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Old 02-24-03, 07:20 AM  
Jenne
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Missouri
I intended to stay fit while pregnant, but the first three months knocked me out. I couldn't believe the fatigue. I also couldn't stand the idea of eating or drinking anything other than Coke, carrots, and spinach. I worked out about three times a week during the second and third trimester, using Kathy Smith's pregnancy tape, which always made me cringe because of its weirdness. I also walked and hiked quite a bit, but at an easy pace. My labor was very, very, very, ridiculously long and ended with a C-Section because his cord was around his neck. We both came through happy and healthy, though.

I was more fit than other new moms I knew (but not as fit as you goddesses!), so it was easy to carry him around, carry around groceries and boxes, and to get back into my fitness routine after about six months (that's how long it took my scar to stop hurting.) I was"functionally fit" pretty quickly and was eventually able to get to a higher level of fitness than I ever had before I was pregnant. Unfortunately, though, I've never looked as good as I did before I was pregnant. Oh well.

If I were to do it again, I wouldn't even bother with pregnancy tapes (unless Cathe makes one!) I would do my Step Reeboks and some highly modified Cathe. I also would make sure I got plenty of yoga. I don't know if being more fit would have changed the end of my pregnancy, but I would like to at least try to avoid another C-Section if I could.
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Old 02-24-03, 08:45 AM  
Erica H.
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Running during pregnancy

I just had my 4th baby 6 months ago and this was the first time that I exercised while pregnant - I did cardio and strength training up until delivery.

Before I knew I was pregnant, I was running 50-60 miles/wk. Once I found out I was pregnant, I decreased the duration and intensity of my runs, but continued to run until I was 37 weeks along. I only stopped then because it was summer and the weather was extremely hot and humid. I asked my doctor at every visit if I could continue running and she always approved. When I ran, I stayed hydrated and took walking breaks when I felt that I was getting fatigued. I was very careful to make sure I didn't overexert myself.

I did not run to keep my weight down or bounce back quicker - I did it because it is my favorite form of cardio and I intended on exercising anyway. My baby was born full-term and was normal ht/length (7 lb. 10 oz/21 ").

Just wanted to share my experience...

Erica
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Old 02-24-03, 09:05 AM  
Shanda
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
I'm 17 weeks pregnant

I always thought when I was pregnant I would work out. Well, it hasn't quiet worked out that way I intend on getting back to it soon. But, if I can't I'm not going to beat myself up about it either. I have been having the worst headaches since I've been pregnant and just haven't felt like doing much of anything. I know I will pay for it dearly after the baby is here. I've just told myself ok, after you have this baby you are going to have to buckle down and really hit it. I'm so out of shape now but anything for my little one. I just know I have alot of work ahead of me.

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Old 02-24-03, 11:13 AM  
Lucy K
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Join Date: Jan 2002
I'm on my 2nd pregnancy, one fit and one non-fit

And I REALLY preferred the fit pregnancy. Overall, I felt much better. But, I'm not sure I listened to my body enough the first time around and that I think is the key to excersizing while pregnancy.

My first pregnancy (2 years ago) I worked out 4-6 times a week, doing both cardio and strength training. For cardio, I ran until about 24 weeks when I got too uncomfortable and then did the elliptical machine. For strength, I did mostly Cathe and the Firm. I also live in a city, so I walk everywhere. I felt great through my entire pregnancy -- or what there was of it. Not a lot of aches and pains. At 30 weeks, I started to bleed (unknown cause, a possible partial abruption), went into pre-term labor, and delivered DS at 31 weeks. He's now 17 months and doing great! In retrospect, I do think I pushed myself too hard, but at the same time I felt great and didn't have a lot of pregnancy aches and pains.

Fast forward a year. I'm pregnant again (27 weeks now) and having a totally different pregnancy. I exercised, much more moderately, through 20 weeks, when I felt that I was having too much abdomical pressure to feel safe. My high-risk doc agreed with me -- since we don't know what caused the PTL the first time, it's better to be safe than sorry. Lifting and carrying DS also made me really sore, so I've stopped doing that as also (well, as much as I can with a 17 month old!). I pretty much put myself on restricted activity -- I drive A LOT more than I used to, which I hate. For example, I now drive DS to daycare and then to work; I used to walk it until I realized that's 4 miles a day just doing that one task. The thing is, I'm miserable this pregnancy. I just don't like being pregnancy. I know part of it is the "unknown" for me since there is no one specific thing I can blame my previous premature birth on. But I also know that part of the aches and pains is because I'm not exercising. My body just plain misses it.

Interestingly enough, though, at my last doctor's appt, my OB said that when I hit 32 weeks, she wants me to start walking again because she doesn't think my soreness is due to preterm labor. She's a strong believer (and so am I actually, as is the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) that women who exercise have easier pregnancies, easier deliveries, and faster recoveries than those who don't.

IMO, what it really boils down to is listening to your body. And drinking LOTS and LOTS of liquids -- more than you think is humanly possible!!

