Feeling guilty

[Nellysgirl]

Hello, I have to confess...
I'm currently 24 weeks pregnant and I have to hold my hands up and say I have done absolutely nothing in terms of exercise since I've been preggers. Unless stomping around mothercare and john lewis on a weekly basis counts...?
I'm now feeling like I'm approaching third trimester and starting to get tired etc and can't help like feeling as though ill be kicking myself when I'm unfit in labour. I hear its a very physically challenging task and ill have absolutely no muscle strength to get me through.
Is anyone else guilty of this?
Maybe I need to have a good word with myself and get to the gym

what did you do before? It's the wrong time to try and start a fitness regime

IMO getting bigger, growing the baby, carrying extra blood about, it's all taxing enough.

Schlepping round the shops etc will keep you active, And you don't really have much of a say in how quick you can get your cervix dilated, si labour will either knacker you or it won't.

Stop feeling guilty, you'll be fine.

No to the gym... just keep yourself moving as much as you can without putting extra strain on yourself.

Walking is good, but whatever you do, don't overdo it. Remember your joints and ligaments and things will be softer than before being pg.

I think I'm possibly guilty of this too, since being pregnant (16weeks now) I've not been up to a huge amount as I've been really really tired and feeling unwell a lot. I've not a huge appetite so I'm lucky if I get through one decent meal a day most days and this has left me quite drained. I did move house which was a huge push to get through so I think that must count for something haha. I have talked to my midwife though and apparently even if the minimum you're up to doing is 10-15mins walk a day then just do that as its something. I try to walk to the local co-op to get food that way I'm exercising and eating something! As the second trimester is progressing though I'm starting to get some energy back so I'm going to try swimming as that is apparently quite good due to the whole weightless thing and not putting strain on your joints, so perhaps consider that if you're wanting to do some light exercise.

My whole thing with exercise is to limit risk of blood clots, but when it comes to the labour it's apparently the pelvic floor exercises that will benefit you most. I must confess I have done very little with this so far, everything I read that tells you how tells you totally different from the last and I just don't think I'll ever master them!

Good luck with everything, remember every labour is different (my mother in law played tennis the whole way through and ended up in a C-section, my cousin worked until 3weeks before due and was in labour for 2days!). "Just do what your body feels is natural" - that's the line everybody gives me x

I was guilty of this in my first pregnancy. I put on a lot of unhealthy weight too. I don't think it affected my labour though as I was induced, but I did get very tired. But I think everyone has a very tiresome first labour as its the first time your body goes through it. I wouldn't worry too much.

If you do feel really guilty, Try walking a little extra everyday to build up muscle strength, but I wouldn't join a gym. Swimming is good too, and really relaxing during the later stages.

Don't feel guilty - save it up for when you become a mum & then you feelguilty no matter what!

Honestly though I'm pregnant with second and work full time & simply do not have time to exercise. Enjoy your pregnancy, go out for meals, relax in the evenings, swim at the weekends if you want, have romantic walks with hubby and enjoy this time thinking solely about yourself. I really wish someone had made it clear to me when I was pregnant with my first.

Life is too short to feelguilty about exercise and when the baby comes along you really don't have time to think about yourself so make the most of the third trimester.

I would second the not feeling guilty. I used to run 3times a week and had run half a marathon two months before I got pregnant so was reasonably fit. First trimester I had loads of energy but didnt run as I was losing weight due to nausea and didnt want to lose more through exercising. Second trimester generally felt faint and now this third trimester feel tired more often.

I am going to get back into it after the baby is here. When I ran my half marathon I did carb loading to increase my glycogen stores a few weeks before the race so I would have the energy am planning something similar for when I am due, as labour is very energy intensive but good nutrition can only help.