Lifting weights while pregnant

_lyndseybrooke_

Don't tell me to ask my doctor. I'm not pregnant and, whenever I do get pregnant, I will obviously ask my doctor before I do any heavy lifting.

Has anyone here lifted while pregnant? What was your experience with that? Did you have to lift lighter weights, lift less often, stop after a certain number of months, etc?

I was once told by a professor in college that, after 7 months of pregnancy, you're not advised to get your heart rate above 90 beats per minute or it's dangerous for the baby. I haven't done research on that, but it sounds like a load of BS.

I'd like to hear about cardio, too. Ladies that still exercised while pregnant - what kind of exercise did you do and for how long?

Bonus Question: If you had to stop lifting or drop the weights down, how long did it take to get back up to the weight you were lifting prior to the pregnancy? Is "muscle memory" legit?

12by311

I'll tell about my PERSONAL experience.

When I got pregnant with my first, it was basketball season (I'm a coach...do not get to lift in season), I was running and playing in practice at the time.

I continued to run and was a practice dummy (very light stuff) and I found out I was pregnant until I went to my first dr appt at around 7 weeks (I think?).

I found out I was high risk...had a bicornuate uterus and a pretty good size dermoid cyst on each ovary.

I was so naïve to think my pregnancy was completely normal.

So I ask about exercise and I could only walk. I did lift with 8 lb dbs. And I did prenatal yoga. I stayed fairly active.

I had to go to the dr for an ultrasound every two weeks throughout that whole entire pregnancy.

When I had my C-section, before they started my dr hugged me (he's amazing) and said I did great...and gave my the percentage for going into pre-term labor. It kinda hit me how high risk it had been. He told me being in shape prior to getting pregnant helped my pregnancy and eventually helped my recovery.

I got right back into lifting after both pregnancies. I do believe muscle memory is legit. And I can always start running at 2-3 miles. I've never started any lower than that even on a first run after being pregnant.

alathIN

I was once told by a professor in college that, after 7 months of pregnancy, you're not advised to get your heart rate above 90 beats per minute or it's dangerous for the baby. I haven't done research on that, but it sounds like a load of BS.

Your BS detector is working correctly ;-)
Most pregnant women are mildly tachycardic anyway; if 90 bpm was the lethal cutoff none of us would be here.
For years the recommendation has been not getting your HR above 140 bpm. Recently one of my colleagues and I wondered where this came from and decided to research it. 1) it doesn't make any physiologic sense. 2) we could find no evidence basis for this advice whatsoever. In other words, it's one of those traditional things we say because we heard a mentor say it years ago in training.
So your professor was misquoting something that is already very questionable advice.

Here is the advice I give my patients who are healthy and having uncomplicated pregnancies:
1) increasing core temperature does have a possible risk in the first trimester, so just make sure you are staying cool and well hydrated. Later in pregnancy it's harder to dissipate heat, so do the same things for different reasons.
2) there are some physiologic changes of later pregnancy that make you prone to musculoskeletal injuries - loosening of joints and connective tissues, increased weight, different weight distribution, changes in balance. For weight lifting be sure to use good form/technique; avoid pushing to your extreme max weights, if necessary use machines/spotters/help if necessary to maintain good form and alignment.
3) For similar reasons lighten up on, or avoid, impact exercises like running in later pregnancy (although one of my coaches did a pretty respectable half marathon at 32 weeks)
4) in later pregnancy when the uterus is out of the pelvis the placenta is vulnerable to impact trauma; some people advise avoiding exercises with fall risk such as cycling, horseback riding, etc. or impact risk such as softball, raquetball, etc
5) Another general piece of advice many providers give to their pregnant patients who are fitness minded - most things you've been doing are probably OK to continue when pregnant, but don't try to push for new PRs. Treat it like an extended recovery period, where you continue your existing program but not pushing yourself, and backing off when your body tells you to. This is not the time to be thinking "no pain no gain" and pushing your limits.

Disclaimer to anyone reading this, I don't know anything about your personal medical history, obstetric history, or risk factors - consult your own health care provider before implementing.

_lyndseybrooke_

I was once told by a professor in college that, after 7 months of pregnancy, you're not advised to get your heart rate above 90 beats per minute or it's dangerous for the baby. I haven't done research on that, but it sounds like a load of BS.

Your BS detector is working correctly ;-)
Most pregnant women are mildly tachycardic anyway; if 90 bpm was the lethal cutoff none of us would be here.
For years the recommendation has been not getting your HR above 140 bpm. Recently one of my colleagues and I wondered where this came from and decided to research it. 1) it doesn't make any physiologic sense. 2) we could find no evidence basis for this advice whatsoever. In other words, it's one of those traditional things we say because we heard a mentor say it years ago in training.
So your professor was misquoting something that is already very questionable advice.

