I am only 19 weeks pregnant, and my belly hasn't gotten really all that big yet. But when I try to run, I get a lot of uncomfortable pressure on my bladder and it feels like I have to constantly pee (and I always make sure to pee right before working out). There is some crampy-like pain in my abdomen, too. As soon as I stop running, I no longer feel like I have to pee.
I usually just run between 3 and 4 miles, and it's worse when I first start out. I find after 15 to 20 minutes, it gets better.
Any runners out there have any suggestions? Do the pregnancy running bands do anything? Is there one someone recommends?
Re: Running while pregnant and bladder pressure
Yeah, this definitely happens to me, too. I don't really have any advice and I've never used a support belt. I'm still running at this point in my pregnancy and ran the whole time during the last one. All I can say is that you can take a bathroom break or just try to muddle through it. It can be uncomfortable but I really still enjoy running (or at least trying) during pregnancy so the discomfort is worth it for me.
I used a maternity belt during last pregnancy. I had one for daily wear and one for exercise. I ended up using the daily wear one during exercise anyway because it was more comfortable. The exercise-specific one didn't seem to help lift the baby off my bladder much. Maybe it was too low-profile. You can get the one I used on amazon-- it's called the "mother-to-be" maternity belt. Gotta wear a cotton undershirt or cami under it so it doesn't itch your skin.
It makes a huge difference.
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