Run Well Juliet McGrattan (microsoft ebook reader TXT) 📖

contact from the speculum or the swab used to take the sample of cells. This sensitivity can trigger a drop in blood pressure. Again, this is usually short-lived, but you may need a little time to lie or sit and recover slowly. If this happens, particularly if you faint, then you would be better to postpone the run until later in the day when you’ve had something to eat and drink and are back to your normal self.

Q Should I stop running while I try to get pregnant?

A No. This is a perfect time for you to optimise your health. Regular exercise is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. It will help you to maintain your weight and we know that many of the risks of pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes (diabetes of pregnancy) and pre-eclampsia (potentially dangerous high blood pressure in pregnancy), are related to being overweight or obese. Being obese can make it harder to get pregnant too. There’s no evidence that the high impact nature of running will reduce your risk of conceiving or increase your risk of miscarriage. You need to be having regular periods to conceive and sometimes women who are over-training and/or under-fuelling may have amenorrhoea (an absence of periods). You should be assessed by a specialist if this is the case for you. You will probably be advised to stop or reduce your running for your periods to return.

Getting pregnant can take time, especially as you get older – 18 per cent of couples age 35 to 39 having regular sex haven’t conceived after a year of trying. This can be upsetting and the stress-relieving benefits of running can be very useful. Don’t forget to maximise your nutrition and take a daily supplement of folic acid while you are trying to get pregnant and until you are 12 weeks pregnant. This will help the early development of your baby’s spinal cord and nervous system.

Did you know?

Approximately one in eight pregnancies will end in miscarriage. This figure only includes women who knew they were pregnant. Many miscarriages happen without women knowing they were pregnant, so the number is almost certainly higher. The cause is not usually identified.

Q How soon can I run after a miscarriage?

A A miscarriage can be an emotional experience and spending time running, solo or with friends, can be very helpful as a coping mechanism. You can generally go for a run as soon as you feel able to, but there are a few things to bear in mind. It’s normal to bleed after a miscarriage and this can continue for up to three to four weeks. Blood loss should gradually get lighter over this time, but sometimes running can make it a little heavier or seem to make it restart when it had previously stopped. Take things slowly and see how you feel. If your bleeding has been heavy or prolonged, then there is a risk that you may be anaemic. This means you have low levels of red blood cells (see here) and as well as feeling very tired you may feel weak, dizzy and breathless on exertion. In this situation it’s definitely best to take a few weeks to recover and then restart running very gradually. Very occasionally you can develop an infection after a miscarriage. If you notice your blood loss or discharge is smelly or discoloured, you have increasing abdominal pain or tenderness, or feel sick or shivery, then you may have an infection. Running is not a good idea if you have any of these symptoms and it’s important to see your doctor.

Real-life runners

Running after a miscarriage taught me to love my body again and feel proud of what it could achieve at a time when I felt that it had let me down so completely. With each mile I grew stronger, both physically and emotionally.

Nat Scroggie, runner and vet

Q Is running in pregnancy safe? I don’t want to stop.

A If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, then there is no need for you to stop running unless you want to. There are a few situations where running is dangerous, such as placenta praevia (where the placenta sits right over the cervical opening), early rupture of membranes and recurrent bleeding in the second or third trimester. In these and other complicated pregnancies, and if you have any doubts or concerns about the safety of running for you, then specialist advice is needed. Thankfully, for the majority of women running is safe and beneficial to both mother and baby. Regular exercise – and that includes running – can help to improve and maintain your physical fitness, which is important for labour. It can also help to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, lower the risk of gestational diabetes, and help you to feel mentally and physically well during your pregnancy.

Breasts grow and can become tender, so you will probably need a new sports bra at least once during your pregnancy. You might find your feet grow too! It’s important to keep well hydrated, adequately fuelled and to listen to your body. If you keep your exercise to a moderate intensity, where you can talk while you’re running, and to sessions of up to 45 minutes, then you don’t need to worry about over-exerting yourself. Warm up well, take breaks and stop when you need to. Stop running and get advice from your midwife or doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Abdominal pain.

• Vaginal bleeding.

• Fluid leaking from your vagina.

• Painful, regular contractions

• Chest pain.

• Dizziness.

• Headache.

• Calf pain or swelling.

A few women run right up to their delivery date, but others find that running becomes difficult and prefer other lower-impact activities such as swimming in the later months. You might find that your growing bump becomes uncomfortable, that running makes indigestion worse or that you lose your sense of balance. Whatever your reason to stop running (and it can be frustrating if you are