At the beginning of the third trimester I felt great cycling during pregnancy sometimes even managing 20-25 miles a day. But at 34 weeks my mind and body gave me some subtle and not so subtle hints that I might be done. So… I’ve hung up the road and mountain bike until after birth. I’m still leaving the cruiser handy as it just seems silly to not bike to the post office or other errands under a mile. I’m sure that could also change in the next few weeks.
If you missed the first trimester tips you can find them here and second trimester tips here. Below are a few more tips based on what you may be experiencing in this last trimester.
I was feeling so good last month, what’s up with my lack of energy?
Your second trimester may have brought an increase in energy, unfortunately that may come to an end now as you and your baby are getting bigger every week. Now is a good time to adjust your expectations and how you approach riding. Don’t try to maintain old paces, routes, or mileage. You may even need to abandon your road or mountain bike for something a little more upright.
Can I keep riding?
Yes! It probably won’t feel as enjoyable, but as long as your pregnancy is progressing along normally and you are being careful you can continue. The exercise benefits are still great for you and your baby. It’s also okay to stop riding altogether and do something else or just rest. The fact that you have kept on riding up to this point is wonderful!
What about my balance?
If your balance starts to be ‘off’ then stay off the bike. I know some women loose their balance almost immediately while others can go well into the third trimester with no issues. I feel that because I am tall my baby bump gets in the way a little less than if I were shorter but I have no scientific evidence to back that up.
I have leg cramps!
I have been getting some serious leg cramps during my third trimester. Although they mostly occur at night, trying to put on cycling shoes and clip in does sometimes trigger more cramps. You can try warming up the muscles that cramp prior to riding. Stretch the area whenever you get a chance during the day and rotate your foot when you are sitting. Drink extra water and add in an electrolyte drink to get in some extra calcium and potassium. I like Skratch Labs Daily Mix. You also can’t go wrong with a banana.
I’m having a hard time breathing!
With the baby growing so fast and taking up so much room, your lung’s space is getting cramped. If you ever find yourself struggling for air, stop what you are doing. Remember that if you can’t get in oxygen, neither can your baby.
It’s getting hot…
It’s important throughout your pregnancy to avoid becoming overheated. Always ride with a drink and at cooler times of the day. Or ride inside on a trainer. It seems like I’m always hots and sweating in my third trimester. You don’t want to raise your core temperature too much as it puts your baby at risk.
Remember, every pregnancy and every person is different. Listen to your mind and body to do what’s best for you and your baby! Maybe that is cycling during pregnancy or maybe it’s hanging up the bike until after the baby arrives.
You know, when I was pregnant I had a lot of terrible leg cramps too. The dr.’s all said it was dehydration, but I was so swollen from carrying around water, I found that difficult to understand. When I looked up scientific articles on muscle cramps, most physiologists blame them on lack of oxygen to the muscles. This is why you get them while exercising or sleeping (when your breathing is very light). I know during my pregnancy I was terribly anemic, and it makes more sense to me that my muscles were cramping from lack of hemoglobin than lack of water. So my suggestion to pregnant women with cramps is to get tested for anemia, and up your iron in-take. Electrolytes just made me swell more. If I was doing this all again, I would avoid bananas like the plague.
Great advise! I haven’t heard any of that before. It seems most baby sites all have the same old information and Drs. aren’t always much better.
[…] a hiatus, but I loved reading all the stories and am currently enjoying the trimester-by-trimester Common Pregnancy Questions on Velo Mom. My “babies” are now 7 and 4.75 (with no more planned) so my cycling while pregnant […]