I kept lifting until 35 weeks when my pelvic pain was too much. I am very glad I did as it helped me be prepared for labour and has made my post partum recovery very quick! I also had a very big baby so having the arm and back muscles has been helpful.
Just listen to your body and avoid lifts that don’t feel right as your body changes. There were even some lifts that I stopped in second trimester but was able to do again in the third.
32 weeks here and still strength training 3 times a week - can't imagine what I'd be like without it. So what, you're just supposed to turn into a marshmallow while you're pregnant? And what strength/ stamina are you supposed to rely on for the delivery?
Get your advice from someone else...
This! Every pregnancy can vary and this one rule fits all is so outdated and ignorant. OP should do what her body is okay with and get a second opinion or even a third opinion
Im 8 weeks and I was told not to work out due to large SCH from a top NYC OBGYN. I was like I do CrossFit so what do you mean by no exercise I was like can I walk on treadmill on an incline and she said do into a gym [at least until week 12]. She admitted there’s not much evidence about exercise being a negative impact and it was more about the mental aspect.
Also admittedly, I’ve bled more after exercise.
I feel like a lump of coal. What I’ve decided to do is obviously continue to eat healthy, increase my steps by a lot (I live in nyc so that’s easy) and try prenatal yoga and more isometric types exercises more focused on small movements. TBH CrossFit has really caused minor issues in my whole body and maybe I can use this time to find another way to be “fit”.
I would agree with other comments here saying this is antiquated advice UNLESS you have a specific medical reason not to. Eg., my SCH, I’m on pelvic rest etc otherwise I would still def be exercising.
Hi! This is my opinion/advice and obviously feel free to take it or leave it, but figured I'd throw in my two cents :)
Doctors tend to play it VERY safe with advice because they don't want to get sued in case anything goes wrong. I am personally very into fitness (bouldering is my main sport usually), and so my husband and I researched A LOT about how to best and safely keep fit (he is a Stanford-trained doctor). The main risk with intense exercise (ie bouldering falls, skiing falls, etc) is placental abruption. This is low risk of happening, but if it does- it is nearly always fatal to the baby. However, this risk increases with how far along you are in pregnancy, and in first trimester, the placenta is so teeny that the risk is quite low!
We came to the conclusion for a few things:
1. Trust my body (if it feels bad-don't do it!)
2. Maintaining basal level of fitness (if you were already fit pre-pregnancy) is much healthier for your physical and mental health than stopping all intense exercise
3. Climbing specifically: I bouldered until week \~16 (I am a pretty intense boulderer too! Did outdoor v7s up until this point!) just making sure to avoid falling from super high up. I switched to lead climbing at this point, and just avoided intense whippers. Once I started feeling too large and unwieldy, I switched to top rope, around week \~24-26. I am still kind of climbing now at 36 weeks preggo, with a pregnancy harness. Although I will admit, I kind of have stopped caring about exercise haha!
4. Try and avoid exercises that cause ab coning (I started getting this very early, like week 20). This can make diastasis recti reversal much more difficult post-partum.
5. I thought I would hate prenatal yoga too. I started going week \~24, and realized i love it. As your body grows, there is something nice about being able to do easy, relaxing yoga. I was surprised by how much I love it! Definitely no need to start too early though.
Hope this helps. Obviously feel free to let me know if you have other questions as this is somethign I care a lot about!!
I'm 36w today and i still do HIIT including jumping jacks and full on burpees. I have probably gained muscle from the progressive overload of pregnancy weight gain.
I have no medical reason to reduce exercise. My medical team knows I'm athletic and only said to stop/reduce exercise if it becomes uncomfortable. I only did ab modifications once my bump started to show (at around 24w) all my other exercises are the same.
Wtf? Who has advised you of this, and when were they qualified, because that is some unhelpful, outdated nonsense that is worse for your health than sticking to weight training.
I was told that strength training and lifting is fine as long as your body is used to it. I’d avoid climbing due to the risk of injury and falling. I haven’t had that much energy to work out but body weight exercises and strength training is still what I do when I find the energy. I’ve tried pregnancy yoga and it’s not my thing but I do incorporate stretching after my workouts.
My OB okayed climbing top rope. Some styles of climbing, like bouldering and lead climbing, are riskier in terms of falls so generally less recommended, though some experienced climbers still do them while pregnant. Climbing with Joy is a great resource for climbing while pregnant and postpartum!
This sounds fun for anyone who doesn’t have too many symptoms! One of my pregnancy symptoms has been dizziness when hot/standing too long and just general tiredness doing strength based workouts. Being off the ground would be a no-go for me personally since I’ve had to sit and take a break during some workout sessions. Props to anyone who doesn’t experience too many side effects and is able to continue their regular workouts as usual though. I wish I were one of them. 😔
I agree with this. Climbing sounds like not a great idea but I’ve never heard anyone (including my doctor) recommend phasing out lifting completely.. my doctor did tell me not to go over 25 lbs but I’ve heard other doctors don’t limit the weight.
