Bikes, Bellies and Beyond

Dominos

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
How can one support soon-to-be Momma?

Been thinking a lot about this. @Delish is pretty much the model husband, when it comes to this. I probably need to be doing a better job of supporting him, frankly.

Before baby comes, a few ideas :

1) Check to see if mama's bikes need adjusting.
@Delish just raised the stem on my Mr Pink, to make more room for my belly. Some women complain about more saddle soreness during pregnancy. Bikes with a really stiff ride can be uncomfortable, put fatter tires on them. Offer to make these changes before she even requests them. Don't be mad if she asks you to change it back.

2) Be flexible with your schedule.
Certain times of the day may be crappy (mornings, morning sickness) so be willing to work around what might seem like her unpredictable needs. Also - prenatal yoga classes can be hard to find, and if a studio even runs them, it's probably only 1x/week. Work around that prenatal yoga schedule.

3) Make time to ride together
, if that's what you do together pre-pregnancy. She will be slow as shit, and probably discouraged, but it's good for you two to still connect on the bike. A pregnant, formerly active friend complained to me during the 2nd trimester that her hubby sort of only saw her as a rotund baby-maker. That can be discouraging.

4) whether you are riding together or not, don't let her be hard on herself. sometimes we need someone to remind us how much work our body is doing, and that being slow isn't the worst thing. Better than sitting on the couch. Continue to encourage her, even when she is discouraged.

Dads - anything to add?
 

Delish

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Good advice here.

I'd say the most important thing is to keep it all in perspective. If you are like me, bikes are probably something that will be around for the rest of my life. Kids grow up fast. I can still pretend to be a bike racer when I'm 55.

That and to always expect that your plans to ride/race/sleep/shower are going to get trod upon. If/when that happens, no biggie. But if by some lucky fate you actually get to do said activity, consider it a gift.
 

MadisonDan

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Good advice here.

I'd say the most important thing is to keep it all in perspective. If you are like me, bikes are probably something that will be around for the rest of my life. Kids grow up fast. I can still pretend to be a bike racer when I'm 55.

That and to always expect that your plans to ride/race/sleep/shower are going to get trod upon. If/when that happens, no biggie. But if by some lucky fate you actually get to do said activity, consider it a gift.

Solid advice.
 

Dominos

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
So as we are heading into colder weather, I have come to the realization that if I plan to keep exercising outside (cycling, running or otherwise) I'm gonna need to get out my needle and thread and fashion myself some maternity clothes.

I'm a total hack sewer - I don't measure, rarely pin, occasionally cut in straight lines. I've also never sewn lycra, which apparently takes special powers, or special presser feet for your sewing machine. As I have neither special powers or special feet, I'm going to preface this tutorial by saying that you can probably do it better if you try harder than I did!

My first attempt was at adding a gusset to some cycling bibs. In about 2 hours I managed to sew up one jersey and 2 pairs of bibs.

Sewing a maternity panel into Bib Shorts:
I got this idea from one of the Stan's girls, Mandy Braverman (not to be confused with @mandi) who has been regularly putting down 30 mile days, even past her due date. I'm maybe totally in awe of her.
Anyway, she was kind enough to offer some tips on how to modify bibs to fit... I exactly what she did, which basically was to take out the front seam above the chamois, and add in a gusset. Sounds simple, no?

Peek at the finished product to get some context on what you're going to achieve.
[GALLERY=media, 1162]The finished product! by Dominos posted Oct 3, 2016 at 12:52 PM[/GALLERY]

Things you'll need :
1 pair of bibs for you - probably about a size or two larger than your non-pregnancy size.
a scrap of fabric to make the gusset. You can use an old set of bibs or skinsuit, or you could get all fancy and buy elastic or lycra to match your kit.
Thread
Seam ripper tool
Sewing machine
Scissors

Step 1 : On the shorts you're going to modify, cut the front seam above the chamois. Again, no measuring for me, but I estimated that I would need to cut to about 1 inch above the chamois stitching. This probably was the most time consuming part, as those Champ Sys bibs must be stitched with steel thread.

[GALLERY=media, 1154]Bibs step 1 - cut the seam by Dominos posted Oct 3, 2016 at 12:51 PM[/GALLERY]

Step 2 : Cut up one of your husband's old skinsuits for a piece of fabric to fit in the gusset. Allow extra fabric for seam allowances. Bonus points for matching color to your bib color.

[GALLERY=media, 1155]Bibs step 2 - cut the fabric scrap by Dominos posted Oct 3, 2016 at 12:51 PM[/GALLERY]

Step 3 : Sew down one edge of the fabric scrap, so that you have a finished edge. Not that I care about appearances, but a finished edge will be less likely to fray or wrip. I don't really know much about special stitches for Lycra but I did use a zig-zag stitch, which seems to stretch OK when the fabric stretches.

[GALLERY=media, 1167]Step 3 - Sew a finished edge by Dominos posted Oct 3, 2016 at 12:52 PM[/GALLERY]

Step 4 : Set in the fabric scrap into the seam you cut in step 1. Use that zig zag stitch again.

[GALLERY=media, 1158]Step 4 - piece in the fabric to make a gusset by Dominos posted Oct 3, 2016 at 12:52 PM[/GALLERY]
 

Dominos

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Sewing maternity panels into a jersey

Basically you're doing the same thing here - sewing a gusset into two side seams next to your belly. The steps to follow are basically the same as the bib shorts.
To help, here's a picture of the Before/After :

BEFORE:
[GALLERY=media, 1169]Before Gusset! by Dominos posted Oct 3, 2016 at 12:58 PM[/GALLERY]

AFTER:
[GALLERY=media, 1170]IMG_5647 by Dominos posted Oct 3, 2016 at 12:58 PM[/GALLERY]
 

ajcourain

Retired from burrito Shiffering
Congrats again on baby #3!! This will be an excellent thread to follow, and I'm looking forward to it. I truly do not know how you do it all, kudos to you!

Considering I look like the book cover gal in the matching sweat suit on a regular day, I just might fit right in here (@axcxnj and I joke often about how far along my food babies are :rolleyes:). But then again, probably not, because I'm pretty sure the more I will read, the more I will be convinced there is no way I'd ever be able to do it and do it well (and I've circled back to those huge kudos to you!).

I follow a very fit/adventure racing/yogaslackers couple from Oregon, who are currently expecting twins. Not sure if it will be of any interest or value, but they are @jasonandchelsey on Instagram, and they also have a site/blog at www.jandctraining.com, and she started a blog specifically on her pregnancy at https://pregnantproathlete.wordpress.com/
 

Dominos

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
@Delish and I were in the desert southwest for a few days with the kiddos. No bikes, sadly.
Lots of tacos, though!


Probably as a result of all the tacos, and little-to-no exercise, I feel like I've turned into a house overnight.
Someone commented on one of @mandi's photos recently... just when you think you can't get any bigger, you do. Well, I'm definitely in that phase.
22 weeks, as of yesterday.

Since the weight gain is happening so fast these days, my goal is to run at least 2x/week, so that my joints can adjust to the additional lbs. No running happened while on vacation, so I have been a little worried about running again. I did manage to pound the pavement for a few slow miles last night though, with the puppy -- glad to report it went fine.

One residual effect of running is tons of contractions. Not like labor-level contractions, but what they call "false labor" or Braxton Hicks contractions. It's not painful, just uncomfortable - and it goes on for hours after running. If I run in the morning, I get contractions all day. If I run in the evening, they go on for the rest of the evening, but are gone in the morning. So running in the evening is where it's at right now for me.

I'm trying to figure out if I can run in the town Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. It's 8K, which is ~5mi. It's always fun but 5 mi may be a bit much for me. Need to ramp up more miles!
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
If you do the Turkey Trot and give birth that day, can you name your Strava file the Turkey Plop?
 

Dominos

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Man I'm way behind here!

So 25 weeks today, rode my bike to/from work yesterday. The weather was nice, but I had to ask myself WHY AM I DOING THIS?

I'm not thinking that I'm going to maintain race-level fitness. And I'm also not that worried about my weight ballooning.
I'm actually really enjoying riding these days, the foliage is great and weather has been pretty nice. Running while pregnant kills my back, I get tons of contractions for hours after I'm done... But on the bike I can actually get out of the saddle and pretend to sprint, and while I feel tired afterwards, I'm not woefully uncomfortable for hours.

I think I'm also still doing it because I'm just too stubborn to give something up just because most people think I'm nuts. This is the best time of year to be riding (IMO)... I may reconsider everything when it's January and I'm on the trainer.
(taking recommendations now for good TV shows to DVR)

You might be wondering - what does it feel like to ride a bike at 25 weeks?
To give you some context, I've probably put on about 7 lbs. Here's what I look like in street clothes these days:
upload_2016-11-3_9-41-8.png

Initially getting on the bike, everything feels awkward. My saddle takes some getting used to (more blood flow down there), I have to pedal with my knees pretty wide so that I don't bump my belly so much.
For anyone who hasn't spent much time around pregnant bellies - the thing is FIRM and does not move. The belly protrusion starts really right above the top of your pubic bone (around the front most part of your chamois) - so much lower than how your own belly protrudes after a big dinner.

Anyway, first 10 or so minutes on the bike generally feel the worst. Everything feels awkward, and I start getting a LOT of contractions. I'm also a little self-conscious because most folks who pass me in cars probably think I'm just some overweight goon smooshed into too-small lycra.

The contractions do pass, though, as well as the awkwardness. I feel more souplesse as I continue riding. Cornering is maybe not so graceful, due to not having any core strength. Maybe I'm a little heavier on my handlebars than I would be otherwise.

We live around "Montclair" which was known in the 1800s as "First Mountain". So to ride anywhere involves somewhere around 500 feet of climbing to just get out of town. It's generally not that bad, but when you're carrying extra weight, not able to sustain any watts, and also are riding a heavy-but-comfortable bike, hills can be slow-going. I've found that I'm actually more comfortable climbing out of the saddle while pregnant (not my natural state), as there's less banging into my belly and I'm able to breathe better.

On the numbers - I think last year, an average ride was somewhere around 130-140w avg, but these days I'm lucky to get ~110w. When you couple that with the fact that I'm carrying more weight, and riding a really heavy but comfortable bike, the truth is that I'm really, really slow. @Delish no longer rides with me, and frankly I don't blame him.

I've given up riding trails on a CX bike -- too much back pain. I did take the MTB on rail trails over the weekend, but I wouldn't take it any singletrack around us. Maybe Allaire, but I'm such a spaz on a MTB that I'd be afraid of crashing at this point.
 

MissJR

not in the mood for your shenanigans
Team MTBNJ Halter's
@Dominos if it's any consolation, you can still kick my ass on a bike ;)


RE TV shows: i love Sherlock (with Benedict Cumberbatch) and I've been watching the third season of The Fall (but it's pretty dark)... Stanger Things was pretty good (winona forever!)... I've also been on an X-files re-runs kick....

ok... so i have weird taste in tv shows. :/
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
series: Parenthood ? Modern Family ? ok, you've probably drained them....

if you like childish cartoons (like i do) Avatar: The Last Airbender -
yeah, watch Naruto and Dragon Ball Z too.

The 1 season of Humans is available. that will get you through a few sessions.

Recently watched the pilot of The Leftovers, never read the book. has potential, a few seasons available. Not uplifting so much.
 

huffster

Well-Known Member
Some Netflix suggestions based on stuff both my wife and I liked watching together (for whatever that's worth)...
  • Dexter
  • How to get away with Murder (still going, but a couple seasons available)
  • Breaking Bad
  • Weeds
  • Orange is the new Black
Now also watching:
  • Designated Survivor
 

Dominos

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Man, I need to work on this blog frequency thing!

OK so update on the last 3 weeks!

I think it was shortly after my last post that I got sick with some sniffles that one of the germ-carrier-offspring brought home.
Usually, it's NBD but as a pregnant lady, your immune system is shot, and to worsen the effects you can't actually take any meaningful medication. Don't tell me about some herbal nonsense I should take, there's no proof any of that is safer than Guaifenesin.
So fast forward 3 weeks, I'm just now pulling out of the cold.

But that's not what I am writing about today...

Somewhere about 2 weeks into the cold I took the official prenatal Blood Glucose test to test for Gestational Diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes, as far as I know, is a risk if you are 1) pre-diabetic, 2) overweight, 3) inactive, 4) have a poor diet. I'd like to think I'm none of those things.
The reason they test for this is that pregnant ladies cannot process sugars as well during pregnancy, so momma can get pre-eclampsia (serious) and the baby gets all the calories & hence gets very big (leading to complicated deliveries).

The test works as follows:
You POUND I think somewhere around 50g of sugar (in a beverage) in about 5 minutes. Imagine Gatorade, but like 3x sweeter. To give you some context, a 12oz can of Coke has 39g of sugar.
This is what 50g of sugar looks like.
0


An hour after you drink the sugar-water, they draw your blood to see how your body is processing it.
For me, it's hell. In the hour between drinking the sugar concoction and getting my blood drawn, I felt truly hopped up on some stimulant. I couldn't speak in full sentences, driving to the midwives, I was thinking to myself that operating a vehicle was a really bad idea because I was so distracted & jumpy.

Today, the midwives called me with the results and as it turned out, my body did not process sugar at all & I will need to go back & drink more sugar drink to confirm if I have Gestational Diabetes. Huge disappointment, and I feel, frankly, wrongly accused of a crime.

Basically I've known since early in pregnancy that my body cannot process refined sugars, so I stopped eating them altogether. I think I only had one piece of halloween candy, and I'm fairly confident I'll have no trouble making it through Thanksgiving & Christmas without eating any treats, whatsoever. But the medical test is backwards in that I'm literally bombarding my system with something I already have the good sense to avoid, and then I'm being measured on how my body treats this stimulant/toxin. It's just backwards.

I started doing some reading on the internets about paleo diets and the blood glucose test, and at the risk of wandering into crazy-paleo-alternate-reality it sounds like this is a very real thing -- people who have given up refined sugars and grains (paging @gtluke) take this blood sugar test and their bodies go WHAAAAAT THE FUUUUUCK HAPPPPPPENED and then they get diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and are forced (literally, in some cases) to follow recommendations of ill-informed nutritionists who are accustomed to dispensing nutritional advice to overweight women who exist on ice cream and fast food through their entire pregnancy.

It's still early, I need to do the followup test to confirm, but I have this nagging suspicion that it'll come back with the same result and I'll have to convince them that I don't, in fact, have GD.
More to come on that front. I'm debating faking the test, but there is a part of me that worries if I do, in fact, have Gestational Diabetes then I'm putting myself and the baby at risk, which I don't want to do.
It's 10 days until I re-take the test so in the meantime I'm going to log every morsel I eat (even through thanksgiving) and all the exercise, and let all the evidence speak for itself.

If you've managed to read my rant this far... a few questions:
Do you know anyone who was diagnosed with GD? Did they meet the risk factors I outlined above?
Was it a pain or NBD?
 
Last edited:

gtluke

The Moped
Man, I need to work on this blog frequency thing!

OK so update on the last 3 weeks!

I think it was shortly after my last post that I got sick with some sniffles that one of the germ-carrier-offspring brought home.
Usually, it's NBD but as a pregnant lady, your immune system is shot, and to worsen the effects you can't actually take any meaningful medication. Don't tell me about some herbal nonsense I should take, there's no proof any of that is safer than Guaifenesin.
So fast forward 3 weeks, I'm just now pulling out of the cold.

But that's not what I am writing about today...

Somewhere about 2 weeks into the cold I took the official prenatal Blood Glucose test to test for Gestational Diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes, as far as I know, is a risk if you are 1) pre-diabetic, 2) overweight, 3) inactive, 4) have a poor diet. I'd like to think I'm none of those things.
The reason they test for this is that pregnant ladies cannot process sugars as well during pregnancy, so momma can get pre-eclampsia (serious) and the baby gets all the calories & hence gets very big (leading to complicated deliveries).

The test works as follows:
You POUND I think somewhere around 50g of sugar (in a beverage) in about 5 minutes. I'magine Gatorade, but like 3x sweeter. To give you some context, a 12oz can of Coke has 39g of sugar.
This is what 50g of sugar looks like.

An hour after you drink the sugar-water, they draw your blood to see how your body is processing it.
For me, it's hell. In the hour between drinking the sugar concoction and getting my blood drawn, I felt truly hopped up on some stimulant. I couldn't speak in full sentences, driving to the midwives, I was thinking to myself that operating a vehicle was a really bad idea because I was so distracted & jumpy.

Today, the midwives called me with the results and as it turned out, my body did not process sugar at all & I will need to go back & drink more sugar drink to confirm if I have Gestational Diabetes. Huge disappointment, and I feel, frankly, wrongly accused of a crime.

Basically I've known since early in pregnancy that my body cannot process refined sugars, so I stopped eating them altogether. I think I only had one piece of halloween candy, and I'm fairly confident I'll have no trouble making it through Thanksgiving & Christmas without eating any treats, whatsoever. But the medical test is backwards in that I'm literally bombarding my system with something I already have the good sense to avoid, and then I'm being measured on how my body treats this stimulant/toxin. It's just backwards.

I started doing some reading on the internets about paleo diets and the blood glucose test, and at the risk of wandering into crazy-paleo-alternate-reality it sounds like this is a very real thing -- people who have given up refined sugars and grains (paging @gtluke) take this blood sugar test and their bodies go WHAAAAAT THE FUUUUUCK HAPPPPPPENED and then they get diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and are forced (literally, in some cases) to follow recommendations of ill-informed nutritionists who are accustomed to dispensing nutritional advice to overweight women who exist on ice cream and fast food through their entire pregnancy.

It's still early, I need to do the followup test to confirm, but I have this nagging suspicion that it'll come back with the same result and I'll have to convince them that I don't, in fact, have GD.
More to come on that front. I'm debating faking the test, but there is a part of me that worries if I do, in fact, have Gestational Diabetes then I'm putting myself and the baby at risk, which I don't want to do.
It's 10 days until I re-take the test so in the meantime I'm going to log every morsel I eat (even through thanksgiving) and all the exercise, and let all the evidence speak for itself.

If you've managed to read my rant this far... a few questions:
1) Do you know anyone who was diagnosed with GD? Did they meet the risk factors I outlined above?
2) What would you feel like if you

There's actually an entire subreddit on keto diets and pregnancy
https://www.reddit.com/r/KetoBabies/
I can't even remotely pretend to know anything about this other than most doctors know less than I do about nutrition, and I know nothing. And the whole sugar/fat/cholesterol thing has been taught wrong for like 50 years.
Good luck. I would like to think that being devoid of sugar should half no ill effect during pregnancy since for 8 million years hunter gatherer humans had zero access to any form of sugar unless they got lucky for the 3 weeks a year they could have possibly found a pre domesticated fruit.
I wonder if you could have inadvertently put yourself into ketosis by avoiding sugars. Generally you'd have to be around 20g of carbs for like 2 weeks, but you would have to deliberately do that. But being under 60g for months while being pregnant? who knows. Ketosis would completely blow up any kind of test like that. Your body pretty much shuts off it's sugar processing function. It comes back fast but I'm not sure about an hour fast. I can't imagine you not noticing though, since the amount of fat you would have to consume to keep your energy level up would probably turn you off, and you'd be pretty tired otherwise. You have to live on bacon avacados and sour cream.
Good luck!
 
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