disobey the doctor?

hlkay31 · February 2011

I have zero medical background and should probably not depend on my own judgement BUT.....I am a runner and have been working out 6 days a week for years. I am pregnant and have no complications and everything is going smoothly. My doctor is telling me to not exercise. She doesn't think it is safe for pregnant women. From all of my research, it looks as though most believe exercise is a good thing for pregnant women if done correctly. I have done all my research and feel knowledgable about how to do this, but my doctors voice is weighing on my mind. Am I being stupid to go with my gut and keep running?

thatgirl85 · February 2011

Find a new doctor! Exercise is sooo important when pregnant. I ran up until about 24 weeks and then walked and biked up until the end. My doula told me to walk more. Exercise helps boost your engery, get better sleep, and prepare your body for childbirth. Towards my final weeks, my back was killing me. I started biking at the gym on my lunch break and felt sooooo much better. If you're not having any complications, there's no reason not to continue exercising.

ilovejud · February 2011

I would definitely be switching doctors!! Telling you not to continue exercising is horrible advice.... it is so beneficial for both you and baby!!

tokenhoser · February 2011

New doctor time. This one is years out of date on the exercise issue... who knows what else she doesn't keep current on? She's probably a fan of routine episiotomies, just for old time's sake.

I'm still lifting weights, swimming, using the elliptical and stationary bike, and taking flow yoga. If I was a runner pre-pg, I'd hope I'd still be at that too.

genekelly · February 2011

Wow, does your doctor read up on current literature at all to stay aware in her field?? Prior to pregnancy, I also worked out 6 days a week(running only 3 but cardio the other days) and lifted. I've pretty much kept up the same routine but am running slightly slower now. At 7 wks I did a PR half-marathon(b/c I wasn't yet ready to tell my sis I was pregnant). I am only running 5k distance now(although I could probably do more but I'm sick of running slower and on the treadmill after that distance). If you're having an uncomplicated pregnancy so far, I'd keep up with the exercise but maybe skip the highest intensity stuff for now. My OB only has limited my weight lifting and not even until 24 wks(but I plan to not follow his recommendation tightly if I'm still feeling good and having no complications).

circa1978 · February 2011

Agree with PPs - ditch your doctor. My OB is beyond thrilled that I'm still going to the gym.

For the first two trimesters, I was doing about an hour of cardio plus cool down - either swimming laps, treadmill or cycling and elliptical - most weekdays. Now I'm tending more toward 45 minutes and spending more time walking or slow laps in the pool, but I still go every week day and have added prenatal yoga.

I've had a pretty "boring" pregnancy - my blood pressure is great, no swelling, no heartburn, my weight gain is under perfect control, no constipation, and I'm still flexible enough to do just about anything I did before I got pregnant. I've avoided pretty much every pregnancy complaint so far, and I really don't think I'm just lucky - staying active is hugely important as long as you don't have any other complicating factors.

steenie41 · February 2011

This isn't necessarily the *right* thing to do, but I didn't talk to my midwife about my running at all. I have had a very easy, uneventful pregnancy and kept up my running routine until 32 weeks. We never discussed it, but I did a lot of my own research and, as usual, felt more energetic on days that I ran. If I had had ANY concerns, I would have brought them up to the midwife, but exercise research has been very clear since the late 80s that it is safe and HEALTHY for pregnant women to continue to exercise.

If you are interested, check out the book Exercising Through Your Pregnancy, by Dr James Clapp