Working out while pregnant?

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amberrrjustine
amberrrjustine Posts: 10 Member
edited May 2017 in Getting Started
Hey y'all. I'm currently around 6-8 weeks pregnant with my first baby. My first appointment isn't until the 26th of May so I'm not sure exactly how many weeks. Im currently about 30 pounds overweight :( I was barely working out before I got pregnant but I've recently started going for a brisk walk 30 minutes a day and also doing a prenatal workout video. Is it okay for me to be super active during the pregnancy even though I wasn't before? I will be asking my doctor but I wanted to get other moms opinions. Thanks!
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  • SmithsonianEmpress
    SmithsonianEmpress Posts: 1,163 Member
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    I was active before and active during my first trimesters. When the second trimesters hit for both my pregnancies I said....naw, I've never been fat before so let me just be fat....HA! and I was...gained 45 lbs both times (the second pregnancy was twins). Also I was lifting during my second pregnancy and it just became uncomfortable at some point and plus I couldn't lay on my back and lift so that was out. Anyway, back to what you are asking. At this early in the game many women experience 'pregnancy symptoms'...extreme exhaustion, nausea, etc but many don't. If you feel good enough then do your thing. It's way early so you should be fine. I assume your appointment is at the end of the month because normally they don't want to see you until you are 8-10 weeks. Bottom line you WILL get many answers from asking this and I strongly suggest once you start seeing your dr monthly and then weekly, down the line, do what he/she says and ask as many questions as you need to. Until then, do what you can. The baby is something like the size of a mustard seed now and some women don't even know they are even pregnant at this point. Good luck.
  • SmithsonianEmpress
    SmithsonianEmpress Posts: 1,163 Member
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    janjunie wrote: »
    amberrrjustine wrote: »
    Hey y'all. I'm currently around 6-8 weeks pregnant with my first baby. My first appointment isn't until the 26th of May so I'm not sure exactly how many weeks. Im currently about 30 pounds overweight :(I was barely working out before I got pregnant but I've recently started going for a brisk walk 30 minutes a day and also doing a prenatal workout video. Is it okay for me to be super active during the pregnancy even though I wasn't before? I will be asking my doctor but I wanted to get other moms opinions. Thanks!

    Since you haven't had a Dr appointment yet I would say no, it's not OK to all of a sudden be "super active". However, a brisk 30 minute walk and a prenatal video is not super active or strenous. At this time you shouldn't be looking to lose weight, I'm mentioning this because you said you are 30 lbs overweight. You should be maintaining your weight for now and wait until your dr appointment for further advice.

    Yes OP, this is TRUE
  • Michellelynn219
    Michellelynn219 Posts: 62 Member
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    Check with your doctor. I was doing the elliptical up to 6 months and I was 40 years old. Exercise is good for you and the baby. Just don't over do it. Congratulations! https://www.enfamil.com/articles/what-your-baby-feels-when-you-exercise
  • amberrrjustine
    amberrrjustine Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you all!
  • amberrrjustine
    amberrrjustine Posts: 10 Member
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    @Michellelynn219 how many times a week did you go on the elliptical? And for how long if you dont mind me asking
  • DasItMan91
    DasItMan91 Posts: 5,753 Member
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    I was friends with a woman on Facebook that worked up when she was pregnant and alot of people were giving her sht because of it but she gave birth with no problems. I also seen two women at my gym that worked out while pregnant.
  • Michellelynn219
    Michellelynn219 Posts: 62 Member
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    amberrrjustine wrote: »
    @Michellelynn219 how many times a week did you go on the elliptical? And for how long if you dont mind me asking
    Maybe three times a week?... I can't remember exactly, it was 9 yrs ago, lol. I know I was up to forty minutes. I was doing the elliptical prior to being pregnant and worked up to that time.

