? for pregnant Vfers or VFers with children

[Imani H]

If you exercised through your pregnancy, when did you start modifying? Did you tone things down as soon as you found out your were pregnant? We are thinking about trying soon and I was just curious to see what you all had done.

Thanks!

[cybil]

Imani,
This depends on what you're doing now. I didn't tone things down early. I stopped doing things on my back in my second trimester. I had to modify aerobics to a different move as my belly got in the way at about 6 months. By 7 months I had to change what I was doing completely (switched to water aerobics etc.).
Now if you're an extreme exerciser now, you'd probably need to modify much earlier.

[Andrea]

With my first two I continued with my regular exercise program until the sickness hit around 7 weeks. I had it bad and just getting to work and doing laundry were chores. I miscarried the second time at 12 weeks and wondered if my early on exercise had anything to do with it.

So, with my last pregnancy I started modifying right away. I was of course sick again until about month 5 when I started back in modifying to low impact and using light weights. I also only exercised 3-4x/week. This was also like coming back from a hiatus so I made sure to take it easy.

Andrea

[Leela]

But I was SO SO SO fatigued and sick in the first trimester that I lost weight, and looked & felt like heck.

After that, I never really felt good enough to push myself so hard that i'd even have to question things.

Cathe Friedrich has an excellent pregnancy forum at www.cathe.com!

[Cerulea]

And I've made the following modifications:

1st trimester: I felt so tired and nauseous that I never felt like working out, but working out is one of the only things that consistently helped me feel better. So I made myself just do it. I took the intensity way down because of the fatigue, but I basically did the same kinds of things I had been doing (weights, step), but choosing shorter, easier workouts (20-30 min usually). When I first found out, before the morning sickness set in, I stopped doing interval training and intense cardio immediately. Oh, and I lowered my step to 4 inches. I had just started stepping anyway and could only use 6 inches on easier workouts. You're not supposed to push yourself too much while pg., so I just put my risers away for the duration.

2nd trimester: I felt better, so I started working out for longer periods of time (40 min to an hour). Around week 16 or so you're supposed to avoid lying flat on your back, so I started to use an exercise ball to lean back on for abs and for pec flys. I took out impact somewhere in here - I can't remember excactly when. There was a point where it felt uncomfortable to hop around, so I stopped.

Currently: I'm still feeling good and still working out 4-5 days per week, but I've taken out weights for lower body exercises and I use a stick for balance just in case when I do lunges, etc. (I get progressively less graceful as I expand.) I still do Cathe step, though...I just modify it all to low impact. There is a great section of this website called "Pregnancy Notebook" (I think it's were the pregnancy vid reviews are) where someone posted all kinds of useful Cathe step modifications that I've really appreciated and used.

Hope that helps - good luck!! And as the other poster said, the Cathe forum is a good source of info. Actually I found out about a great pregnancy workout from that forum that I use regularly, and I recently reviewed it here - it's in the New Reviews section. That's the only one I have - I mostly just use my regular workouts.

[Kimison]

I've been very lucky in that I've NEVER had morning sickness. I do have major infertility issues, but once I actually get pregnant, my pregnancies are smooth sailing. (I have two daughters and am now pregnant with my third and probably last child, all conceived through infertility treatments.) Because I feel pretty good throughout, I never do much modifying. For example, with this pregnancy, I ran three to four days a week, about four miles each time, and I used my spin bike two to three days a week for 45 minutes. I stopped running about a month ago, but not due to pregnancy. I never run during the summer because I live in Texas, and I'm a heat wimp. I always switch to walking in June and then go back to running in September or October. We'll see how that works this year, since I'll be seven months pregnant then. I'm definitely going to try it, though. So right now I'm walking four miles, four days a week, and still spinning 45 minutes, two days a week. No problems yet, even with spinning. But I have to say that I wouldn't be surprised if I had to give up spinning toward the end of my pregnancy, if only because it may be impossible to lean over the handlebars at that point! LOL

Sorry for the long reply. The short answer to your question is that, unless you have a difficult pregnancy, I think you can maintain your current exercise program most of the way through, as long as it feels good. That's what my doctors have always told me. Good luck!

Kimberly

[Imani H]

Thanks for all of your info! I guess the key is just going with how your body feels. I don't do much high impact work so that's not an issue. I like the idea about lowering the step height. I'll do that so I can keep doing step (my favorite type of cardio).

As far as weight training goes, is it ok to lift heavy weights (ie: weights that challenge and fatigue the muscle)? Strength training is by far my favorite thing to do and I would love to continue strength work during pregnancy.

Anyway, I think I'm just thinking to far in advance. I'm not even pregnant yet. I get the feeling this is something that will just fall into place as the pregnancy progresses. I'll start reading the pregnancy forum on Cathe's site and see what everyone's doing over there too.

Thanks again,
imani

[ckirkpat]

I believe it truly varies according to your pregnancy and how it is progressing. I exercised with both my pregnancies but found the fatigue in the first trimester to be a limiting factor. I guess I started modifying when my body told me I had to and also towards the end I had to stop anything that was stimulating as contractions would start. I did exercise regularly throughout both pregnancies and still gained 70lb which was mostly fluid. I have my KS pregnancy tape and it is yours for free if you would like it. I definately won't be needing it anymore.

[Elyse]

Good luck. You should definitely check at cathe's pregnancy/postpartum forum. A good book to read about fertility/conceiving is taking charge of your fertility.
I was an adv. exerciser prior to pregnancy prior to pregnancy. I continued doing cathe and other high intensity workouts my first trimester. Had no morning sickness. At 20 weeks I stopped doing any work on my back and modified all ab/chest work that was done in a suppine position. At about 5 month following doctor's recomendation I modified all workouts to low impact. I exercised daily during pregnancy to firms/cia and cathe videos just modifying the impact and decreasing some weight up til the day I gave birth. I gained around 23 pounds during pregnancy. My daughter is now 10 months old and I am back into preprego shape and actually am a little thinner.

[honey]

Originally Posted by ckirkpat

I definately won't be needing it anymore.

Feel like tempting fate? How many women have given away all the baby stuff only to be surprised.