dancers/athletes/heavy exercisers?

[Bloomingstar]

is anyone around here a dancer or athlete or heavy exerciser and trying to keep up and keep quie about your pregnancy for now?

I'm a dancer and haven't told anyone in my company yet (except DH, who is one of our musicians, and my very close friend who looked at me real hard and figured it out a couple days ago. He noticed that my generally hard abs were mysteriously replaced by a little belly that wasn't there a couple weeks ago. I'm now wearing big t-shirts in rehearsal so no one else will catch on). I also don't want to tell them but I feel like hell warmed over. I had to sit out and stick my head out the window a couple times tonight to get some air!

I am not sure if it's that I eat too close to the time I start dancing, or if I just feel like hell anyway...and it's only been 2 days of rehearsal! I dance with an afro-caribbean company so we do a lot of fast paced things. Our season show is June 21st and I really am just not sure I am gonna make it through til then. I just can't keep feeling like this : and I also don't want to bail because I'd like to keep some semblance of physical activity in my life during this pregnancy but I really feel absolutely wretched. There is one woman in the company (we are of varying ages and I am actually the only "childless woman" in the company) who I trust and who has 5 kids and she danced through all of her pregnancies. I may just sit her down and have a heart to heart next week. My midwife said I can dance as long as I don't feel strained. And I don't feel stained or even exhausted, it's just the nausea that's just too much for me right now.

[Prism]

Wow, blooimgstar, you are living my "dream life" haha.
I can't imagine how you are doing all that! You rock!
I am having a hard time hiding the nausea, gagging from my MIL
who is staying with us for a week, so I feel that pain.
But you would've had to have caught me about 15 years ago to fit
into the "dancer/athlete/heavy exersizer" category!

[ruthmg]

Listen to your body! I go the gym 3x a week (heavy weights, cardio, etc) and I've decided that I'm dropping my weights by a significant margin so I still have the lifting, but it isn't straining. And I'm doing walking, biking and elliptical instead of stairmaster and elliptical. Of course, I'm overweight, and not in the best of shape, but I always tell the trainers at the gym that I have a lot of muscle underneath the fat!

Yesterday I decided to use the bicycle at the gym and skip weights because my body felt different. So I would just listen! Of course, you have the responsibility to your troupe, so maybe pull back for a little bit? I don't know! Sorry - not much help in the early morning ramble...

[Bloomingstar]

thanks you guys--you did help. I think I really do need to listen to my body more and pull back a bit. And also experiment with when to eat before starting rehearsals or performances. I should also add that I dance after work--I have a full time job--so I have a lot going on and maybe need to cut down on some of it. I want to make sure I don't do anything too crazy, especially so early on.

[KatyLinda]

I think that there is a fine line between giving up too much and doing too much I've been fearful of exercise up to this point, but I've been walking 2 miles around the neighborhood with my friend. I am going to go back to the gym tonight, but I am going to be cautious of how much ab work I do at this point. I am excited to hit the elyptical and lift some weights though...I think I need it!

[mom2annika]

You rock, Bloomingstar! I can't even keep up with my fitness yoga class. I had to leave in the middle to run for the ladies'. Plus my belching was not very zen. I just can't help it!

What would your company do if someone got sick? Are there understudies? I can understand not wanting to give up your role. Maybe you could buy yourself some time by implying you've got the stomach flu or something. Maybe it would be enough of a break to get you through the worst of the morning sickness.

GL!

[ainh]

I'm a rock climber and last pregnancy I basically stopped as soon as I found out I was pregnant. This time I thought I would keep climbing. But, similarly to you, I don't really want to tell everyone at the gym that I'm expected yet, so I just haven't been going (well...then I got strep throat and scarlet fever and morning sickness is starting...all conspiring against my good intentions).

[quietserena]

As the pregnancy keeps going, you'll start to feel better. It's hard to believe but really, the second trimester is amazing for that!

I can't advise beyond that because i'm not a dancer or an athlete but I thought I'd give you some hope.

[Bloomingstar]

Thanks serena!

I made it through 3 out of 4 performances (one more on Tuesday) and everything was fine. I guess it's probably because the actual performances were only about 10 minutes but the rehearsals are 2 or 3 hours. But everything was ok, so I feel a bit relieved

[quietserena]

You can do it! *\o/*

I don't know how I'd keep it to myself if I were doing the same thing as you. I'm taking the 'can't do that, pregnant' excuse with DH already.