  • amberrrjustine
    amberrrjustine Posts: 10 Member
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    @Michellelynn219 ugh I wish I would've started working out prior to getting pregnant. I was lazy lol. Now I'm so scared cuz I'm afraid I might have a miscarriage. It's freaking me out
  • Katiebear_81
    Katiebear_81 Posts: 719 Member
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    Do you or any of your family have a history of miscarriage or reason to suspect that it might happen?

    Walking will be fine, and even if you wanted to start a c25k... you'd be ok until your appt in 3 weeks. Although if you're anything like me, in another week or so you will be too exhausted to move!

    Things that will make your pregnancy and ultimately birth easier: walking up and down the stairs lots, doing yogi squats, bear crawls, mountain climbers, anything that isn't laying down on your back (seriously).

    Congrats! Do get your doctor's advice before starting anything new and strenuous, and don't forget to sleep when you are tired. Growing a human is hard work!
  • amberrrjustine
    amberrrjustine Posts: 10 Member
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    @Katiebear_81 OMG thank you so much for the advice! Not one woman in my family has ever had a miscarriage but I'm still nervous lol.

    I love the stair master so I'm glad you recommend that. I will try all of those and maybe even some yoga! I heard that helps and will benefit me in the long run when it comes to being in labor.

    Any other advice on how I can have a smooth pregnancy?
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    Don't start anything new while you are pregnant. :noway:
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    A couple tips I got from my doctor:

    It's ok to keep doing what you have been doing prior to pregnancy as long as it is comfortable for you. Walking should be fine even if you weren't doing it before, seems like most doctors suggest that to inactive women.

    Pay attention to your "stress" level while working out, make sure you are exercising at a pace that still allows you to speak in short sentences. If you are pushing really hard and getting really out of breath you may be compromising blood flow to the baby.

    Make sure you don't overheat, drink lots of water and do indoor stuff if its super hot outside.

    Start a discussion and verify all this with your doctor when you see them.

  • SmithsonianEmpress
    SmithsonianEmpress Posts: 1,163 Member
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    amberrrjustine wrote: »
    @Katiebear_81 OMG thank you so much for the advice! Not one woman in my family has ever had a miscarriage but I'm still nervous lol.

    I love the stair master so I'm glad you recommend that. I will try all of those and maybe even some yoga! I heard that helps and will benefit me in the long run when it comes to being in labor.

    Any other advice on how I can have a smooth pregnancy?

    There is NOTHING you can do to have this. I am not sure what you mean by this but laboring itself is HARD WORK regardless of whether you do a million squats a day, an hour of elliptical a day or you are a star athlete or anything else. The baby isn't going to coming flying on out just because you put in some exercise. So women's birthing process is shorter than others, but you will not know what it is like until YOU go into labor. You should not start doing ANYTHING you have not done before. Should you have been working out pre-baby, SURE...it appears you wanted to whole-heartedly, buuut he/she or more :p is/our here so you have to do some forward thinking. Keep doing what you have been doing in your current every day life. Keep eating the same, unless you want to make better/healthier changes...have at it. And stop thinking about miscarrying. No reason to put that in your thoughts.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,953 Member
    edited May 2017
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    SmithsonianEmpress wrote: »
    janjunie wrote: »
    amberrrjustine wrote: »
    Hey y'all. I'm currently around 6-8 weeks pregnant with my first baby. My first appointment isn't until the 26th of May so I'm not sure exactly how many weeks. Im currently about 30 pounds overweight :(I was barely working out before I got pregnant but I've recently started going for a brisk walk 30 minutes a day and also doing a prenatal workout video. Is it okay for me to be super active during the pregnancy even though I wasn't before? I will be asking my doctor but I wanted to get other moms opinions. Thanks!

    Since you haven't had a Dr appointment yet I would say no, it's not OK to all of a sudden be "super active". However, a brisk 30 minute walk and a prenatal video is not super active or strenous. At this time you shouldn't be looking to lose weight, I'm mentioning this because you said you are 30 lbs overweight. You should be maintaining your weight for now and wait until your dr appointment for further advice.

