With just a couple of weeks left in my first trimester I'm starting to research if and how I need to adjust my workouts, particularly CrossFit, for the remainder of the pregnancy. Of course the main priority is to not inadvertently harm the baby -- that's a given -- but I want to know how hard it's OK to push myself in the coming months.
CrossFit is definitely intense, but by the time I found out I was pregnant my body was already well-adjusted to doing it several times a week, plus running two or three times a week. I wrote earlier that my doctor told me it was fine to keep doing what I've been doing, but I know I'll have to tweak some things as the baby and my stomach grow.
I should probably stop doing crunches sometime soon, for example. I think you're supposed to stay off your back in the second and third trimesters. And I know you're not supposed to lift a lot of weights, but I already skip the CrossFit days (Tuesday and Thursday) that focus on weightlifting, just because I don't want to build bulk and don't care about increasing my maxes. Also, eventually I might need to modify the workouts that involve jumping -- do step-ups instead of tire jumps, etc.
Carrie's doctor told her to stop doing ab workouts pretty early on in her pregnancy -- around week 12, I think. Not only for the baby's health but because Carrie's ab muscles would be distorted if they kept growing while the baby bump grew. Carrie, I need you to refresh me on all that.
I want to keep doing as much as I can, and just to be clear, my weight isn't the issue. I'm definitely not trying to be a psycho workout pregnant girl, and I have no problem gaining however much weight my body needs to. I just want to stay as healthy as possible. Exercise is good for me and for the baby, and working out gives me more energy every day.
I keep coming across references to this site, but I don't think it says much that isn't common sense. I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and I'm going to talk to him about all this, but CrossFit is pretty obscure so I don't know how helpful he'll be.
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The other night an athletic friend of mine who's pregnant said she was told not to let her heart rate go above 140 bpm (which I also see on the CrossFit site you linked to). She was relieved to talk to a midwife who encouraged her to ignore that advice and simply listen to her own body!
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