I knew it instinctively. There were subtle signs: an increased sense of smell and the way I needed to catch my breath earlier and more often when running, biking, or simply climbing up stairs.
I was pregnant.
That weekend we went camping in Fruita, CO for a mountain biking trip and it was there—before ever taking any kind of pregnancy test for confirmation—I experienced for the first time a complicated set of emotions around being active during pregnancy that I would be (and still am) navigating for the next nine months.
Along with the excitement and fear (terror, really) of bringing a new human into the world, there was a deep desire to hold onto my independence and claim that pregnancy wouldn’t change my activity level too much.
And then there was an acute sense of protectiveness that seemed to contradict that desire for independence.
What was too much? When could I push? When should I pull back? What was truly safe? How would I know if I was pushing too much? How would my activities effect this growing and vulnerable being?
Turning to the Internet wasn’t much help. I found some amazing and inspiring articles about mom’s-to-be climbing hard, white water kayaking and running marathons, but I also found plenty of cautionary tales accompanied by advice to slow down and only focus on “moderate” exercise.
Talking with my Doctor helped, but she was also pretty cautious, and I realized that the only person who was in a position to help me wade through my emotions and the realities of what my particular body was going through was me.
I had to be the one to weigh the risks with the benefits; to check in with myself and my body on a regular basis; to make the decisions that felt good to me—and right for both myself and baby.
With the unwavering support of my husband, I began to relax more and more and my trust in myself grew.
I knew a few things for sure:
- I wanted to keep running for as long as possible.
- I wanted to create a goal to hike a fairly strenuous trail once a week throughout the pregnancy for as long as possible.
- I wanted to restart my yoga practice, although this time, it would be a gentle prenatal class.
- I needed to listen to my body and let go of all expectations and judgment.
This last point is by far the most important. Because the truth is (at least for me), that the transition from being really active and pushing myself to the idea of really tuning into your body and paying attention to all the changes happening—and honoring those changes—isn’t an easy one.
More specifically, listening to my body isn’t actually that hard for me (as I tend to be super-sensitive to that), but the letting go of my expectations and judgment? Yeah. That’s tough.
I found I needed to adopt an attitude of curiosity and going into a workout and accepting whatever I’ve got energy-wise on that particular day. Sometimes I couldn’t walk up a hill without feeling short of breath. Other days I was happily running up them.
At the time I’m writing this, I’m just over halfway through my pregnancy. By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be roughly 8 months along, so I’m by no means an expert, but I have learned a few things that I thought I’d pass along in hopes that it helps you or someone you love:
- Talk to your Doctor, but also trust yourself. You have been living in your body your whole life, so you know it best. Pay attention to your body and trust yourself.
- The advice on the Internet can be incredibly contradictory and frustrating. The common thread I’ve found there (and from my Doctor), is that if you’re doing something you’ve been doing pre-pregnancy, you can keep doing it, but perhaps don’t train for a big event or increase in speed. I began to think of staying active as being in maintenance-mode.
- Be gentle with yourself. Less is often more.
- Make time not only for the activity but the nap that often comes sometime after it. Remember, you’re working your body in all kinds of new ways. Allow it time to do what it needs to do.
- Listen to your body and pull back when you need to. Trust your instinct. (Yes, I’m mentioning this twice because it’s that important.)
- Be curious and let go of any expectations. Your body is changing daily. Some days are going to be full of energy. Others will be hard. Honor and accept this.
I’d love to hear from you moms and moms-to-be out there about your experiences: what did you find helpful? Go ahead and share in the comments below!
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Amy Christensen is a certified life coach with a passion for adventure and helping women discover and tap into their own adventurous spirits. Based in Boulder, CO, her company, Expand Outdoors, focuses on helping women get outside literally and metaphorically: to step outside their comfort zones, take more risks (the healthy kind) and live a richer, more fulfilling, active, adventurous life. If you’re ready to explore new risks in your own life, Amy’s newest online class, Embrace Your Inner Badass, begins tomorrow, October 8. Use the coupon code: T9_BADASS2013 for a 15% discount. You can also subscribe to her newsletter for the latest news and monthly tips.