[Bloomingstar]

heehee. love the cheer thing

I'm actually taking the week off from rehearsal because I have such a wretched cough/congestion thing going on. And my director just looked at me last week in rehearsal and over the weekend declared that I was pregnant because I am just looking "rosy." ha! I didn't really answer him then (blamed it on starting to eat meat again--it's been over a year, that excuse is so old) but I just told him he was right yesterday. Then someone else told me that I was putting on weight and I had to stop but I think she just has her own issues to sort out. Anyways, I made it through 3 out of 4 shows (I ditched the one earlier this week) and will try out rehearsal again next week. I feel ok with that, and I'll just take it day by day I guess. And since it is apparently a glaring fact that I am pregnant to everyone, somehow, I guess that won't be an issue either. They're too damned observant for anyone's good!

[racidoodle]

i'm training for a 10-mile run. i've only been running for about 3 months, but i'd really like to run the race i'm training for in august.
we'll see how it goes, but i haven't noticed any real difference in my running yet. i'm not telling any of my running friends, though. i don't want them to worry for me or give me "helpful advice" quite yet!

[RunnerMommy]

Wow Bloomingstar- you rock! I agree with the pp's- just listen to your body and do what feels right. And it WILL get better in a few weeks . Does it feel less stressful now that you have told your director?

I really enjoy running (just ran a marathon two weeks ago) and plan to continue running throughout this pregnancy. Im taking a recovery break from the marathon, but hope to get back into training soon and maybe do a half in the fall. I ran almost all through my pg with DS and I really think it helped me feel better esp in the first trimester. If I just made myself get out there for about 30 mins I had so much more energy. And I think it helped with m/s too. Around 12 wks I started to feel a lot better and was able to do a lot of exercise during my second tri. Good luck! Keep us updated on your progress!

[anonymousk]

I have a small modern company and we also dance after work. The first trimester totally kicked my a**, but luckily I was able to just choreograph, although I was on bed rest . We had been doing infertility treatments so everyone knew pretty much right away. Three months later, another dancer announced that she was expecting, and she told us right away also she was having a lot of issues with her hyperlax ligaments and we've both been at PT for months now. She also had pretty serious nausea and was dancing full out for our March performance so we would sometimes need to stop rehearsals so she could puke. This is her second and she is able to dance much more with this pregnancy than her first. The way our company is structured it's pretty easy for us to cut back if we need to, but we are both dancing tonight (me at 33 weeks, her at 19 weeks) and were able to choreograph things around our bellies. We've both been trying to take it project by project. Tonight is my last show until after I deliver and I do think it's time, but I'm hoping it isn't too long until I get back out on stage.

Merde, mama!

[Bloomingstar]

hi Anonymousk

merde to you too!

that's kinda funny, kinda miserable, about the other woman in your company stopping rehearsal to puke hehe but it gives me hope that I'll make it through this I'll be back in rehearsal next week. I've had a cold all this week so I just stayed away. I feel a little better now that my director knows but I still really am hoping everyone else will just mind their business! : seems highly unlikely.

and racidoodle and RunnerMommy you guys are amazing! I can't even imagine running that much when not pregnant,

[andbabymakes4]

Me here! I am planning on keeping up my 5 day a week exercise routine for now, but I will be listening to my body also. I sculpt 2-3 days a week and the rest is cardio, I am on a running training regimen 3 days a week and will be running a 5K in June.

[ruthmg]

I remember reading about a professional marathon runner who ran up until the day before labor (!) and starting running again 9 days later. Clearly, she is in a class of her own, but if your body is used to something, you can keep doing it, as long as your body feels okay (although there are some yoga postures to avoid).

[quietserena]

Ok, can someone explain to me how you run with a big belly? It just sounds... painful!

[ommom]

hi all

thanks for starting this thread bloomingstar; it's been interesting.

i'm a longtime ashtanga yogini and at first i was nervous to practice. then the fear passed and i've been slowing it down & listening to my body but more practicing in service to both of us now. like i'll think: 'here we go! a gentle back roll!'

maybe the baby will enjoy play & motion.

om mom

[Bloomingstar]

Originally Posted by quietserena

Ok, can someone explain to me how you run with a big belly? It just sounds... painful!

yeah, I dunno how she managed that!

I am also thinking about checking out a prenatal yoga class. My midwife recommends it and it'd be nice to meet other pregnant women. I've always been interested in yoga but have never tried it our with any consistency.

I went back to rehearsal last night and all was well! No nausea and I wasn't too tired afterwards. And I think I'll get more of a rest than I typically would in our season show in June, which I am excited about.