Pregnancy & Fitness??

G

Grace10209

Cathlete
Hi All
I am married, 35 yrs old, and am seriously thinking that I want to become a mother. I was always 50/50 on this subject but now Im really really thinking I want to be a mom. I want hubby and I to make our own family.

I am also a fitness junkie, I workout in my basement, usually 6 days per week, to Cathe, Insanity, Turbofire, the firm, and Supreme 90 is my latest favorite.:D

My hubby and I have recently starting talking about having children, and one thing he brought up was how much my body would change. In his family, the women gain large amounts of weight and then keep it on and blame it on having kids. I personally would never do this and plan on exercising as much as safely possible during pregnancy and as soon as I could afterwards.

Can you all let me know how your experiences went with fitness and pregnancy.... weight gain/loss, etc.

Thanks everyone in advance that chimes in on this!!!
 
I have 4 children and I worked out with each preganancy until the day I delivered. Here's why...first of all, since you currently workout, then you can continue to workout throught your pregnancy. In the beginning you can keep the same intensity (fo the most part), but each trimester will mostly likely cause you to drop intensity as well as the weights you are currently lifting. I think working out during your prganancy is good for you and the baby, but the important thing is to listen to your body. You will not be able to do what you are doing now when you are in your 3rd trimester. Certain exercises you should avoid, but you can get a good enough workout with low impact stuff, like walking (or even Cathe's LIS wworkouts).

First Trimester, you might be tired, have morning sickness (maybe). When I was pregnant, I worked out early in the morning when I was less tired and experienced the least amount of sickness. You have to find what works for you. If you feel too tired, rest. Your energy will pick up in the second trimester. I was still able to run and lift weights with most of my pregancies in the 1st trimester.

Second Trimester: More energy, belly will start to show..but with your first it usually takes longer to pop. You can continue to be active, you might need to lower the weights. I still managed to run, but with each pregnancy I had to stop earlier. My babies were always very low, which caused a lot of pelvic pressure, so I subbed the running with walking. Don't do anything that involves lying on your back.

Third Trimester: Your bely will be larger, so some things will be uncomfortable...you really need to just listen to your body. You shouldn't go heavy with the weights, and towards the end you will need to keep it low impact. With my first child I ran until 36 weeks....so it is doable, but if something doesn't feel right, back off.

There are so many benefits to workout out while you're pregnant...the biggest bonus is a healthy child. Also the ability to get back into your skinny jeans shortly after you deliver. With my fourth I was almost back into my normal clothes 2 weeks after. It is possible...don't let anyone tell you that it isn't!!! Just remember to get your rest, drink lots of water and wear comfy clothes.

You should probably tell/ask your doctor about this. However, I found that some doctor's opinions are different regarding exercise and pregnany. My doctor told me not to...I didn't listen to her. I forget why she said that, but clearly she was giving me advise without really knowing my workout regimen.

Good luck...in the end you are given the most amazing gift ever, a beautiful child!!!
 
Thanks for your quick response. I really LOVE fitness and do not want to give it up at any point. I'm glad to hear you were still running at 36 weeks. I have seen women 8-9 months pregnant running on runnersworld.com, and i want to be like that, well remaining active as much as possible.

If I do end up conceiving, i'll be sure to check in here with you all to make sure im doing what you think is "ok".

I must admit, I do worry about my dr - responding like yours, if she did and my hubby heard her = he would probably insist i NOT workout. OMG I WOULD DIE! :(
 
Grace10209 said:
I must admit, I do worry about my dr - responding like yours, if she did and my hubby heard her = he would probably insist i NOT workout. OMG I WOULD DIE! :(
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I think the general rule is, if you are working out before you got pregnant, they you can continue. Pregnancy is not the time to start working out...know what I mean? Some doctors are just not aware of their patients current fitness routines/levels and to be safe they recommend that you avoid exercise (not all, but some doctors think this way). HTH
 
no kids of my own

Of course, I can't resist chiming in, anyway!:eek:

With the new LIS series, I suspect things will be easier than ever! If you aren't on Spark People, you might want to join. There is a gal called JensFit and she went through a pregnancy, the baby is 1 year old, and Jen is lighter now than she ever was. She works out with Cathe and does a lot of running/cycling. Her husband is very encouraging. The trick is making sure to remember to take turns after the baby is born so that you both have time to sleep and time to workout. I recommend a really good stroller designed for runners, a regular stroller won't do. I used to do a lot of babysitting for my room mate when I was in Los Angeles. Baby Julia (who is 8 now!) loved going out with her mom. The trick is to remember to bring drinks and snacks for the little one.

