keeping fit during pregnancy - give me a break!!

[BBLucy1891]

I'm 27 weeks, first baby. Before pregnancy I was quite fit, nothing major but did yoga twice a week and went for a short jog every evening. First trimester I felt like the walking dead - sickness, exhaustion, mood swings - couldn't exercise, could barely get out of bed.

Looked forward to second trimester energy "burst" - didn't happen - still exhausted every day, plus I have pelvic pain and some back ache. I sit down all day for work and study so I'm aware that I'm almost totally stationary, so I do pregnancy yoga once a week (which is very easy) and try to go for a short stroll (more like a waddle) every day for about 30 mins but that's it.

I would feel ok about this, if it wasn't for the barrage of stuff in the media about keeping fit, plus annoying Facebook posts by pregnant friends out running and climbing mountains!! It seems like every other pregnant person is out doing spinning classes and lifting weights and there's me eating Malteasers and flopping on the couch by 7pm. I feel like a total lump. My pregnant best friend cycles everywhere at 30 weeks. I slump from my car to my couch. All I want to do is sleep. Feel useless.

Am I just a wimp? Should I try to heave myself up and start doing squats or will that just aggravate my pelvic/back pain even more?

I did nothing in first pregnancy and ate for Britain and gained almost 4 stone. Had awful back pain and spd by 30 weeks and could barely walk.

Second time around I tried to go for walks, kept up yoga and swimming and was more careful about what I ate. I was walking around the shops no problem the week of my due date, only gained 1.5 stone and was so much more comfortable at the end and labour and birth and recovery all easier.

I wasn't going to spin classes or lifting significant weights or anything but I found keeping up gentle exercise certainly helped so I would try keeping up what you're doing but not worry about anything hard core. I think the only people who can do hard core during pregnancy are the people who did hard core before pregnancy x

I am 27 weeks and with a full time job, commute of 600 miles a week and a toddler, exercise can piss off.
I am quite comfortable in the knowledge that having been uber fit in the past, I can pick it up again when not pregnant, breastfeeding or generally running round after small people.

It really is different for everyone! I sympathise, I've had back and joint pain keeping me awake at night and making it difficult for me to walk during the day, have underlying skeletal problems, and was totally unable to do much other than sit on the couch eating toast and crying till I was about 17 weeks.

But I was lucky enough to get the second trimester wind and now I'm nearly 35 weeks, I'm still exercising three or four times a week. I'm only doing light stuff (Pilates, yoga, bodyweight work, swimming) and I absolutely live for those few hours a week when I feel like myself again and not this whomping whale. I also figure being as fit and strong as possible can only help me recover faster, whatever way the birth goes.

I really do feel I'm in a very small minority though. My prenatal yoga class seems very 'wussy' to me (lots of breathing and visualising and stuff, not half as much movement as I'd like) and yet other women at antenatal class seem to believe it must be as hard as doing a Tough Mudder. I'm the only pregnant woman in my large Pilates class and thankfully everyone is really supportive.

I can imagine it must be very hard to start suddenly thinking about exercise if it's not already a pleasurable part of your life, but it's also really hard to drop it if it's something you enjoy and find really helpful.

Please don't beat yourself up!

Before my first baby, I was exercising 3 to 4 hours a day. (yes, with a full time job, but it is still easily done: 1 hour run most mornings or lunch time, 2 classes in the evening + weights or swim at the same gym before going home).

Come pregnancy, was feeling too sick to stand up the first 3 months, then body did hurt too much to do more than walking. At 6 months was ordered on strict bed rest by doctors.

Some women have it easy, others struggle, it's a complete unfair game, and it has nothing to do with your pre-pregnancy fitness. Some will boast about running a marathon with a 3 day old baby, others take months to recover.

If you can, do try to walk at least twice a day or swim, it is better for your body to keep moving if you can. Only do what you feel is right, do not listen to others, you have as much choice about how you feel during your pregnancy than about your natural hair colour. If you need to sleep, do sleep whilst you can!

