Fab fit mums to be - anyone fancy starting a fitness/activity support thread

[CareerGirl01]

Seems there are a few of us wanting to stay active during our pregnancies. How about a non-judgement place where we can support each other; from the walkers to the runners- big/small etc?!

Hazle that's pretty impressive - I think you deserve to take the next few weeks off!

I just keep reminding myself that whether I manage one session or 5 a week, it's all better than nothing and puts me in a much better position for birth and getting my fitness back afterwards, compared to if I did absolutely nothing for 9 months.

Hang in there ladies!

I agree Hazle Am really struggling to walk up the stairs, get dressed and the like, but running seems to be fine!? So strange, but glad I'm not the only one. Try the dvd's with bigger weights, and I'm sure you'll know how to make some of the exercises a little harder and more appropriate for you. Take care these last weeks and good luck!

Serious agree, for the lesser mortals among us, I'm trying to remind myself that 1 thing a week is better than nothing. Especially on Monday-Wednesday when I seem to be totally exhausted and can hardly manage a walk around the block!

Oh, I know I keep asking, but Hazle did you end up using a bump support at all? I think at 24 weeks I'm on the verge of needing something, but not quite sure what. The bump itself doesn't seem to wobble, its the baby inside I can feel jiggling around (and the boobs)!

Running, I bought 2 different support tops and a special support band, but none of them made any difference, so no, not using anything. I haven't been running for quite a while now though as well, one of the reasons being that I felt the bump was bouncing too much and I've never liked running that much anyway
The bounce isn't a problem for me in fitness classes, as you are always changing direction and speed, but with running it was the constant same movement that I found uncomfortable.

For boobs, check out Shock Absorber Run bra.

I also feel like the only time I'm comfortable is when I'm in the middle of some cardio - at the gym or in the pool. The rest of the time I'm like a beached whale, struggling to get comfy anywhere, huffing and puffing. Went to the loo in the middle of the night and was out of breath when I came back! Wtf?

A word of caution about weights - I tried pregnancy exercises with larger weights to make them more challenging, and have done something very painful to my back. The weights were the same as I had been using at around 28 weeks, but by 32 weeks they were obviously too much. I hate being injured.

On the plus side, have just bought a jogging buggy! Can't wait to get back to running again ...

Hmm, might have to experiment on the baby bouncing front and just get a support band and see what it is like. I've been double bagging the boobs with a Shock Absorber AND a tri-crop top over the top! Forgot the tri top this morning which was a leeeetle uncomfortable.

gertrude which buggy have you bought? i've been eyeing up a few but haven't found anywhere locally to look at them and try them out.

Hi gertrude - I'd be a useless model for post partum exercise, as I have sole charge of the tiddler all day, every day, so formal exercise time is just a pipe dream. My trainer keeps asking me when I'm going to re-start.... err, when dd is at school perhaps

On a serious note, you really do need to give yourself a break and just heal, as even if you (like me) feel fine, your body will need time to recover, and you will be knackered from exhaustion and blood loss. Also don't under estimate the energy required for breast feeding. You'll be producing nearly a litre of milk a day - you need to eat and drink and rest. Pounding the streets in your running shoes will not help you with that.

Good luck everyone, stay fit, you'll thank yourself when you are pushing. It makes a huge difference... and take that from someone who had to expel a small person with a head size on the 97th percentile. Ouch !!!

I think I posted on this thread a while ago, but glad to find it again

I'm 34+2 today, still cycling to work (12 miles a day) and getting loads of raised eyebrows and tuts from colleagues which is starting to really piss me off tbh.

The thing is, I'm actually far more comfy on my bike than I am walking, the weight of the bump is much less obvious, it doesn't set off BHs, and I find it by far the easiest and most comfortable way of transporting a willful toddler as he loves the bike but otherwise wants to walk or rather be carried/put down/picked up, stop to pick up snails etc etc I actually bought a new bike last week, it's a sit-up-and-beg style anyway and I've got the handlebars right up, it's seriously comfy, can almost forget I'm pregnant!

I'm on track for covering about 65 miles this week (albeit much more slowly than usual) and planning to stay on my bike til I go into labour... We don't have a car so my bike is my primary mode of transport.

exactly Vinegar, those people tutting have no idea what is actually difficuly for us and what is not.