    Yes OP, this is TRUE

    This is the correct answer. Speaking as someone who is currently pregnant and has asked those questions to a doctor. You are probably fine to keep going for your walks. The video may or may not be the right option for you, so I would wait on starting that. Wait till your appointment to find out what else is safe, and don't try to lose weight right now. If you're dying to know, make an appointment to see your doctor sooner.

    Based on your responses, it looks like you are not considering this advice and are instead planning on starting strenuous exercise. Please see your doctor first.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    If you push yourself too hard, you're only going to make yourself miserable and stress your body. Injuries while pregnant are particularly miserable. If your goal is a healthy pregnancy, focus on eating well (set MFP to maintenance for the first trimester, at least). Go for a walk daily. I did a lot pregnant, but I had done it before I was pregnant so I had the supporting muscles in place to not hurt myself.

    There's nothing you can do about miscarriage. Most women are a bit paranoid, as it's just something that happens sometimes.

    Good luck. Talk to your doctor, grab some books at the library. Personally, I hired a doula and loved having her on my team.
  • Katiebear_81
    Katiebear_81 Posts: 719 Member
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    Instead of worrying about your whole pregnancy, I would break it out into trimesters - what can I do this trimester to have a smooth pregnancy? So right now - sleep as much as you can, drink lots of water, go for walks. If you want to go on the stair master, go slowly and try not to break a sweat, or at least make sure you can still talk. I wasn't recommending going forward and having massive workouts. :). Stairs, specifically keep your pelvis open and allows your body to continue to make adjustments to accommodate your baby. It helps with labour (at the end, but won't cause premature labour unless you have other risk factors), and it's good for your bones.

    Take your vitamins!

    And I agree with a previous poster - try not to worry about miscarriage. You aren't at risk, so your chances are low. And while this is not a comforting thought... even if you did start to miscarry, there is little to be done at this point to keep you pregnant. So if it comes up in your mind, actively change your thought process to something more happy (imagine your baby's face, think about the nursery anything else that gets you excited, etc). Don't let it rob you of the joy of your new pregnancy.

    My other advice is to eat at what was your pre-pregnancy maintenance. You'll lose a bit of weight at that as time goes on. However, there have been studies showing that mothers who have a drastically low calorie intake unfavorably effect the epigenetic expression of their babies. So if you maintain your weight through the first half of your pregnancy, you'll be in good shape (and so will baby).

    Oh - and the best advice I can give you is two-fold: don't let other women tell you their terrible birth stories. They will want to share with you but just cover your ears and say lalalalala or something. Their stories are not your future and you don't need that absorbed stress. Also: don't read ahead in your pregnancy books. You don't need to be stressed out about second trimester birth defect screenings when you're barely able to keep food down because of morning sickness, you know?

    Feel free to add me as a friend. I looooved being pregnant and giving birth, even though it sucks balls sometimes. :)
  • ksz1104
    ksz1104 Posts: 260 Member
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    If you weren't active before, this is not the time to become super active now. Yes, you need to incorporate some physical activity not only for weight but for general health of you and the baby. The general advice, and you need to speak with your OB, is to not to start anything excessive that wasnt normal to you before you got pregnant. For example, when I got pregnant, I was doing a crazy outdoor bootcamp that involved running laps, weight lifting, running up hills, etc. I was able to continue with that level of activity (with some modifications as i got bigger). But that would not be something to start AFTER I got pregnant. I think the walking daily is definitely something to continue, and I am sure your OB would encourage some other light exercise.
  • ditacoverdale
    ditacoverdale Posts: 20 Member
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    I am 14 weeks pregnant. my doc said it was ok to work out. In fact, she said it was healthy for me and the baby. I started using the Beach Body-Active Maternity. They have workouts for every stage of your pregnancy and i pair it up with a 20 min ride on the elliptical. I am 30 lbs over weight and hope not to gain more than i should. I fell a lot better on the days i work out.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    You need to talk to a doctor about this. The rule of thumb is its not ok to be super active if you weren't before your pregnancy. However there's nothing wrong with walking and keeping a bit more active than you were previously.

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