XP: working out while pregnant

[isabel]

This is my first post over here. We just found out we're expecting our first this past Wednesday.

At my annual around the beginning of the year, I spoke with my gyn about trying and asked specifically about continuing to do crossfit when pregnant. She was fine with it as long as it stayed an established part of my routine and my body was used to it before getting pregnant. I don't have my first ob appointment until September 3rd.

So, I'm curious what your experience was with exercise, especially anything that got your heart rate up pretty high. I went lighter than normal in my workout today because I'm paranoid and I'm wondering if I should stay at the same intensity or back off a bit.

Thanks, ladies!

[simpsongal]

I kept working out hard until 6 weeks when I was hit with crippling morning sickness. Most people get hit hard with fatigue in first trimester too - you're a little early for it though.

I would keep going and listen to your body. Chances are, you'll have to pull back a bit but you'll want to keep the fitness up for second trimester, when you'll probably be feeling much better. Drink lots of water!!

Congratulations!

[Deleted]

I worked out after the first tri, mainly because I was sooooo exhausted and nauseated that brushing my hair was workout enough for the first 14 or so weeks.

[cmarie11]

I continued my normal workout until 36 weeks. I wasn't doing crossfit, but I was doing similar exercises with the row machine, kettlebells and TRX. I just listened to my body and did what I could do. I did lighten my weight a bit once I was further into the second trimester, and I had to eventually do pushups on my knees because I couldn't hold my core tight, and my belly was hitting the floor. Rowing also got tricky at the end because I couldn't pull back as much with my core.

My midwife said the heartrate guideline is an old standard, and she said just to stay well hydrated and slow down if you need to. You're not going to hurt the baby by overdoing it, you just might hurt yourself because of your new body dynamic.

[turtlegirl]

I kept out my same workout routine during my first pregnancy. I think I might have lightened up on the cardio a bit, but did weights/strength training as usual. After the 1st Tri was over I also started going to prenatal yoga 2x a week, which was amazing!

Didn't do much working out the second pregnancy just since I was busier, but still managed to go to the yoga classes once a week towards the end.

[Brie]

I did Crossfit until about 34 weeks with my son and had an easy, complication-free pregnancy. I knew my body and limits very well and I pushed myself, just not too far out of my comfort zone. At 33-34 weeks it just became extremely uncomfortable mechanically because I had a huge belly (and baby) and I couldn't perform the moves without compromising form, so I stopped. A good friend of mine, however, CFed until the day before she had her baby, but she carried much smaller as she had a long torso.

The only things I limited from day one were box jumps and anything else that involved a risk of falling. I subbed step-ups instead.

[scribellesam]

I haven't done as much this pregnancy, but I did finish a half-marathon when I was 18 weeks pregnant with DS1. I stopped running around 6 months, and after that point I do walking/elliptical.

I think shelbyann ran until quite late in her pregnancy and @kirkette is a crossfit person, I believe?

[sometimesrunner]

@kirkette may have some experience with this.

I personally worked out pretty similarly until 25 weeks. After that I would get BH contractions like WOAH when I ran even short-ish distances. (1-3 miles) From then on I walked and lifted weights.

[formerlyllizzyb]

I didn't really workout much in my first pg. I had bad m/s, sciatica, and then got put on bedrest/reduced activity at 23 weeks due to contractions.

I'm 17 weeks now and working out as normal. I lift weights, walk, do the elliptical and recumbent bike, and swim. We'll see how long my body lets me this time around.

[Deleted]

I worked out through most of my pregnancy. I was also told that as long as its stuff I've been doing (i.e. don't start cross fit at 7 months PG) to keep doing it.

I trained with a small group so we did kettle bells, weights, TRX, cardio. We would sometime so HIIT and I just tried to NOT make my heart rate skyrocket. I also did Zumba and Pilates. I was due mid January and worked out through the end of November (I can't count weeks). I did not continue running because it hurt my legs (OK I never liked running so maybe just an excuse).

I also had a relatively easy delivery and remember saying during delivery "ooh this is kind of like pilates".

[thebreakfastclub]

I worked out through 12 weeks, but I had no morning sickness. Then I felt tired and quit.

I still felt great throughout my pregnancy and dropped the baby weight without issue.

[leonard131]

I worked out through my whole preganancy. I did body pump the day I delivered. I stopped running around 34-35 weeks but still did the elptical. My doctor was completley fine with it and said that to just keep doing what I was and listen to my body.

[oswin]

I'm glad to see so many positive experiences here. I was trying to get into shape when I got pregnant with DD and I stopped because of morning sickness. I'm in pretty good shape now, and I'm hoping that whenever I decide to have my next kid that I can maintain my fitness.

[mlvmd]

I was training for a half marathon when I got pregnant and continued and ran the race. I wasn't as fast as I used to be but that was okay. I then slowed way down on the exercise because I was sick all the time. That let up from 16-20 weeks so I was exercising again then I found out I have placenta praevia. So now I am not allowed to run or lift. I have continued to walk a lot and swim.

[jenn248]

No advice (my exercise routine consisted of taking the stairs and walking the dog), but congrats and welcome!

[arch01]

I swam and ran until the day before I went into labor with no issues. Just listen to your body and you'll be fine.

Other than that-I just avoided anything that had me flat on my back. I did some weights, but dropped that somewhat early on because I didn't feel like doing it anymore. Surprisingly, some of my best pregnant runs were at 37+ weeks pregnant. My pace slowed, but that's to be expected.