Lucy K
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Old 02-24-03, 11:35 AM  
ErinF
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Iowa
At 38 weeks . . .

I'll be delivering on Friday via induction if Rebecca doesn't come on her own before then. I've been exercising regularly throughout my pregnancy. My intensity level has naturally and gradually decreased over the course of my pregnancy, but up until last week I was still doing cardio 2 - 3 times a week ( with a fair amount of high impact ) and lifting weights twice a week, yoga when I could fit it in. I have pregnancy videos, but the only ones I've actually done this pregnancy have been yoga ( because I didn't do any yoga at all prior to becoming pregnant ). I took a week off to recover from a cold, and when I came back to my workouts, the baby had dropped low enough that even power walking was very uncomfortable, so I've decided to stick with yoga for the rest of my pregnancy.

I obviously can't report on my labor/recovery/weight loss yet. I CAN say that out my my 5 pregnancies, this has been by far my most comfortable. I have felt better than in any of my other, less fit pregnancies. This whole fitness thing has been a journey for me, so each pregnancy I have been progressively more fit going in and remained more active throughout. In general I have felt better and better, have had easier labors, and recovered more quickly in terms of energy, regaining ab tone, and weight loss each time, despite the fact that those things are supposed to get more difficult as you age. Obviously I hope that trend will continue after this baby is born. Have I gained less weight? Yes and no. I gained most with my 1st, least fit pregnancy ( 40 lbs ), but this one is coming in second with a 29 pound gain so far. BUT I feel more comfortable with my weight gain, and haven't had any "How will I ever take it all off?" moments. I'm not worried about it. I've taken it off before. I can do it again. If it had done NOTHING else for me, the exercise was worth every moment for the psychological benefits and stress control.

There actually ARE several scientific studies on the effects of exercise in pregnancy. You can read about them in the book Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Dr. James Clapp, which I think should be mandatory reading. Fit preggos have babies who are also fit, and better able to withstand the stresses of labor and delivery. They get "exercised" right along with you when you work out. They have bigger placentas, so baby gets more of what he/she needs, and has more of a buffer in emergency situations. Fit preggos TEND to deliver earlier ( though there are fewer pre-term deliveries ) and have shorter labors, although obviously that varies from woman to woman. The list goes on and on. Like I said, Dr. Clapp's book is stuffed with scientific studies supporting the benefits of exercise before, during, and after pregnancy. There were times when fatigue tempted me to skip a workout. Knowing the benefits to my baby got me moving. How much better I felt once I WAS moving kept me going.

That said, I'm a huge proponent of listening to your body ( at all times, but ESPECIALLY during pregnancy ). The low energy days when I had to force myself to get moving "for the baby," and I DIDN'T feel better after a short time, I stopped. Just because I was doing a fair amount of high impact and squats with a 35 lb barbell at 37 weeks, that doesn't mean that every pregnant woman can OR should. Those activities felt comfortable to me, and I was choosing workouts that I enjoyed. I was able to maintain a Kegal contraction before, during, and after, plus I had no urine leakage problems, so I knew I wasn't unduly stressing my pelvic floor. Any moves that felt uncomfortable, I modified. Any workouts that felt too fast or intense, I stopped doing. I felt GOOD afterward and the next day. When that was no longer the case ( as of last Friday ), I stopped and went to just yoga. If that stops feeling good this week, I'll stop with that too. I have nothing to prove to anyone, and neither does any other pregnant woman. We just need to do the best we can for ourselves and our babies, whatever that translates into for any particular pregnancy & for any particular woman.

Okay, I'll stop my rambling now. Good luck!!
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Old 02-24-03, 12:06 PM  
LovingLife
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Santa Cruz mountains, CA
Congratulations Erin!

Erin -- It's been awhile since I was on the Pregnancy Check-in w/you (my baby will be 3 mos. tomorrow) so I didn't realize you were so close to delivery! How exciting! Come on over to the Post-Partum check-in when you're ready.

I agree with Erin that listening to your body is everything when pregnant. After about 1/2 way through my pregnancy, I seemed to change from week to week on what I could do before, but new I had to modify all of the sudden. Also, be cautious in your stretches or yoga. I pulled a glute muscle early in pregnancy from doing a yoga video that I was very familiar with.
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Old 02-24-03, 01:55 PM  
donnamp
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Maryland, USA
Great Thread!!

I love this thread!! I'm pregnant for the first time, 18 weeks, and although I have nothing to compare it to, I've been exercising before and during this pregnancy and I feel great. In fact, I often have to remind myself that I am pregnant. I'm also 35, so while I'm not "old", I'm not a "young" pregnant woman either. Maybe it is just luck, and I would have felt this good anyway, but I tend to think that if I stopped exercising when I found out I was pregnant my mental health would have suffered greatly, which I'm sure would have had a physical impact as well. I've modified my workouts here and there to be comfortable for me, I've reduced some of the poundage I've been lifting,etc., but overall I'd say my exertion level is averaging about 85% of my pre-pregnancy level.