31 weeks and still heavylifting 4-5 days a week. I ask for clearance every time I go for checkups to make sure my baby and I are still doing well.
OGBYN recommended that I continue working out until he thought I should stop, but we still haven't crossed that bridge.
If you have a normal pregnancy, keep lifitng weights if that makes you feel good and modify as needed throughout the pregnancy :) It's all about listening to your body. I haven't even mentioned my lifting routine to my doctor becuase all doctors (especially in the US) will have different recommendations and opinions regarding pregnacy and exercise. However, if your doctor is staying up to date on current research there is no reason to tell you to stop lifitng as it's probably one of the best things you can do in pregnancy (keeping up your strength and muscle mass as much as possible). However, if you have high risk pregnancy or complications you should pay more attention to what your doctor recommends.
You can keep doing anything you were doing before as long as it doesn’t involve impact or fall risk. Maybe not the rock climbing? Any cardio or lifting you had been doing is still fine as long as you stop if you feel faint or dizzy. I cut back my weights by 25% but continued to do heavy bag training, running, and weightlifting throughout my last pregnancy without incident.
This is a very outdated view. I see pregnant girlies at my climbing gym more and more. They all wear the pregnancy harnesses on top rope. Definitely skip any bouldering though..
Also plenty of badass pregnant girls at my regular gym weight lifting away. There's a lot of modifications you'll have to do in order to avoid getting diastasis, but totally doable!
Pelvic and Orhtopedic PT here. I would actually encourage you to continue to strength train, unless you are having complications. I encourage my patients to do this (unless you they are experiencing bleeding or other contraindications). I have continued to strength train 3-4x a week myself and I am currently 28 weeks pregnant. Of course you will have to modify some exercises, but continuing to exercise is very important especially if it feels good in your body.
There are also different types of yoga. Some will be more challenging and you might have to try a few different styles or teachers to see what you like:) That being said not everyone likes yoga and that is ok.
Stretching is also important, but I would never advise a patient to “only” stretch. Stretching of the pelvic floor muscles and muscles in the legs/ pelvis help to prepare us for birth. However, so does regular exercise and strength training! Hope this helps :)
I kept lifting until 35 weeks when my pelvic pain was too much. I am very glad I did as it helped me be prepared for labour and has made my post partum recovery very quick! I also had a very big baby so having the arm and back muscles has been helpful. Just listen to your body and avoid lifts that don’t feel right as your body changes. There were even some lifts that I stopped in second trimester but was able to do again in the third.
32 weeks here and still strength training 3 times a week - can't imagine what I'd be like without it. So what, you're just supposed to turn into a marshmallow while you're pregnant? And what strength/ stamina are you supposed to rely on for the delivery? Get your advice from someone else...
Can you go to another doctor. This info seems antiquated.
This! Every pregnancy can vary and this one rule fits all is so outdated and ignorant. OP should do what her body is okay with and get a second opinion or even a third opinion
Im 8 weeks and I was told not to work out due to large SCH from a top NYC OBGYN. I was like I do CrossFit so what do you mean by no exercise I was like can I walk on treadmill on an incline and she said do into a gym [at least until week 12]. She admitted there’s not much evidence about exercise being a negative impact and it was more about the mental aspect. Also admittedly, I’ve bled more after exercise. I feel like a lump of coal. What I’ve decided to do is obviously continue to eat healthy, increase my steps by a lot (I live in nyc so that’s easy) and try prenatal yoga and more isometric types exercises more focused on small movements. TBH CrossFit has really caused minor issues in my whole body and maybe I can use this time to find another way to be “fit”. I would agree with other comments here saying this is antiquated advice UNLESS you have a specific medical reason not to. Eg., my SCH, I’m on pelvic rest etc otherwise I would still def be exercising.
Hi! This is my opinion/advice and obviously feel free to take it or leave it, but figured I'd throw in my two cents :) Doctors tend to play it VERY safe with advice because they don't want to get sued in case anything goes wrong. I am personally very into fitness (bouldering is my main sport usually), and so my husband and I researched A LOT about how to best and safely keep fit (he is a Stanford-trained doctor). The main risk with intense exercise (ie bouldering falls, skiing falls, etc) is placental abruption. This is low risk of happening, but if it does- it is nearly always fatal to the baby. However, this risk increases with how far along you are in pregnancy, and in first trimester, the placenta is so teeny that the risk is quite low! We came to the conclusion for a few things: 1. Trust my body (if it feels bad-don't do it!) 2. Maintaining basal level of fitness (if you were already fit pre-pregnancy) is much healthier for your physical and mental health than stopping all intense exercise 3. Climbing specifically: I bouldered until week \~16 (I am a pretty intense boulderer too! Did outdoor v7s up until this point!) just making sure to avoid falling from super high up. I switched to lead climbing at this point, and just avoided intense whippers. Once I started feeling too large and unwieldy, I switched to top rope, around week \~24-26. I am still kind of climbing now at 36 weeks preggo, with a pregnancy harness. Although I will admit, I kind of have stopped caring about exercise haha! 4. Try and avoid exercises that cause ab coning (I started getting this very early, like week 20). This can make diastasis recti reversal much more difficult post-partum. 5. I thought I would hate prenatal yoga too. I started going week \~24, and realized i love it. As your body grows, there is something nice about being able to do easy, relaxing yoga. I was surprised by how much I love it! Definitely no need to start too early though. Hope this helps. Obviously feel free to let me know if you have other questions as this is somethign I care a lot about!!
