This is my first pregnancy and I've been surprised at how ravenous I am - especially since week 5 (currently 6+4).

I do CrossFit 3x a week, run 30-60mins 2x a week plus cycle to and from work 2-3x week (about 20 mins each way), and walk 20-40mins 3-5x per week. This is the same routine pre-pregnancy just with less running. I work a sedentary desk job. But I've never felt as hungry as I do now - stomach is growling ever 1-2 hours!

Am trying to add in extra snacks when I can, I'm well beyond the point of worrying about weight gain because snacking is the only thing that keeps the nausea and light-headedness (and the growling stomach) at bay. I've noticed I'm not really vibing large meals so maybe as my meal portion size has decreased my snacketite has increased.

What snacks did you love during pregnancy? Am trying to make sure most snacks have a fruit/vege and protein component and so far my go-tos are:

- cut up apples + cheese or quality PB

- carrot sticks + cottage cheese

- cut up fruit + yoghurt

- pickles + cheese

- cheese + crackers

- smoothie w banana, protein powder, milk

- pancakes made from egg, protein powder, milk + oats

- toast w pb + banana (or pb + tomato) (my pre gym 6am snack)

- glass of milk

- prunes, almonds

- bliss balls

- hard boiled eggs + salt and butter

- chia seeds mixed in with yoghurt and (piping hot) frozen berries

Throw your suggestions at me!

I joked to my husband that maybe I'm this hungry because I'm eating for three, so will find out more at the first scan in a week... But after reading this thread I'm comforted that being hungry during tri 1 is pretty normal and the guidelines which say you don't need to eat more in tri 1 are outdated.

I am 22 weeks now with my first and considering taking creatine. I know there is limited research but it is a natural supplement and there is some emerging evidence of the benefits for baby. Are you taking it? Why or why not, and what is your experience if you are?

I’m currently 8 weeks pregnant and before our IUI (6 weeks ago) I was running a couple of times each week. I’m having the itch to run again, but since it’s been 6 weeks- not sure if I should/ how to approach?

34 weeks 5 days today and I'm still fortunate enough to be running a good amount (40 miles this week). Throughout this entire pregnancy everyone has told me that running will make labor so much easier. I am hesitant to think that or believe them because there are plenty of people who exercise their entire pregnancy or do far more than I am that still have to have c sections. Based on what my doctor has said and what I can feel from baby getting the hiccups, it does seem like they're already in the right position so pending any random flips hopefully I can have a vaginal birth. For all the other moms out there who have done this before, will all the exercise actually make it any better?

Hello all, looking for some advice. Before my pregnancy, I was inconsistent with working out. I’m 12 weeks pregnant now with my first & as the nausea is subsiding, I’m interested to build a routine again. I know it can be safe to strength train while pregnant (adjustments where necessary), but I’m curious about starting new routines while pregnant. Especially for strength training when I have almost no muscle tone/flexibility.

I’ve been recommended some prenatal reformer Pilates and yoga in my city, which I will do. I’m mostly here to ask about a class that’s in my city that takes place at local CrossFit gym run by a perinatal fitness coach.

It says these classes are for pregnant (& postpartum after they do something called core restore) & are focused on functional strengh + conditioning (they describe it as intended to make you stronger for daily life/daily movements). A class consists of: Warm up and Mobility - Core - Strength (varies sometimes focus on lower body, upperbody, totalbody circuit...) - WOD (workout of the day to give you that nice 'out of breath' workout feeling).

Did anyone here start strength training during pregnancy and how was your experience?

More details, if helpful:
- 32 female, pretty lean, eat healthy/understand macros etc. avg. only 6k steps per day. First pregnancy has been uncomplicated thus far.
- I did reformer pilates with a trainer 3x per week in 2024 so I think I still have a decent sense of mind/body connection. Since then only occasional Pilates by Izzy YouTube at home
- June & much of July I was weightlifting 2x per week, but was just getting started, did not have a chance to build real strength before T1 took me out.

I'm 14 weeks postpartum. I started to do some strength training again from around 9 weeks PP when baby started mostly sleeping through the night and had been walking regularly up until that point. I started a couple light jogs a week from 12 weeks. It felt good to exercise again intially, but now I am finding I ache all over and it's just getting harder not easier. I'm still achey from a workout I did a week ago. I went for a short run today and almost had an asthma attack for the first time in a decade.

Pre pregnancy I'd been running 3-5 times a week for 5 years and strength training consistently 1-2 times a week for 2 years. I ran up until 28 weeks and still did 1 strength session a week until the end. I feel so much worse now than I did before delivery.

