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Pregnant runners' club
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i'd love to be able to get to a pregnancy yoga class, but my problem is that i'm a consultant, and i'm about to start working in manchester/rochdale area on a client's site for 3 months. that makes getting back to s. wales for an 11am yoga class a tad tricky! i could look for one in manchester, but as the client pays my company through the nose for my time (not that i see the money, obviously!), i don't think they would appreciate me disappearing for 2 hours in the middle of the day to go to yoga!
it's bad enough with scans and midwife's appointments. it can take 2 whole days out of my week by the time i travel back home from wherever i am, and then back out again! i really think that i need to save their flexibility/understanding until i have a baby and am trying to co-ordinate childcare and working!!
I agree that pregnancy yoga is excellent, but long walks and swimming are effective and time-flexible too.
7 months after having my little boy I am FINALLY almost back to the pre-pregnancy me - it is harder work afterwards, but I think that's more to do with having to juggle work, husband, baby, exercise, etc.
I too have heard horrors about stomach muscles - indeed one of my friends can fit her fist between her stomach muscles and her baby is just over a year old... yuck! What I would say though, is that it is normal to be aware of a gap for a few months after birth - especially if you have quite a lean stomach. I probably still have about a 1cm gap below my belly button, but it is going
Re: Pilates-style exercises, I had a personal trainer to get me back on the road to good training during the summer, and he advised me to do a lot of core work - typical Pilates exercises for the lower stomach area and pelvic floor, but told me NOT to do any crunches or sit ups until a year after birth. His reasoning is that the muscles need time to get back into place, and if you exercise them too early you get the pot belly effect and it is also bad for your back.
So...! Sorry for the essay, but I hope it helps in some way.
Hegs x
yes, i love swimming, and the great news is that they are just opening a brand new swimming pool near where we live tomorrow, so i shall be there at the weekend, and on any days i'm working from home, i shall be going there for early morning swims! i'm really excited, as since we moved here 2 years ago, there hasn't been anywhere decent to swim.
i'm also planning to force my company to put me up in a hotel in manchester that has at least a swimming pool (and preferably a gym as well), so that at least i can get some exercise in during the week.
the range of clothes is called mums in motion and it's got a special support panel in it which is meant to support your bump. some of the stuff is breathable, but not all (i suppose we can't have everything...)
the website is fairly tedious and not very intuitive, but i'll let you know if/when it arrives and how it fits...
I've just remembered I've got a "Pilates for Pregnancy" DVD tucked away and have no need for it any longer. I'd be only to glad to forward it to you if you would like it, as you are obviously a busy woman and can't get to your pregnancy yoga class that you would like to attend. If you would like it - just e-mail me and I'll pop it in the post.
You have mail!
Thanks so much for the offer. Even though we don't have a TV (yes, I know - weird, and I expect that will change once #1 arrives and I need a diversion to allow me to have a shower without the child screaming the house down!), I can play DVDs on my laptop and home PC, so it would be great to have it if you are sure you won't be needing it again!
This forum is truly amazing, isn't it?
Americano - haven't heard from you for a while. How are you doing?
You to have mail.
I definately won't be needing DVD any more. Was told by Consultant that I'm not allowed any more children but won't scare this forum with details until everyone has had their baby! (However reassuring every expectant mother reading this, it had nothing to do with the pregnancy or birth (as both went like a dream and could give birth again) don't know what all the fuss is about)!!! If you want to know e-mail me and I'll let you know.
I usually put my "bundle of joy" in her vibrating bouncer (best £19.99 we ever spent,)and sit her in the bathroom whilst I go for a shower. She's usually quite happy to sit there until I finish whatever I'm doing. Just remember to stick your head round the shower curtain and have a chat with baby. It's strange what you'll find keeps baby occupied whilst you do stuff. The noise of my hairdryer and washing machine use to send her to sleep but doesn't work any more!
