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| Pregnancy Information |
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Pregnant Running: Expectant Runners Share Stories and Advice
When I became pregnant I planned to run throughout my pregnancy. I was addicted to running, had a low-risk pregnancy, and knew women were training through all nine months. I was sure I could manage to go out and jog a few miles each day. But after five months of pregnancy, my legs ached after running a half-mile and I had to introduce walking breaks. Then came the social pressure. By month seven I was tired of being asked, "You're NOT still running, ARE YOU?" I had trouble getting motivated, since I was too slow to run with my usual crowd. By the last couple months my mileage was practically nonexistent. What had I done wrong? If other women were maintaining their fitness through pregnancy, what did they know that I did not? Had pregnant running come more easily to them? Or had I just given up too soon? To find out, I sent out questionnaires to other running mothers. Just one woman wrote who had maintained the same mileage throughout her pregnancy. She claimed to enjoy running as much, if not more, when she was pregnant. The only adjustments she made were running more slowly (she doesn't know how much because she doesn't wear a watch), running on a track for the last four months (because she felt safer) and planning bathroom breaks every 2 or 3 miles. But she ran 7 -- 10 miles a day and had no complaints. Other women ran throughout pregnancy, but gradually reduced their mileage to half of their prepregnancy mileage. While enthusiastic about having run during their pregnancies, they did not claim it was easy or pain free. Physical difficulties mentioned were pelvic discomfort, the constant urge to urinate and pain in abductor/upper hamstring. "If you choose to run through a pregnancy," one woman wrote, "you are going to have some pain. Be willing to accept that and set a limit on the amount of pain you will tolerate. Running until the last moment is only for those of us who find running to be very important." "Expect problems," another advised, "Do as much as you can or want to. Running was less enjoyable, but I run ninety percent for weight control. I was concerned with my weight gain while pregnant, so I still needed my running. I ran the day I went into labor with all three kids! I never let myself give it up!" The majority of women I heard from did not run through all nine months. These women were certainly no back-of-the-pack joggers either. They had impressive PR's (sub-40 minute 10K's, a 3:21 marathon, etc.) Their prepregnancy weekly mileage ranged from 15 to 70 miles a week. Most were surprised by their difficulties. One woman wrote, "Although running should help ease/avoid this problem, I developed varicose veins. I could not believe it because I'm rather small and gained little weight. I just want active people to know it can still happen to them. Extremely tight-fitting medical stockings were needed to alleviate the pain." Other problems mentioned were difficulty recovering from "the simplest workout", increased nausea during warm weather, extreme soreness inside the pelvic region after a run, pains in the buttocks, stiff legs, sore knees, sore feet, and again "constantly feeling like I had to go to the bathroom!" Not surprisingly, these women reported that they found running less enjoyable and had trouble getting motivated to run. "It was pure work," one woman wrote, "and not enjoyable at all. I was motivated only by knowing it would be easier to get back into shape afterwards." Women who stopped running generally did so by their seventh or eighth month. Some gradually switched from running, to running and walking, to walking. Others had a particular run where they felt they'd had enough. "I went out for a run," said one, "about six weeks before I was due and I had such intense pain and pressure that I stopped within five minutes. After that I only went hiking." I asked everyone for advice to other pregnant runners. "It helps to have supportive people around. Seek out other pregnant women who are exercise-oriented." "Drink, drink. Stay hydrated and keep plugging along at whatever level or speed feels good." "Buy a good jog bra and a pair of running shorts that are two sizes too big and a little longer than usual. Be ready to destroy them later!" One woman wrote. "If you are uncomfortable, don't run. There are many other ways of keeping in shape that are less stressful to the body. Don't do it because you feel you have to run. You'll be back to running before you know it." She was right. I am. Anne Emerick has written several articles and books. Unfortunately, only a few of them are published. Discouraged by the difficulty of matching written work to an editor's tastes, she has taken to publishing through ezine's and independent publishing. Anne formed Aboon Books, the online home of Who's Who in Independent Children's Book Publishing and the Children's Book Publishing Grapevine. Most recently she has authored an ebook, Could You, Should You Self-Publish A Picture Book?
