Thankfully the answer is a resounding No, you aren’t harming your baby. In fact, there are benefits to running while pregnant. Yessiree, there are! First off mommy is healthier, and we all know that healthy moms mean healthy babies, right? But did you also know that:

• Exercise reduces the risk of preterm delivery Source: HealthDay News
• Running during pregnancy reduces fatigue, nausea, constipation and lower back pain Source: Act Now BC
• Maternity exercise may help prevent gestational diabetes Source: Science Daily
• Maternity fitness contributes to shorter labor & less delivery complications, including fewer C-sections Source: BabyZone
  

• Moms to be who exercise also have less swelling of extremities Source: runningskirts.com

Running also has benefits to the baby:

• A regular pregnancy fitness regimen better prepares baby for transition from womb
• Pregnancy running increases blood circulation & placental efficiency
• Running while pregnant also increases newborn baby’s capacity to self calm & self quiet
• Regular exercise decreases baby fat without decreasing normal growth
• Cardio fitness leads to increased blood flow from placenta which supplies nutrition & oxygen to the fetus
• Mommies who run have increased fetal movements, which studies have shown leads to quicker development of oral language skills

Source: *Clapp III, James F. Exercising Through your Pregnancy. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1998.

That said, a study published in a British medical journal showed that there is a link between heavy exercise and miscarriage. Now if you’re a regular runner, then running isn’t considered a heavy exercise and can be done safely while pregnant. It is not recommended that you begin a running program during pregnancy if you are a non-runner. You can help to ensure a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby you if follow these guidelines:

• If you’re a regular runner, the experts say you should be able to follow your usual program to a certain extent. Your program will need modifying as your pregnancy develops and depending on how you feel yourself. Listen to your body. If it says rest, then rest.
• Exercising to breathlessness can signal that not enough oxygen is getting to the baby. Remember to take it easy.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Even though you’ll be running to the washroom even more than normal, it’s important that you don’t dehydrate.
• Wear comfortable running shoes with strong ankle support and keep to flat ground. This will help reduce injuries and ankle sprains.

Source: Realbuzz.com

Here are some stop signs:

• Dizziness
• Faintness
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Uterine contractions
• Vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking
• Heart palpitations

Source: About.com

I ran throughout both of my pregnancies. It can be done. Just look at Paula Radcliffe. She ran through her pregnancy with baby Isla. She even ran up until the day before she delivered Isla. In my case, I found that the bigger the baby got, the harder it was for me to run. My bladder could no longer handle the abuse it took from the baby and I had to quit running when I was around 24-26 weeks pregnant. After that, I switched to the elliptical cross trainer as the impact to my bladder was less. Both of my labours were quick (4 hours). I strongly believe that my fitness level also contributed to my high pain tolerance which allowed me to deliver naturally without the use of any medical interventions. Yep, not even an epidural.

Running and exercising through pregnancy is possible, and also has many benefits to both mommy and baby. As with any exercise program, you will need to check with your doctor first as there are circumstances where exercise during pregnancy is contraindicated (ie: placenta previa, pre-term labour). You will need to tweak your program, even Paula reduced her training intensity. Given all of the benefits, I guess the real question is, can you afford not to continue running? Run on, my pregnant friends!

Photo credit: Clare & Dave

Recent Posts from my Blog:

• Less Than 4 Weeks until the Half Marathon…
• Longest Training Run in YEARS!
• Mom on the run is back!

During those first six months, I felt what only can be described as “foggy”. The sun would shine outside, but my soul wasn’t sunny. I felt no joy in anything. Getting dressed was a chore. Gross as this sounds, brushing my teeth was also a chore. I was so full of anxiety that I couldn’t sleep and there were times when I daydreamed that I would fall down the stairs and break my neck. I had fallen into a state of depression, only I didn’t realize it. I just thought this was the new reality, this is what being a mom was supposed to feel like.

I thought that when you’re depressed, you cry all the time. You know that you’re sad. What I didn’t realize is that any of these symptoms during and after pregnancy that lasts longer than two weeks is a sign of depression:

• Feeling restless or irritable
• Feeling sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed
• Crying a lot
• Having no energy or motivation
• Eating too little or too much
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Trouble focusing, remembering, or making decisions
• Feeling worthless and guilty
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Having headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations (the heart beating fast and feeling like it is skipping beats), or hyperventilation (fast and shallow breathing)

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Women’s Health Web site

I also didn’t realize that postpartum depression can happen anytime within the first year after childbirth. According to the Women’s Health site, “the difference between postpartum depression and the baby blues is that postpartum depression often affects a woman’s well-being and keeps her from functioning well for a longer period of time.” I was under the impression that it happens right away, and that doctors would recognize it while you are still in the hospital with the baby.