I have my fingers crossed that L& D go well, and as easily as the pregnancy has so far. Looking forward to hearing more stories...

Also, wanted to wish you & Becca well, Erin!

Donna
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Old 02-24-03, 07:34 PM  
Kymmco
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Hey, I see several familiar posters from the Pregnancy checkin - HI there!

For my first pregnancy (3 years ago) I was unfit. In fact, I think it was the prenatal yoga class that I started during that pregnancy and then the journey of getting my body back afterwards that led me to find VF and start the video fitness habit. I only gained somewhere around 25 or 30 pounds, but I had a lot of aches and pains, heartburn, etc. and my recovery did take a while. Labor was long.

I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant and started this pregnancy in the best shape of my life - still nothing compared to some on this board, but good for me. I'll echo Claire and KPLondon and some others in that I was fully intending to exercise all the way thru but nausea and fatigue in the first four months totally knocked me out. I managed to pick back up in the second trimester, working out maybe four times a week at a fairly easy to moderate level. I'm now easing into the home stretch and just this week decided to restrict myself to yoga, walking, and the occasional light upper body workout (like Quick Fix or Tamilee's I Want Those). I've gained 18 pounds so far and I definitely have had less aches and pains (and way fewer calf cramps), although I have suffered from painful pelvic ligaments for both pregnancies, which make walking painful for more than fifteen or twenty minutes.

I'm guessing that labor will be about the same, but I'm hoping that my recovery will be faster and that getting back to my exercise routine will help with some of the stresses of having a newborn.

Thanks for everyone who has shared their story.
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Old 02-24-03, 09:32 PM  
Vidiot
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Join Date: Nov 2001
my two cents

Well hello everyone from pregnancy check in, and Erin good luck this week! How exciting!

Like some posters before, I also had horrendous nausea but this didn't affect my workouts much: well, actually, I ended up trading most of the tapes I did during that period because just the MEMORY of being that nauseous while working out made me nauseous while doing those tapes. Isn't that insane?

This is my first pregnancy and I have had many of your typical pregnancy-related aggravations (nausea, heartburn, nasal congestion, etc.) Exercise has really helped me deal with the stress of pregnancy, as it has always helped me deal with stress in the past. I believe it's also helped with my sciatica, which flares up occasionally and is supposed to get very bad with pregnancy: so far, no problems and I'm 6 1/2 months along.

I fully agree with people that pregnancy is a time to listen to our bodies even more: I can't do high impact anymore, I give myself time off when I need it and I've had to drop way down in weights, but it's OK. Pushing harder is not my goal during pregnancy: feeling better is. As a result, I'm enjoying my workouts more.

As soon as you lose the "competition" mindset: whether you're competing with yourself or trying to look like some pregnant celebrity, it's much easier to really listen to your body instead of that nagging "you should" guilt voice in your head. I've actually enjoyed working out more when pregnant because it's not a matter of "I have to" it's a matter of "I want to." It's been a huge mindset change for me, and one that I hope I can continue after the baby's born.
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Old 02-24-03, 10:36 PM  
brenlorken
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Oregon
Both of my pregnancies were totally different, even though I exercised as much as I could during both pregnancies.

With my first pregnancy I ran, hiked, walked, swam and lifted weights. I even did I triathlon while 8 weeks pregnant (I had dr.'s okay and I had been training for the event for a few months). I also did some horseback riding at the beach when we went camping. Although I exercised and ate pretty reasonable I ended up gaining 50 lbs. My ob told me not to worry and that some women tend to gain more weight. I didn't have any aches and pains or discomforts. My labor was about 14 hours (I was induced) and I pushed for less than 30 min. I was up walking around within an hour of birth and I felt really good.

With my second pregnancy I started out exercising, but then I started getting excessively sick (hypermesis) so I was told to stop all exercises so I wouldn't burn any calories that my body might need. With an 8 month old to chase after I still got plenty of exercise. At 5 months, when I started feeling better, I started walking with my ds. I would speed walk with him in the stroller and walk up and down the hills by our home. I had sciatica and had popped my hip out of place (didn't know that until after ds #2 was born) so I was in pain but I still tried to walk everyday. I only gained 20 lbs, but I think that was largely due to the fact that I lost over 15 pounds in my first 5 months of pregnancy. My labor with ds #2 was 7 hours long (all natural) and the ob on call tried to send me home at midnight telling me I wasn't in labor. Luckily my nurse disagreed and I had my ds 2 1/2 hours later. You should have seen the look on the ob's face when she checked me after telling me that she had checked me 15 minutes ago and I was only 4 centimeters dialated and there was no way I had any urge to push. All I remember at that moment was the staff running around to get my room ready for the delivery all the while telling me "don't push, just blow" (Yeah right!) Again, I was up within an hour of delivery and didn't have very much discomfort.
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