@billyherman45 I will say though, I went to the gym 2-3 times a week while pregnant, including in TX (but a slightly more metropolitan area) and thankfully never had even one unsolicited opinion about my workouts while pregnant. Any feedback I got (and only after I engaged) was positive.
I was even deadlifting pretty heavy for most of it.
@billyherman45 Yeah I totally get it though, I would love a proper home gym. But I also wanted to provide some reassurance to any newly pregnant people that it’s not a given that anyone will make any comments at all, let alone regularly, and they should still try to give their gym a shot if they are able to!
@quilly I had a couple friends warn me to stop running last pregnancy because I was gonna mess up my pelvic floor. But my doctors told me to go for it, listen to my body and all that. I think it’s a combo of old-fashioned bad advice AND some people legitimately can’t do certain activities in their pregnancies because of pain, complications, etc, so people assume that’s more common. I am not sure how I’d survive pregnancy without exercise. The mind-body connection is so important.
@quilly I have a friend at work that had to stop working out because she had a cyst, a medical reason but for some reason thinks I need to stop because she did. I told her I'm listening to my doctor and if they tell me I need to stop that I will.
I do deadlift at my gym but I think enough pregnant women have gone to this gym that people realize it's okay.
I was warned about all the unsolicited advice I would get. Still annoying though.
@quilly I have to imagine it comes from some place of jealousy/envy, because in her day pregnant women’s bodies WERE policed and controlled. Nowadays we have much more space to retain our sense of self (at least when women like her aren’t around!).
Of course empathy is the kinder position to take, but in the moment I’m sure I’d go straight to pissed and say something to make her feel stupid, like “excuse me? I’m not pregnant”
@quilly That’s so gross. My doctor said there’s no restrictions until my center of gravity changes, and then at that point just to be careful. He actually encourages pregnant women work out regularly. I probably wouldn’t have been able to hold back laughing if someone confronted me at the gym.
@quilly I was lucky that I only ever got positive comments at the gym while pregnant, especially from middle to older aged men, of all people. And I was deadlifting at the time too. They all said how great it was I was staying active and how helpful that would be for labour and postpartum! One guy in his 60s said his wife had worked as a L&D nurse for 30 years and always talked about what a shame it was that women were getting outdated advice about "taking it easy" during pregnancy.
I would just respond with "actually my doctor highly recommended I continue working out, she thinks it's great I'm so active as studies for the past 30 years have showed how beneficial cardio and strength training is for babies in utero!"
@quilly You don’t have to justify your reasonings here. Buy a shirt with some sassy words about working out and pregnancy. Or just look them dead in the eye and say “I’m not pregnant”
@quilly That's why that lady has dementia and health issues now! Good for you for telling her off.
I don't feel confident in the data we have for the effects of different exercise on the fetus, but it's obviously beneficial to continue what you were doing as long as you can. I bet we'll eventually figure out how it benefits the placenta and decreases the risk of pre-e. And watching extra TV on the couch will definitely give preggos DVTs and hyperglycemia and back pain.
I'm at 32 weeks, and doing HIIT and weightlifting are the only things keeping me sane. It's starting to bother my abs to jump and do spin class and I'm devastated I'm having to pull back... I have this magical thinking that if I keep moving I'll stay in motion but the enlarging kettlebell really slows you down
@quilly My whole pregnancy I have been waiting for someone to say something to me about exercise, ready with comebacks and everything! But thankfully I’ve gotten nothing but positive comments, which was really surprising to me. People are nosy and stupid, especially the older generation I can almost guarantee that for every person who says something negative to you, there are 5x as many who see you working out and think you’re a bad ass. Keep it up!!!
@quilly I think you can just walk away once they tell you they aren’t a doctor. Like oh well my current doctor has suggested I continue, maybe you should educate yourself on current medical practices. Byeeee
@quilly People need to mind their business! I HATED being treated like a Faberge egg during my pregnancy. I got my OB's blessing to continue roller skating (I played roller derby at the time) just no contact and he said he trusted me to know if and when I should stop. I skated until 34 weeks without incident. I would have lost my cool on that old biddie.
@quilly Staying active and fit through pregnancy was the best thing I did for myself. Labor, caring for a baby, and running after a toddler is physical! For the past 18 months, I’ve basically been doing hammer curls, overhead presses, squats, and deadlifts with a little human being. Not to mention just carrying her around constantly. It is physical and tiring! And that’s with being in shape!
If you’re lucky enough to be able to continue doing it, keep it up!!
@quilly I honestly don’t know if I would have stayed sane during my pregnancy without being active! I am 38 weeks and still swimming laps at the gym and doing strength training at home. I ran til I was 23 weeks, too, and throughout my workouts at the gym and running outdoors I never had any negative comments. However, I did get quite a few negative comments from older strangers when I was hiking with my husband. It bothers me that people think their opinion should have any sway in a strangers’ life.
@quilly I ran until I was 38 weeks pregnant. Like multiple miles. Only reason I stopped is because my work (I was in the army at the time) refused to let me run for fear I would go into labor during PT hours.
When I was around 20ish weeks and obviously showing I was running on a treadmill and breaking a sweat but watching my heart rate to make sure I didn’t go over a set limit and was approached by a woman who told me if I wasn’t careful I could have a stillborn. It terrified me at the time but my doctor assured me I would be fine.
If you were doing it pre-pregnancy then you can do it during pregnancy was always what I was told by my OB. I also lifted weights and used the row machine regularly during my pregnancy because that was my norm prior to being pregnant.
I can almost guarantee that for every person who says something negative to you, there are 5x as many who see you working out and think you’re a bad ass. Keep it up!!!