There are several causes of postpartum depression, including:

• Feeling tired after delivery: broken sleep patterns and not enough rest often keep a new mother from regaining her full strength for weeks.
• Feeling overwhelmed with a new, or another, baby to take care of and doubting your ability to be a good mother.
• Feeling stress from changes in work and home routines. Sometimes women think they have to be “super mom” or perfect, which is not realistic and can add stress.
• Having feelings of loss: loss of identity of who you are, or were, before having the baby, loss of control, loss of your pre-pregnancy figure, and feeling less attractive.
• Having less free time and less control over time. Having to stay home indoors for longer periods of time and having less time to spend with the your partner and loved ones.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Women’s Health Web site

Six months into my maternity leave, I saw a message on a local mommies’ message board. A new mom in my town was looking for someone to run with on Sunday mornings. I thought to myself, “hey I can commit to that”. Those Sundays with her were “sunny”. A month into our runs, I dusted off my treadmill and committed myself to running while my darling daughter napped. As a nursing mom, I started to notice an increase in milk supply. My active body made my mind happy. My happy mind had a positive effect on my milk supply. I felt like the “old” me, not the disheveled mommy I had become. That spring, I participated in the same 5K I ran the year before, only this time I did it while pushing my daughter in a jogging stroller (she slept, I ran). That race will forever be etched in my mind as one of my favorite runs and the day I realized that being a mom didn’t mean feeling “foggy” and “grey”.

As runners, the feeling of loss of identity can be a frequent contributor to depression. It’s hard to feel like the “old” you if you aren’t doing the things that help to define who you are. That is why returning to running and activity can be so important. Also, running and exercise release serotonin, the “feel good” brain chemical known for contributing to a range of functions, including sleep and wake cycles, libido, appetite, and mood. Along with changes in brain chemistry, there are other reasons exercise helps to make you feel good. The Better Health Channel Web site lists reasons like:

• The person experiences a boost to their self-esteem because they take an active role in their own recovery.
• Some forms of exercise, such as team sports, are also social events. (In many cases, running can also be a social event).
• Physical activity burns up stress chemicals, like adrenaline, which promotes a more relaxed state of mind.
• An enjoyable bout of exercise may be distracting enough to break the vicious cycle of pessimistic thinking.

Source: Better Health Channel Web site

A month ago, my aunt took her life after battling depression. Like me, she was an active person. She had suffered a serious injury that limited her activity and, as a result, she found herself constantly in the “fog”. I hope that this article will help someone, maybe motivate a new mom to resume her active lifestyle, or even motivate a new daddy. Remember daddies, depression can hit you too.

Recent Posts from this Author’s Blog

• Less Than 4 Weeks until the Half Marathon…
• Longest Training Run in YEARS!
• Mom on the run is back!

This is a truly remarkable event that celebrates women, women’s health and that is focused on raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you ever decide to train with TNT I highly recommend this race. It is beautiful and fun, raises money for a great cause and the ‘medal’ is a necklace from Tiffany. What more can you ask for in a race?

On the 25^th anniversary of that event, Moss was interviewed. Watch and listen to learn what drove her to keep pushing for the finish line when it looked like she was beyond “finished.”

Read more on Julie Moss in this article, “Back To Kona To Celebrate Her Defining Moment.”

(From www.ironmandvd.com/)

Even if you are a bit on the smaller side you don’t have to settle for a compression bra. This no-smush bra has the cross-over styling that supports and separates. It’s constructed with a blend of microfiber and Lycra, so it won’t retain moisture as you sweat. This sports bra is recommended for A cups or as an everyday bra for B cups. Sizes: 32, 34, 36, 38

Available online for $24.95 at Title Nine

Have you worn this bra? Why not rate it (one to five stars) and leave me a comment to let our readers know how it worked for you.

[ratings]

It’s almost summer. You know what that means: time for some good-looking running gear. And for women, that means running skirts. Yes, skirts: a trend that is only gaining steam. When I wrote a story about them last year, the skirts were still a novelty.

But since then, more and more women have found that skirts don’t ride up uncomfortably like shorts, they don’t chafe one’s waist, and they were much, much more flattering than any pair of running shorts on the market. And over the past year, more companies have offered their own versions.

I grabbed Athleta’s Beach Run Skort after running a race in which my shorts were so big (even though they were a women’s small) that they fairly ballooned around me. I road-tested the skort in a track workout and a local 3K race. When I ran quickly, the skort, which looks like a wrap-around skirt, partially flew open, revealing the white and loose-fitting shorts underneath. Just an FYI. But that’s so you can take big strides and kick it in hard while barreling to the finish line.

Pros: The skort is feather-light and has a relaxed fit, so it’s great for hot-weather running. Cute and wholesome and non-fussy in a “girl next door” way. Versatile, too. Perfect to run errands in or meet friends for an aprés-run weekend brunch. Comes in black, persimmon, eucalyptus, and two prints.

Cons: If you tighten the strings on the skort’s waistband, the garment bunches up unattractively. Also, the skort only has one small inner pocket, big enough just for a key. I tried to stuff a credit card inside too, to no avail.

Soon after I got the Athleta skort, Heather Langendorfer, Atalanta Athleticwear‘s CEO (and a two-time Ironman Triathlon finisher), sent me her company’s Commitment Skirt to try out. The skirt looks fast. It’s the beach skort’s sexier, more assertive, but also more practical cousin. The skirt comes in black or carbon gray, and the compression shorts in red, orange, turquoise or white. They are shorts that are meant to be seen.