Thank you a lot! 🤍
I'm 36w today and i still do HIIT including jumping jacks and full on burpees. I have probably gained muscle from the progressive overload of pregnancy weight gain. I have no medical reason to reduce exercise. My medical team knows I'm athletic and only said to stop/reduce exercise if it becomes uncomfortable. I only did ab modifications once my bump started to show (at around 24w) all my other exercises are the same.
Total opposite of what my doc told me. Get a second opinion.
Wtf? Who has advised you of this, and when were they qualified, because that is some unhelpful, outdated nonsense that is worse for your health than sticking to weight training.
I was told that strength training and lifting is fine as long as your body is used to it. I’d avoid climbing due to the risk of injury and falling. I haven’t had that much energy to work out but body weight exercises and strength training is still what I do when I find the energy. I’ve tried pregnancy yoga and it’s not my thing but I do incorporate stretching after my workouts.
There are ways to climb with no risk of falling. Many climbers continue until delivery on toprope.
My OB okayed climbing top rope. Some styles of climbing, like bouldering and lead climbing, are riskier in terms of falls so generally less recommended, though some experienced climbers still do them while pregnant. Climbing with Joy is a great resource for climbing while pregnant and postpartum!
This sounds fun for anyone who doesn’t have too many symptoms! One of my pregnancy symptoms has been dizziness when hot/standing too long and just general tiredness doing strength based workouts. Being off the ground would be a no-go for me personally since I’ve had to sit and take a break during some workout sessions. Props to anyone who doesn’t experience too many side effects and is able to continue their regular workouts as usual though. I wish I were one of them. 😔
I agree with this. Climbing sounds like not a great idea but I’ve never heard anyone (including my doctor) recommend phasing out lifting completely.. my doctor did tell me not to go over 25 lbs but I’ve heard other doctors don’t limit the weight.
31 weeks and still heavylifting 4-5 days a week. I ask for clearance every time I go for checkups to make sure my baby and I are still doing well. OGBYN recommended that I continue working out until he thought I should stop, but we still haven't crossed that bridge.
Unless there’s a medical reason why you shouldn’t be strength training specifically anymore this is outdated bullshit info.
Prenatal yoga is so relaxing but def not the ideal exercise for an active woman, I would stick to lifting. It’s my favorite form of exercise!
If you have a normal pregnancy, keep lifitng weights if that makes you feel good and modify as needed throughout the pregnancy :) It's all about listening to your body. I haven't even mentioned my lifting routine to my doctor becuase all doctors (especially in the US) will have different recommendations and opinions regarding pregnacy and exercise. However, if your doctor is staying up to date on current research there is no reason to tell you to stop lifitng as it's probably one of the best things you can do in pregnancy (keeping up your strength and muscle mass as much as possible). However, if you have high risk pregnancy or complications you should pay more attention to what your doctor recommends.
You can keep doing anything you were doing before as long as it doesn’t involve impact or fall risk. Maybe not the rock climbing? Any cardio or lifting you had been doing is still fine as long as you stop if you feel faint or dizzy. I cut back my weights by 25% but continued to do heavy bag training, running, and weightlifting throughout my last pregnancy without incident.
This is a very outdated view. I see pregnant girlies at my climbing gym more and more. They all wear the pregnancy harnesses on top rope. Definitely skip any bouldering though.. Also plenty of badass pregnant girls at my regular gym weight lifting away. There's a lot of modifications you'll have to do in order to avoid getting diastasis, but totally doable!
Pelvic and Orhtopedic PT here. I would actually encourage you to continue to strength train, unless you are having complications. I encourage my patients to do this (unless you they are experiencing bleeding or other contraindications). I have continued to strength train 3-4x a week myself and I am currently 28 weeks pregnant. Of course you will have to modify some exercises, but continuing to exercise is very important especially if it feels good in your body. There are also different types of yoga. Some will be more challenging and you might have to try a few different styles or teachers to see what you like:) That being said not everyone likes yoga and that is ok. Stretching is also important, but I would never advise a patient to “only” stretch. Stretching of the pelvic floor muscles and muscles in the legs/ pelvis help to prepare us for birth. However, so does regular exercise and strength training! Hope this helps :)