riding and pregnancy



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Zeldabee

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First off, let me say that I have spoken to my OB about the subject, and while she didn't really
know much about cycling per se, she just told me not to "race", which I took to mean basically not
to overdo it.

I basically intend to commute, as is my habit (~10 miles each way, the only hill being a bridge),
and to go on whatever other recreational/utility rides that seem appropriate as time goes by. I'll
lay off the major touring (which I haven't done since last fall anyway) until after the pregnancy.

I should probably add that I'm 40 years old, somewhat overweight but in reasonably good shape, and
12 weeks pregnant. I've not been riding all that much recently, since the weather here has sucked,
and I've just wimped out. But I've been antsy to get back on the bike, in whatever capacity I can.

I'm hoping to hear from people who have some experience with riding during a pregnancy, either women
with direct experience, or their Significant Others. I'm especially curious as to whether women have
had to adjust their riding styles, or preferred a more upright posture or not. (I ride both a
touring/road bike and a mountain/utility bike.)

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
In message <[email protected]>, zeldabee <[email protected]> writes
>
>I'm hoping to hear from people who have some experience with riding during a pregnancy, either
>women with direct experience, or their Significant Others. I'm especially curious as to whether
>women have had to adjust their riding styles, or preferred a more upright posture or not. (I ride
>both a touring/road bike and a mountain/utility bike.)
>

If you look at uk.rec.cycling in google groups you'll find a load of recent posts from Myra van
Inwegen and Becka Currant.
--
Michael MacClancy
 
Congratulations! Is this your first?

You'll do well if you do what feels right and don't do what doesn't feel right. You should be fine
for the second trimester at least. There was a famous racer back in the eighties who rode her bike
to the hospital to deliver her baby. My wife rode right up until the last week of her pregnancy
with our first child (our second is due this Aug). She rode a recumbent with a lay back position.
She is conviced the recumbent is the way to go for riding later in the pregnancy. She rode pretty
mellow with distances of less than 12 miles. I would think as time goes on you'll need to get more
and more upright.

"zeldabee" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> First off, let me say that I have spoken to my OB about the subject, and while she didn't really
> know much about cycling per se, she just told me not to "race", which I took to mean basically not
> to overdo it.
>
> I basically intend to commute, as is my habit (~10 miles each way, the
only
> hill being a bridge), and to go on whatever other recreational/utility rides that seem appropriate
> as time goes by. I'll lay off the major
touring
> (which I haven't done since last fall anyway) until after the pregnancy.
>
> I should probably add that I'm 40 years old, somewhat overweight but in reasonably good shape, and
> 12 weeks pregnant. I've not been riding all
that
> much recently, since the weather here has sucked, and I've just wimped
out.
> But I've been antsy to get back on the bike, in whatever capacity I can.
>
> I'm hoping to hear from people who have some experience with riding
during
> a pregnancy, either women with direct experience, or their Significant Others. I'm especially
> curious as to whether women have had to adjust
their
> riding styles, or preferred a more upright posture or not. (I ride both a touring/road bike and a
> mountain/utility bike.)
>
> --
> z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
If you post over on uk.rec.cycling, there's a couple of the girls who are preggers and have been
cycling throughout pregnancy - they may be able to give you some tips.

Best of luck on your pregnancy.