Also, be sure to ask Cathe, as I remember she has two sons of her own.
 
Hello there!

My experience with pregnancy and exercise unfortunately is not a good one (but my post-par tum was!). Here is my story:

I am an unlucky 1% of the female population to have 3 or more miscarriages. I had 7 in a row. When I was pregnant with my daughter (now 2 1/2), I was carefully monitored and told to refrain from ALL exercise. I had to totally change my way of life for this pregnancy to ensure a safe delivery (I was very active before getting pregnant. I also had a very active job which involved heavy lifting/standing all day). During my 4 month check up, I was told that I had a low lying placenta that could turn into placenta previa. Weekly doctor check-ups and ultrasounds were my life, no more weights, no more cardio, limited walking. In my 7th month, I took an early mat leave and left my job. I delivered my daughter 2 weeks past my due date (emergency c-section). She was a healthy 7.02 lbs.

So here I am, post-par tum. I gained 55lb. Sure 20lbs was gone when I delivered within 1 week, but that left 35 lbs on my tiny 5'1 frame. With a lot of determination, I lost all of it (and some) and now in better shape than before I had my daughter. My cardio capacity is greater, I lift heavier weights, I am more flexible. I'm in the best shape of my life so far. And I did it all with exercise video's. Nothing else.

If you have a normal pregnancy, there is no reason you should stop being active. I was a special, rare case. Yes, being inactive lead me to gain more weight than I should have, but the end result was worth it.

I know of lots of mother's who look smokin' hot even after 3 or 4 kids. And I know mother's who kept on the extra weight. It's all a matter of what you want to look like and having the will and determination to do it. Yes, staying fit is hard with children, I won't sugar coat it, especially in the early years, but don't let that stop you from having a baby if that's what your heart desires.

Good luck!

Natasha
 
I'm 55 now, and my "child" is a grown man of 24, but I'll relay my pregnancy experience from 24 years ago.

I continued to work out and walk through out my pregnancy. I didn't run once my tummy got bigger because it was uncomfortable. I gained a total of 16 lbs and delivered a 9 lb baby.

My weight was gone the day I delivered. I even walked down the hall in the hospital to a scale just to see. I started at 110 lbs, went to 126 lbs, and was 110 lbs a couple of hours after I delivered him.

My body shape did not change at all. I was back in my pre pregnancy clothes immediately. I started back with my fitness activity at about 6 weeks post partum. I probably could have started back sooner, but wasn't interested as I had a new baby and was sleep deprived.

All pregnancies don't have to end up with permanent body changes and huge weight gain. You have control over how you manage your weight and your pregnancy. I ate plenty of food, but it was primarily veggies, fruit, dairy and fish and chicken. Red meat made me nauseous, so I didn't have any for 9 months.

Good luck with whatever you decide! :)
 
Thanks again! Wow that is what my goal would be - to gain 20lbs or less and keep the fitness up, reasonably so. I have been working out for 10 yrs - with a 3 week break once when I pulled my hamstring.

Im glad to hear your stories and feedback - and i'll definitly check out sparkpeople. I think i have an account but never/hardly go there.

Thanks!
 
I have one child. I exercised 6 days a week as much as possible thru my pregancy (first trimester was toughest b/c I was so tired but I did the best I could-I think basically every other day until I woke up. LOL). I worked out the day before I delivered!!! I gained 35-40 pounds. It took me 9 months to gain and 9 months to take off. I was in BETTER shape after losing the pregnancy weight then I was BEFORE I got pregnant!

If you are disciplined and don't let your diet get crazy out of control and keep up with your work outs then you should be fine. You are already fitness minded. Trust me, that's not going to go out the window just coz you are pregnant.
 
Grace10209 said:
Thanks again! Wow that is what my goal would be - to gain 20lbs or less and keep the fitness up, reasonably so. I have been working out for 10 yrs - with a 3 week break once when I pulled my hamstring.

Im glad to hear your stories and feedback - and i'll definitly check out sparkpeople. I think i have an account but never/hardly go there.

Thanks!
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I'm also going to add that pregnancy is not the time to be obsessed and focused on how your body looks. Some women will gain 20, some 40+. Cathe gained 40 I believe. Weight gain in pregnancy is healthy for the BABY!!! Having children is about being selfless not selfish. While working out during pregnancy is a very good thing and remaining active for years to come can and does happen, the priorities need to be adjusted.

