Pregnant!

[Desert Tortoise]

Congratulations!!

I had just started mountain biking when I became pregnant but right off the bat my doc told not to ride, I was a high risk pregnancy. But I did put my bike on a trainer and would pedal away in the living room, under the ceiling fan at full speed and the air conditioning on. I live in So Az.

I did notice leaning into the bars was uncomfortable so I rode upright. The bike was stationary so I really didn't need the handle bars. The doctor did tell me what my max heart rate was and I was careful about keeping it under that.

Just be careful about your riding and really listen to your body and baby. Once you can feel the baby move you will recognize her/his kicks and movements. You will discover patterns to the baby's movements and find your body likes and dislikes different things. These signals are there for a reason. And so is your intuition.

I wish you and your baby all the best.

[Melalvai]

Hi Fanatizarre! I see you took my advice and consulted Dr. Team Estrogen!

[girlonbike]

Hi Fanatizarre! I see you took my advice and consulted Dr. Team Estrogen!

yeah, it's always better to consult professional!

[malkin]

Enjoy yourself.
Stay safe.

In the long run you'll be amazed about how short and precious of a time this is.

[bboston88]

I'm 18 weeks along and my doc says it's ok to ride for now (I'm high risk because my daughter was preemie but they are measuring my cervix). Anyway, the first trimester I was exhausted of course. And it was cold but I tried to do the trainer 3x a week.

It's warmer now and I'm riding 3-4x a week and feeling better. However, I'm a lot slower, it's a bit discouraging! I thought I could go out with some old riding partners....no. They don't know how to go slow! I've been told to keep the heart rate under 160 and I do.

Listen to your body. If I feel crappy, I don't push it.

[drdwin]

I rode until 35 weeks with my first pregnancy (delivered at 38). I DID NOT ride a road bike however - all I had at the time was a mountain bike that I owned for 15 years with a really wide cushy seat which was ideal. I felt great - the only thing that was a pain was that my DH kept laughing at my froggy leg pedal style due to the fact that my belly was so big and got in the way...it was pretty funny looking back on it now - but this is not something to bring to the attention of a woman living with a 30+ week belly.

[obie]

Hi all,
I'm 35 weeks into my first pregnancy...still riding, though quite slowly now! Still, it feels great after an icy winter that required a month off the bike (even if not pregnant, the roads/paths were in terrible shape).

I've been cutting out various things slowly...singletrack after maybe 15 weeks, riding into the city around 20 weeks, riding into slightly less urban central area after 28 weeks...and in general I haven't been out at rush hours or other busy times.

I've stayed on my upright commuting bike for most of the time - best brakes, visibility, comfort, and gearing. I haven't done group rides either, out of risk of crashing into others or others crashing into me.

At this point I'm mainly either on the bike path, or a very low-traffic route nearby. My husband put a new stem and riser bars on, which helps. Now and again, the peeing urge is strong...usually I can find somewhere to go, but often when I can't, the baby eventually moves and it's not as bad.

Staying active has been a godsend so far - the one day I was horribly sedentary, I was miserable and full of aches and pains. I feel very lucky that I've been able to keep active (also xc skiing, snowshoe, bike trainer, and walking)