Just been swimming in the brand new pool which opened at the weekend. woohooooooo!!!
i know it's a bit early to worry about this and absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with running, but what's everyone's experience/advice on what the baby should sleep in? i always imagined buying a cutesy moses basket, but then i've read that they grow out of them v. quickly and also if they are not used to sleeping in a cot, they can get distressed if you try to get them in one after they move out of their basket.
just wondering how we would fit full-sized cot in our room!! and also - do you need to get them used to sleeping in their own room as well? so would you put them in their own room for day-time sleeps (if so, in what? another cot? two cots?!), and in your room in their cot at night whilst they are still needing night-time feeds etc?
of all the things to worry about, WHY am i thinking about this??
Re: sleeping in your room - totally depends on you! I was adamant that we would have him in with us for 6 months - in reality he lasted 6 hours in our room before the constant snuffling and wriggling noises drove my husband mad....
Some people feel very strongly about these things - all I can say is that I have a very content and well-adjusted 8 month old who sleeps in his own room 99% of the time now (and I will admit about 1% of the time in our bed!!). It is so easy to get hung up on this stuff before they arrive, but in the end you will get to know your little one and what suits them/ you best. I would also say that for the first 8 weeks it is virtually impossible to expect them to conform to any particular routine, although it is probably worth trying, for your own sake!
Also, for the first couple of months my little one had most of his daytime sleeps in his pram in our sitting room!
When are you due?
Best of luck
Hegs x
I'm not due for AGES - 8 July. Time seems to go so slowly when you are pregnant, particularly the first 12 weeks. Then it goes quickly for a week or so after the scan, and then seems to drag until the next scan. I'm sure this is a good thing because all too soon I will be at the mercy of a screaming child, but the THOUGHT of another 6 months...
I think the more you read about sleeping, routines etc, the more confusing it is. eg -
Make them sleep in a cot because they will need to get used to it, vs. they won't sleep in a cot because it's too big for them.
They won't sleep as well in a pram/moses basket etc because they can't stretch their arms out vs. put them in a pram/moses basket for daytime sleeps because it's more convenient for keeping an eye on them.
Small babies love bouncing seats vs. small babies are scared of bouncing seats.
Put them in a completely dark room because that triggers the right sort of hormone and they are more likely to sleep through vs. put them to sleep wherever because if they have to rely on total darkness to sleep, they may have trouble in later life.
They need total silence to sleep, so make sure they can't hear your voice, vs. carry on with life as normal, they need to learn to sleep through noise, and the noise of the vacuum cleaner can soothe them to sleep
Rocking cribs are good vs. rocking cribs get your babies used to movement to sleep and then they won't sleep in a cot. ARGH!!!!!
At the end of the day, it depends on your child, i guess. But it would be nice to know in advance what it would prefer, so that i don't waste money on the wrong thing! Do you think I can ask the sonographer to find out at the 20 wk scan ;-)
P.S. can you tell it's my first?!
The best tips I can give are:
1. FORGET what everyone else is doing/ saying - what makes you & your baby happiest is best.
2. You will not end up with lifelong issues if you take your baby into your bed once in a while (truth is, everyone does it once or twice when the little blighter won't shut up at 3am!).
3. All newborn babies cry a lot - FACT!
3. Breastfeeding is not easy & you are not a bad mother if you don't do it, but if you want to then persevere and ask for help as it does get easier.
The other thing I would say is that it takes a while to get to know your baby - they have their own personality and you have to learn what they like/ don't like, what sort of a person they are (moody, happy, morning person/ evening person etc).
There will probably be lots of people who don't agree with me, but hey it's my opinion for what it's worth and I hope it helps!
Do e-mail me if you ever want any support/ chat - from someone who has "been there" recently I know what it can be like
Hegs x
Have sent DVD recorded delivery today.
When pregnant I decided baby would sleep in her cot bed and that way should be use to it etc... However on bringing her home found that she was so small and looked totally lost in cot and it just didn't feel right her being in her own room.
So whilst hubby looked after me I sent my mate out on a mission to buy a moses basket and bedding. She slept with us in that for about 6 weeks but found she was a noisey sleeper (you'll be surprised how much noise a little baby makes). When she was 7 weeks we kept her in her moses basket but placed it in her cot, so she got use to sleeping in her own room with a night light on her monitor. Madam then decided on having a growing sprut, so she went into her cot at 8 weeks, she also kept waking herself up by banging her arms against the sides of the basket. She still looked small in her cot but she loves it in there. She sleeps on a sprung matress and its so cosy and warm, so gets good sleep. To be honest she's really good.
Hegs is right though and if only every baby read the baby manual before they were born we'd be on a winner! You'll get to know what your little one likes and dislikes soon enough - its surprising.
Don't beat yourself up about the breast feeding either. Whatever you decide to do will be right for you. I found breast feeding very easy but very demanding and was determinded to do it. However as I was so ill and the Docs didn't know what kind of effect the drugs they were giving me were having on baby, I had to stop breast feeding. I found this to be so upsetting and felt that I had failed totally. Personally its all swings and roundabouts. You'll know when the time comes what you want to do and just keep an open mind to everything.
P.S you may only be 12 weeks gone but believe me it will fly past and you'll wonder where you're pregnancy has gone so enjoy it and rest as much as possible now.
mmj - sounds like you had a bad time of it after the birth. but glad it was all such a positive experience for you in spite of that.
thanks for sending the dvd also. unfortunately i'm away in london and manchester until friday now, but i'm sure it will be at the delivery office waiting for me when i get back! thanks so much for that!
and i'm 14 weeks, not 12 ;-) (it makes all the difference when you're at this stage, doesn't it??) i never understood why people counted in weeks when they told me about their pregnancy. now i know. every day seems significant!
i managed a swim and a bit of a run as well today. run was curtailed somewhat by an attack of the heaving - i thought the sickness symptoms were supposed to go after week 12, but they show no signs of abating WHATSOEVER!!
haven't heard from americano in some time. i hope she's ok... if you're out there, please let us know how you are doing!
Don't know whats worse actually being sick or feeling sick. I just felt sick up until I was 20 weeks pregnant and at really funny times of the day. Couldn't stand the smell of some soups (bizarre)!
Talking of counting in weeks - have you had a look at the Pampers web page. Not a bad site and gives some good info.
it's reassuring to hear that you felt sick until 20 weeks (although obviously not good for you). i thought i was abnormal because everything i've read said that by 13 weeks your sickness will have stopped...
yesterday was a marginally better day for me on the sick-feeling front. that is, until i got on the train from london to manchester, which was absolutely sweltering. i was trying to work on my laptop and suddenly found myself with an imminent urge to vomit. i was in the windowseat and had a guy sitting next to me, whom i virtually climbed over to get out. couldn't really talk because i was afraid to open my mouth. it's quite funny looking back at it now! i apologised afterwards, but i think he thought i was just weird.
and soups! yes! my home-made soups are the only foods which make me want to yack (and that's not because they are gross, honest!). i can't even look at them without feeling ill.
haven't looked at the pampers site - i'll have to have a quick peek sometime.
Don't remember if I mentioned it before, but I found that Orange Lucozade did wonders for my nausea. I was quite lucky though as it definitely improved after about 13 weeks. The breast tenderness also eased off shortly after, you might be glad to know! My biggest problem on the train was feeling faint - I actually conked out twice at about 16/17 weeks as I didn't look pregnant enough for anyone to give up their seat for me
And I know that it's the last thing you want to hear, but all the nausea etc is a really good thing - means your hormones are doing what they are supposed to
Hegs x
You can, of course, work the muscles underneath (as you are obviously doing), but the loose skin is harder to tackle. Moisturising is good as it keeps the skin supple and the massaging action is good too, but I must admit that mine is still a little bit of a "jelly belly" after 8 months and I never had a flabby tum before (didn't have a 6 pack either I hasten to add!). It seems to have taken most of my friends about 12 months to get back the skin tone fully.
PS. I think mine seems worse because I had a caesarean - so I have a bit of a tuck in around the scar....(excuses, excuses ;o))
i've been having a really unfortunate side effect which is feeling like i'm suffocating. it's hard to describe, but apparently it's the hormones relaxing the diaphram. it started around 6 weeks and is still with me. it feels as though i can't get a proper breath, so i have to gasp to try and force a deep breath.
it makes running quite tricky. it also doesn't help the nausea, as one of the ways i can get the deep breath i feel i need, is by forcing a yawn. but by doing that, i quite often end up retching. the midwife suggested that i might have a pulmonary embolism when i mentioned it at the 12 week scan, but given i had been having the symptoms for 6 weeks by then, i informed her that this was probably quite unlikely. i googled it, and the verdict is that it will either go by 12 weeks or so, or else it'll last for the whole of pregnancy. so since i'm nearly 15 weeks now and still gasping, i guess it could well be july before it goes!
hegs - fortunately i don't have to stand up on trains usually (apart from the tube if/when i'm in london). i would definitely have flaked out yesterday if i'd been standing up!
