Any advice re: running when TTC?

[mrsmellow]

I'm 33 and came off the pill in August and have been TTC since then. I run quite a lot and am quite fit (I could do a half-marathon without too much extra effort on a weekend), running 4-5 days a week, not particularly over-exerting myself. I am thinking of doing a marathon in April and don't know what effect the training would have on my fertility. From what I've read, it seems that provided you continue to eat well and don't loose too much weight/don't over exert yourself, it should be fine - but does anyone actually know?!
I think that excessive exercise can lead to amenorrhea but that provided you continue to have periods that's a good sign- is that true?

Can anyone help me?! I want to have a baby, but don't want to put my life unnecessarily on hold while trying!
Thank you!

It's only a good idea if your other half can keep up....

Less flippantly, I run (although not as much as you) and have done throughout ttc. In the summer I try to make sure I dont overheat, and I am well hydrated. I think the general advice is that you are fine doing exercise you did before ttc but not to take up anything new. I have friends who kept running until 5 months or so pregnant.

I conceived DD whilst going to the gym every day. I did tone down my workout (but I was quite intense - doing about an hour cardio daily), and I consciously put on weight (and fat) in order to TTC but I don't know if I actually needed to do this, or whether I'd have fallen pregnant anyway.

I researched it though and the main points that stick are:

1. You need a healthy level of fat. 20% being around the lowest. Excessive exercise can give you less than this (even if you have a healthy BMI).

2. You also need to be eating more calories than you burn off. Making a baby takes energy (and not just the SWI part...) and your body won't want to use this energy if it isn't getting enough energy in compared to what it's being forced to put out.

3. You need to not overheat / get dehydrated.

4. You need to not exercise too intensely. Stress hormones affect fertility, and intense exercise releases them (as do other forms of stress).

I think though that the chief indicator of any of these being a problem is a cessation of ovulation, so assuming you continue to ovulate, I wouldn't have thought you'd have a problem.

Having said all that, once DH deigns to agree to throw away the condoms (long story) I intend to reduce my daily 45min workouts to every other day since I figure that it can't hurt in my attempt to get knocked up again. However I work out for fun, rather than for a goal like a marathon. In your case though I'd stick with your running and TTC: if the marathon's in April that's actually pretty soon so if it hasn't happened by then, you'll be able to cut down the running after.

I agree with eurochick that you can stick with the exercise you were doing when you fell pregnant during your pregnancy.

I don't claim to know anything about it but I do a bit of running and cycling. Anyway, I haven't had normal periods for over a year because of various health reasons, but since coming off medication last april I've only had one proper period and that was over the christmas period when I'd not gotten much exercise, eaten crap and was generally feeling pretty unfit in the 3 weeks leading up to it (and put on about 4 pounds). I've been told by my other TTC friends to stop exercising so much, and I'm half convinved that my stopping over christmas has brought on the one period I've had, but then again I could be talking out of my arse. Either way, I'd say carry on with the normal day to day running you're doing but as for the marathon I personally woudn't. even though you might be fit enough, I'd class a marathon as an over exertion.

That being said, its sods law that once you book to do something like that a BFP comes along to stop you!

I agree with euro - I'd maintain my current level of exercise, but tbh I wouldn't take on anything new.

A few cycles back I did some very strenuous, unusual exercise on the day I was supposed to ov (I even had +OPK) but my body went "woaah!" and slammed the brakes on - I eventually ov'd 7 days later, with a 2nd +OPK and a proper temp change. Could have been coincidence, but I tend to err on the side of caution now.

Really interesting to hear other people's experiences: made me question whether I was just really lucky last time (as well as being 2.5 years younger!) and reassess what to do next time around. I should also have said that I got pg about 6 weeks after returning from 2 months travelling in Australia when I didn't do any 'formal' exercise (was still quite active, but never 'went for a run' sort of thing), was really chilled out and ate probably more than I normally did.

Guess it depends on how quickly you want to get pg. If you're not fussed about waiting until later in the year, then you could go for the running. But if you'd rather ttc sooner rather than later, then you might be better off following the other advice - clearly the levels at which ovulation and fertility are affected are slightly different for each woman and you won't know yours until you try.

I run a bit (nothing like you though!) but from the day before I ovulate and while ttc I stop completely and switch to walking.