Pros: Another reason why you may get admiring glances from other runners while wearing this skirt is because it’s an inch or so shorter than the beach skort. A good thing if you’re only 5’2″, like me. Or if you just want to show some leg. Also, Hallelujah, the skirt has two back mesh pockets. So handy. In one long run, they held one vanilla GU, my driver’s license, a credit card, my car key and a lip balm. All without bouncing around or making my butt look fat. The shorts are snug but not tight and eliminate “chub rub.”

Cons: Hmm. I’ve been trying to find a downside, but it’s been tough. At $54, they are more pricey than the Athleta skort, which runs from $44 to $49. But I’ve found myself reaching for the Atalanta skirt more often than not.

In ancient Greek mythology, Atalanta is the goddess of the hunt, travel, and adventure. According to lore, she would only marry a man who beat her in a footrace. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, helped one love-struck suitor, Hippomenes, by giving him three golden, magical apples. Each time Atalanta drew close to him in the race, he dropped one apple. Intrigued by its beauty, Aphrodite would slow down and pick it up.

In some versions, Hippomenes’ strategy so impressed Atalanta that she let him win. Maybe that’s the 21st century revisionist version. But no matter. The skirt, which has Atalanta Athleticwear’s logo of three apples along its hem, is a keeper—whether you let your significant other win the next race or not.

No one typifies this attitude better than Paula Radcliffe. Paula has been a world class runner since she was 19 years old and placed 7th in the World Championships. The very next year she suffered a foot injury and was sidelined for a year. Undaunted she worked again to place in the top 5 in the Worlds for several years in a row and then gained ground to become a World record holder and to qualify for the Olympic games in Athens in 2004.

Sadly, she suffered a leg injury in the weeks before the race and then developed GI issues in response to the anti-inflammatory drugs she was given. She is a champion though and nothing would keep her from the starting line. This video is about her bravery and her struggle in that race. Although the setback in this race was a bitter pill to swallow, swallow it she did and 3 months later went on to win the New York Marathon.

Her indomitable spirit and her will to fight to the finish is an inspiration and we wish her well as she trains for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

A few short years ago they were obscure. Reserved for “those” women. Do real runners even wear them?

Running skirts. Are they practical? What’s the point? Some women will say they are comfortable. Some wear them to look cute (what’s wrong with wanting to look cute while we run?). Whatever the reason, their popularity is exploding and runners from the front to the back of the back are putting them on. A few short years ago the choices were very limited and 4-5 years ago there was only one company (that I know of) selling running skirts. I was a skeptic. Now I have tried a few different brands and I rarely wear shorts anymore when I run. Skirt Sports even has a program called “Convert to Skirt” where they give you a deal on a new running skirt if you send them your old running shorts.

The popularity boon is to your benefit. If you are a running skirt convert or maybe just someone who wants to try running in a skirt, you now have a dozen options. Most of these skirts come with built in liners, compression shorts, or some variety of those.

Here is a fairly comprehensive list of current running skirt offerings:

Adidas
Supernova Running Skort $42

Atalanta Athleticwear
Commitment skirt $60

Golite
Calamity Jane Skirt $55

Hind
P.E. Skort $40

Moving Comfort
Hopkinton Skort $40

New Balance
Bonita Running Skirt $45

Nike
Nike Adventure Skirt$60

Running Skirts
Two styles – prices vary

Skirtsports
various styles (including for other sports) – prices vary

1928 - Women first allowed to compete in Olympic Track & Field events. Reports of fainting after the 800 meter final cause the event to be dropped until 1960.

1936 - Two women enter the 13-mile uphill Pike’s Peak race.

1959 - Arlene Pieper runs the full 26-mile Pike’s Peak up-and-down course in 9:16.

1966 – Roberta Gibb “unofficially” runs the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:21:40.

1967 – Kathrine Switzer runs the Boston Marathon with an “official” number.

1970 - The Road Runners Club of America holds first championship marathon for women (won by Sara Mae Berman in 3:07:10).

1971 – Adrienne Beames becomes the first woman to run a marathon in under 3 hours with a time of 2:46:30.

1971 - Boston & New York City marathons officially open for women.

1972 - U.S. Congress passes Title IX prohibiting gender based discrimination in federally funded programs.

1977 - Lisa Lindahl and Hinda Miller create world’s first sports bra created by combining two male athletic supporters and a bit of thread

http://www.health.com/health/article/0,23414,1065977,00.html

1984 - Women’s marathon added to Olympic Games and won by American Joan Benoit Samuelson in 2:24:52.

2003 – Pam Reed draws attention to women in ultra running by becoming the overall winner in the 135-mile Badwater Ultra Marathon.

For More Info

Interested in more history about women’s running? Try these sources for starters:

• “Desert Diva: Pam Reed’s Run into the Record Books,” Running Times, December 2003.
• Women Walkers & Runners: A Timeline, from Run the Planet.
• “History of Women’s Distance Running,” from Run Like a Girl.