How far would you walk at 27/28 weeks preg?

[JRsandCoffee]

I think the title says it all but for detail..... We're off on holiday in a few weeks time which will see me at about 27/28 weeks pregnant. Wild and crazy types that we are this will take us and the dog to the north of Scotland and to the Lakes. I'm a planner.....I like to look at maps and make plans and come up with ideas for walks.....geeky I know.

Anyway, have been doing lots of swimming (at least 3 times a week) and dog walking etc while preg, so not inactive but not gym fit and not running. Took the dog for a nice 6 mile walk on Sunday which was great, a bit tired but made dinner etc and went to bed at normal time and had already swum 1k that morning so think I'm relatively fit.

So....question is, how far do you reckon it is reasonable to plan for in a few weeks time? I'm thinking proper hills might be out although undulating could be managed so if you know the lakes, I'm thinking the high tops and indeed for example Sweden Bridges probably not good ideas but Coffin Trail/ that nice bit that looks down on Grassmere the name of which escapes me, something terrace I think ok? Any thoughts? Don't want to get us stuck somewhere with me broken down because I over estimated!!!

Anyone? Starting to wonder at the wisdom of my plan as a very practical, sensible and generally up for stuff friend told me yesterday that her cousin reckons that walking hols at 25 weeks brought on her premature labour (baby did survive and is now a hale and hearty teenager but this is NOT something I want to testdrive!!). Any thoughts gratefully recieved.

You sound very fit and very sensible.

I think the only thing I can recommend is take every plan as provisional, and don't push yourself.

Make sure to build in plenty of time to relax as well as walk. I know walking is relaxing - but proper resting will do you good too.

I'm very impressed at walking 6 miles and swimming 1K when pregnant :)

In my last pregnancy (3rd) I walked a measly 2 miles every day (nursery and CM drop offs, took the long way around including a steep hill) and it did me the world of good. Being in such good shape will really stand to you in your 3rd trimester.

Enjoy the holiday, and best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy. :)

Thank you for the reply, much appreciated will keep all that mind, even if the dog is a bit unimpressed with my pace these days.....he keeps trying to join other people's runs.......

Can't remember but was still cycling over 80 miles a week at that stage if that helps.

The rule with pregnancy is carry on doing what you are already doing so if you are ok to continue then walk as far as you can.

I used to teach aerobics and I taught until I was 35 weeks....it was fine :)

The good thing about the Lakes is that you can often plan provisional routes that you can extend/cut short if necessary. There are lots of points like Esk Hause (from memory - don't think I've got that quite right) where lots of paths intersect and you can get up there and take your pick or go back down. Since you sound fit and sensible, I'm sure you can manage more than Loughrigg Terrace (the place you're thinking of above Grasmere)- it's beautiful, but we took a pushchair up it when DD1 was small! Think the main thing to avoid would be anything that involved scrambling or loose rocks underfoot - you really don't want to fall and your centre of gravity is different. But the Lakes is so well walked and so many of the paths have been effectively pathed to prevent erosion, that that still gives you lots of scope.

I was walking the dog the day before DS arrived (one week early) and he was 10lbs 5oz... so you can keep on going. Mind you, I did have to plan my walks to ensure there was a toilet half way round!

Thank you for all the replies!!!

Blue thanks, useful comparator! I'd still be cycling but I'd been stopped by IVF for about a month/ six weeks (too knackered, bloated and generally bleagh) before I was confirmed pregnant and then early weeks more of the same and didn't feel it was safe to pick it up again when I got to 10 weeks and felt human again so took up swimming and extra frog marching of the dog round the countryside!!! Wish I was still doing it in some ways although the traffic round here is bloody terrifying and I'm scaredier than I was.....give me London any day!!!

Dotty thank you for lakes specific suggestions, will bear in mind - perhaps can bolt Loughrigg Terrace from Ambleside and back again in that case.....hmmmmm so long as I get a wee seat somewhere in the middle.... like Grassmere.....

Mistle lovely name.....we have one that visists the field in front of our house! Chuckles re the toilet....that would be a big bush round here!!! Particularly now the harvest is in and I can't just hide in long grass at the edge of fields out of site and sheilded by corn.........

Think I did about 8 miles at 38 weeks. Did crash out for a 3 hr snooze early that evening.

The idea of having a short cut part way round if your starting to flag a bit is a good one.

Also, maybe consider having an easy day (or days) after a big walk?

Have a lovely holiday

Stone walls, trees and bushes all good options

Blimey you fit lot

I am 22 weeks and barely able to walk from one end of the house to the other. I'm hopeless.

No, on occasion I do go into town (about a mile) and back but I am generally knackered after that. It's ridiculous.

Walking makes me have painful BH contractions and my pelvis kind of feels like it wants to go in two different directions as well...oh dear. Am I just getting old?!

next liking the sound of your stamina/ approach!!! Thank you, I think short cuts sensible and at the end of the day so long as I can park up somewhere if I get too knackered DH and the dog can always jog back to car and come rescue (he's seriously fit so I'm not being mean here, the first time he asked me out I wasn't that keen so suggested he come out with me and the horse one Sunday morning, early, bringing his running shoes, I warned him that we'd not be hanging about he was not even remotely afraid....look where that got me!!).

mistle Oh for a decent stone wall........

Ed well, I'm not that filled with fit fervour every day if that is any consolation!!! I'm a combination of "you'll enjoy it once you're out" said in bossy voice to self and absolutely sure that if I stopped the running and swimming I'd be a lot more uncomfortable than I am so sticking at it!! And I also do generally enjoy the stuff that I'm doing, and the dog would get fat otherwise......

You sound pretty fit, so I don't think you will have a problem. I live in a very hilly part of the country. On my due date there was still no sign of DD, so me and DH climbed the mountain (big steep hill, but no scrambling on all fours or anything like that ) behind our house in an effort to get things moving. That was about five miles. I had a decent level of fitness anyway, and I was grand.

DD didn't put in an appearance until induced, so it didn't kick things off either! Go for it!

Ah, I have a big hill up my sleeve for my due date, mother in law doesn't know it but she's coming too as DH will doubtless be at work hoping it works out if I'm still waiting but you aren't giving me much hope!!

Can I recommend the beach around your due date?

Spent a Sun on the beach, wandering over the sand, and DS1 arrived on the Tues.
2 years later, I was on the beach on the Sat, and DS2 arrived on the Monday.

I go to the beach every 6-8 weeks.

I did 8 miles with toddler on my shoulders at 27 weeks. Was knackered afterwards but felt good to have done it. It was a flat walk though

Thank you for more replies! Blimey, 8 miles with a toddler on top is pretty impressive, flat or not!!! The way I hauled myself round the village this morning I'm not sure I'd manage 8 WITHOUT the toddler today, feeling particularly bleagh!

Noted about the beach....will maybe try that if the big hill doesn't work ;-)

I don't think fitness comes into it. If you develop sympis pubis dysfunction then you might be stuck in a wheelchair however physically fit you are.

Poor you if that is what happened to you!!! Can't imagine how frustrating that must be.

Fingers crossed, so far so good but you never know, as you say!! I'm hoping that structurally being the human equivelant of a landrover will help keep me on my feet......