Cheers, helen s

~~~~~~~~~~
Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!

Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~
 
"zeldabee" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> I'm hoping to hear from people who have some experience with riding during a pregnancy, either
> women with direct experience, or their Significant Others. I'm especially curious as to whether
> women have had to adjust their riding styles, or preferred a more upright posture or not. (I ride
> both a touring/road bike and a mountain/utility bike.)
>

Congratulations! I think it's a really good idea to "train" for a pregnancy. My wife took that
approach for both of ours and felt it really helped, especially with the last couple of months
and the deliveries. She was also around 40 for her second (35 for first), and while her OB didn't
really have much to say on the subject, and there weren't any complications to speak of, it
seemed like a good idea to approach the whole thing as if training for an athletic event. She
pretty much exclusively rode indoors on a trainer, and alternated between that and a rowing
machine. I don't think there's really any problem with riding outdoors either. She rode right up
to the day of delivery.
 
To my knowledge, no one has ever become pregnant while riding a bicycle.

Steve McDonald
 
In article <[email protected]>, Steve McDonald
<[email protected]> wrote:

> To my knowledge, no one has ever become pregnant while riding a bicycle.
>
> Steve McDonald

I believe it's not that easy even on a motorcycle. Cars are the ticket here.
 
Steve McDonald wrote:
>
> To my knowledge, no one has ever become pregnant while riding a bicycle.

Vicki Hearne writes of horsemanship (_Bandit: Dossier of a Dangerous Dog_)

``I was once involved in a panel discussion at which the idea was voiced and elaborated that riding
horses was a good way for girls to prepare for marriage because it gave them practice controlling
something powerful and dangerous between their legs. I thought, and at enormous risk of
self-exposure said, that controlling something powerful and dangerous between my legs didn't
characterize either marriage or horsemanship as I had experienced them...There are some differences
between husbands and horses that I thought worthy of consideration, including the fact that in the
case of husbands direct mutual genital contact is to the point, whereas it interferes with
horsemanship. I don't doubt that it is possible, only that it is horsemanship.''
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
 
[email protected] (Steve McDonald) wrote:
> To my knowledge, no one has ever become pregnant while riding a bicycle.
>
> Steve McDonald
> __________________________________
>
> I believe it's not that easy even on a motorcycle. Cars are the ticket here.
>
> Leonard Migliore
> _______________________________
>
> But, conceivably, it could occur on a tricycle.

Whoa. Deja vu. I saw this exact same thread when I googled the bike groups on the subject...

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
From the reports I have heard, individual women react very differently to pregnancy. Some women can
and do remain active throughout their pregnancy while other women are nearly incapacitated by it.

My mother tells me that she had no real difficulty during pregnancy. She also tells me that she was
out on a tractor doing some sort of farm work the day before I was born. I rather wonder at what she
was doing the day before that. I suppose some questions are best left unasked.

Now my sister in law is pregnant and she is an active girl, but she has had to curtail her
activities because of the pregnancy. I guess she just does not feel that well. Again, I have not
asked for explicit physiological detail on this one. I figure if she wants me to know, she will
volunteer the information.

So as long as it feels ok you can probably do it as long as you

1) Don't get dehydrated.
2) Don't bonk.
3) Don't get your heart rate up too high. No more intervals or time trials.
4) No centuries.

I think moderately paced rides for moderate distances would be fine as long as you feel ok and the
pregnancy is a low risk one.

You might be able to get away with doing the above, but they all put strains on your system. I think
right now is a good time to avoid that.
 
"Peter Cole" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "zeldabee" <[email protected]> wrote...
> >
> > I'm hoping to hear from people who have some experience with riding during a pregnancy, either
> > women with direct experience, or their Significant Others. [...]
>
> Congratulations! I think it's a really good idea to "train" for a pregnancy. My wife took that
> approach for both of ours and felt it really helped, especially with the last couple of months and
> the deliveries. She was also around 40 for her second (35 for first), and while her OB didn't
> really have much to say on the subject, and there weren't any complications to speak of, it seemed
> like a good idea to approach the whole thing as if training for an athletic event.

I don't know if I feel quite so gung-ho...I just enjoy cycling, and it's a great way to get around
the city. I do think that staying in decent physical shape while pregnant is a Good Thing, though.

> She pretty much exclusively rode indoors on a trainer, and alternated between that and a rowing
> machine. I don't think there's really any problem with riding outdoors either. She rode right up
> to the day of delivery.

That I don't know about...I have a feeling that I'm going to be as big as a house...I'd already put
on some weight just prior to becoming pregnant, since I'd really slacked off on the bike riding in
the cold weather this winter, so I'm overweight to start off, and to lose weight (or even to fail to
gain weight) while pregnant is generally Frowned Upon, so it's only going to go up from here. I
would like to manage it somewhat, however.

Besides, I really hate being sedentary. Morning sickness and fatigue haven't helped matters much,
but hopefully that will lift soon.

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
"one of the six billion" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Congratulations! Is this your first?

Thanks, and yes.

> You'll do well if you do what feels right and don't do what doesn't feel right. You should be fine
> for the second trimester at least. There was a famous racer back in the eighties who rode her bike
> to the hospital to deliver her baby.

I'm reasonably sure that won't be me. :eek:)

> My wife rode right up until the last week of her pregnancy with our first child (our second is due
> this Aug). She rode a recumbent with a lay back position. She is conviced the recumbent is the way
> to go for riding later in the pregnancy.

I don't think I want to make the investment in a 'bent, though I can see how it could be useful.

> She rode pretty mellow with distances of less than 12 miles. I would think as time goes on you'll
> need to get more and more upright.

That's what I figure. I'd also think that balance will become an issue, at some point. That,
and suitable bike clothing. It doesn't have to be bike clothing, per se, but wicking fabric