Here is the advice I give my patients who are healthy and having uncomplicated pregnancies:
1) increasing core temperature does have a possible risk in the first trimester, so just make sure you are staying cool and well hydrated. Later in pregnancy it's harder to dissipate heat, so do the same things for different reasons.
2) there are some physiologic changes of later pregnancy that make you prone to musculoskeletal injuries - loosening of joints and connective tissues, increased weight, different weight distribution, changes in balance. For weight lifting be sure to use good form/technique; avoid pushing to your extreme max weights, if necessary use machines/spotters/help if necessary to maintain good form and alignment.
3) For similar reasons lighten up on, or avoid, impact exercises like running in later pregnancy (although one of my coaches did a pretty respectable half marathon at 32 weeks)
4) in later pregnancy when the uterus is out of the pelvis the placenta is vulnerable to impact trauma; some people advise avoiding exercises with fall risk such as cycling, horseback riding, etc. or impact risk such as softball, raquetball, etc
5) Another general piece of advice many providers give to their pregnant patients who are fitness minded - most things you've been doing are probably OK to continue when pregnant, but don't try to push for new PRs. Treat it like an extended recovery period, where you continue your existing program but not pushing yourself, and backing off when your body tells you to. This is not the time to be thinking "no pain no gain" and pushing your limits.

Disclaimer to anyone reading this, I don't know anything about your personal medical history, obstetric history, or risk factors - consult your own health care provider before implementing.

Thanks for that! It's nice to hear from a professional.

Holly_Roman_Empire

I was once told by a professor in college that, after 7 months of pregnancy, you're not advised to get your heart rate above 90 beats per minute or it's dangerous for the baby. I haven't done research on that, but it sounds like a load of BS.

Your BS detector is working correctly ;-)
Most pregnant women are mildly tachycardic anyway; if 90 bpm was the lethal cutoff none of us would be here.
For years the recommendation has been not getting your HR above 140 bpm. Recently one of my colleagues and I wondered where this came from and decided to research it. 1) it doesn't make any physiologic sense. 2) we could find no evidence basis for this advice whatsoever. In other words, it's one of those traditional things we say because we heard a mentor say it years ago in training.
So your professor was misquoting something that is already very questionable advice.

Here is the advice I give my patients who are healthy and having uncomplicated pregnancies:
1) increasing core temperature does have a possible risk in the first trimester, so just make sure you are staying cool and well hydrated. Later in pregnancy it's harder to dissipate heat, so do the same things for different reasons.
2) there are some physiologic changes of later pregnancy that make you prone to musculoskeletal injuries - loosening of joints and connective tissues, increased weight, different weight distribution, changes in balance. For weight lifting be sure to use good form/technique; avoid pushing to your extreme max weights, if necessary use machines/spotters/help if necessary to maintain good form and alignment.
3) For similar reasons lighten up on, or avoid, impact exercises like running in later pregnancy (although one of my coaches did a pretty respectable half marathon at 32 weeks)
4) in later pregnancy when the uterus is out of the pelvis the placenta is vulnerable to impact trauma; some people advise avoiding exercises with fall risk such as cycling, horseback riding, etc. or impact risk such as softball, raquetball, etc
5) Another general piece of advice many providers give to their pregnant patients who are fitness minded - most things you've been doing are probably OK to continue when pregnant, but don't try to push for new PRs. Treat it like an extended recovery period, where you continue your existing program but not pushing yourself, and backing off when your body tells you to. This is not the time to be thinking "no pain no gain" and pushing your limits.

Disclaimer to anyone reading this, I don't know anything about your personal medical history, obstetric history, or risk factors - consult your own health care provider before implementing.

I read this in a book the week after I found out I was pregnant, and I was completely disheartened because I was so in to running at the time. So I stopped (not even seeing a doctor yet), and then when I asked my doctor when I finally had an appointment, she told me it was BS. Then I tried running again, and I never got back to where I was. :-(

I didn't lift while pregnant since I hadn't been in a lifting routine pre-pregnancy, but it didn't stop me from doing a ton of bodyweight exercises. Squats were my main exercise, and I truly believe it helped me when I was in labor.

JoRocka

Everything I have read is "keep doing what you're doing if you are already doing it until you feel unsafe- or uncomfortable"

Do not start some new crazy fitness routine once you get preggers.

be smart.

ThisCanadian

I can share my own experiences. I was able to continue lift weights but was advised to stick with lower weights/higher reps. I was able to continue any sports or activity that I participated in pre-pregnancy as well. I do recall having to make some minor adjustments in my strength training as my pregnancy progressed. One example was I needed to avoid lying flat on my back so instead of bench presses I had to use a chest press machine at the gym.

I do remember hating lunges 10x more when pregnant. Haha