I had an unexpected c/s and my recovery was very easy, most of which I attribute to staying so active during pregnancy. I was working out 5 days a week.

[Deleted]

I'm 25 weeks with my 3rd baby and still going to Crossfit. Like @brie I've stopped doing a few things that have a risk of falling. I did rope climb at 13 weeks and actually slipped a bit at the top. Enough of a scare that I backed off.

Today I did down ups instead of bar over burpees and no duck walk in warm up (bear crawl instead) because I have some pelvic pain that it aggravates. My box has been very helpful with modifying WODS and it helps that one of our best athletes is also pregnant right now. Hoping to keep going until the end. Good luck!!

[isabel]

This is all really helpful. Thank you all! I'm sure I'll be hanging around here a bit more now.

[sh10]

I continued to teach my fitness classes, which were about 4-5 classes per week. I had to slow down a little as I progressed, but I was able to continue. I think the biggest challenge for me was teaching required me to talk, and it's hard to talk and focus on breathing. If I were just a participant, it probably wouldn't have been as difficult. I delivered at 35 weeks, 3 days, but the doctors do not believe that working out contributed to it. And if it's any incentive, my labor was 3.5 hours, which I attribute to working out (may or may not be the case, but it makes sense to me!). Congrats!

[mcfelix]

I kept up with Crossfit my entire pregnancy - literally my water broke 6 hours after I finished a workout (I still remember that workout was a lot of rowing).

My trainers were great modifying when needed, and encouraged me to let them know if anything felt off. I had a nurse at my OB's office tell me to not work out or lift more than 20 lbs. I spoke to my OB and she said keep doing what I was doing, and absolutely supported working out and said she wished all of her patients exercised during pregnancy.

I hope you have a smooth pregnancy and are able to keep it up!

[fortmyersbride]

I'm 17 wks and running about 4-6 mi 3x/wk. This is my third pregnancy, but the first time I haven't had bad M/S. I was training for a half with my first, but gave up around 6-8 wks due to the nausea. My second pregnancy I felt a little better but switched to the elliptical. This time around I'm just slowing my pace as needed and staying hydrated. My OB is fine eith me running up until the end as long as things remain complication-free.

[winecheery]

I worked out the way I normally would until I was 36-37 weeks. (I dance, hike, walk, bike, and do Bar Method) I mostly walked/hiked and danced. Dancing is/was part of my profession though, so I had classes to teach on top of taking my own! I had to stop riding my bike when I was just over 7 months pg because it hurt my lady bits lol.

I never worried for a second about heart rate, or anything really, I just stayed hydrated and listened to my body. If something hurt, I stopped. If I was too sore, or tired, I pulled back and didn't do it full out. I made sure I had eaten, and that I had a snack (usually almonds) after any exercise too.

I felt freaking fantastic after coming out of the exhaustion of the first tri, and until the last 3 weeks. I had a great pregnancy and I know a huge part of that was continuing exercise as if I weren't pg, essentially, and having the support of my dr. while I did it. GL to you!!

[sillygoosegirl]

My midwives have been encouraging me to continue with what I was doing pre-pregnancy (excluding any contact sports or activities with a high risk of falls or similar--which isn't anything I was doing anyway), and I've been trying to do so. It's been hard though, much harder than I expected. Pretty soon, you're likely to be exhausted all the time. I spent most of my first trimester napping when I wasn't at work or eating to keep the nausea down. It was pretty pathetic, lol.

It is really important to rest and keep hydrated though. You may start cramping up, and that's probably a sign to rest and hydrate more. You'll need a lot more fluid now that you are pregnant, even early. I found this really challenging because I was trying to give up my coffee, caffeinated tea, and fruit juice at the same time, along with my alcohol, of course... So I think I may have initially lowered my fluid intake accidentally (I went back to drinking the tea and juice too--just couldn't stand that much plain water).

[thejen626]

Lol...both of my pregnancies I was very fit beforehand, and I was like "I'm still going to work out 3x a week during the whole pregnancy!" First pregnancy, I worked out twice. Second pregnancy, I worked out once. Haha.

I'm the "drink milkshakes and sit on the couch" kind of pregnant. And then it takes me a solid year afterward to get back in shape. I've accepted it and I'm fine with it. And hopefully won't ever be pregnant again so it should be a non issue going forward

[shell24]

Same thing your OB said-as long as it was something your body was used to doing it was fine. I ran a 10 mile race when I was 7 months pregnant with my 3rd.

[KKD]

Congratulations!!

I worked out throughout all of my pregnancies. I ran right up until the day before I delivered with each of them and lifted throughout as well. I did have one m/c before my third baby, but I don't believe it had anything to do with what I did or did not do; all of my other pregnancies were easy and free of complications. I had hoped that working out would make things move quickly at the end, but sadly that was not the case for me – all three were overdue.

[nabum]

My last pregnancy I kept up with running until 24w, and turbo kick, weight lifting, and yoga until I delivered.

This time I stopped running around 20w, but have continued to walk, take turbo kick classes, spin, and chase around an active kid. I echo the sentiment to listen to your body. I've had some PTL issues this time, so I've toned it down but working out keeps me sane so I'll continue to modify for as long as I can.

[shelbyann]

I ran until 35 weeks and lifted weights (fairly heavy…though probably 60-70% of my pre-preg load) until around 37-38 weeks. I'm sure my HR went high at times. I don't think I ever did anything where I was so out of breath I couldn't talk, though. My midwives were more focused on me making sure I wasn't getting dehydrated or overheated than HR.