OP I did about the same amount of exercise as you before before I was pregnant and like you suffered with nausea and tiredness, especially in the first trimester, just do what you can and don't feel bad about it. I stopped the gym/running at about 8 weeks and started up again at about 14. I swapped the gym for swimming at about 20 weeks. I swam nearly every day but it was slow and gentle, I felt like a swamp hippo but was comfortable which I wasn't out of the water. Walking was so hard, and I don't mean hiking, I mean a stroll round town, I struggled with anything more than a mile. If it's any consolation I regained my fitness post baby very quickly, even with a caesarean, I just walked everywhere with the pram and didn't find it difficult, in fact after having my lungs squashed up for 9 months I felt amazing!

I got so huge the first time round (17 years ago) that I wasn't going to let it happen this time (4 years ago) and as I was by then a regular gym goer (and in my early 40's), I just kept up and adapted. I did spin until about 24 weeks until it became uncomfortable but I did body combat classes right up until the day before I has DS and body pump classes the same as well as aerobics and using the treadmill or crosstrainer. I think it really depends on your level of fitness and how you actually feel. I was very lucky not to have morning sickness or any excessive tiredness (until late in the afternoon). I agree that you may need some iron OP, so check with your MW.

Most certainly don't beat yourself up about it, you have to go with how you feel and if you don't feel like it, then that's that! Enjoy your pregnancy exactly how you want to

First pregnancy I sat on the sofa and consumed a lot of biscuits. Gained 2.5 stone overall. Survived mainly on cake and pizza for the first three months of my daughters life. Breastfeeding did not help me lose weight! When DD was six months old I weighed the same as I did at 38 weeks pregnant.

This time @16 weeks I'm still running and plan to as long as I can. I currently weigh the same as when I fell pregnant. I have been sick pretty much every day, I do eat far too many biscuits and malteasers still. I've entered a 10km exactly three weeks after my due date ... (I do know I won't go over this, I will back out if I need a Csection or have a problem).

I know I am completely mad ... I certainly don't reveal that on FB!!'

I think you just have to listen to your body and if it's asking for Maltesers, then fair enough! I'm coming up to 20 weeks with my second baby (I'm 43) and I'm keeping up with my circuits classes and suspension training, plus swimming and lots of walking the dog, because my body is used to it, and I'm lucky that I don't have any pregnancy symptoms or aches (maybe because I train regularly?). Plus I really enjoy exercise and feel so much better after a session. But I think I would be behaving differently if I had sickness, tiredness and aches and pains. Do whatever feels right for you and stuff everyone else!

30 weeks and foot aches have basically collapsed, plantar fasciitis and tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction - i'm struggling to walk the dog never mind 'work out'.
take it easy and only do as much as you feel capable of doing. pregnancy is not the time to push yourself at all. and don't feel bad about it either. a 9 month break from exercise is not going to push you into an early grave due to unfitness!

I used to do an hour of yoga a day, and was super fit and supple up to when I poas and it was positive.
Overnight I completely lost my balance and was nauseous with boobs that swelled up as if by magic. It was so uncomfortable - I couldn't even do downward dog. Or tadasana!

I ate sensibly after 14 weeks when I could get something down, and after that only walked slowly. I couldn't swim as I could barely breathe as I had rib splay. I also had pelvic spd and no strength in my wrists or hands.
I had a craving for cake in the last weeks, and probably put on a stone in the last three weeks, no stretch marks on my belly, just my thighs???!

I had immense swollen feet by the end and looked like a hobbit, and thinking back I wish I'd rested with my feet up more.

I lost the baby weight quite easily, by walking and bf, but am now a different shape, as I have a tummy which swells up and overhangs (over my crash c section scar) if I don't watch my diet.

Don't worry about striving, rest and watch your diet (eat lots of leafy veg and oily fish) and put your feet up.

Before getting pregnant I was so keen on the idea of exercise I read up on it, looked into a heart rate monitor and got a trainer to help.

After 20 weeks, though, I gave up. Unless you could walking to the supermarket on a regular basis to feed my macaroni cheese habit

My body bounced back more quickly after DC2 than DC1, and during that pregnancy I'd exercised much less and eaten more junk. Go figure.