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I bought only ONE book when I was pregnant: Exercising Through Your Pregnancy, by Dr. James Clapp. Here is a link to the latest edition, on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Exercising-Through-Pregnancy-James-Clapp/dp/1936374331
It was my guide to safely keeping up a fitness program while pregnant. With this quite sound medical advice, I finished training for and biked my first century (at 2 months), rode a few hundred miles more (up to month 4), and then switched to swimming 2 miles a week (till delivery of my son).
We women are a lot stronger than we get credit for, ya know? Power on.
Amy, great article and congrats on getting published on this site. My son was born 7 weeks ago and I credit exercising for a fairly easy pregnancy. I ran until I was 32 weeks pregnant but would do a run/ walk combo. I purchased a belt to support my growing belly and that seemed to help. I loved prenatal yoga too and would lift weights a few times a week. I strongly believe that excercising helped alleviate a lot of the typical aches and pains of pregnancy. Congrats on your pregnancy.
Hi Sara.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and congrats on your little one. The belt definitely helps – I used one while running (though I haven’t been able to run for about a month now (too many Braxton-Hicks contractions when I try), but I totally agree that staying as active as you can is great both physically and mentally. 🙂
What a great post. Thank you for sharing. I am only 8 weeks, but already trying to navigate and combine my new-found world of running and baby-making. I am also loyal to a regular yoga practice.
Today was my first run in a week. I’ve been hit with a lot of morning sickness…all day long. That is mostly what stops me. And a little fear about how it may impact these early weeks.
It was great to read your post and I especially appreciate your take-away points at the end. Especially the last one. 😉
Thanks again…and congratulations.
dina
Congratulations to you, too Dina. I struggled with nausea and queasiness in the early weeks, too, and found that running actually helped it… oftentimes it was the only time I *didn’t* feel bad.
So keep paying attention to you and your body and enjoy the runs when you can get out. 🙂
Great article, Amy! I too, find that I’m in “maintenance mode” and some days require more naps.
I am 5.5 months pregnant with my first baby. I’m an exercise physiologist and have been teaching fitness classes for 10 years. I am still teaching seven classes per week, but I was cautious about which classes I chose to continue throughout my pregnancy. I am teaching two spinning, two yoga, two TRX, and one water aerobics. I gave up the high-impact interval training and the kickboxing; I wasn’t sure I would have the balance for the plyometrics and kicks.
Most women can continue their normal fitness routines with modifications when necessary. When I teach my fitness classes, I verbally cue any movements that I can no longer demonstrate myself (cobra in yoga, anyone??). When I lift weights, I use sort of back support like a bench or wall. My dogs still get their walks, but the poor things are having to adapt to my slower, waddling speed.
I am also wondering if regular exercise is helping eliminate some of the usual pregnancy pains. Thus far I haven’t had much back pain or swelling feet…it’s gotta be the exercise!
Sarah – Congratulations. And yes, I think that staying active definitely helps stave off the usual pregnancy pains. I’m 7-1/2 months (didn’t quite get my math right as I was writing), and just now starting to feel more low back pain.
You covered the right bases of sound advice. For some active women, letting go of the intensity and desire to push themselves is the biggest challenge. I hope for them they won’t reside in the place of feeling limited but rather in the wonder of sharing their favorite activity with the little being they are growing. We don’t need to change who we are to be pregnant or parent, but we do need to step outside of ourselves a bit in order to nurture another.
Thanks Elizabeth. I think you nailed the core challenge of active women… slowing down and letting go. It’s not easy! But so necessary (and wonderful lessons in themselves).
Your last sentence is gold: “We don’t need to change who we are to be pregnant or parent, but we do need to step outside of ourselves a bit in order to nurture another.” Beautifully stated! Thank you for sharing your wisdom.