fear of exercising during early pregnancy

[babymalaya]

I am 11 weeks pregnant and I have had some abdominal pain and the normal morning sickness. The doctors told me that Im fine and healthy and that the abdominal pain is normal for alot of women. Before pregnancy I used to exercise about 2-3 times a week. I feel awful now. Im always tired and I get out of breath. I take my dog for a walk for an hour a day but it just feels like its not enough. Im really scared of misscarrying the baby if I do my normal exercise. I took up a prenatal yoga class but it doesnt seem to help. I feel lazy and tired and out of shape. Some people tell me to exercise and some tell me not even to take the staires especially during the first trimester. I dont know what I should do. Please help

[sue68]

Hi,

If you were active before pregnancy its fine to continue - walking ( and swimming)  is recommended as its the least jarring - and an hour is plenty.  Watch out during when weather is hot and humid though - don't overheat.  If someone was not active before - its best not to do too much too soon.  If you're bleeding or having contractions then stop and check with your doctor.  I was working out pre-pg but, after feeling some sharp jabs I stopped . Learned they were caused by a large cyst. It went away but, I didn't start up again. I did, however , continue to work ( kept me active ) so that was my "exercise". I do alot of walking/lifting.

Watch what you eat - pregnancy doesn't mean you have a pass to a feasting free for all. It doesn't mean you're literally eating for two - you only add about 300 extra calories/ day over your prepregnancy needs (so total : 2300 - 2500 calories / day ).  I know when I treated myself to something junky I felt guilty and wanted to "work it off" or I'd feel like a lazy slug.  Try to stick to healthy eating habits. You'll need fewer calories during your first trimester and more later when your baby grows quickly. To help with nausea - snack between meals - it feels worse when you're hungry.   I've just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes despite my watching what I eat - but, I guess its good that I didn't indulge too much. Its better to watch what you eat now then REALLY have to limit your diet later.  

Congrats on your pregnancy !

[mangoaddict]

Please please continue exercise, if that was your routine before getting pregnant. The only thing to watch out for is if you have had miscarriages before or you have any unusual bleeding etc. Exercise is known to be very good for you in pregnancy, but do watch your heartbeat range. Also, don't let yourself overheat. Listen to your body. All my doctors have told me to continue exercise. In my first pregnancy, I did the whole, eat for two and take it easy. I wish I had exercised more, because my weight gain was due to lack of exercise and labor was also very hard. Good luck and always consult with your doctor if u have any bleeding or any breathing problems.

[seattleview]

What kind of exercise do you normally do? It must be pretty intense if it keeps you in shape only doing it 2-3 times a week! Walking the dog for an hour every day sounds pretty good to me for a pregnant woman. I used to run about 5 or 6 times a week, but stopped about 7 or 8 weeks ago. Now I'm only walking to be on the safe side, since like you I've heard a lot of advice on both sides and would rather be safe than sorry. While it doesn't feel like enough while I'm doing it (since my body is used to running and really working up a sweat), I sure am tired when I'm done! I fantasize a lot about how much running I will do next spring/summer...so I guess my advice would be to play it safe and then get back into your routine after the baby comes.

[trh0819]

My doc told me swimming was great exercise. Takes a great deal of pressure off your body like running or even walking can sometimes cause. Plus it can be relaxing and refreshing in the summer heat. Of course, I've been too scared to start myself, but I plan to next week. Monday is my goal.