would be helpful.

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
[email protected] (wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter) wrote:
> If you post over on uk.rec.cycling, there's a couple of the girls who are preggers and have been
> cycling throughout pregnancy - they may be able to give you some tips.

Thanks...I'll wander over there and have a look.

> Best of luck on your pregnancy.

Thanks!

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
Michael MacClancy <[email protected]> wrote:
> zeldabee <[email protected]> writes
> >
> >I'm hoping to hear from people who have some experience with riding during a pregnancy, [...]
>
> If you look at uk.rec.cycling in google groups you'll find a load of recent posts from Myra van
> Inwegen and Becka Currant.

I had a quick look last night, and saw some posts from last summer in that group, but nothing more
recent. I'll look again, for those posters specifically. Thanks.

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
"zeldabee" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> "Peter Cole" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > She pretty much exclusively rode indoors on a trainer, and alternated between that and a rowing
> > machine. I don't think there's really any problem with riding outdoors either. She rode right up
> > to the day of delivery.
>
> That I don't know about...I have a feeling that I'm going to be as big as a house...I'd already
> put on some weight just prior to becoming pregnant, since I'd really slacked off on the bike
> riding in the cold weather this winter, so I'm overweight to start off, and to lose weight (or
> even to fail to gain weight) while pregnant is generally Frowned Upon, so it's only going to go up
> from here. I would like to manage it somewhat, however.

The physical bulk of pregnancy is a problem. My wife had to give up rowing and weight lifting at
around the 5-6 month mark because it was just too awkward. She used a platform to mount & dismount
from a bike on a wind trainer, and with that system was able to ride indoors until the last day. She
got similar negative feedback from her OB when she announced early on that a primary goal was to
limit weight gain, but OB's tend to be ultra-conservative (and becoming more so). Her first turned
out to be a long and arduous labor, in that the baby was pretty big, and things went slowly.
Afterward, both she and the OB (grudgingly) admitted that it was probably only her physical
conditioning that allowed (narrowly) a natural rather than c-section. Besides the weight gain and
actual delivery issues, I think that some sort of reasonable exercise during the term can help with
secondary issues like blood pressure and circulation, it helps with the post-event recovery as well
if you can keep things up after the birth.
 
[email protected] (Pbwalther) wrote:
> From the reports I have heard, individual women react very differently to pregnancy. Some
> women can and do remain active throughout their pregnancy while other women are nearly
> incapacitated by it.
[...]
> So as long as it feels ok you can probably do it as long as you
>
> 1) Don't get dehydrated.
> 2) Don't bonk.
> 3) Don't get your heart rate up too high. No more intervals or time trials.
> 4) No centuries.

Common sensical things...I have no intention of doing any centuries while I'm pregnant...which
basically means several trips I had planned for this year are off. Oh, well. :eek:)

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
"Peter Cole" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "zeldabee" <[email protected]> wrote...
<snip>
> > That I don't know about...I have a feeling that I'm going to be as big as a house...I'd already
> > put on some weight just prior to becoming pregnant, [...]
>
> The physical bulk of pregnancy is a problem. My wife had to give up rowing and weight lifting at
> around the 5-6 month mark because it was just too awkward. She used a platform to mount & dismount
> from a bike on a wind trainer, and with that system was able to ride indoors until the last day.

I hope that's not the case with me, trainers bore me silly. I'd have to give up and go for swimming
or something once that happens.

> She got similar negative feedback from her OB when she announced early on that a primary goal was
> to limit weight gain, but OB's tend to be ultra-conservative (and becoming more so).

Oddly enough, my OB agrees that I should try to limit my weight gain, but her suggestions along
those lines seem to be "just avoid salt and sugar, and don't eat too much starch" which is fine, but
I don't think it'll be enough. (My diet right now consists of foods that won't make me hurl, and
that tends to be rather carby stuff.)

> Her first turned out to be a long and arduous labor, in that the baby was pretty big, and things
> went slowly.

That's one problem with excess weight in the mother, apparently...mother gets bigger, but so does
the baby. Certainly avoiding low birth weight is a good idea, but one doesn't want to go
overboard...

> Afterward, both she and the OB (grudgingly) admitted that it was probably only her physical
> conditioning that allowed (narrowly) a natural rather than c-section. Besides the weight gain and
> actual delivery issues, I think that some sort of reasonable exercise during the term can help
> with secondary issues like blood pressure and circulation, it helps with the post-event recovery
> as well if you can keep things up after the birth.

It must--it seems like common sense. Another secondary issue for me is depression. Excersize has
always helped to keep it at bay. Due to some other, unbelievably nasty and stressful life things
happening right now, I really need it.

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
[email protected] (wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter) wrote:
> >> 2) Don't bonk.
>
> Over here in Old Blighty, apart from the cycling meaning of "to bonk", the fact that you are
> pregnant at all means you've had at least one bonk, as in "to bonk" - to well, ahem, to engage in
> the activity that can result in pregnancy
> :)

Yes, I'm familiar with this disparity, and I try to avoid using the term in "mixed" company.

> p.s enjoy the pregancy :)

Oh, I mean to. :eek:)

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/
 
Steve McDonald <[email protected]> wrote:

: To my knowledge, no one has ever become pregnant while riding a bicycle.

However, the act of becoming pregnant is like riding a bicycle, isn't it?

--
'Any variable chosen as a monetary policy target immediately starts to behave differently.'

- Goodhart's Law
 
zeldabee <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

I can't directly comment, because I did water aerobics while pregnant and also post-partum, which
worked very well for me.

But you also might want to ask on misc.kids.pregnancy, a very active and fun newsgroup. And we'd
welcome you over on misc.kids.moderated too.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky ([email protected]) organizer of the misc.kids t-shirt effort 1995 former
moderator, misc.kids.moderated
 
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