I wonder if it's a bit to do with FTMs letting go of their former self? During my first pregnancy I wanted to stay active because that's who I've always been, so I kept rowing competitively and long-distance walking but by 9 weeks I was getting a bit uneasy with how out of breathe I was getting and being an older FTM thought that it wouldn't hurt me to take it easy after 35+ years of hard exercise! I did really enjoy pregnancy yoga through the second trimester, but by about 30 weeks I'd had enough, was still working full-time and was using all my energy just to get to maternity leave!

I do however really recommend trying to get back to fitness after you've recovered from the birth - I've gradually gotten back some of my pre-pregnancy fitness over the last 20 months, and it has given me the energy to deal with life with a toddler, and really helped my body recover.

Currently thinking about a second pregnancy and I have no intention of trying to stay 'competitively' active, just some moderate walking and yoga again and that will do me this time - I think I have finally let go of my 'single self' and realised that it ain't all about me anymore!!! Took a while ;)

I don't know, I'm the complete opposite Orrery. In my first pregnancy I didn't do anywhere near much as exercise as I have this time.
I think it's partly because exercise is something that's just for "me" - ie something that's not focused on DS or work or DH or the house. And giving that up - or rather, taking it down a notch - is hard.
Also, I remember how horrible I felt after having DS. I was a flabby, milk-leaking mess! Even though I lost all the baby weight quickly, I was so untoned compared to my pre-preg, marathon- running self. And I want to avoid being so flabby and wobbly again if at all possible (though its probably not!)

I'm 16+5 with #1 and still exercising 5-6 times a week. I didn't have it too bad sickness and fatigue-wise in my first trimester, so was able to keep running, swimming and strength training. I reduced the intensity and number of sessions per week (from 8-9, no more two-a-days!). It remains to be seen how long I'll be able to keep going, I was always hoping to keep running until 20 weeks and I'm actually feeling really good at the moment so I'm not treating that as a limit. I figure the better shape I'm in pre-birth the less awful the recovery will be.

TriJo, I was teaching my last Bodypump class 5 days before having DD. (and 3 weeks before having DS, but only because he was overdue). So if you're lucky and won't develop any problems, quite possible to exercise pretty much all the way.

I was hoping to swim all the way through - it's just running that gets awkward as the bump gets bigger! I'll just go by what feels good at the time though.

It's absolutely great if you can keep fit and active in pregnancy.

But it's also perfectly fine to not exercise lots, or even at all if you're knackered and struggling - don't beat yourself up about it!

I had severe sickness then spd so bad I could barely get up the stairs at home. I tried to keep active but frankly after 25 weeks I was really aware that pushing it physically was hurting me a lot. Why do damage?

Listen to your body. Some great advice I got from my doc was "do everything you can, but do no more."

It's not inevitable you'll put lots of weight on if you're not exercising loads, I put about 7-8 kg on and my bump was huge. I didn't restrict my eating (although I admit I had no Appetite at all!)

FB types who post those "no excuses" oats are morons. I feel like posting back "oh, you don't have a PhD in astrophysics? Why not!?! No excuses! See this woman here, she has a kid and a PhD in astrophysics , why don't you?"

(See how ludicrous and self important that sounds? Well it's exactly what they are doing!)

Would normally exercise moderately but since becoming pregnant the most I've done is 30 mins walking a day (split into two 15 mins blocks) and weekly pilates for prego's (which can't be classed as exercise it's so gentle). I've put on quite a bit of weight already (15 lbs at 23 weeks). I've no excuse- I'm a bit tired, but in all honesty I just don't fancy it and I think that's fine. I'll enjoy getting back into it post pregnancy but for now I'd rather have a brew and a toblerone.

YY Skiptonlass absolutely - I'm lucky enough to be able to exercise, therefore I do. It could just as easily have gone the other way and I might be lying on the couch totally unable to cope with the idea. I can't bear the thought that my pleasurable escape becomes yet another thing to beat other women up with, so to speak. I guess sanctimonious twats are sanctimonious twats and if it wasn't about exercise it'd be about something else.