journey for you but I’d ask midwife to reassure and be sensible going forward. Good luck!

I had twins.

I stopped running fairly early ( pelvic fooor impact) but did long walks.

my doctors also recommended carrying on with exercise.

do watch your pelvic floor though.

I also exercised throughout my pregnancies, only stopped in the final month when I was literally waddling around. But, I haven’t had twins so as PP’s said, please do speak to your consultant as your body will def. be more strained with a twin pregnancy. One of my friends lost twins at five months, but had single births without problems.

I ran throughout all 3 of my pregnancies and my body let me know when to stop, and I slowed down naturally anyway. I didn't run much more than 10k after I found out (ran marathons pre and post) but there was no science behind that, just didn't feel like it.

Is it your heart rate and temperature being raised he is worried about? Maybe a shorter, slower run would put his mind at ease?