So, picture this...you're at the gym on a treadmill and you look beside you and see a very pregnant woman running next to you. Now, this alone would not make you laugh, but now picture that same pregnant woman with a shirt on that is slowly creeping up on her belly and she is using one hand to constantly pull her shirt down and the other to hold on to the side of the treadmill. Now you know why I get funny looks at the gym. This is my daily routine, which is kind of embarrassing. However, I really just don't care. I have convinced myself that running is what is helping to keep my ankles from swelling (watch, I say that and now they will start swelling tomorrow:) and what keeps me in shape.
Lately, a lot of people around me have started saying that I should start walking. I am so afraid to stop running. I am terrified that once I stop, I won't be able to start again after the baby is born. I know that sounds stupid, but if you are a runner, you will understand the obsessive compulsiveness I am talking about. I will be seven months next week, and until yesterday, I was convinced that if I just gradually slow down and run shorter distances, I can make it to nine months.
Well last night I received an e-mail from whattoexpect.com and it had an article talking about how you can tell if you are overdoing it. It said that you should feel the baby move twice within 30 minutes after working out. I did not feel it move until an hour after I had worked out and now I am worried sick. I am not sure what I should do and I don't want to make a mistake before the baby is even born!! So, for the next day or so I am on the hunt for any type of reading materials that have other factors for determining whether or not I am overdoing it.
And That's It
2 weeks ago
4 comments:
Hey Sam! Congrats on the baby. I've been reading since Jana linked to your blog awhile back. This blog struck a nerve for me as I've been running a little lately and reading a LOT of running blogs the last year or so.
I thought some of this info might be helpful. Here's an article from runner's world about how having a baby can benefit your running after the baby is born: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-369-370--12461-0,00.html
If you need a laugh here's a blog that I read written by a pregnant runner who is hilarious! Here's a post she did about running while pregnant: http://granolasdodallas.blogspot.com/2009/06/pregnancy-sass.html
And this one titled: Running While Pregnant: The Truth Revealed (I thought that sounded appropriate)http://granolasdodallas.blogspot.com/2009/06/running-while-pregnant-truth-revealed.html
:)
Let me know if you want to talk running. I'm confident it really helped the delivery, but I am ridiculously slow now!
hi friend, so you now know i stalk your blog...
you watch friends, right? well remember when pheobe is preggers and totally wants to eat meat but is a vegetarian. then joey says he will stop eating meat so pheobe can start and there will still be a balance in the world.
well, how about i run for you. you sit and relax and watch movies (like i would be doing) and i run whatever you were supposed to run. so you wouldn't really be giving it up, just giving it to me!!!
Hey Sam, I stumbled upon your blog through someone else's blog, although for the life of me can't remember who...strange, I know. I was reading your post thinking I went through the same thing. I was running like crazy before I got pregnant and planned on continuing until I couldn't run anymore. My body had other plans for me...I injured my knee at only 14 wks and wasn't able to really exercise at all for a long time and then when I finally could I was too far pregnant and ended up on bedrest in the hospital for the last month!
Any how, my point is, that I talked to my doctor about it from day one and he said the most important thing was NOT to do any more than you were when you became pregnant and that your body would tell you when you should stop. You'll probably get to a point that you are uncomfortable running and that is when you start to walk. I have read a million things on working out and pregnancy and most people that are athletes/exercisers along with many books will tell you it's ok to exercise up to the day baby arrives as long as you are healthy and being smart about it.
Don't be too hard on yourself about the working out right now though, because that baby is getting big and it WILL become harder to work out and even move sometimes because of uncomfort. I am now 14 weeks out of pregnancy and started right back to working out as soon as the doctor cleared me at 6 wks. It was hard at first because I had gone so long, but you have made it really far and won't be nearly so out of shape as I ended up being. Because you are an avid and dedicated runner you'll definitely be able to get right back into it physically. Don't be surprised though if your pelvic area and hips hurt quite a big at first because of the trauma of labor and all the changes you have gone through. That was the thing I didn't anticipate and no one told me to expect when I did start back. Sometimes it felt like my insides were going to fall out when I was running, but after a week it was pretty much back to normal. I know that might be too much info, but I wish that I would have had someone tell me that so I could have expected it...it was a bit frustrating at first!
The really hard part is finding the time. It has been my biggest issue so far...I have a really hard time getting out and actually doing it because I hate running with the regular stroller and can't wait until I can use a jogging stroller. I ended up having to join a "bootcamp" that met every morning at 5:30 and my husband just stayed with the baby until I got home and got my shower and everything. It was nice because I didn't have to try to find a time around when he was sleeping or eating during the day, didn't miss out on spending time as a family in the evenings and my husband was able to continue sleeping while I worked out because the baby was asleep too.
Sorry this was so long, I just thought maybe I could help a little. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and I can't wait to see pics of the little one.
Lauren Dickinson-DeGarmo
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