Running during pregnancy

[emsumm]

Who did? Doc ok with it? Did you change what you were doing at all? Did you stop at some point for some reason?

[kams]

Ummmm, is this an announcement? (Can I squee yet?)

We miss you around here!

I didn't run during pregnancy, only because I preferred the couch and a bowl of cereal (mostly kidding - I did yoga ) Next time, I hope to run throughout. As for exercise, my Dr recommended doing whatever you've been doing but at moderate, not high, intensity.

Support belts are helpful as you get further along.

[Wines Not Whines]

I ran through most of my pregnancy. My OB was fine with it, as long as I didn't do more than I had been doing pre-pregnancy. He also wanted me to keep my heart rate around 160 or less, so I ran with a HRM. I ran a moderate amount through 2nd tri, including a half marathon and a 10-mile race (which I ran slowly). I started to get more uncomfortable in 3rd tri, and I needed frequent bathroom breaks, so I gradually reduced my mileage. I think I stopped running around 34 weeks, and then I spent the last 6 weeks walking.

[chw57]

Me! Up to 25 weeks, with a marathon at 20 weeks.
My doc was totally fine with it as long as I felt comfortable. Around 25 weeks round ligament pain was too much...it started getting incredibly painful to even walk after my run so I switched to the bike and elliptical.

[emsumm]

kams....shhhhhh. :-D

[kams]

<) <) <) (hug) (hug2) :-# <)

[mrshandy]

Congrats!

I ran up until 6-7 months or so. I went to some pretty crunchy MWs so they were fine with me running as much as I wanted just as long as I drank lots of water and listened to my body. I was running decent mileage 20-25 miles a week until 6 months.

Around 6 months, I got really busy when we moved and running started to really suck. I had to go to the bathroom and would get cramping. I replaced it with prenatal yoga.

The last time I ran/walk was actually the day before I went into labor with DD. It actually felt great not doing it for 2 months and attribute it to inducing labor the next day!

[sadlebred]

I am useless for this question.

but...Congratulations...we won't tell!

[breezy8407]

I did until about 19 weeks. It went well until about 15 when it got REALLY hard. I had to stop because of placenta previa, but it was not enjoyable anymore anyway. I'll never know if I could have ran longer if I had a singleton.

My OB, NP, and MFM were perfectly fine with my running and encouraged it. After I had to stop running, they told me to swim or walk.

[clseale]

Eeeeeek!!! Another totally useless person, coming in to quietly squeeeeee! ::whispers:: Congrats, emsumm.

[cinco]

Congratulations!!!

I ran with my first pregnancy, but stopped in the 2nd trimester b/c of cervix shortening and PTL. I spent the entire 3rd trimester on bed rest. I was a little more cautious with the 2nd, but did do shorter runs up until 30 weeks. By then I was getting contractions on and off, and it wasn't comfortable. I ran 25-30 mpw in my third pregnancy. Around 20w I started wearing the Gabriella support belt. I stopped running around 35w, b/c it wasn't too pleasant anymore, but that lasted only until 38w when I decided I would run every day to get things started. I had her at 39w. Good luck with everything!

[lb2006]

also useless

but CONGRATS!!!

[jene]

Congrats!!

I did up until the late 20s, an a few times in the 31-34 range, but at that point I was so slow. My Dr was fine with it as long as I listened to my body and carried water with me.

[katinthehat]

I'm 31 weeks and still doing the occasional joggle. I had to stop from 14-18 weeks because of placenta previa but once it cleared, I was cleared to run again. My OB is super supportive of it and the only activity with restriction is riding my bike outside. He said I could, he's just not comfortable with it (and neither am I, honestly)

I did find when I returned to running at 18 weeks that a support belt made a world of difference in my comfort.

Right now, as it's getting warmer and I'm the size of a semi-truck, I find run/walk combos to be the most comfortable or taking my kids for a trail hike where I have to jog occasionally to keep up with them.

[Mushe]

Ooh, congrats! And I'm so glad you asked this - I had the same question.

[emsumm]

Thanks, you guys!
I was actually wondering about riding outside, too. That seemed a little risky but idk.
Also. Tennis?

[arch01]

i ran until the bitter end. my last run was about 24 hours before i went into labor (39w4d). i felt great, honestly. but i also gained 2" in my hips by 16 weeks, so my base was a little, um, wider and DS was up high. i just had to slow down. my best runs were actually toward the end of my pregnancy.

congrats!!

[runblondie26]

Yay, congrats!

Kid 1- no running, aimed for non-impact cardio for an hour at least 3x a week, kind of tapered off the last month or so

Kid 2- ran up until 23ish weeks (had a PTL labor scare around 21 weeks, but I attribute that to letting myself get dehydrated over the 4th of July, not running), continued spinning, elliptical, and weights for at least an hour 5-6x per week up until my c-section date

I wanted to be one of those women that ran until she went into labor, but it doesn't work for me. Staying consistently active, in some form, up until the end made it easier get back into shape though. I noticed the recovery time was much faster after baby 2 than baby 1.

