Recreational & Family - Riding while pregnant?

Did any of you continue to ride throughout a pregnancy? If so, did you switch from your normal bike to a different model at some point? At 5 months, the riding position on my road bike is no longer comfortable and I'm thinking of getting some kind of comfort bike for the remainder of the pregnancy (and perhaps to attach a trailer to afterwards).

You answered your own question. I rode with a women that kept up her normal riding regime until 5/6 months. She then rode her Specialized Crossroads until 3 weeks before delivary, but her riding curtailed until she stopped. She plans on using it for with a trailer when the baby gets old enough.(around 9-12 months)

Keep riding. I in my second pregnancey i road a half century when i was 8 months pregnant. no problem. now that baby is 12 years old and is riding with me on a 35mile tour. my doctor encouraged me to keep riding. As long as you are healthy. I road a tradiational road bike no alterations. just take it slow. maybe a gel padded saddle with center cutout. you can get a nice one for $25.00 at nashbar.com. i am proud of you.

maternal/newborn nurse

A good friend of mine rode her normal road bike/mileage until about 6 mos with her first baby. She then switched to a Specialized Crossroads and rode up until the week or so before delivery. I will do the same if I am ever blessed with another baby.

I rode through 6 months on a hybrid, but after that my balance felt way off. I used a Burley d'lite trailer with the same bike.

BTW, I found that drivers were much more careful around the trailer. . .

Yea me too, I did that too during my pregnancy >.>

My friend recently had a baby (like, yesterday) and when she first found out she was pregnant, her doctor told her not to bike or inline skate, which she used to do very frequently. He told her it was something about equilibrium being off during the pregnancy. He said her chances of falling and injuring herself or the baby were greatly increased. We didn't know anyone else who biked or skated while they were pregnant, and she didn't want to risk it, so she quit. Until I read this thread, I didn't know you could ride. I have learned that there are many women who continue to run/jog while pregnant, too, which her doctor also said was dangerous. I wonder how many other doctors are advising their patients similarly? And if they should?

I saw some chick out running at full speed and she was out to HEEEEEEREEEE. I would estimate her at least at 7 months pregnant. She had some pretty muscular, lean legs, so I suspected she probably ran before the pregnancy. She ran faster than I could!

They do tell us in the fitness field that as long as the mother is in good health and she's been doing the activity all along, she can continue doing the exercises she's been doing before the pregnancy.

Doctors need to attend fitness conventions. Seriously. They always give us all the latest research in our seminars and lectures.

Koffee

Those of you who rode during pregnancy, do you think it helped you have an easier pregnancy and/or delivery?

I'd always heard the "no biking, no skating" sort of stuff, which I must admit is part of what has put me off having kids thus far, but if the conventional wisdom now states that if you were doing it before you got pregnant, it's okay to keep on, then perhaps, in a few years, I may be one of those pregnant biking chicks, myself.

I think I'd go smack out of my everlovin' mind if I had to stay off my bike for 9 months straight.

My wife continued riding on our tandem until a month before she gave birth. Admittedly, the distances got considerably shorter as time went on - the last being about 16 km total to a cafe and home.

She made her own maternity cycling shorts by putting some extra material in an older pair of shorts.

I guess it all come down to the individual, how they're feeling and what they feel comfortable doing.

Those of you who rode during pregnancy, do you think it helped you have an easier pregnancy and/or delivery?



Before I had my son, I power walked a lot. I kept up the walking through 6 - 6.5 months when I was put on bed rest. I found that I was able to deliver a 9 lb 12 oz, 22 inch healthy baby at 7 months without any pain meds. I spent closer to 3 months on bed rest with my daughter and was not able to keep up any exercise before delivery. I had a harder time delivering my 6 lb 8 oz 22 inch daughter.

It has been my experience through conversations with other moms and doctors, if you exercise before during and after pregnancy, your pregnancy, labor and recovery have the potential to be less severe then someone who doesn't.

Each pregnancy is different - regardless of whether the pregnant person is! ;)

Stay healthy!

I cycled up till at least 7 months pregnant. It was so long ago, (25 years ago) that I don't remember how far along I was. I didn't "show" until I was 5-6 months pregnant, so that could be a factor. I did quit rollerskating because I didn't want to fall. Cycling doesn't require the minute balance checks that skating requires. My children were born ceaserian section due to the first one have a "big butt" and it wanting to come out first (breach birth). She never lives this down. I don't know if cycling helps child birth as I have never had a labor pain.

I rode until I was 6 months pregnant. Started wearing maternity clothes at that time but was able to keep the cycling clothes on until this time. Even did a bike tour in Italy at 4 months even (much to everyone's chagrin). My dr. felt since it was part of my regimine before pregnancy I could keep up after pregnancy. I only stopped due to incompetent cervix and needing to be cerclaged. Was it due to riding - very doubtful according to my dr. Did sporadic riding for 3 or so years but now we're all back on the bike doing 3 - 4 rides a week (14 - 25 miles each ride) with our 4 year old. Good luck, drink plenty of fluids and pay attention to your body!

Ask your doctor first.

My significant other rode her old Schwinn 10 speed to and from the train station until the middle of her 7th month. Doctor said "Sure, as long as you're comfortable doing it."

I have found that there is a virtual army of American naysayers telling women all the stuff they can't do, can't eat, shouldn't do, etc, etc while they're pregnant or nursing. They're just exploiting rational concerns and blowing them into irrational neuroses.

That kind of thing is nutty. Listen to your body and use common sense. If your balance is bad, you'll know it. If you're dizzy and light-headed, you're overdoing it.