Caramel - Bummer about the breathlessness thing - must be really scary - it's one thing I DIDN'T suffer from when I was expecting;o) And I wouldn't want to be in any way unnecessarily alarmist, but don't you think it's worth asking for a referral to a consultant just to get checked out? I actually found that my consultant and obstetrician were a really good source of support and information (far better than my midwives) particularly towards the end.....
i don't have a consultant as i'm on midwifery led care. can i just ask for one? i have another midwife's appointment tomorrow and was going to mention it again.
Something else that I found out from my obstetrician is that all women are entitled to an elective Caesarean if that is what they want - I actually really really wanted a natural delivery (although I ended up with a c-section) - but again, the midwives usually tell people that they can't have a caesarean unless it is medically necessary. Some of my friends had major fears about natural childbirth (above and beyond the normal fears) and would have had a whole happier pregnancy experience if they could have elected to have a caesarean, so I make sure I always tell people now that I know!
Hegs x
thanks for asking.
midwife's appt went fine. 4th different midwife i've seen as 'mine' is off sick. heard the baby's heartbeat, which was lovely.
mentioned the breathlessness thing, and she said i should see my GP as she couldn't refer me directly to anyone until i'm 24 weeks or something.
went to see the GP on monday morning, and was sent straight to the antenatal clinic, where the fun started.
got there at about 9.30. waited until 11.00 and saw ... a midwife. why!??! anyway, obviously she didn't have a clue, so said i should see the doctor who was on duty.
waited until 11.45. saw the doctor who said 'i can't do anything. you'll have to see a consultant. come back at 1.30'.
so - back at 1.30. at 2.30 i finally got in to see the consultant.
i have to say he was absolutely brilliant. said i am the fittest person he has seen in years (probably only an indication of the general activity level of people in s. wales!) and honestly doesn't think there's anything wrong with me (other than that i'm a 'perfectionist' - his words! - and 'highly strung'). so apart from the insight into my personality (!), he also gave me a referral for an echocardiogram, as there's a possibility of a very slight systolic heart murmur, which isn't unusual in pregnancy, apparently, but ought to be checked out.
so i was in the antenatal clinic from 9.30 until 4.30pm on monday!!
ANYWAY, to cut a long story short, i have to wait for an appointment for this heart scan. he did say it would hopefully come through before my EDD!!
BUT, his money (and mine also) is on there being nothing wrong with me at all.
did 1.25km swim this morning and just been for a 5 mile lunchtime run, so i REALLY think there's nothing wrong with my heart!
how's everyone else?
Great to hear that you're managing to keep up with the exercise too - that should help. I found that once the nausea had subsided (about 13 weeks) I then had the problem of feeling as if I needed to pee all the time when I was runnning (sorry - a little too much info perhaps!!) - but I carried very low so I guess my baby was bouncing around on my bladder.
Good luck & keep us posted!
Hegs x
i think the consultant's comment on my 'highly strung' nature was more of a generic statement, though. he agreed that if i was paranoid, i wouldn't have put up with these symptoms for 9 weeks before going to the doctor's about them. but i think that all mums-to-be are a bit paranoid to some extent, as you say.
my nausea has just about subsided now at 15 and a bit weeks. i've also found that the problem of feeling like i need a wee (i know EXACTLY what you mean!) all the time as soon as i start running has also got better. i think the baby has moved up a bit. i'm sure it'll come back again once the baby starts growing, though!
i'm STARVING now and on a conference call (not paying much attention as you can see!) until 3pm!
Only challenges so far is that my pace has slowed dramtically already. Did you all experience that? Also my bladders is a nightmare, particularly after one child already. I have cut out all speed work and am just focusing on running 3-4 weeks up to around 40-50mins max. How does this compare? Thanks