I will say I know Jen from SP, we were good friends at one point. But she's not the success story I would point to- lots of obsession and disordered exercise, eating, to the point of her writing blogs weekly about extreme hunger bc she refused to gain weight during her pregnancy. Waking up at night crying because she was so hungry but so determined to not let a baby give her a "baby body". Not a healthy attitude I would recommend following.

Again, I am not saying to throw healthy habits out the window, sit for 9 months and eat a box Ding Dongs everyday. However, children are a blessing and rely totally on their mothers inutero. What you want to look like takes a backseat. So many body-focused individuals forget that.

You can get your pre baby body back, perhaps make it even better. Some women want that, some don't care. Regardless having children doesn't mean your doomed to Mom Jeans with stretch waistbands. I just hate seeing women wrapped up in something that really doesn't matter at that time. It's a beautiful experience and worth any changes it causes, noth temporary and permanent.
 
thanks for your insight. I have always worked out consistently so im just hoping I can keep it going once I conceive.

I am 35 and doing a LOT of research on pregnancy after 35. Seems some women have trouble and miscarry a lot. Would working out in 1st trimester induce miscarriage? if i have to give it up to keep baby safe, i would.

Just curious, although i think some of you said you worked out during 1st trimester but just not as much as you were very tired???
 
I had my first baby when I was 35. I am a regular exerciser and have been since I was in my 20's. I worked out throughout my 1st pregnancy, gained 35 lbs. then lost 5 two weeks before I delivered. i then lost 20 in the hospital and the last 10 quickly came off from breastfeeding. I never dieted. I did get nervous during the 2nd trimester because it seemed like I gained weight just from looking at food but I just focused on eating healthy and had a great pregnancy. I worked out throughout I just took out any high impact. I am now 38 and pregnant again. i am 20 weeks and I exercise 5-6 days a week not because of looks but because I know I feel better and have more energy, less aches and pains(none really) as long as I exercise regularly. Your actually supposed to exercise during pregnancy. It gives you energy, keeps your blood pressure low (mine stayed the same throughout my pregnancy) increases oxygen,etc. I know with me that my focus with exercise changes during pregnancy. Instead of trying to sculpt muscles, etc., i'm trying to be healthy for my baby. Your body will gain what it needs to sustain a healthy baby. As long as you stick to a healthy diet you should do great.
 
I thought I would chime in here too. I was older-ish (38) when I had my son (two years old today!) and we had a great deal of trouble in conceiving. So I was fairly paranoid going into the pregnancy. However, I talked to my doctor and I was pretty active and already doing Cathe videos prior to the pregnancy and she said I could keep up my activity levels - but I had to keep my heart rate around 140. This was tough for me, as it was fairly low for some of the more intense videos. However, I soon found what worked for me, and got into the rhythm of lower intensity, and much more stretching (which will feel wonderful to your hips and pelvis during the 2nd and 3rd trimester). There are some great pregnancy-focused home workout videos, and I would definitely recommend getting a couple of these.

As a pp commented, I would just focus on how wonderful it is that your body is so strong as to make and carry another human being for nine months. Embrace the weight gain that is healthy for your baby. As another pp mentioned, it is hard to find the time and energy to get back into the workout rhythm after the baby comes, but you will get there, just work with your husband to help you each get a little "me" time in during each day. Shorter workouts like Cathe's HIIT were wonderful for me during that time. Good luck to you!
 
thanks for your responses. Believe me, as soon as I do conceive I'll probably be on here more asking questions.
Im 35 and this will be my first child. I was thinking that too, keep up the workouts just dont do HIGH intensity. or high jumping/impact moves.

Currently all my workouts are at home but i was thinking maybe once I conceive I'll join a gym so I can use the treadmill for running/fast walking/ on inclines, etc.
So i can still get my cardio in but Im not doing Insanity at home :) lol :p

Thanks all so much and PLEASE keep your experiences coming!!
 
Hi - I had my first and only child nine years ago, at 41. I worked out until 2 days before I delivered (via C-section because my daughter was breech). I was able to work out consistently for my whole pregnancy. I did have some tiredness in my first trimester, but no nausea. I did Cathe weight workouts, Spinning and lots of walking. (I gave up step and high-impact cardio about halfway through because I was worried about my balance.)

Here is the most interesting thing, to me, about what happened to my body. It completely changed, in a horrifying way, during my pregnancy. I got horrible acne, and my legs and arms got huge! Imagine my surprise and delight when, 2 days after my daughter was born, they shrank back down to their old size, and my skin was beautiful with not a single mark. I had truly thought the bulk was all fat, since it looked and felt like fat, but it was actually mostly water. In the end, after baby and water weight were gone, I had something like 10 lbs to lose. It didn't come off on its own but I was able to get rid of it once I returned to my regular eating and exercise pattern (which took a year or so). The simple fact is, your body will do what it chooses to do during pregnancy, and you may not be able to control it. Just remember it's temporary, and you will get the control back when your hormones settle back down.