The key difference though is that I have a history of mc so there are lots of things I avoid that most women can do with no impact on their fertility. My dr (and what I have read supports this) thinks it is good for me to not over do much more than walking for first 12-16 weeks - but again this is particular to me and my history; I have many friends who have run half marathons etc during implantation (ie during tww) and well into their pregnancy.

If you are wondering if this is having an impact though I wonder if you could taper right off around the days when a fertilised embryo would be trying to implant - depends on your cycle but about 10 days after ov?

My understanding is that your optimum bmi when ttc is around 22-24 (nb narrower than the usual healthy range) so I would echo what's said above about ensuring you are not too slim. Again that's just the optimum - obviously many (most?) women have had successful pregnancies conceived outside that range - myself included!

Best of luck (with the marathon and ttc)

Thanks all - I think as a couple of you say, it comes down to how quickly I want to conceive. In my naivety, coming off the pill in August, I assumed I'd be pregnant by now, in time to make a decision about running in April, but it is less than 90 days away and with 40+ day cycles, that is quite soon! I think I'll book the place (come on sods law!! ) and then do gentle training and eat lots - the keeping your BMI/Fat levels up thing seems important . I am prepared to drop out if I get a bfp.
My BMI is 21 and body fat % is 22 so think I'm ok there...
I don't know if I ovulate, but suspect now is the time to invest in OPK's or a thermometer....
My DH thinks that we don't exercise so much that it would be a problem (based I think on how he feels...) but I read that men who run more than 30miles a week are more likely to father daughters... I'm not fussy, but I like little girls
Thanks again

x-post PQ77, thank you
Sorry to hear about your mc's, hope that Dr's advice helps and you have a full term pregnancy soon.

Might be something in the fathering girls thing - my dad regularly ran marathons (he's now down to half-marathons but he's 67 so not doing too badly!) and I'm one of 4 girls...

Thanks mrsmellow. With a 40 day cycle definitely a good time for opk or some charting - you must be exhausted with all that running AND trying to get the timing right!

One of three girls...daughter of a runner...hmm

One of my best friends whose husband is an ironman athlete has 3 girls...
Not too exhausted and managing to maintain SWI 3 days a week currently, but I can imagine it gets to you a bit more with time!

Medical advice is what your body is used to is generally ok when tcc and early after bfp . Look at Paula Radcliffe. However my fertility clinic said gentle exercise only after transfer that is walking yoga, running out . So maybe do as you are doing till April then reasses

Hello
I'm no great expert either but my new finally get f*cking pregnant fertility strategy is normal/high intensity exercise (e.g. cardio, personal training sessions, heavy weight work, running etc) before O and then walking, yoga and pilates after - I spot before my AF so have come to the completely irrational and totally mental decision that I should not do anything to 'shake out' my womb lining! LOL.

I ran a marathon while very early days pg with DC1 - probably in the period between conception and implantation. I had a BMI of about 17 at the time. It didn't do me or my DC1 any harm. In fact, I had a really easy pregnancy and didn't suffer from tiredness and wonder whether that was partly because I was fit going into pregnancy.

Having said that, a friend of mine had IVF (and now has a DD) and was told to put her feet up for the 2ww to facilitate implantation.

I still run but don't have time to run distances any more. I am struggling to conceive this time round so gave up the running during my 2ww for a couple of cycles but it made no difference so I'm back running again during my 2ww.

I run two to three times a week (only for 20 mins, nothing major) and asked my GP what he thought on this (we're also ttc, this is our first month!) and he said to continue as normal. My friend fell pregnant a couple of years ago a few months after running the marathon and I think it's good to continue as normal. I'm trying to not let the ttc take over (and put life on hold). It's harder than I thought it would be though, it's all I can think about! Good luck xxx

Thank you!
I'm going to keep running, I think fitness is probably important for pregnancy (and labour!)
Good luck all

Hi all I happened to speak to the doc today about exercise and ttc. He said carry on as normal at the gym and after all we were made to be chased/chasing tigers in the wild!!

I chuckled when he said that lol!

You know what Winnie that's just what I think.
Go back 10000 years and we would have been running after or from something every day.

That said, I went out for my usual run this morning (I run a mile every other day, nothing strenuous) and when I got back I really felt bad. You know when you have your period and your uterus feels heavy? (I assume it's not just me) Well I felt like that. In fact I expected to see blood when I went to the loo. When I went for a shower I felt really nauseous too. I'm 5dpo right now. Any thoughts ladies?