When I was eight months pregnant, I ran eight miles. In part, it was to prove that I could and to counter those who had told me pregnancy would limit my athletic abilities.
But mostly it was for myself – show up in a time of great change. To say out into the void “I can still be me, despite the monumental presence of a new team member”.
In fact, I ran five days a week until I was 37 weeks pregnant.
I would have ran up until the day I delivered had I not thrown my back out…on a run, of course, which is all to say I pushed it too far.
The old adage that you know your body best is particularly true when pregnant. Had I been listening, I would have stopped running at 35 weeks, when my hip started clicking and all my limbs felt a little weird. Listening to my limitations is not my strong suit.
But when I ran 8 miles at 8 months, I felt great. Victorious, really. This post is not to encourage others to do that, but to say you can be an athlete, while pregnant. An athlete, while a mother. A “fill in the blank”, while a mother.
I do want to share what enabled me to run eight miles at eight months. None of this knowledge is scientific. I am not a professional. It’s some of the advice and solidarity I looked for when I was pregnant.
- Find a doctor who you feel yourself with. I love, love, love my doctor. A mountain recreationist herself, she told me what was absolutely off limits (now was not the time to learn downhill skiing) and then empowered me to listen to my body otherwise. Being empowered while pregnant should be first and foremost.
- Patagonia’s Worn Wear. What?? Worn Wear, again? Yes! And I swear by it in this instance, especially. Technical outdoor maternity gear is hard to come by. You also only use it for 10 months so investing heavily doesn’t make sense. Enter Worn Wear, where I just bought all my usual running clothes in bigger sizes. I still wear the running jacket I bought while pregnant. It’s warm and perfect for layering.
- The belly band. I received Baobei ProBump Support Band as a hand me down and ran in it my whole pregnancy.
- Yoga. I became committed to yoga, while pregnant. Yoga with Adrienne is my favorite at home practice. She has a series for pregnant women, but I found myself modifying her regular videos based on my doctor’s advice like avoiding lying on my back or belly.
- Remember you are a badass. You really are. Pregnancy is a heroic act. All your athletic pursuits are badass, when pregnant. Celebrate that long walk. Celebrate that extra cupcake you ate. Celebrate getting off the couch.