Also - because I had kept up my workouts, my abs, arms and legs were very strong. I had the strength to get up and move around as soon as the epidural wore off, and I was able to get out of bed, change positions etc. on my own, and protect my lower abdomen because the rest of me was "trained". I believe this contributed to my very quick recovery.

Stebby
 
Stebby,
Thanks SOO much for writing. For both the fitness aspect and the older than 35 first time mom piece. Im worried about my age and this being my first so Im thrilled to hear from you. Did you have trouble conceiving, do you worry about her being an only child? i think i may just have one so thats why im asking.

Also, you said you did the Cathe wight workouts, thats what im hoping too that keeping up on my workouts will help with delivery and recovery -
I was also thinking about joining a gym so i could do treadmill workouts.

OMG im getting very excited for this. Once I conceive, I hope everyone will be around to help with my questions!!

THANKS AGAIN
 
Congrats!

No kids here, but just chiming in to say Congratulations on your decision! :D Like you, I've always been 50/50...I'm 36 and probably need to start considering my age regarding the subject (lol). I know many women who have returned to pre-pregnancy health - or better! - after having kids. It sounds like you have a solid, consistent fitness routine and a being healthly and fit is important to you. You won't lose that mindset. Have a pro-active plan in mind and you'll be fine.

Enjoy the journey! :)
 
I'll also chime in!
I have 2 kids. First preg - worked out the entire time through with most of the intensity that I started with in the beginning. Gained 26 lbs.

#2 - same thing, gained 32 lbs.

Both pregnancies, I began working out within 1-2 weeks of delivery. I lost every pound I had gained by the 6 week mark. When you're a fitness person, it's really not that hard to take it all back off!

That said, your body WILL change. You will (probably) have stretch marks. If you breastfeed, your breasts will probably change (most of my friends "deflated" seriously). I, for one, wound up with 3 lbs of loose hanging skin on my abs. So the muscle was back in shape, but the skin looked like a deflated balloon. I actually just had a tummy tuck 7 weeks ago, so I can verify that it was 3 lbs of SKIN.
Your proportions will shift. Your hips may be wider than when you started. Your rib cage my expand. Heck, my FEET great an entire size!
I also now have thyroid disease (courtesy of my first preg), and high blood pressure.

So yes, you can lose every pound you gained. But the way you look and feel will be different after baby. This is not to deter your decision at all. Just things that no one ever told me pre-baby, and I realized on my own. My children were worth every mark and wrinkle I gained with carrying them. And my plastic surgery was worth every penny I paid to get rid of it! LOL!
 
wow thank you for sharing your experience. My DH tried telling me about my hips potentially changing and I thought he was just trying to scare me. LOL.

Im very into fitness and not worried about what pregnancy will do to my body as I, like you, will continue the fitness and get back to where I am now hopefully = and in a reasonable amount of time.

Thanks so much for sharing that you worked our during both pregnancies. Im doing a lot of Turbofire lately for my cardio, along with supreme 90 for weights, im always mixing it up.............anyway, i have found some youtube videos of pregnant moms doing tf! and i think its great!

Keep your experiences coming all! thank you :)
 
Grace10209 said:
wow thank you for sharing your experience. My DH tried telling me about my hips potentially changing and I thought he was just trying to scare me. LOL.
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Every single experience is different. You do have more control over most things than you'd think.

My hips did not get wider, my feet didn't get bigger, my boobs did not deflate, I had no stretch marks or extra hanging skin, my proportions didn't change, and I didn't have any weight to lose afterwards. My body looked no different after pregnancy than it did before.

Don't let anybody else's experience scare you. I remember being worried too. I had heard all the stories about how much I would change, and I just didn't. My baby weighed 9 lbs, so it isn't like I had a tiny little baby. My stomach was huge, but it was all baby. My skin snapped right back immediately. You can do it too! I encourage you to go into the pregnancy with the attitude that you don't have to change. That doesn't mean you'll be concentrating any less on having a healthy baby, but it means that how YOU feel matters too. If you're happy and not distressed, your baby will be happier and healthier too.

ETA: Skin tip... use LOTS and LOTS of cocoa butter. I used the pure cocoa butter twice a day for nine months. I slathered it on from my neck to my knees. It worked!
 
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