My obstetrician told me that bicycling on a fairly smooth surface is one of the best exercises for pregnant women. I had to stop when my knees started knocking into my belly, but if you can get a bike where that doesn't happen, I would guess it would be fine until just before you'd start to dilate. But definitely ask your doctor!

My wife has not been a cyclist in the sense of riding, although she has loved the Tour since we got married. (I think she got hooked on the cute guys in the shorts, especially Richard Viranque sp? and a couple others when they were younger) When she got pregnant this last time, and she is currently 6 months along, she started riding again to prevent from getting large. (I have never told her anything other than she looks beautifull and I think she looks thin and great, those were her words not mine) He legs also started to ache and massaging them didn't help much. The riding helps her feel that she is doing better on her weight, and it was the only thing that seemed to help her legs.

She does not go out onto the road, but I have her old mtn bike on an indoor trainer inour bedroom (with a slick on the back wheel). She is not able to lean all of the way over without getting dizzy so I have proped the front wheel up higher, and she mostly sits up while riding.

I am hoping to get her a nice hybrid after the baby is old enough to go in a trailer so that all 4 of us can go out together since our 4 yr old daughter loves to go out on the trail a bike with me. Although she sometime just keeps yelling at me to go faster. Oh well either her or the computer and at least she laughs after telling me to go faster.

by the way, I forgot to mention that my wife plans to ride untill the day she delivers, and then back on it as soon as she heals after the birth

There was a rider in the Phila. Bike Club that actually rode her bike to the hospital to have her baby. This was many, many years ago and her name is Mary Jane Reoch. Perhaps the name (and the story) rings a bell to some here at the forum.

I saw her race many times at the T-town velodrome in PA. If I remember correctly, she rode out of Hill Cycle, in the Chestnut Hill section of Phila.

Unfortunately, Mary Jane was tragically killed in Dallas, Tx in 1993. It doesn't mention this in the release below, but the driver/killer fled to Mexico. I do not know if he was extridited or not to stand trial.

For those who many not have known this, here is the info:

"Miji" was born In 1945 and was killed in a tragic training ride while coaching a client on September 11, 1993. Among her accomplishments to the competitive field include winning the National Championship eleven times, winning the silver medal in the 1975 Women's World Pursuit Championship, World Championship Team member nine times, and the first American woman to break four minutes in the 3,000 meter pursuit. When she retired from competition, Miji became active in coaching. She coached womens' racing teams for over 15 years. Olympic Champion Connie Carpenter-Phinney has described Miji as her mentor. Just prior to her death she completed co-authoring a book on winter training.

edit for P.S. -- I certainly can't forget to mention that my wife rode up to her time of delivery . . . making the trek over south mountain here in Lehigh County just weeks before.

I had to stop when my knees started knocking into my belly, This was me, too. I was about 6 or 7 months, and had a mountain bike. I also rollerbladed, and ice skated - I was coaching girls' hockey at the time. My doctor had absolutely no problems with me doing anything I had been doing before I got pregnant. He told me to use my own judgement and stop if it got uncomfortable. Which was about 7 months for the skating, too.

I have a co-worker who rode to work right up until the week her baby was born last year.

That's really a shame that some doctors are so freaked out about their pregnant patients. And that they freak out their patients, making them think they can't do these things.

I have found that there is a virtual army of American naysayers telling women all the stuff they can't do, can't eat, shouldn't do, etc, etc while they're pregnant or nursing. They're just exploiting rational concerns and blowing them into irrational neuroses.

That kind of thing is nutty. Listen to your body and use common sense. If your balance is bad, you'll know it. If you're dizzy and light-headed, you're overdoing it.


While I agree with what your saying my wife and I decided that she should hold off on the bike rides not because of the doctors saying it might not be safe but because of the unknown.

How would you feel if you were out on a ride pregnant and get hit by a car or take a fall so bad that you have
a miscarrage. I dont think you could live with yourself and If you could then you should not have even tried to have kids as riding is clearly your first priority over everything else.

silk, the line to draw is everyone's own decision to make. You can say the same thing about driving a car: what if you were out driving and got in a wreck and had a misscarriage? It sounds silly, but there is higher likelyhood that you would be in a car wreck than getting hit by a car while on a bike, especially if you are being carefull and not riding on busy streets. This is why when riding with my daughter I avoid the busier streets and take as many side roads as possible. I also tend to do this in general.

silk,
Suggesting that cyclists who would ride whilst pregnant should not have kids is clearly over the top.

Every activity we do, even common daily tasks, have inherent risks.
I was injured twice when pregnant - sprained my ankle by twisting it off the edge of a sidewalk, and mild neck strain when a drunk driver hit my husband and I in our car (luckily it was a fairly slo-mo accident). I guess I shouldn't be a parent, eh? How dare I be a passenger in a car or walk down a sidewalk when pregnant! (insert eye roll)

This article is THE word on women cycling while pregnant, written by a female cyclist and doctor. And yes, Miji Reoch rode to the hospital

http://www.insidetri.com/train/bike/articles/1486.0.html

"The late Miji Reoch -- may she rest in peace -- was a groundbreaker in the 1980s. She reportedly won criteriums in her first trimester. For a lot of reasons, I cannot endorse this.

Legend has it she also rode her bike in labor to the hospital. As the story goes, on her way to the hospital, Reoch even critiqued some guy's saddle height and then motored off ahead to the maternity ward. That you just gotta admire. Don't do it, but go ahead and admire it."

My wife road her Trek womens hybrid bike up until her 7th or 8th month. She was a letter carrier for the US Postal Service for 23 years and had a long walking route. She walked her route up until about a week or less before she delivered our son.
I am familiar with MJ Reoch and am quite saddened to find out that she died some time ago. She was quite renowned as a cyclist.