Pregnancy Birth and cycling

[young Ed]

I'd be more likely to talk to a midwife preferably a cycling one.... Doctors can be pretty conservative in my opinion especially the older ones.

fair enough, i guess i midwife is a bit more specialist.
Cheers Ed

 

[Ian H]

I've known several women who have cycled almost to term, and others who found it too uncomfortable after a time. Do what feels okay would be my advice.

 

[summerdays]

fair enough, i guess i midwife is a bit more specialist.
Cheers Ed

When I wanted a home birth, the doctors at my practice refused "in case something happened" and because they weren't experienced in neonatal resuscitation! (I figured that I didn't want them there anyway and if something happened when I went into the docs or just after leaving hospital that they should have training to deal with any emergency that arose.)

I changed practice.

 

[cyberknight]

Well, it was a long time ago for me, but I just carried on cycling. Obviously, as you get bigger you take it more slowly. I think the only problem is if you think about having a tumble. For that reason, many women wouldn't ride in the last trimester. But I did.

As for afterwards, that isn't a problem at all. You will know when you are ready! For me it was a matter of days. If you have stitches it could be a bit longer. The main issue afterwards is what to do with the baby when you are cycling!

Congratulations! Enjoy...

get a tandem for the lazy mite,they want food,clothes and attention they can at least contribute to pedal turning, congrats !!!!!

 

[GoldDust]

Aww Thank you everyone @cycberknight good idea lol!!

I will speak to the midwife, I've been looking on the net for answers and it seems fine if your not a high risk pregnancy especially in the early stages! Although I am soo addicted to cycling I may cycle to the labour ward as my last goodbye journey for a while lol.

I haven't mentioned to anyone I am pregnant as I'm sure some people won't agree and feel I should be at home stuffing cakes in my face and taking it easy. I find cycling helps me with coping with life in general. I just cycle all my problems away.
However if the midwifes gives me the go ahead I'm sure she will then I'm sure I won't start to get the looks from strangers until bumps sitting on the handlebars so to speak

 

[User482]

Hi guys

Had some good news last week that I'm expecting. Does anyone know the guidelines for cycling in each trimester and how long to wait after birth before cycling again.

Thanks all

Congratulations! Mrs R carried on cycling to work up to about 7 months - she started to feel uncomfortable at that point. I adjusted her bike to give a more upright riding position as the bump got bigger, which she said helped. I'd take advice from your midwife on when to start again afterwards - I imagine answers could vary considerably depending on how easy (relatively!) the birth is.

 

[BrumJim]

Aww Thank you everyone @cycberknight good idea lol!!
I haven't mentioned to anyone I am pregnant as I'm sure some people won't agree and feel I should be at home stuffing cakes in my face and taking it easy. I find cycling helps me with coping with life in general. I just cycle all my problems away.

Congratulations

Don't eat too much cake when pregnant. Apparently you only need an extra slice of toast in terms of calories. However when they are born and if you are breastfeeding, you will be eating as much as you can!

I'd agree that you should listen to your midwife rather than a GP, and if necessary, there should be a specialist physio who can advise.

 

[Cathryn]

Congratulations! SO excited for you!

I can only share my own experience but I cycled all the way through my pregnancy, notching up 15 miles (on a cycle chat ride) in November a few days before giving birth. I actually really loved it - I found walking so much harder work, cycling made me feel like I was 'normal'. I was particularly careful in traffic as you obviously don't want to fall off but apart from that, I didn't find any particular issue, you just have to accept you'll be slow and uphill will be hard work.

I cycled to all my midwife appointments, I cycled to all my hospital appointments. The only one I would recommend NOT cycling to is the blood sugar/fasting test - you've not eaten for ages and I was a bit dizzy afterwards.

Someone above linked to my tour of Holland - it was 3 days, about 150 miles and all by myself and it was one of the best things I've EVER done!!!!

 

[ufkacbln]

Google Josie Dew

She is a lifelong cyclist and cycling advocate

Her blogs, articles and books are brilliant and positive practical advice

 

[ufkacbln]

NOT to start an argument!

Trouble is that it is a bit like helmets with the medical advice contradictory and not really evidence based.

The NCT cite a risk of falling from the bicycle as being sufficient to suggest it is unsafe
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of Midwives don't go that far but both suggest taking extreme care when cycling

Other medical professionals will support you as they feel it is beneficial

Perhaps as with helmets the medical advice is unclear.

Make up your own mind as you feel is right and adjust your cycling as the pregnancy progresses

Raising handlebars to make the position more comfortable, a wider saddle and adjusting of the style or your changing CoG are some things that come to mind

 

[User10119]

I cycled up to and beyond my due date right up to the day that I went into labour (a few days late) with the SmallestCub, because I felt perfectly fine on a bike. A mate of mine stopped riding in the first trimester because it exacerbated her shocking indigestion. I was back swimming about a month after he was born but didn't ride my bike really for ages, mainly because of not being able to ride a bike with a small baby along for the ride... It's all very individual, really!

Congratulations

 

[Puddles]

[QUOTE 4030515, member: 10119"]I cycled up to and beyond my due date right up to the day that I went into labour (a few days late) with the SmallestCub, because I felt perfectly fine on a bike. A mate of mine stopped riding in the first trimester because it exacerbated her shocking indigestion. I was back swimming about a month after he was born but didn't ride my bike really for ages, mainly because of not being able to ride a bike with a small baby along for the ride... It's all very individual, really!

Congratulations [/QUOTE]

Congratulations, even if I was into cycling when I was pg I would not have been allowed to... but if you are fit and healthy and cycle anyways I can't see why you should not unless you are advised not to because of some condition...

With baby afterwards, there is a blog somewhere where a lady rode with babies in a sling, she has a sit up and beg bike... and I think it was Oz or the USA but she did that with them from birth... and isn't there some kind of trailer that takes a car seat?? I could have imagined all of this but I don't think so...

 

[steveindenmark]

I just want to point out that riding two on a bike is illegal Unless its a tandem.

 

[hatler]

Not necessarily illegal. If the bike has been adapted for carrying a passenger then that's fine.

Baby seats are not illegal.

 

[atbman]

Don't combine the 2nd and 3rd items on the thread heading