Fitness during pregnancy- dare I mention the D word? ;-)

[Jsuter]

Hello all,

I am overweight, suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (this is my first pregnancy), I am 20 weeks gone. Despite being overweight before conception I had good muscle build in my legs, and with the HG my muscle seems to have just turned to jelly.

I feel bruised as it is after my battle with HG, and at my 20 week scan yesterday I was rebooked due to my BMI which is 29.

I know that you should only be eating 300 extra calories for baby, but I am concerned about the exercise front. Beforehand I enjoyed, bike rides, belly dancing and using my cross trainer. Anyone similar who could share how much and hard they workout?

I would love to build my muscle back up and just feel better about myself after vomiting blood, peeing myself and celebrating being able to walk up stairs for 12 weeks.

If anyone can help out on the diet/exercise front that would be ace, I just want to feel as healthy as possible. Ice cream is calling me at the moment!

Your battered and bruised ego friend x

I would be very interested to know about this too. I spoke to my instructor who said I could carry on as usual, 2-3 times a week of fitness. I'm staying away from processed foods too (I wonder how long it'll last lol), but I read in a book by an experienced doctor that the more one eats, the bigger the baby, and therefore the harder to give birth naturally. So I'm trying ...

the extra 300 calories is only supposed to be in the last trimester apparently. (Yeah I know, unfair) So try sticking to 2000 per day until then. I used to do loads of exercise before getting pg but now just stick to walking as much as I can, I aim for walking for at least 40 minutes about 3-4 times a week. More if possible. And at a reasonably fast pace, enough to sweat. but I know that its easier said than done, and the first 12 weeks I did nothing because I felt too ill. I've put on about half a stone and am 17 weeks, mostly because I was quite slim before and used to eat barely anything, but now have a more normal level of calories. Luckily for me though, baby doesn't seem to like chocolate or ice cream or cake or anything I would normally like!

I'm 19+2 and still do a fair amount of exercise. My BMI is already over 30 so 29 doesn't sound too bad to me! Although I suppose I am quite muscular as I was very fit before pg.
At the moment I go to the gym 1-2 times per week, doing cross-training, cycling and weight training. The only thing I don't do any more is running - and that's only because I was exhausted up to wk 14 and couldn't, then was advised not to try and re-start during pg.
I also walk the dawgs every day for 40mins - 1hr, do Zumba at least once, pregnancy yoga once and sometimes I try to go for a swim.
If I wasn't exercising I'd be the size of a house already I reckon!

The extra calories is only in the third trimester, I'm afraid, and there seems to be some discrepancy as to whether it's an extra 200 or an extra 300. I struggled to eat any extra and didn't gain weight at all between weeks 29 and 33 - since then I've made more of an effort to snack on yoghurt, bananas and, erm, cake.
But anyway, at the moment you don't need to be eating more than 2000 calories, so that should help.

Before I was pregnant I did a lot of exercise (maybe two gym visits a week, plus two short runs of 4/5 miles and a longer run of around 10 miles) but the running stopped pretty much straight away, as I was just too shattered to do anything but sleep and eat during the time I wasn't at work.

So during my pregnancy I've been taking it relatively easy - walking for 30/40 minutes most days (although this has become more difficult since about 32 weeks), and doing pregnancy yoga once a week. I've also been swimming and doing the odd aquanatal class, although I don't really find aquanatal taxing enough to make it worth the £5 fee!
As well as that I've been keeping up with stuff like gardening, taking the stairs rather than the lift where I can, and just trying to incorporate exercise into my everyday life.

If I had any advice it would be to just keep moving as much as you can. You could still do some dancing and use your cross trainer, for example, and walk wherever you can. I actually wish I'd done more exercise earlier on, especially in the second trimester when I felt relatively normal on some days. Now, at 35 weeks, even walking to the shop hurts!

I think the general advice is carry on with the exercise you were doing before hand, but at a lower intensity, and don't suddenly start anything new that you haven't done before. Avoid getting hot, and make sure you warm up and cool down properly and avoid over stretching as your ligaments are now much looser so injury is more likely.

I walk, swim, do pilates, gentle circuits and metafit (with a trainer), and generally keep active. Before pregnancy I was very fit, ran regularly, walked a min 5 miles a day, and did a lot of gardening.

I think people on here are weirdly obsessed with not gaining weight. You need to gain weight, you are growing a baby, and it also needs proper nutrition (unfortunately that is not cake!!!)

The chart on here shows healthy weight gain based on starting BMI

www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/weightgain/

Thank you. Yes, I lost 2 stone from suffering from Hyperemesis. I also lost a lot of muscle from not being able to walk until week 14. I have gained 4ibs, which is normal I would think. The main reason why I want to get fit is because A) I do not want to take my health for granted after such an awful experience and B) I would like to rebuild my muscle, and improve my fitness. It is getting much better where I can walk around at a fast pace again :D But, I would really like to do some more, but not overdo things. I would also like the utilise my energy wisely, now that I have it back again...plus sleeping has been an issue since recovery as I am too energetic now - in comparison to those weeks of hell. xx

I have gained a bit over 2 stone at nearly 40 weeks which am happy with. I have exercised throughout, I ran to 35 weeks, cycled to 28 did reformer Pilates and dynamic yoga until a few weeks ago and now just walking, preg yoga and doing arm weights and the stationary bike at the gym.

I like feeling fit and healthy and have only started to feel more tired in the last 10 days so even if it makes zero differerence to labour, I am glad I kept active for that alone. I have the odd ache and pain now, but again, nothing to complain about.

Maybe my pregnancy was always going to be easy, but I definitely think the exercise has helped. I am actually still enjoying pregnancy and not at the get baby out phase.... Yet!

Can you start belly dancing again? I'm 39 weeks tomorrow and only stopped belly dancing 3 or 4 weeks ago - it's totally do-able, my teacher didn't mind, and in fact she told me it was a really good idea to carry on as it strengthens all the right muscles for childbirth and is great for your pelvic floor! And energy-wise it's not too taxing as it's so slow.

I also did zumba up to about 30 weeks, and then switched to preggo yoga - again, doesn't burn many calories, but helps to limber up and I definitely get a better night's sleep afterwards!

I have started again, yes. I thought bellydancing would be a safe option. I am not too obsessed with calories/weight as i know i will put some weight on, despite losing a lot. But, i would like to build my energy and fitness up to help with the pregnancy and after birth. I have a very good body image, so not worrying about going crazy. I just want to like I have said before improve my health after such a health blow :)

I am at 26 weeks, and I am mainly walking. We have a little farm, so there are always chores to be done. I just got to the point that Dh won't let me move hay bales anymore (I can still apparently move wheelbarrows of horse poo!). the lifting can be bad for the abdominals. I have also noticed that it causes me to have Braxton-hicks contractions.

but I am walking about 4 miles at least 2x a week. that seems to be taking it out of me, so I figure it's enough. the Doc says everythiing is looking good, so I'm not changing anything. And I'm not really eating more either, but still gaining like a madwoman!