Fit Pregnancies...

alexsis88

I know i should not worry so much about getting in shape while pregnant as i am 5 1/2 months along right now, but i was working out a lot before i was pregnant including a lot of dance and strength workouts. im not so much worried about getting in shape as i am staying in shape. this is my 4th pregnancy and with the other 3 i worked full time jobs but not with this one im currently a stay at home mom after losing my job back in april. I guess i was just curious how other pregnant moms take their habits and stay healthy while they are pregnant. i know not to get too high of a heart rate due to blood flow to the baby but i would like to hear what made day to day routines easier the bigger u got. What do u recommend, cardio? yoga? light strength? walking? i have an idea of what i CAN do im just getting ideas of what other moms do. and how is your diet? if u could include if u think it helped for labor and after birth would be awesome! thanks!

kitsune1989

I jogged/walked with my first. With this pregnancy (due Jan 26) I'm doing yoga and walking. I think keeping a balanced diet and doing what makes you feel good is important. My labor with my first was pretty pain free but long ( two days). Keeping limber I think helped with pain. As far as diet I was vegetarian with my son and am vegan now. I keep track of my macros and keep my diet well balanced. My blood work and pressure are fantastic. Everything is smooth this time as with the last.

alexsis88

Thanks for your input! im really considering yoga cuz the less i work out the more pains i feel lol

shawnakrebs

During my pregnancy I did light cardio on an elliptical 5 days a week. I ate a well balance diet keeping my calories around 12 to 14 hundred a day (a tad bit low for a pregnant woman). I made sure I took stairs whenever possible and didn't use the "I am eating for two" excuse. I gained 30 lbs and after almost 4 months can just about fit into pre-pregnancy pants.
Now none of this helped with my birth or afterbirth since I was induced and on Pitocin over 24 hours and ended up with a 4th degree tear. Bud I did love all the "Your so tiny, just all baby" comments.

ldrosophila

its been light walking for me

mkakids

Just continue to stay active. Do what you enjoy (dance, running, walking, etc..) And dont "eat for 2".

amez1974

Definitely ask your doctor what he/she feels is appropriate for you.

With my third pregnancy I rode my bike and pulled my other two in a trailer up until nearly 9 months. I had a lot of folks question that, but my doctor said as long as I could balance okay then go for it. When I was in the military one of my friends could still run me in the ground even when she was "running for two!"

On yahoo news the other day there was a link to an article about a pregnant woman doing cross-fit. She wasn't lifting as much, and followed her body's cues and talked to her doctor about it. She had been doing cross-fit before she was pregnant and wanted to continue as much as she could.

Lleldiranne

As long as you were doing it before pregnancy, it's generally okay during. There are a few caveats, mostly more risky stuff (motorcycle, horseback riding, skydiving :laugh:). I also know you need to be careful of how long you're flat on your back, so take that into consideration with yoga (let the instructor know you're pregnant, or use DVDs that are yoga for expecting mamas). You also don't want to be breaking PRs - listen to your body and stop when you feel tired, be careful of overheating, and don't let your heartrate get too high.

You can always ask your OB about a specific exercise if you're concerned, as well as the safe heart rate range and such. But my OB was always happy to hear I was doing something: walking, swimming, even golfing.

JDubIsShrinking

If you were exercising before pregnancy, it's *probably* fine to do the same during pregnancy. With that said, PLEASE talk to your OB about it. If you feel like you're pushing too hard, slow down. Monitoring heart rate may also help you - in the 3rd trimester of my last pregnancy, it took little effort for me to make my heart rate in the 190s (YIKES).