Welcome back to All Things Running with Sonja & Jen
We received a question on Pregnancy & Running. More stories and articles are being shared on this topic. Neither Sonja nor I planned our pregnancies around racing. I do have a teammate who did so we asked her to share her thoughts. Again, everyone is an individual. This may not work for you. Please consult your doctors and do what is right for you. The more we share the more we can see other narratives that might match our own experiences. Aileen will take this question and we’ll also share our journey’s through pregnancy as well.
Question: How far out did you plan the birth of kids around training and seasons?
Aileen Barry:
Having a big family has always been my number one priority! When my husband and I were ready to start our family I was in excellent running shape and had just come off a great XC season. The timing was not ideal because the following spring was an Olympic Trials year and I was hoping to make the trials in the 10,000. I didn’t know if I would get pregnant quickly or if it would take a while, so I decided to put running on the back burner and focus on getting pregnant. I have never regretted that choice!
Fast forward 7 years later and my 4th child was the opposite and VERY much planned around my running career! I had qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon 11 months after my 3rd baby was born. We wanted another child so right after I qualified we started trying to get pregnant. I wanted as much time as possible to come back from pregnancy to train and run a solid race at the OT! Planning to get pregnant during a certain window can be very tough and mentally difficult, but it did work in my favor and I got pregnant quickly.
My 5th child was completely unplanned as I shockingly got pregnant when I was in the best marathon shape of my life training for the NYC Marathon to run in the pro field.
I feel very fortunate that my timeline with pregnancy, running and racing all worked. It can be very stressful and challenging trying to figure out how to plan pregnancy around competitive running. I knew my love for running and running goals would always be there to come back to!
Sonja:
I became pregnant with my first daughter about 15 weeks after competing in the Olympic Trials 1500m in 2000. While it wasn’t planned, we were ready and excited to become pregnant, I just didn’t think it would happen that soon! I had a great pregnancy and ran and strength trained up until the last several weeks prior to Brianna’s birth. I would do light intervals, Fartlek, and run up to about an hour for my modified long run. I had the benefit of being a certified fitness trainer and pre/post natal specialist, so I knew how to structure my exercise and running appropriately to ensure the baby’s well being and my own.
Clearance from my OBGYN and taking it easy the first trimester were the first two guidelines I followed during both of my pregnancies, as well as more particular concerns, such as staying cool while exercising. In Florida this often meant opting to run or exercise inside in air conditioning instead of out in the high heat/humidity. A pregnant woman’s internal core temperature can become dangerous for the fetus if it becomes too high.
An additional consideration is to avoid lying flat on your back for an extended period of time, (this includes exercising), after 28 weeks because that extra weight can put too much pressure on your inferior vena cava, a major vein leading back to your heart. This could potentially disrupt blood flow and lead to complications. At about 6 months I started carrying a bit lower and found it more comfortable to combine the elliptical with my running. My running became more relaxed and the pace slowed, while I enjoyed doing intervals more on the elliptical. I continued with appropriate strength training.
Range of motion is another concern to be aware of pre and post natal due to the Relaxin hormone that is increased in your body during this time.
Relaxin causes your joints and ligaments to stay unusually flexible and loose during pregnancy and long into the post natal period. This implies you may be more prone to injuries since your musculoskeletal system is less stable. As a consequence, you’ll want to take care while exercising after having birth. While you may be interested in postpartum yoga or pilates as a mild post-pregnancy training routine, you should avoid overstretching. Breastfeeding mothers may experience Relaxin lingering in their system longer.
A final suggestion I would offer for a runner during pregnancy is to seek out professional advice or assistance with strengthening the pelvic floor. This is something I was not aware of and did not do with either of my pregnancies, but definitely should have. Kegel exercises are helpful (if performed consistently), but there is much more that can be done to not only potentially improve the delivery experience, but also make your life a lot easier post birth when you begin your structured training again.
Overall my pregnancies were truly enjoyable experiences where I felt obvious less pressure to perform athletically. I embraced being an expectant mother and all of the amazing changes in my body that supported creating a new life!
Jen:
Both of my pregnancies were planned. I was still running most days but not racing, except for a few corporate races. I didn’t really need to plan around them.
My first pregnancy was in 2003. My doctor said I could run but I was having a hard time keeping food down. When I got home from work I just wanted to rest. I did go for multiple daily walks with our dogs. In 2007, there was more information and I thought this time I am going to workout and feel better postpartum. It was a similar all around experience for me. No running or lifting for me, just walks. I felt no guilt or shame in not running. I recognized that growing a human was hard for me. I’m not sure why.
Both pregnancies were delivered by c-section so my return to run protocol took time. I gradually returned to running the same way I have for any other injury/surgery. I started with a walk, then a walk/run and then running. I was cleared to walk at 6 weeks and by 12 weeks I was running again. My returns were pretty uneventful. Slow at first and then faster.
I worked on my core strength and did postpartum & diastasis rehab work but no one told me about that until a few years after my youngest was born. I would love to see PT offered to all women after birth. It is crazy that my care stopped after my baby was born. The body still has so much work to do.
I gained almost 50 pounds with each pregnancy. It all came off without me doing anything other than running. It took as long for the weight to come off as it did to put it on. There was no bounce back. I wore my maternity clothes home from the Hospital. I had a cute outfit picked out but was so swollen from surgery and very much in pain that the maternity clothes were a relief.
My takeaway is that not everyone will want to run or will be able to run while pregnant. You can take the time off and still come back and be fast. Some are able to train during pregnancy and enjoy that time. Bottom line is you have to do what feels right for you.
Sonja and Jennifer are sharing their personal experiences. This is being provided for informational purposes only. We are not giving medical advice and you should always consult your own doctor for advice related to your own health.