When I was pregnant with Patrick (Jr.) now 7, I asked my coach, Kerry, if there was much information on competitive swimming and training while pregnant. He didn't know of any. Since then I've had two more kids (now 3 and 4) and there's still nothing really about this subject.
So I'll use myself as a guinea pig, and maybe it will help others in the future...
This will be our last, and with this one, I'd like to have goals, unlike with the other three. Obviously, my number one goal is to have a healthy baby. My nutrition is key here, for the baby and myself. Sleep is crucial for me, so that too is a goal. Other goals are lifting, and minimum weight gain (I still have 20 from last time, mostly in my stomach!) and to swim in Austin and be somewhat competitive. My due date is January 20, 2008.
I'm afraid I will be put on bed rest near the end, because Carrick (3) was born 5 weeks early, and we don't know why. He spent 2 weeks in the Intensive Care, and is fine now. I read that the odds have gone up significantly for me now to have another early delivery. (With all of my other deliveries, by C-section, I swam the day I delivered and was back in the water two weeks later.)
Tomorrow, I will be 4 weeks pregnant. And while I swam Saturday (2,000 SCM- see Rude Noodlers thread) I didn't get to do the only practice today (Memorial Day) at 8:30am because Brenna (4) was still sleeping...
I have some questions, and I hope you will all pitch in your :2cents: Sorry, I don't make change :p
How do I modify weight lifting while pregnant?
Anybody do OW swims while pregnant (water temps around 70)?
Thanks!
All of my deliveries were C-section (not my choice). Patrick was breech, Brenna was BIG (almost 10 pounds), and Carrick chose to come on his own terms (5 weeks early)... With Patrick and Brenna I swam the day of and the day before delivery. With Carrick I swam 2 days before (my water broke, again too early) and that was the first time I couldn't do a flip turn! My body knew what was up I guess.
With the first two I was back in the water in 2 weeks, as soon as I stopped bleeding. I think my abs from swimming helped me to recover quicker. I could even do fly kick on my back! The Dr. commented during the surgery that there were a lot of layers of muscle... made me feel good to know there's something good going on in there- all I see is the fat on the outside!
With Carrick, he spent 13 days in the Intensive Care, so I didn't get back to swimming right away... when I did though it was such a stress relief. I will tell you that those 13 days were THE worst of my life, hands down.
Anyway, swimming's great physically, and oftentimes more importantly, mentally and emotionally :2cents:
All of my deliveries were C-section (not my choice). Patrick was breech, Brenna was BIG (almost 10 pounds), and Carrick chose to come on his own terms (5 weeks early)... With Patrick and Brenna I swam the day of and the day before delivery. With Carrick I swam 2 days before (my water broke, again too early) and that was the first time I couldn't do a flip turn! My body knew what was up I guess.
With the first two I was back in the water in 2 weeks, as soon as I stopped bleeding. I think my abs from swimming helped me to recover quicker. I could even do fly kick on my back! The Dr. commented during the surgery that there were a lot of layers of muscle... made me feel good to know there's something good going on in there- all I see is the fat on the outside!
With Carrick, he spent 13 days in the Intensive Care, so I didn't get back to swimming right away... when I did though it was such a stress relief. I will tell you that those 13 days were THE worst of my life, hands down.
Anyway, swimming's great physically, and oftentimes more importantly, mentally and emotionally :2cents:
