Trying to keep moving with pregnancy sickness

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Hello everyone!

This is my new check-in thread for my new exercise challenge. I suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum in my first pregnancy and I spent months in bed unable to move. By the end of the second trimester I found some meds that allowed me to get out of bed and I managed to get back to working out, although I was sick until kiddo made his appearance.

I am now in my first trimester with baby two (fingers crossed all goes well!) and the hyperemesis gravidarum is back. This time however I knew the signs so got on the meds immediately, so I have no vomiting but feel incredibly sick 24/7.

So I have to adapt my training plan to account for the sickness and the fact I have to eat little and often. Previously I did HIIT or sets based training in the mornings with vinyasa style yoga at night. I also mixed-up some open water swimming and cliff hiking along with once-a week-weight session with a trainer for variation. I am not sure what is going to be possible now. I use exercise for pain, sleep and mood management so not moving is not an option. Let's see how it goes and please wish me luck!

Yesterday: I managed some time in the sea doing some casual strokes and bit of wave jumping. I think the coldness of the water tricked my body into thinking it wasn't nauseous and I figured if I did get sick, at least I wouldn't have to clean it up. Was pretty tired and sick afterwards but that's not new for this week.

Today: I chose to do the Sentry workout. It focused on legs but had some core and glutes which was a well-needed mix. Felt a bit gross at the end with the angle on the squats but it was very manageable so I might revisit again.
 

Fremen

Well-known member
Shaman from Italy
Posts: 3,183
"“Keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change.” Percy Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."
Welcome and fingers crossed :)
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for the 16 January 2023:

I felt pretty achy from all the squats the day before so I decided to do arm day! I chose the Slowpoke work out as it spoke to me because I slept for 13 hours the night before. I had to stop after the first set to be sick and then to get a snack because the W-extensions really intensified my nausea. I think it was the stretching of the stomach that did it. Once I had eaten a Quorn dinosaur I managed to complete the full 7 sets with no more retching, but I had to take some good gaps between sets to recover.

In the afternoon, I felt a bit better so went to the beach for a splash about. Jumped in some big waves, retched some more, but had lots of fun and it was great to be moving outdoors in the sunshine. Then I went home for some mashed potatoes and baked tofu.
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for the 17 January 2023:

I felt like I needed to move and sweat today because I've been sitting down so much trying to finish my thesis. So I decided to try the Airbourne work out. It had some jumping but apart from the last 2 squat jumps they were pretty small. I took my time and sat down between sets and managed to do the 7 with minimum retching. Felt really good about this as I loved doing cardio. Nice to know my meds might give me a bit more leeway to mix things up, here's hoping anyway!

I need to figure out a good core workout. Crunches are a no-no and I have poor wrists so struggle with planks. I might find one that has focuses on elbow planks, will have to do some more searching.
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for the 18 January 2023:

After my lovely cardio day yesterday I decided to try some weights. I chose to do the Push Pull Legs B workout because it looked fun and I had a crick in my shoulder from all the sleeping I'm doing. Unfortunately I had no weights to hand but as I am resourceful now I grabbed a couple of tins of beans and did it with those. If my neighbours saw me omg....

The sea was beautiful and flat today so I went out at lunch time and managed to do back stroke for a bit. There was a tall ship in the bay too which made it all very atmospheric. Overall not a huge day in terms of exercise, but it was a good day.
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for 19 January 2023:

Well I did it. I made it to THE GYM. It was pretty much empty so no overpowering perfumes or sweaty people (why is pregnancy nose so sensitive) and my trainer was super great at waiting for me to burp/yawn between sets. It wasn't a comfortable experience but it was manageable so I'm hopeful! Celebrated with a greens and ginger juice.
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for 23 and 24 January 2023:

My brain hurts. I can't really remember what's happened these past few days but I did manage to go for a walk on the beach yesterday. It was lovely to be out in the sunshine.

Today I tried to do some yoga. Threw-up. Gave-up. Then did the Gridlock workout as I am feeling very not-strong at the moment. Took a long time to get to the five sets, with one round of throw-up, but I did it. Went and had some oreos in bed afterwards - feck it!
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for 25 January 2023:

New challenge for this week is I've started to throw-up daily and feel wretched all day. Not too surprising as I am 8 weeks pregnant and week 9 is usually peak hell week due to the levels of HcG. So I need to be pretty careful for the next fortnight and hopefully things will start getting better soon.

I did manage to do 5 sets of the Ready, Steady, Go! workout with extra time between sets. The jumping wasn't too bad, surprisingly once I took it slow.

I am missing my yoga sessions big time as I've forgotten how to stretch without it.
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for 26 January 2023:

I rescheduled my gym session for the time of day when I feel the least sick. My trainer and I definitely noticed I was stiff in my joints due to the lack of yoga. So we've come up with a plan for me to add on some stretches in between my sets. We are hoping that doing one at a time rather than one after the other in a vinyasa style will not cause me to vom. Here's hoping!

Check in for 27 January 2023:

I chose to do Juno prenatal again. I do 5 sets of each as I miss sweating! I did a good long stretch in between each set and it seemed to work really well.
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for 28 January 2023:

I did the Push Pull Legs B workout.I've realised that it's not necessarily effort that makes me feel worse but it is body position. So I can do a plank for 30 seconds, but if I do a downward dog into a plank I will throw up. So I've decided to take "easier" exercises and just do more reps of them. I did 7 instead of the 4 for PPLB (also because I only have tins of beans for weights at home) and it was no bother to me at all. I did hip stretches in between sets and it was a lovely workout.

Check in for 29 January 2023:

Absolutely nothing and spent the day reading about how the floods are impacted Auckland. Thankfully we have not been impacted as our house is on stilts and there's a good gradient that takes the water away, but it's been a worrying weekend thinking about our city neighbours for sure.
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for 30 January 2023:

I decided to test my hypothesis and do some combat based stuff. This was always my favourite as it kind of feels like I am tricking myself into working out. I started the Fireheart programme thinking I could do a day here and there based on whatever I was feeling. I can always to push ups on the wall or angles if I am not feeling up to floor ones. It was tough. I was defo on the verge of vomming for the whole thing, so I took my time during sets. Took way longer to complete than usual but I did it and was glad I did. I also did it by the sink just in case!

Check in for 31 January 2023:

We are expecting the big atmospheric river in Auckland so today I did a longer walk outside on the beach. It was defo getting windy and was drizzling when I was walking back but so far so torrential rainfall, thank goodness!
 

RoboKitty

Member
Posts: 18
Check in for 1 February 2023:

I went for a walk on the beach. There was so some foamy poop from sewage after the floods. So many people were out swimming but I stayed well away as I have played the Oregon Trail and do not want dysentery.

Check in for 2 February 2023:

Today should have been a gym day but I threw up 40 mins beforehand so cancelled just in case. Instead I did Fireheart programme day 2. I adapted it by doing wall press ups just so I could stay upright and not get sick again.
 
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