Running While Pregnant

I'm currently 20 weeks pregnant and although I'm still running, i've scaled back. I'm an experienced marathoner, completing six last year, so it wasn't new for me. My Dr. gave me her blessing, with the condition that I listen to my body, stop when I need to stop and not to train in heat. So far the only real problem I've experienced is heat and regulating my heart rate, it gets to be above 170 really quickly, so I am moving back to incorporate run/walk ratios . I only run 2-3x a week, no more than 40 minutes at a time, which is usually 3-4 miles.

Who said the baby can get brain damage from the jostling? You shouldn't try to scare people, Dr. Clapp (exercising through your pregnancy) would agree that we do our babies more disservice to them in utero by NOT taking care of our own bodies and exercising.

Sorry for the novel. Run on my pregger friends!! Run on!!

PS I completed a half marathon when I was three months pregnant too... =) Just listen to your bodies, only you are the best judge of what you should and shouldn't do.

If you read the article, it says that there is virtually no jostling to the baby while running. The baby is surrounded by fluid. It is not banging it's head on anything. As for the "anonymous" comment about a patient whose baby had brain damage. How much running did she do? was she racing? Did she eat enough? hydrate enough? Were there other factors involved? what type of brain damage? To all pregnant runners - do your research, make sure it is from reputable sources and don't be frightened by anonymous comments based on opinion rather than fact.

What about the jostling, jerking, impact and force of running when a baby is suspended in water?? How come no one every brings that up? When your foot hits the ground it creates a force of energy that pounds through your body. Well that energy is causing a jolt or jostling to the infant and there heads are not formed yet there skulls are not fused how are they protected from the banging?? I read a comment from a dr somewhere that said he knew a women who ran her entire pregnancy EVERYDAY, he did not say how hard or soft she was running but he said her baby was born with brain damage and the dr's all speculated and believed that the running had something to do with it.

All I know is that a babies head is very vulnerable with the skull not even fulling formed and the brain is encased in fluid that is why when you fall suddenly you can have a brain bleed from the brain hitting the inside of your skull like Natasha Richardson.

So my question would be what about the babies brain? While this high impact activity is going on?

I have a patient who is an avid runner and ran virtually every day of her pregnancy. Her child was born with severe brain damage, and, although the doctors won't come out and say it, many of us in the medical field are convinced her running had a major impact on the baby's condition.

I am 8 months pregnant now and am still running. I do a run/walk...run about 5 min, walk 1 min, etc. I am wondering how much longer I will be able to run. What has been everyone else's experience?