I used to have very healthy habits, like eating well and exercising daily, and, as a consequence, was quite fit. Over the last couple of years, life got crazy, and I shifted my focus to other priorities. Now, I am really missing my health and slowly working my way back into a consistently healthy lifestyle. At the same time, my SO and I have decided to start TTC sometime this year. I just got a raise at work, so we are feeling very secure, but I would really like to get back in shape before we start trying. Is it crazy to want to lose weight before getting pregnant? I would love to have an established fitness routine going so I could keep moving during the pregnancy, and I think being as healthy as possible before carrying a child would make it easier on my body and healthier for the baby. What are your thoughts on this? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you have any experience in this area?
All the available studies say that having a BMI between 18.5 and 25 gives you better chances of higher fertility compared to underweight or overweight or obese BMIs. I read one study that specifically said that fertility rates were highest between 20 and 22.5 BMI (you need some healthy fat to maintain great fertility). That’s what I aimed for when I was pre-TTC.
Epigenetics research now shows that your activity level during pregnancy changes the expression of your child’s DNA as it relates to their adult BMI, metabolism, and health risks. Having an established workout routine going into pregnancy is the easiest way to keep going when you’re pregnant.
Losing a little weight around your midsection, on your hips, thighs, and breasts will actually give you more room to expand without stretch marks during pregnancy. If you’re talking about a time frame like yours, your skin elasticity will remain while you lose the weight and then your baby bump will have a little more room to grow back again in a few months without stretching too quickly.
Without invasive personal info about your specific situation, I can say unequivocally it’s a great idea to get fit before TTC. If you have any underlying health issues, losing even a little weight and upping your activity will likely only help any symptoms you may experience. Losing a little weight (provided you aren’t underweight) will only be a good thing, and getting back into the habits of eating well and exercising regularly will only help you in pregnancy and beyond and also has the ability to help get your baby off on the best start to adulthood! Go for it!
I say definitely eat healthy and have an exercise routine. The more active you are during pregnancy it makes labor and delivery easier, is what I’ve been told.
Absolutely it is a great idea. Pregnancy is just not the time to start anything too new with regards to exercise, especially the first trimester when you can be feeling really terrible. I mean, for a completely inactive person to start walking more or trying gentle exercise like swimming or very relaxed cycling would probably be fine, but it is definitely better to already be in an exercise routine that you can then cut back if you need to in order to accommodate your body’s changing needs.
I’ve never been overweight (always been a little underweight actually, not that it has had any effect on my fertility) but I have definitely been unfit. With my first baby I saw very clearly the effect that exercise had on my wellbeing. I stopped my usual exercise (low-intensity cycling) pretty early for no real good reason (fear of falling, but I do not think that is a very rational fear when it comes down to it) and my pelvis got really bad. This then made me even more inactive as walking became harder and more painful. Now this issue is partly down to luck of the draw and genetics, but when I started a water aerobics thing specially for pregnant women the discomfort I was dealing with in my daily life dramatically reduced. It was a life-saver, I swear. I am so sure that everything would have been better if I had just stayed active in the first place! So that’s what I’m trying to do this time and yeah, my pelvis is playing up again (as I say, this is almost definitely genetics) but I notice a difference even day to day depending on whether I get any exercise or not.
You cannot guarantee yourself an easy pregnancy or an easy time getting pregnant, and so much of it is just out of your control (e.g. I do not believe I could avoid pelvic pain entirely, that’s just the way I am) but it’s got to help.
I myself can be classified as overweight…one of the perks of being really short (I consider BMI mapping to be highly inaccurate, but think they have slight worth in being a guide of sorts…my “ideal BMI”/weight for my height is unsafe for me, which my doctor told me). I have some medical issues that effect my ability to lose weight. It’s enough of a struggle as it is now, so I can’t image trying to get fit only once I were to get pregnant.
Not to mention that the idea of exercising while pregnant bugs me out. I know that some types of exercise are perfectly safe to do while pregnant and I’m all for being healthy, but the idea of a little human flopping around or getting squished while exercising is odd (I know that isn’t exactly how it works, but that’s just what my mind pictures lol). Get a headstart while you can
I started eating better and exercising pre-ttc and I am still doing it now ttc. I started for a lot of reasons, not just ttc, but that was one of them. if that’s what you want to do, go for it. it can’t hurt and it will give both of you a good start.
I’m still 3 months shy from TTC but have already started prenatals, eating more nutritious foods and going on daily walks. From everything I’ve read and heard it is smart to start incorporating light, regular exercise before becoming pregnant. It could definitely make pregnancy and labor a bit easier and I’m all for that.
I began eating a bit healthier and incorporating a bit more formal exercise (like actually setting a goal of running a certain distance in a certain amount of time rather than just taking the dog for a leisurely walk) a couple months before we officially started to TTC. I don’t know that I’d necessarily wait until I’d reached certain weight or fitness goals to start trying, though, since it may take several months to conceive after trying. Maybe give yourself a couple months to get into good habits, then start TTC? That way if you don’t conceive right away you have some time to hit your weight goals, and if you do conceive immediately, you’ve started good habits that you can continue through your pregnancy.
I’m pre-TTC and in the same boat: trying to make sure I am exercising regularly and eating a little healthier (and wine-ing a tiny bit less, ha!). In part, I hope it will help with fertility, as I am in my 30s. But, also it gives me a tangible goal to work on until DH is ready to start trying!
Yep…I wish I had. Since TTC I’ve found out I have PCOS and which I’d tried harder to not put on weight when I was a bit younger - it could be the one thing getting in the way of us conceiving.
I don’t think there is a reason for not getting fit before pregnancy. We had trouble conceiving due to PCOS and one of things my OBGYN recommended was trying to lose weight! I was overweight as well, most likely due to PCOS, so she said my chances of conceiving would go up even if I just lost a couple of pounds! You are more likely to get pregnant if you are fit and healthy.
One thing I will note is that when you are pregnant, you will most likely have to take your exercsies down a notch. I was a runner before I got pregnant, then I couldn’t run at all when I was pregnant. I’d go a block and be out of breath, which is a huge no-no. Any exercise you do while pregnant, you should be able to hold a conversation while doing it, if you are ever out of breath, then you are working too hard.