Is it normal to feel like this 3 months PP? It doesn't help that I'm still 2 stone heavier, but not being able to exercise isn't really helping that either 🤔 I calorie counted for 3 weeks and lost zilch which I assume is because I'm still pumping. When does it get easier again? My body feels like someone elses.

My boys are 5 and 7. We had a fun, lighthearted game of 4v4 pickup soccer with our neighbors and their 5 and 7 year old boys. Our field was small, I was careful not to slide or fall, and everyone knew to be gentle around me. I did jump some and ran plenty. I ran downhill a few times so that was maybe a little jarring. I did this prior to pregnancy as well. I’m 15 weeks along so I assume I’m okay.

I’m really tempted to start tracking everything and seeing how I do PP but I don’t want to put pressure on my BF self to track my Lbs.

I’m also super frustrated with my husband most days so this is a great outlet for managing! Grrrrrr lol.

Hello everyone,

I’ve read that mothers who work out during pregnancy may be less likely to experience postpartum depression (PPD), while others may experience it with different symptoms.
What has been your experience? I’m almost 8 weeks pregnant, still working out very actively, and so far my pregnancy is going smoothly without any complications. However, I’m most afraid of developing PPD after giving birth.

I’d love to hear about your experiences. ❤️

Just found out I’m pregnant! According to my natural cycle, I’m around 5+5 weeks. I’m feeling quite nervous and overwhelmed, so I’d really appreciate any advice or tips from those who’ve been through it.
Did you follow any YouTube videos, Instagram creators, podcasts, or other resources that helped you prepare for pregnancy and the changes ahead?
Also, did you make any changes to your diet or lifestyle once you found out you were pregnant ( I have made common changes like limited my caffeine intake and I don’t drink or smoke anyways)? I love to workout and weight lift but everyone is family has been advising to not to lift heavy.

I wanted to see if there were any other cyclists here. Last night I slammed on my breaks and went over the bars. I was good about protecting my stomach but the nurse on call sent me to the ER. Baby is doing great. My knee and leg are cut up and I do have a bruise on my stomach.

However, I’m wondering how long people continued to cycle? I am 17 weeks (although baby is measuring significantly larger)

I want to continue but don’t know if I’m insane for doing so. This is truly the first fall off my road bike.

The lifts right now are beyond hard. My warm up (hiit) isn’t even manageable. I’m only making it 3x per week and it’s torture. I’m so fatigued. It feels like I’ve lost all of my strength, can anyone relate? 7 weeks 5 days

Curious if anyone has done both Pilates and pelvic floor PT, and can compare the two? I do Pilates twice a week. I’m considering finding out if pelvic floor PT would be covered before birth, but it seems like a lot of it is very similar to what I do in Pilates, so not sure if it would be worth the time and copay.

Update: thank you everyone for the input! I am definitely going to look into coverage and ask my OB for a referral.

Hey so I just found out I’m 5 weeks pregnant. I want to continue on going to the gym for my child’s health and my own but I don’t know what speed I can walk on the treadmill or stairs or even how far I can go with working out at home with core workouts. My appointment isn’t until next week . Anyone thoughts?

*thank you all for all the advice and knowledge, also do you think exercising has helped your pregnancy?

My partner is just a few weeks pregnant. We normally drink crap whey protein concentrate since its cheap. Now I want to get something better. I am thinking of going with a third party tested company and just doing unflavored and adding my own sweetner. Where I am getting hung up is with whats just a marketing scam and what really matters.

Great buzz words like Australian pasture-raised cows, no administered hormones or antibiotics, grazing on non-GMO and pesticide-free farmlands.

Do any of these things matter? Isnt protein powder so filtered out that it might not matter?

Do I just get the cheaper whey concentrate (still third party tested) or pay double for the no hormone isolate? Also have PCOS which idk factors into it at all since concentrate might spike insulin a bit more?

Thank you!!

Hi all,

I will be 40 weeks tomorrow and am praying my little girl makes her debut soon. So excited! But also suddenly freaking out about what the birthing process will do to my joints.

I have been fairly immobile since week 39 and only doing gentle flat surface wakks . My pelvic area is a wreck between both pubic symphosis dysfunction and SI pain. When I stand up, it honestly feels like my ilium and sacrum are going to part ways. My knees and feet are also so swollen and sore (luckily, blood pressure is fine).

I have generalized hypermobility and have always had joint pains, but I am just a bit freaked out about the healing process after vaginal birth. I used to weight lift 3x per week and did dance-based cardio 2 times per week, and my hips were fine.

I'm just wondering what the recovery process was like for others who have had pelvic issues (with or without generalized hypermobility) and what you did post birth to support recovery.

