cycling while pregnant

[hildathebuilder]

I am currently 23+5 and so far have carried on cycling while pregnant - not anything serious a mile or so into work, into town etc and then of course back again later.

After a brief period when I stopped on medical advice I was given the all clear by both my midwife and the consultant obstetrician to carry on.

My question is I currently ride a mens hybrid and have never really thought about the cross bar. Obviously as I slowly get a bump this is becoming slightly more of an issue and my husband thinks I should get a city shopping bike or even a sit up and beg so I can carry on cycling more easily. I just wonder if this is realistic or whether I will have to give up cycling soon anyway, (which I'd rather not do if I can as its so convenient as a method of getting around) and if so whether this is just not worth thinking about.

Has anyone else carried on cycling and if so for how long. Are there any cycles (or cycle styles) you would or would not recommend?

38 weeks here, and I've commuted 6 miles each way by bike to work all the way through (on a German women's bike, though, so no issues with crossbar). Maternity leave starts this weekend, but I'm planning to stay on the bike till the baby actually arrives (though I've agreed with DH that I won't take it too far from home from now on, since if I get somewhere and then go into labour he'll have to go and rescue the bike afterwards!). I have SPD too and find walking hurts but cycling is painless.

The only thing that bothered me with the SPD was swinging my leg over the crossbar to get on, but even that caused less pain than having to walk would do.

I also made sure I used a gel padded seat, not sure if it helped as I never rode without, but it certainly made it a more comfortable ride on my tailbone etc.

I live in holland so biking here is a way if life,
With DS1 I biked up till 5 hours before labour began (I was 40wks + 2 days)
This time I'm 34 weeks and bike every day (not sure of distances) with DS1 on a seat behind me, and a 15 months old i child-mind for on a seat attached to the handlebars, I plan on biking till as far as I can.
I have a mama bike as they are called over here.

I didn't cycle after I found out I was pregnant as early on I did have frequent dizzy spells and even passed out on a train. It would have been an 8mile cycle each way into central London. Praise to those who have continued throughout, I have really missed it, but owing to my age (44) didn't want to risk anything happening that I could avoid. I'd say I was a confident cyclist, but the idea of my coming off and risking the baby I had given up on ever having was not something I could consider. My partner I know thinks I'm a wuss for not continuing with it, but then he wasn't the one feeling dizzy. Having said that he also thinks that any exhaustion or being out of breath is down to me just being unfit. Ho hum. 34 weeks now and all well, but am still so envious when people cycle by!

I have to cycle to work everyday because we only have one car but I really enjoy it. I'm not too big yet, only 17 weeks but I'm doing ok, I just go a bit slower.
Am getting some filthy looks from people though (And it's nothing to do with my cycling!)
Found some good advice on here though www.fittamamma.com/section.php/21/1/pregnancy_fitness

Resurrecting an old thread here, but....

I have a 7 mile each way commute on some busy roads full of buses, cars, crazed scooter riders, you name it!

Are there any special precautions any of you took while cycling pregnant? I was looking into getting 'baby on board' printed on a hi-vis vest. Not normally my sort of thing, but would it mean car drivers give me more space / be less aggressive I wonder? Has anyone done anything else? did you cop any abuse from drivers for cycling pregnant?

My DH has bought us a reflective rucksack cover each. I think it was more watching than me being pg, but it did appear after I had a near miss with a driver changing lanes in traffic when I was 9 weeks. I use it over a rack top bag.

I think you're better off decking yourself and bike out with reflectives. That way the driver who isn't looking properly might see you sooner. I don't think the aggressive, getorfmyroad kind will care about you being pg. Might even fuel their belief that you shouldn't be on the road at all.

I usually commute by bike (7 miles each way), but stopped over Christmas (holidays) and am a bit concerned that we're getting snow and ice in the next couple of weeks. I'm horrendously bloated (10 wks +4 days) and I think it's because of the lack of exercise. I would love to get on my bike again, but I have a couple of hills and then town traffic to contend with. I live in a bike friendly city (Cambridge), but the problem is not necessarily the traffic, but it's other cyclists. A lot of people are dangerous on a bike (no lights, helmets, high vis clothing, road sense, or even peripheral vision) and I'm very concerned about getting into an accident with one of them.

I've also got ms and balance issues and I've notice that I'm considerably slower (getting overtaken by primary school kids and their parents was a new low...). I'm really glad I found this thread as this has made me more determined to get back on my bike once the weather improves.

Cheers!

I think I will go crazy if I don't keep cycling! I think I will start to cycle a bit less like Lucas Brunelle though. I already have a hi vis vest but may invest in a helmet as well. Do any of you wear cleats - do you think it's safe to keep using them?

PS Lumpy I know what you mean about Cambridge! Although it's less of a madhouse when the students aren't around.

Special precautions: just keeping hydrated & cool.
As for unsafe drivers, I think people are too busy driving to read a Baby On Board sign on your back, (sorry).

I'm about 16 weeks and still doing my commute, 6 miles each way. This is DC2 and I cycled through most of my first pregnancy. He is now 22 months and travelling by bike is pretty much all he knows!

I wear a BoB sign sometimes when cycling with DS in his front mounted Bobike seat. Don't wear it when it's just me and mini bump though. I have found myself being a tad less gung ho on my bike, and felt too ill to cycle for much of the 1st trimester, but apart from that I am pretty much carrying on as normal.

We are car-free and cycling is by far the quickest easiest way to get around where we live. And free, of course. Plus I need to keep some exercise up if possible.

I don't use cleats, but I guess i might think about stopping using them as you get heavier and your centre of balance changes significantly. But if you are doing fine I would continue as you are.

I'm so impressed by you ladies continuing to cycle. I had a pedestrian step out in front of me (her fault, I was on green, she stepped out from behind stationary traffic despite me slowing, belling as I approached) the day before I found out. I did try and continue but I never felt confident after that. I had an aggressive single speed which felt uncomfortable after three months and a massive hill on my route which is hard on good form let alone with morning sickness.