Nice one vinegar - I cycled up til I finished work last time (38 weeks) - including carrying my bike up and down stairs in station and taking it on a train.

No one gives you a seat if you are wearing bike kit!

I didn't even have to change my bike (though i didn't ride on the drops!).

Now I am part time (28 weeks pregnant) so I only commute 2 days (work one day from home). Sometimes I get off the train early to get a longer ride in. Normal commute is prob only 3.5miles each way, extended commute is 10-11milesish. Try get an evening and/or weekend ride in.

Just fitted the bike seat mounting back on my bike last weekend. I live in sheffield it is pretty hilly - so some routes pretty challenging for fatty me + toddler (this years first (and only so far) toddler ride was on bike path that used to be old railway line so very flat). I'm tending to favour the pushchair for general errands/visiting at the moment due to it being easier when she naps (i.e. I can leave her in it).

I have put on 2 stone already (I know I put on more than 3 last time overall so not too worried cos it did come off - eventually!) - oh well!

Not long now Hazle

running I got the city mini jogger summit x3. From what I can tell, the key things to look out for are good suspension, air filled tyres, handbrake and wrist strap. There are some good reviews online. Although you can use that pushchair with newborns, you can't run until your baby is old enough to hold his or head up - 6 to 8 months I think. So until then, lots of fast walking up hills!

Good to hear from you worcester! I'm so pleased to hear that you're enjoying your new baby and looking after yourself. Of course you're 100% right about r&r - afterall labour is a hefty piece of work and looking after a newborn is rather demanding, or so I've heard ...!

Woodifer - yes I hear you on noone giving up their seat if you're in bike stuff!

I wouldn't have bought a new bike specially but mine died quite dramatically and I need to get it around so had to replace asap! DS has a front mounted seat and I'll need to get 2 seats on soon (one front one back) so compromised on a step through frame Trek hybrid. It's actually surprisingly nice and light without the seats etc.

I'm impressed by you cycling in Sheffield, pregnant or not! We are in London and luckily it's mostly pretty flat. DS thinks going everywhere by bike is the norm :)

Weather thwarted my plans to hit 65 miles this week, winds up to 30mph and rain all day - I'm not that hardcore!

Gertrude - I have that pushchair, it's fab... the best. The only slight problem I've had with it is the harness is completely unsuitable for new borns, the straps end up over their face. For obvious reasons that's a bit rubbish, so dd is in the sling most of the time at the moment.

Hi everyone. Just found this thread, and I have a few questions about cycling and swimming.
Lovely to see how much everyone is doing :) I had terrible sickness for the first 20 weeks, but somehow managed to carry on doing SOMETHING, which means that now I'm back to swim-training for an hour once or twice a week with my club, and have always been cycling everywhere (pulling a bike trailer).

My questions are: I pull 2 DCs around in a bike trailer. It's a double bike trailer. They weigh about 34kg between them, and it's a hard-bottomed trailer. It's getting rather heavy! I'm managing still, and it makes life so much easier to be able to do this (it's how I get them home from nursery, for example), but I'm worried at one point I might start to do myself some damage. But I don't know what that damage would be!! What should I look out for? Is there anything I should be worried about?

I'm quite prepared to keep going until I can't..... is this okay, do you think?

Second question: I'm back to doing the full hour of swim training now (had cut down to 40 mins when I was so ill). I'm also swimming at near-normal pace (got fed up with being in the slower lanes), but I take a bit of extra rest every now and then. Again, if you're exercising at farily high intensity, is this okay, as long as your body is used to it?
Do you think it's better to swim faster with slightly more breaks, or slower in general with less rest?

Sorry for such a mammoth post with so many questions!! I've just been worrying about all this, and haven't known who to ask...

(I'm 25 weeks pregnant, by the way...)

(should also probably say that this is 3rd pregnancy. Cycled all the way through first pregnancy, but obviously wasn't pulling a trailer. Also swam all the way through, but was more cautious. Didn't do much at all during 2nd pregnancy for various reasons....)

Crikee - my only thought on the bike is watch your pelvic floor. Upright bikes are not the best in that respect. My trainer told me to avoid them in the gym in late pregnancy.

