How long did you keep exercising for?

[crazyhead]

Just curious really. I?m 29 weeks with DC1 and have walked 3 or 4 miles a day so far no problem (generally to go to work) though I?m a little more tired in the evenings now. I wondered how long I might be able to keep this up for? I?m planning to work till the last minute if possible and my walk is one of the best bits of the day.

How long did you keep going for? And if you switched to other sorts of exercise, what did you go for? I am sure it helps me to sleep staying fairly active.

I was at the gym the day before I went into labour and had been every day that week. I did consider going the day itself but felt a bit twingey so stayed home and tried to rest!

I would say just listen to your body. I have a friend who is a bit of an exercise obsessive and she was doing full-on cardio at the gym until 36 weeks, when she went into early labour. She thinks she may have brought labour on by doing too much - she said she would often get BH after doing exercise but just ignored it.

I would love to do some exercise but I'm not allowed to because of complicated pregnancy. I am slowly turning to jelly!

You just have to see how your body holds up really. I still walked lots up to about 34 weeks, then I started getting pains in my pelvis and then my back gave out under the weight and I could barely walk 200m to the shops! 39 weeks now and feeling better but still don't find walking great, but love to swim and do pilates still.

With walking, I was able to do a good few miles a day - with plenty of breaks - until about the last month or so when pelvic pains made it very difficult to do more than the basics. As my walking decreased, I spent more time doing stretches that are good for pregnancy and preparing for birth such as calf and hamstring stretches, squats, and TVA stretches. And lots of time bouncing on a birthing ball.

I was going to the gym every day all the way until 1 week before delivery. Mostly walking and swimming. Cant say this is for everyone, but I felt a lot better and less pain if I would do exercises and vice versa - felt a lot worse on the days I did not exercise. Main thing to keep exercising, would not recommend start/stop

Hi With my first child i was able to go to the gym untill the day before I went into labour, with my daughter my body gave up at 14 weeks. Every pregnancy is completely different and you really need to listen to your body, it will let you know when enough is enough. Good luck hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well.

I exercised right up to my due date. At the end I was swimming, doing aqua aerobics and walking on the cross trainer. I'm sure that's why I had an active, relatively quick and easy labour.

I ran until about 20 weeks, when the sensation of having my bladder bounced up and down on became too unpleasant! I kept walking (a couple of miles a day at the very least) until the very end. My labour went on for quite a long time and was quite hard work, and I'm convinced that it was my fitness and stamina that allowed me to get through it on just gas and air.

i ran until 29 weeks with both pregnancies and stopped because i was getting terrible stitch. i know people who managed to run until 12 days overdue and ran on the day they gave birth.

with DS i walked 7 miles the day i gave birth, and strimmed the garden for an hour and a half. with DD i was less active.

listen to your body. it will tell you when to stop.

Thank you all! That is very reassuring. I will take your advice and go with whatever my aching joints end up screaming at me... and be grateful I've got so far fairly comfortably. Here's to the comfort continuing!

And many of you ladies deserve some serious respect for your exercise programmes - running till 29 weeks/going to the gym until due date is well impressive

Thank you