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Alternative Medicine Start Growing Healthy Children Before Getting Pregnant When I was in my early 20's, I read Adele Davis's book, "Let's Eat Right To Keep fit." I learned from her that "you are what you eat." I also learned that our babies are what we eat while we are pregnant, and then are what they eat once they are born. If you nurse your babies, then they continue to be what you eat as long as you are nursing them. My bible during my first pregnancy over 38 years ago was "Let's Have Healthy Children," also by Adele Davis. I started to follow her guidelines way before getting pregnant, knowing that my health had a big effect on my baby's health. The Sleepless Challenge For me, it was "welcome to motherhood". Ready or not, I was in for a wonderful experience. But my first challenge was to overcome the first few months of literally no sleep. It was my first baby, and I felt the pressure of doing everything "just right". I wanted to be a perfect mom. But I quickly learned that parenting was going to be a lifelong journey and that I would make plenty of mistakes along the way. How To Prepare For Natural Childbirth SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT BIRTH IS NATURAL, NORMAL AND HEALTHY. Abortions After Fetal Viability Abortion is without a doubt one of the hottest and most politically divisive topics, as at least one in five of all UK women will have an abortion at some stage in their lives. This document will attempt to explore the following areas of abortion and termination: Exclusively Pumping Breast Milk: Why Women Do It Exclusively pumping breast milk is best thought of as an alternative to formula feeding. While there are some women who decide to exclusively pump even before their babies are born, they are by far the minority. Instead, most women who exclusively pump fully intended to breastfeed and believe strongly in the benefit and value of breast milk. When confronted with difficulties or situations that make breastfeeding difficult or impossible, these women turn to the use of a breast pump to ensure their babies receive breast milk. Kegel Exercise for a Healthy Pregnancy With Kegal exercise, your pregnancy can be more comfortable before, during, and after your baby is born. With the proper kegal exercise, you can strengthen the vaginal muscles and allow for smoother pregnancy. Kegal exercises strengthen your pelvic muscles, which become weakened during childbirth. This could lead to bladder control problems. Dietary Precautions During Pregnancy When you are pregnant, you should be sure to wash all raw vegetables prior to consumption. Raw vegetables have the potential to carry toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that is typically carried in the feces of cats. It can sometimes get into the soil and contaminate fruits or vegetables. Pregnancy and Tanning Beds With summer approaching, you would love to wear those cute maternity sun dresses, but you don't want to show off your pale white skin. Now, you need to decide what is the best way to tan without possibly putting your baby in danger. Tanning beds during pregnancy are just as safe as tanning outside in the direct sunlight. The Developing Child We know the fetus is experiencing whatever is going on with the mother. This is the good news or the bad news as the case may be. Can a Woman With PCOS Get Pregnant? One of the most common questions I get from women who are newly diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome is "Will I ever get pregnant?" I have not been able to find specific studies regarding fertility and PCOS-likely because it is so hard to track those who are successful in getting pregnant without medical intervention. One source said that women with PCOS have an 80-90 percent chance of having a baby, but I was unable to find any research studies to back this up. While some women with polycystic ovarian syndrome will not be able to get pregnant, I believe that the majority can and do eventually have healthy babies. Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy. Postpartum Depression - Recognizing The Signs In some cases, bringing home your brand new baby doesn't bring happy thoughts like the ones you were expecting. If this is the case, you may be suffering from postpartum depression. If you have suffered depression anytime before giving birth, your chances of suffering postpartum depression are even greater. How Fast Will I Lose The Weight I Gained During Pregnancy? Remember as with any weight loss and exercise program, moderation is the key! How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy. Extent of Pregnancy Prejudice Extent of pregnancy prejudice in Britain's workplaces Pregnancy Weight Gain - The Mystery Solved It is important that you remember that weight gain is a normal and healthy part of pregnancy. You have to gain weight in order to provide a healthy and comfortable home for the child that you will be nurturing for the next nine months. Will I Get Stretch Marks? If I Do, What Can I Do? It doesn't seem possible at the outset of pregnancy, but your skin really will stretch enough to accommodate your baby. Collagen and elastin in the skin guarantee it. It seems that collagen has the tensile strength of steel and by the end of the pregnancy, you'll understand why this is important. Common Sense Approach To Pregnancy Weight Loss Ok so everyone gains weight while they are pregnant. This is perfectly normal. It is also perfectly normal for a woman to want to lose that weight after pregnancy. We have established this much at this point in time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with aspiring to get yourself back into shape right after your pregnancy, in fact I certainly encourage it! Benefits of Exercise When Pregnant Exercising during pregnancy is always a very good idea, and the benefits for you are numerous. Exercise will help ensure that you stay healthy and fit. The healthier you are during pregnancy, the less likely you will have any difficulties with pregnancy. The fitter you are, the easier your childbirth experience will be. It will help you control weight gain during pregnancy and weight loss after pregnancy. It will also help minimize stretch marks. Train While You Gain - Why a Personal Trainer Can Make a Difference During Your Pregnancy The average woman will gain between 25 and 30 pounds during her pregnancy, but how many women do you know that have gained upward of 50 pounds or even more? Keeping your weight gain in check can be difficult when you are "eating for two,", but with the help of a personal trainer, you can ward off the inevitable excess baby weight. Very Early Symptoms of Pregnancy - Do You Know These Very Early Pregnancy Signs? Very early symptoms of pregnancy -- what are they? If asked, most women remember their very early pregnancy signs if they have been pregnant before. Some women can detect the moment they begin ovulating, while many women cannot tell when or if they have ovulated. Often, women can detect when the fertile days of their cycle have ended. Some women can detect the moment they have become pregnant. And for others, one of the more accurate inexpensive home pregnancy tests is the only reliable way to know that the very early symptoms of pregnancy you are having mean you really are pregnant.
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