Soon I will be 30

[spryng]

I turn 30 on Wednesday. It will be the first time I've worked on my birthday, which I'm a little bummed about but I can't really get around. There are a ton of meetings and I don't have any vacation/sick time left and I work at home anyway, so

Comments

[lantairvlea]

Did your doctor give you any weight restrictions? For both boys mine said don't lift anything more than 20-25lbs. Of course the day before she first told me that I had moved several 100 pound bales of hay the day before ... woops? I also decided that all of my saddles weighed less than 20lbs for sure (haha).

Good for you, I think those two things sound very reasonable considering what is ahead.

[spryng]

My OB didn't (she encourages doing whatever you were doing before you got pregnant, but at a slower pace), but my fertility doc told me to stop lifting entirely. I might have... completely ignored him. :) I did a lot of research on my own and came to the conclusion that as long as I wasn't trying to PR and listened to my body, it was safe to keep lifting. So far, it's been fine. I've gradually lowered my weights and upped my reps since 1st trimester and now I rarely lift more than 50% of my max

[lantairvlea]

I had the suspicion that it was a leftover from when women were not expected to be doing much of anything physically. But I believe my OB started in the late 70's or early 80s and my MIL who was in the medical field and about the same age (Infectious Disease nurse) reinforced the thought. My mother was also super cautious so I was getting it on all sides. As mentioned I decided all my saddles are "around" 20 lbs (even the draft saddle and hey, the harnesses too!) and figured if I can lift something with one arm there's no way I'm taxing myself excessively, right?

No problem! I enjoy the extra education! A little part of me wishes I had pushed back a little harder on that, but I also kept riding until 7/8 months and was harnessing and driving until two weeks or a month before delivery as well as teaching until the day of. So it's give and take and what you can live with vs. not. As you said it boils down to listening to your body.

[koyaaniisqatsi]

... the version I like best is the one who can lift anything and do anything and has the endurance and strength for both.

I really love this. <3 I would also like to be lifting before, during, and after pregnancy one day.

[spryng]

The important part is before! As long as you know the movements and how your body responds, everything I've read encourages ladies to keep on keeping on. Your body changes drastically throughout pregnancy though, which is why it's so vital to know what feels safe and normal, so you can adjust accordingly.

[spreadsothin]

I am not strong in this pregnancy as I would like and it is hard to lift my 40# daughter.
Last time I carried her to the car with a scraped knee, I lay on the couch with Braxton Hicks all evening.
I'm 22 weeks and need to be cautious and I haaaaaaaaaate it.