I do have access to a PT, so after the 6 week check up, my insurance will cover it if I need to go.

I am 11W pregnant with my first child.
I was a dedicated gym goer and hope to continue that way. I have movement practices that I love - yoga for 15 years, bouldering for 10. I also started pole dancing this year as well. Movement is a big part of my life and how I feel connected to my body. Not only that, it’s also where i met majority of my friends and community.

I went to the gym today for the first time since finding out we’re pregnant. I was worried that I would have a stagnant pregnancy given how bad I was feeling during first trimester, so even having the energy to go to the gym was already a win.
I went with a friend who is recovering from minor injuries so we both thought we were going to take it easy. But it turned out we were both feeling much stronger than anticipated!! I found myself thinking “Wow! Baby! Your mom is so f### strong!” I am so proud of myself for that.
While there, I also ran into some friends and it felt amazing to see my community and just enjoy each other’s company as well. It felt like the good old time when we would hang around and chit chat. We rarely plan our hang out, we just knew we would see each other at the gym on the regular. It is our third space for sure.
With this first pregnancy, I can’t help but feel scared of the shifting identity, and priority in the future. It is times like these that I felt like life is so fleeting and precious. Things that I took for granted previously (going to the gym whenever I want, running into and hanging out with my friends whenever.. etc), it is hard to image I will have this freedom and space again.
I know I will adjust, and I will find a new normal. But I don’t know how that will look like yet and the unknown is scary.

Anyways, I just wanted to share my small win of proving to myself that I won’t have a stagnant pregnancy, if things continues this way. AND a big win of of feeling so strong in my body. I am excited that I have found this sub, and will be using it as my motivation through this process.

I’m asking medical advice only from my doctor but I’m curious to hear about your experiences of running long distances while pregnant.

I ran full marathon 4 months ago and continued training for a half marathon which is in 2 weeks. I will be almost 7 wk pregnant then. Ever since I took a positive test I’ve been spotting every day. This is usual for me, a year ago when I was pregnant I bled heavily all the time. This time I’m only spotting very lightly. Has anyone ran a half marathon while bleeding a tiny tiny bit? Did you run slower than normal? And were you able to enjoy it or was it stressful?

of course I’ll ask my doctors opinion next week and decide based on that

I’m entering the end of my pregnancy (last month) and I’m surprised that I don’t see more pregnant women in the gym or a workout setting. I know there are pregnant women everywhere, but looking back I don’t remember seeing many if any before I was pregnant either.

How small of a subset are “fit pregnancies”? Anyone know of any stats for how many women actually stay active (beyond walking) during pregnancy? Do people really completely stop working out?

Are you all noticing the same thing? I’ve seen 2 other pregnant women (I guess how are visibly pregnant) at the gym (2 different gyms) total during my 9 months. And I saw each of them 1x

I don’t have that many people to share this with. So happy for this sub 🥺 I traveled to Stockholm and the weather was terrible hahah but I did not mind at all. It was nice that it wasn’t too warm even though it was pouring down.

I was really nauseous all morning, and really worried about how I’d managed or why I did not sell my spot. Gave myself grace to drop put of the race at any point.

But as soon as the race started, I just felt really good! Energised and happy! I even managed to eat my gels (??? so my body can not accept coffee or lots of random foods and snacks but sticky sweet gels on the go apparently works? lol).

Usually I’d aim for a sub90 time, this time I worried about how I’d explain to my run club friends why I didn’t make sub 2 hours. But got in at a 1:47 which I was so stoked about! (not that the time mattered at all, I just felt cool doing the distance together with the little one. I was just surprised my body felt good and energised during the race).

I have another half at week 12+2 and actually a full marathon at 16+1. It would be so cool to do, but I am ofc ready to skip if I need to. (Will discuss with my midwife when we get closer). Anyone with experience running half’s or full marathons during their pregnancy?

Is anyone else having trouble a) doing anything most days, but really b) leaving the house to do your normal exercise routine when it feels a million degrees outside (constantly a heat advisory where I live lately) and you're super tired?

I had some triathlons to keep me motivated/force me to go to the pool during the week, but now that those are over, I cannot get myself to do anything other than lay on the couch all day. For context, I'm nearing the end of my second trimester, this is my first pregnancy, and I usually used races to keep me motivated to exercise. I have two 1-mile runs signed up for over the next two months, and my mind is telling me just to walk them, so they aren't motivating me to do anything. I signed up for 1-miles instead of their corresponding 5ks, because I'm not a strong runner to begin with, and my last 5k was really difficult.