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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

hyperemesis and exercise? missing my endorphins [sad face]

8 replies

MadreInglese · 13/12/2010 16:44

Pre-pregnancy I was a regular gym go-er doing at least 4 classes/sessions a week - mostly aerobics, high level pilates or treadmill/weights combo

Since about 6 weeks pregnant I've had the lovely hypermesis and have felt so crap I've not been able to exercise. I'm concerned that gym-ing on a practically empty stomach is potentially dangerous (seeing as I'm not really keeping any food down for very long) but I'm really really missing my exercise Sad

I've lost a heap of weight and have no baby bump yet but feel wobbly and flabby and unfit and crappy. I'd love to go and have a workout, just to give my muscles a good seeing to and get that lovely post-exercise endorphin rush, but I know I can't do it with no fuel in me. I'm wondering whether gentle pilates may be the thing - less calorie-burning but still muscle-working.

Is there any solution or do I need to just wait until the throwing up abates? I'm 15 weeks now and it's showing no signs of going anywhere yet!

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orangepoo · 13/12/2010 16:49

I had hyperemesis the whole way through and I think exercise would just have seen me off tbh! (I also enjoy it outside of pg). Remember that you have a load of hormones in you (relaxin?) which are loosening your ligaments etc. Personally I would avoid. Hyperemesis made me so weak.

MadreInglese · 13/12/2010 16:52

it has made me very weak (and pathetic )

ordinarily when feeling knackered and crap a good session at the gym would make me feel so much better, and I'd sleep better too

think I'm just struggling with the fact there seems to be no solution to how shite I'm feeling this pregnancy

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fluffywhitekittens · 13/12/2010 17:54

Oh I do feel for you, I would really avoid exercise if I were you, it will make you feel worse. Maybe just try and go for a gentle walk, but seriously I found even a very short walk hard work with hyperemesis.
Have a look at the other thread for suggestions on treatments and diet, many people seem to feel a little better after about week 20 if you're lucky but I think you just need to resign yourself to no exercise for a while xx

CapsizeQueen · 13/12/2010 18:03

I'm the same. Used to gym it 5 times a week and run. Within a few weeks any exercise made me completely exhausted and made the throwing up much worse - couldn't actually exercise as any exercise would set it off!
Now 12 weeks and feel so weak and unfit, but still throw up if I try anything over a 30mins gentle walk...

Dunno - I am hoping to get back into gentle gym exercises by the New Year...

caramellokoalalover · 13/12/2010 18:31

I'd say listen to your body. You'll know if you go to the gym and start to work out and begin feeling dizzy, shaky, short of breath or like vomitting that it's too much. Or if you feel a lot worse after exercising.

I'd start with something really gentle like walking and if you feel ok doing that then try pregnancy yoga, and if that's ok maybe a swim etc etc until you find what you can tolerate.

I know it sucks to feel like you have the physical capacity of a 90 yr old when you have HG, especially if you were really active beforehand, but it will end when you have your baby. And if you exercise with no energy sources to burn you'll be depleting your body's stores, which the baby is using at the moment.

Sorry, hope you start to feel better soon.

JuneBugJr · 13/12/2010 19:03

Hi Madre,

I've done the HG thing twice now, currently on my second round, lucky me.

Before both pregnancies, I was active and fit. Weights and interval work, 2/3x a week, and 2x runs a week, plus one long one at the weekend. I would say I was quite addicted at one point, and would be itching to do a session. I loved the feeling of afterwards.

On my first pregnancy, I didn't expect HG so it knocked me for 6. It was hard getting up from bed etc. When I was around the mid twenty week mark, I started doing preg yoga, which was run by my antenatal clinic. When I was 30 weeks I started going on long walks with my dog. After pregnancy though, I had no problems with getting back to my previous level of fitness, and I would say my fitness level and body were even better than pre pregnancy. So I wouldn't worry about getting back you're previous fitness and strength when it's all over!

I'm now 17/18 weeks now, and have lost a lot of muscle with HG, and my strength is shot to shit tbh, especially the tone in my upper arm muscles, which was hard won believe me! Like you, even though I've lost weight and am thin, I feel flabby and out of shape.
This time round I'm going to start to do resistance work on my upper body when I feel better, as this was the area that was hardest to get back to normal last time, although you may find it different for you.

I would listen to you're body, as HG takes a while to recover from even when you're eating normally again. Maybe get one of those pregnancy yoga or pilates DVDs to build back up, when you feel better. Then graduate onto more. I do sympathise, I see people out running and feel jealous. You will feel normal again though, and back to the gym, it just takes a while.

LucindaE · 14/12/2010 12:52

Hi, I can be slow on the uptake, I wasn't sure if your message meant you wanted general advice and have only just come over!
I did a fair amount of exercise normally pre preg walking a couple of miles a day, swimming, ten minutes with weights, etc, but HG knocked me for six so I couldn't have done any, even if my doctor hadn't forbidden any excercise because of my previous miscarriage (how do you like that? He couldn't be bothered about the HG but worried about exercise!). Afterwards, it took me longer than it should have to get fit again because my daughter was sleepless and so I didn't have the energy, but that is another story, and I could have done it much earlier.
I think you have to be kind on yourself, even self-indulgent. You aren't up to pushing yourself when you are so ill. It is only a few months in a lifetime, after all.
You will get fit again. I think walking's the best, but if you are anything like I was at my worst, you may need to take an -ahem - recepticle,shall we say? -in case you get caught short,Shock and my legs felt like jelly.
Wishing you all the best. I hope you come and join us on the jolly Hyperemesis Awareness thread.
LucindaE
xx

MadreInglese · 16/12/2010 12:19

Thanks everyone

Not really the answers I wanted Xmas Wink but it's a relief to know that I'm not the only one feeling like this.

Here's to feeling normal again soon!

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