Drink lots of water, listen to your body, all that good stuff. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 9 months

[lilles]

Still running at 31 weeks. I had to stop from 8-11 weeks due to some hemorrhaging (unrelated to the running) and then slowly start again after that. During second tri I would sometimes have to stop and walk due to round ligament pain. Right now I can run almost all the time and just walk for a couple minutes if I have to catch my breath or my belly hurts a little. I am going to try to continue as long as I can. I run on a treadmill so the hot weather is not a factor. I also drink a ton of water after I am done.

[Mushe]

May 8, 2014 11:24:57 GMT -5 emsumm said:

Thanks, you guys!
I was actually wondering about riding outside, too. That seemed a little risky but idk.
Also. Tennis?

I didn't even think about riding as being dangerous. My sister asked me to do a fun ride (if you can call 40 miles fun!), but I'll be ~6 months, so I'm worried I'd be uncomfortable.

[osulori]

Congratulations emsumm!

I ran until about 32 weeks, and probably would have tried to go a little longer but I got in a small fender bender that put me in L&D on monitors for four hours (not because there was any issue just because it's the OB's standard protocol for any motor vehicle collision) and it made me a little gun shy so to speak. I might not have though, because it was definitely getting uncomfortable since a certain baby liked to have a field day beating up my internal organs. My OB was fine with it, as long as I listened to my body and slowed my pace as I felt necessary. I was able to keep my regular long run pace up until almost 20 weeks and then I started feeling the need to slow down big time-but this was all in the winter and early spring which helped, I have a feeling if I was running when it was warm out I'd have been slowing down a lot sooner.

I did some prenatal yoga and a lot of walking after I stopped running, including a nice long waddle with katietornado the weekend before I had AJ. Aka the weekend where I tried almost every old wives tale to coax AJ out-walking, sex, spicy food, pineapple. I was desperate

[andrealynn]

I ran and worked out until 39 weeks with my DD. I was in great shape at that point and didn't do anything new. Clearly it was a very low risk pregnancy, etc, etc. My OB was fine with me continuing as long as I was feeling good and listening to my body.

ETA: Congrats!! I thought I typed that first, but alas. lol.

[Deleted]

I was told not to, but then I don't have a cervix.
Didn't matter - lost it anyway. So I say if your doctor says it's okay, go for it!

And congrats!!

[shelbyann]

Congrats!

I made it to 35 weeks with running. Stopped because I kept getting sore afterward and it just wasn't worth it anymore, and I also started having slight issues with my blood pressure that led to my midwives wanting me to take it easy for the last few weeks.

[ktzmoh]

Congratulations!! If you feel good and your doctor says it's fine then go for it!

I'm one of those people whose bodies basically stop functioning during pregnancy. Both times I battled serious nausea and had trouble keeping even simple foods down until 15 or 16 weeks - and then remained miserable thereafter until I wasn't pregnant anymore lol.

I got pregnant when training for my first half marathon and didn't actually run my first half until my baby was almost 2.5 years old.

[chitownbelle]

Yay! Congrats . I'm 16 weeks and only running a few miles at a time, mostly on the treadmill because I'm too lazy to carry my water bottle on outdoor runs, the water fountains haven't been turned on, and the bathrooms on my path have been locked. Stupid winter. I'm so dehydrated now when I run and have to pee all the time, no bueno when I'm used to going 20mi without a bathroom break. It's just uncomfortable. I hope to pick up my mileage a little bit. Just continue to do what feels comfortable to you, until it doesn't anymore.

[Velar Fricative]

Congratulations!

I had to stop after my first appointment at 6 weeks because I was classified as high-risk. If I had my doctor's blessing I like to think I would have run as long as possible. On the small chance you get the same instructions, don't make the mistake I did and not work out at all for the duration of pregnancy! I should have done lower-impact exercises and will make that my goal next time.

[hannahb]

Congrats!!!
I did. I ran up to the day but only 2, maybe 3 times a week and my pace slowed considerably. I also stuck to the TM a lot because it was summer and hot! I started cutting back miles and days/week around the 5 Month mark. I also wore a support belt

[katinthehat]

May 8, 2014 11:24:57 GMT -5 emsumm said:

Thanks, you guys!
I was actually wondering about riding outside, too. That seemed a little risky but idk.
Also. Tennis?

I rode outside for the last time at 12 weeks.  Then I was on vacation for two weeks and didn't take my bike and after that, it was no exercise for a month.  If it hadn't been for that, I probably would have ridden outside until 16-20 weeks.  I "know" women on twitter who rode outside until the very end but I'm just not comfortable with that, like,  literally comfortable.  My bike has had some major fit adjustments and I just wouldn't trust myself on the road with it now.  I think really it's a personal call. 

Tennis I think you'd be okay with but it might hurt.  Just getting up from the couch I get pretty intense round ligament pains so I think reaching for the ball in tennis you might get some pretty painful RPLs happening.

[emuni04]

Yes, I ran during pregnancy and my doctor had no issue since I had been running before getting pg. I last ran at around 33 weeks (did a 5K). My hips couldn't take it after that, so I switched over to low impact activities up until I delivered.