I'm a (utility) cyclist and junior obstetrician but no physio or PT but my philosophy is just to do whatever feels OK. Mostly my DS is in a seat but I do tow him in a trailer once or twice a week. Must admit I've never heard of cycling being bad for your pelvic floor, pregnant or not. The NICE/RCOG guidelines say it is fine to continue what your are doing pre pregnancy, with extra care for risk of falls/abdominal trauma or excessive joint strain.

Anecdotally, one of my Twitter friends towed her two in a trailer on a single speed racer til 41+ weeks!

Thanks, both of you.
Will investigate the pelvic floor thing.... not something I'd heard about either, but best to find out....

That's reassuring about your friend, Vinegar :)

I was actually wondering about abdominals. I guess it's these that you're using when you're cycling and pulling something heavy? Will it be obvious to me if/when the load becomes too much for them, do you think?
At the moment, I can feel that I'm using them. I just don't want to suddenly reach "crunch" point, and only realise too late.

Sorry... realise you can't really answer this, probably, and am probably over-thinking this a bit, but it's so nice to be able to talk about it. thanks :)

Crikee it is entirely possible that my trainer was talking rubbish. I didn't question it though as I'm not the world's biggest fan of static bikes, and I live in (what feels like) the country's hilliest county, so was more than happy to do something else. My pelvic floor however has survived remarkably unscathed. I've not pee-ed myself, even once , so perhaps there is something in it.

My abdominals however, hmmm, well they're totally shot Not entirely sure how I could have avoided that given the enormous, comical, frankly hilarious bump I ended up with. DD was not small, I am, she had to go somewhere, and in my case that was outwards.

Sadly I think your abs get fairly fucked in pregnancy whatever you do... I think though as long as you aren't in pain it is fine to continue - the other thing to notice is if there is a big separation between them (divarification of the recti) it leaves your uterus a bit more exposed and putting more stress on the abs probably wouldn't be a fab idea.

Re pelvic floor, well I cycled through my last pregnancy too and despite prolonged pushing stage, big baby and forceps, my pelvic floor seems unscathed so far... (admit that's anecdotal).

Off out for a family cycle today - hope you are all having a good bank holiday weekend.

thanks again, both of you :-)
yep... same here. Abdominals and pelvic floor have survived my 2 previous pregnancies (including a 4.3kg baby/ shoulder dystocia!!) relatively unscathed... but I'm wondering if that had more to do with the yoga I did in those pregnancies. Hope not, as haven't had time to do it this time.

Anyway... will keep an eye on it. "Feeling" my abdominals working is probably fine. But just need to keep an eye out that I'm not straining anything.

Hope the cycle was lovely. We've had a lovely sunny bank holiday weekend here :)

Hello, am resurrecting this thread ...

Now 36 weeks and have started to feel more out of breath, but still trying to stay active. I find that I can't do more than about 40 mins of swimming or other cardio at the moment, and am also doing things quite slowly. But yoga and pilates are still good - stretching has certainly come into its own over the last couple of weeks!

How is everyone else doing?

Hi there, had a sudden resugence of energy after a week on hols walking and sea swimming (and lots of afternoons snoozes). Reconfigured the running wardrobe with DH's shorts and bump support band donated from a friend and had a lovely half hour jog yesterday. When DH came home last night it was so lovely we went for bike ride too! Only my third during preg so far, but I've started to be come uber jealous of people riding now the weather is so lovely. Actually felt fine, not paying quite enough attention to feel safe on the road, and spatial awareness made gates quite interesting :) Managed a short swim this am, although our local pool is 32 degrees and the changing rooms feel like a sauna, so heart was racing and swimming v v hard work. Have resolved to use another pool which isn't quite so warm in future!
Hope the rest of you are doing ok and managing to get out and about in the sunshine?

I'm now 22+3 and still doing my Tracy Anderson DVDs. Feeling pretty good at the moment but I'm disappointed with the way my arms are still managing to develop cellulite! Have a wedding this weekend and want to wear a strapless dress which miraculously still fits me! So I'm trying to do some extra arm stuff in the morning.

My only cardio is still taking the dog for walks, but better than nothing I suppose.

I'm also doing the Tracy Anderson pregnancy project DVD's and I found the 2nd month DVD (I'm 8 + 6) so tough it almost put me off exercise entirely. Yet I did L1 of the Shred last night and found it okay - woke up with less sore muscles than when I do the pregnancy project anyway. Once the 1st trimester lack of energy lifts a bit I'm hoping I can do a bit more.