Physical activity in early stages of pregnancy

[Dizzygirl]

Hi everybody, I'm a total newbie and have already read some very helpful and interesting posts on here. DH and I will be TTC in a few months' time and we're both very excited about it. :smiliedance: We do have an overseas trip planned for around the time we will be really getting into TTC mode and I was wondering if high impact physical activity could have negative consequences in the very early stages of pregnancy or even whilst TTC? For example, playing soccer or going on rides at amusement parks - such as rollercoasters. Thanks in advance for your help :)

[Foxy]

Hi Dizzygirl, welcome to BH.

I don't have any medical knowlege about the activities you mentioned if you are pregnant, but if you are TTC I think they would be fine.

Having fun and being relaxed is a great place to be while TTC. Hope you have a great time and good luck! :)

[Oscar's mum]

I believe playing soccer would be okay to do up until 12 weeks, after that you would definately have to be more cautious. As for rollercoasters hmmmm I wouldn't go on them pg myself!;)

[M O P]

While it may not effect your preg or ttc, you may find you don't really want to be doing these things.
When I first got preg I was so tired. I would nap all the time, didn't matter too much where I was either, just couldn't keep those eyes open.

[shed]

Good luck if you can be bothered doing anything remotely resembling any of those things in the first 10 weeks or so of pregnancy!

Chances are you will be sleeping alot and when you're not sleeping you will be yawning. :sleeping:

[aardvark]

I swam distance throughout all my pregnancies - a couple of kilometres per session, 4-5 times per week.

I also did latin ballroom dancing throughout my second pregnancy up to 34 weeks, which was pretty strenuous.

I know horse riding is not recommended during pregnancy.

[Dizzygirl]

Wow, what a great, quick response - thanks girls! As you can probably tell, I don't have ANY experience in this area, so your replies are greatly appreciated. I feel so dumb for not even thinking about being exhausted or sick! We might have to have a back-up plan of a more sedate holiday if things go well :)

[M O P]

Don't feel dumb for not realising how tired or sick you might feel. I was totally unawares to this too. When preg women said they were tired I always assumed it was in the later stages. I had no idea just how tired I'd be to start.

[greengreen]

I rowed semi-competitively until 13 weeks, and for recreation for about a month after that when it became a bit uncomfortable!. I was fit to begin with and didn't over do it. As I remember, my Ob set a heart rate limit to work within, and the other thing to watch out for is over heating (once you are pg).
Other things that aren't reccommended involve possible high impact, like downhill skiing etc.

[shed]

Don't feel dumb, none of us knew until it happened!

[Chickadee]

The other ladies have given good advice. I'll just add that there are always exceptions to the "rules". If you're already doing a sport or activity on a regular basis before you get pregnant then the risk associated with continuing to do it is usually slightly lower than for women who aren't used to it.

Most activities to avoid are due to:
- risk of high impact falls and accidents (horse riding, downhill skiing etc),
- emphasis on the abdominal muscles (crunches, the twisting torso motion of cross country skiing, rowing (?), etc)
- cardio workouts with high heart rate and/or overheatting which stress your body and so also bub.

So you should be able to still have a fairly active holiday if you keep those risks or guidelines in mind. I tried surfing for the first time when I was 4 months pregnant :)

[Dizzygirl]

Thanks ladies, I really appreciate your feedback and first-hand stories.

[Spewiesmum]

My DH and I returned from a five week backpacking trip through Europe to discover days later I was almost 10 weeks pregnant.

We naturally drank (a lot) fine wines and ate great cheese etc. I also had aspirin before every flight I boarded as a precaution against DVT. Then I had the flu really badly and using appalling Italo/English and hand signals was given 'something' by an Italian pharmacist that knocked me out for two days.

Once I found out we were pregnant I freaked out worrying about what I might have done...but my doctor assured me everything "should" be fine as it wasn't normal or prolonged behaviour.

I also continued with my gym sessions (aqua and aerobic) every week. I did slow down towards the end only because my belly was cumbersome.

I think as long as you aren't going to suddenly start something new (like soccer if you haven't played before) you should be fine.

Not too sure about the rollercoaster though - but if you don't know you don't know.

[My Miracle Baby]

Hi, I have just read this in my book for you:

Pregnant women are more prone to sprains and strains due to hormones affecting the muscles. Always stretch before and after exercise.

Contact sports make you vulnerable to injuries and falls (well thats obvious)

Drink plenty of water and sit down if you feel light headed

Keep heart rate below 140 beats/min

Prolonged exercise may cause overheating of the body which is bad for baby (eg miscarriage, abnormal development)

When in doubt, ask your doctor I guess. Hope this helps.

[Tea Lady]

I just thought I'd let you know I had a friend who went on a waterslide in early pg and afterwards thought it hadn't been a great idea (later she saw a sign saying pg women shouldn't go on the slide - d'oh!) and then an U/S showed the baby had died at around that time. I don't think she was ever told that was the reason for her m/c but she once told me that she thinks that may have had something to do with it. I personally wouldn't go on anything with lots of jerks (esp the human kind :laughing: wow I"m funny) or jolts.

Good luck!!