What shouldn't you do in pregnancy?

[WinkyWinkola]

Is lifting heavy weights like boxes of books or suitcases of clothes not a good idea? Why not if not?

Or does just depend on how fit and able you feel?

I think it's because the hormones that relax all the ligaments and stuff in preparation for carrying/birthing a baby, mean that you are more prone to injury when pregnant.

And your back is taking all the strain without the help of tummy.

I don't think I'm a very typical example, but I'm 38 weeks and the only things I've stopped doing are long distance running and road cycling. I was still running a few miles until 7 months, only stopped because I didn't have time for a few weeks and thought it was best not to go back to it. I am still:
Running for the train most days because I'm late (about a 6 minute run)
Walking about 7 miles on hills
Swimming (including tumble turns and butterfly)
Cycling on a turbo trainer
Playing badminton
Playing squash
Pregnancy hasn't been nearly as restrictive as I expected but I am dying to get out for a run and a decent bike ride!

I think you can do anything except scuba-dive!

Certainly, with two DC, the amount of lifting/running around I do would impress the most avid gym bunny, I think... Plus, we live up a hill and our house is up steps, which I'm often walking up, plus bump (seems to travel with me....) and a toddler in one arm. Am certainly not super woman, just getting on with life in a normal way.

Best advice: Pretend this is your second (or subsequent!) DC and ask yourself what you would do in that scenario!

What Hambles said.

Bungee jumping, break dancing and heroin should also be avoided throughout pregnancy.

I kind of just didn't do anything that made me feel bad. So, I carried on running but then started to get a bit faint and lightheaded, so stopped and just walked instead.

Lifted stuff until I was achy, then didn't.

I climbed the highest mountain in Australia at 27 weeks (to be fair, it is not that much more than a large hill) but I was exhausted, totally wiped out afterwards so thought I should probably take it a bit easier.

If you feel fine, then do lots, if you don't, or would prefer to have a nice sit down, then do that instead.

Now I am on second pregnancy I am taking the opportunity for as many sit downs as possible.

Oh yes and probably steer clear of class A drugs, street brawls, anything where you might get poked with a pointy sword and I'd probably not go for my first time on a skating rink either.

Or licking farm animals.

at ozziegirly - how far up Mt Kosciuszko did you drive?

Last pg I carried on working until quite late (6w before giving birth) and danced quite a lot at my wedding when I was 17w pg (until my belly started to feel quite peculiar and heavy so I stopped immediately - damn those Tiger Feet!)

This time around I am too Old to do much and am resting - perforce, most of the time, as I am utterly knackered. The thought of Tiger Feeting now at 17w pg is horrifying!

I think the answer is to do what you feel ok with and then STOP.

In terms of feeling fit and able, exercise in pregnancy tends to do more good than harm, providing you don't get too hot, too out of breath and listen very carefully to what your body is telling you.

In terms of lifting heavy things, just get someone else to do it, you won't really know until it's too late that you shouldn't have done it. Yes, women in their second pregnancy often have to lift toddlers, I do and it's killing my back and pelvis, which makes even going for a short walk an ordeal. No point in risking unnecessary injury.

I disagree MockCroc I'm pretty fit and active and have already been lugging DS around for a year, it has made absolutely no difference to the effect that the relaxin hormone is having on my pelvis.

When I got pregnant with DS I was the fittest I'd ever been, I ran a half marathon at 9 weeks and I was still crippled with back, hip and pelvis pain.

I wasn't quite as fit at the start of this pregnancy but now if I walk over about half a mile I can barely move on an evening.

It's not just the lazy and unfit who suffer with pregnancy aliments .

Don't suddenly start lifting heavy things or doing intense exercise, and reduce it as your body starts complaining.

We moved house quite late on, and for packing/unpacking I had the people helping move the boxes to table height for me because I could feel muscles and joints complaining. Likewise I stopped vaccuming after the day that my back started complaining when I did it. Just be sensible!

No jumping on a trampoline/ bouncy castle :(

I ask because we've just moved house - next door - and dh doesn't think I'm doing enough.

I've moved pots and pans, clothes and boxes of books but I cannot face lugging any more boxes over as it hurts and I just get utterly exhausted. He thinks I'm lazy. I think I'm knackered!

MockCroc maybe I'm being a bit touchy, but I'm still narked at the implication in your post that I could have avoided all this pain by strengthening my core. I'm generally pretty fit and it's done me fuck all good to be honest.

WinkyWinkola you are not being lazy, your DH is an arse.

Bloody hell! As I said, when I moved whilst pregnant DH arranged enough helpers for me to not have to lift anything and I only really packed the stuff that is too precious to me for DH to dare be responsible for. Aside from that I sat, directed and made cups of tea for everyone.

You're pregnant! You are already carrying around a baby which you can't put down (unlike anyone carrying a box) and a lot of your energy is going into growing that baby. Certainly if your in pain and exhausted you need to stop, that's your body telling you its had enough.

I had separation of abdominal muscles due to constant lifting during pregnancy. It's not serious, you have to do exercises to make it normal again but I would try avoid it by not over exerting yourself.

I moved house when pregnant and DP didn't let me do a bloody thing. I was the 'pointer' - I just got to point to places I wanted things to go. Enroll some helpers, your DP needs to understand you can't do everything!

Listen to your body. Your Dh needs to have a go with a baby suit so he can see how lazy you are.

I am 9 weeks and moved last week, I did a bit of packing then slept, packed, slept. I spent a lot of moving day directing and mumsnetting, I wento to bed as soon as all the stuff was in my room. I was totally done in for the next 5 days!!

My house looks like a storage unit currently, meh.

Winky - your DH is being an utter arse. Really he is. Tell him to feck off.

Well, I was beginning to doubt myself but come 8pm when all three dcs are in bed - except for ds2 because he's currently very miserable with hand, foot and mouth - I am zonked.

Apparently, two toddler group sessions of 45 mins each and one swimming session of 30 mins per week are far too much and I should be cutting this so I can concentrate on lugging stuff over.

Meanwhile, 'd'h who has had some sort of viral thing has stayed off work and slept for six hours in the day yesterday. I got into bed at 4pm for a swift 30 minute snooze and that's when he kicked off about moving stuff.

I'd have kicked him out the bed at that point, tbh. for you.

Winky, I have three DCs too, bloody hell, DH is a fool. We are hardcore. goes for 2 hour nap

Well, I did kick off at that point. Particularly after two very bad nights with poor ds2 writhing and thrashing about in great discomfort, dh said he would work from home and let me rest a bit.

We have kind of hit a crisis point where I feel he's actually a bit mad and irrational.

Is it possible to be manic depressive and not have massive lows per se? I mean, he'll do things like come home with 5 bottles of perfume for me and other gifts and then later on in the month start ranting about the visa bill when before he's said it's fine, he's got the money to pay it off - a visa card I've only used for agreed stuff like petrol and vet bills.