By now many have probably seen this video about a young woman who gives birth after running and walking a marathon. I admit at first I was shocked (a marathon can’t be an easy feat) but when I listened to the video I was very impressed. In reading several articles that have discussed the story I was disheartened by the amount of negative comments though. Pregnancy is an amazing journey, but I dislike how often we can be put in that ‘sit over there and grow a baby’ category. I realize that not every pregnancy is normal or low risk, and for those I totally understand watching your activity level and taking it easy. But if you’re an incredibly active and fit person before pregnancy (and get your doctors approval), I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to walk, run and exercise your way through your pregnancy. I picked up walking late in my pregnancy but by 6 months I started walking every day. At first it was 30 minutes a day and then it quickly became 3-5 miles a day. I absolutely loved it! I was surprised by how many people automatically assumed I must be miserable being pregnant and trying to exercise. For me, exercise gave me so much energy and helped clear my head of my ever growing to-do list. I also credit my walking in helping me bounce back and start running again post partum. Each pregnancy is different though and it’s important to listen to your body, your doctor and your growing babe. What are your thoughts on the story? I’m interested to hear what you think.
I’m glad you posted this. I think that if the woman is already active & has cleared the activity with the doctor, there’s no problem. The sad thing is a lot of the baby books really do make it seem like you can’t do anything but lay in bed for 9 months. It’s very alarmist. Even my OB didn’t agree with those kind of books because it makes people panic. When I was pregnant, I did clear it with my doctor to keep skating, there were no issues. I think as long as you are doing said activity for a while, it should be fine. Obviously if you’re never skated, done a marathon, etc BEFORE you’re pregnant, pregnancy is not a good time to start a new hobby, but other than that, should be good to go.
Thanks for commenting Bianca. I totally agree!!!
People are so judgmental towards mothers, and mothers-to-be. A tisk-tisk here, and a tut-tut there! When you become a mom, you have to get used to the the criticism, even from complete strangers.
As Bianca said above, if you’re already a runner before you got pregnant, it shouldn’t be a problem, especially if you’ve consulted your doctor on it. A brisk walk is very beneficial to most pregnant women.
Excellent point Karla. The criticism is especially hard to deal with. We all make the best decisions for ourselves and our family. It’s sad as mothers we often feel the need to justify our decisions.