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Petrie

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I have a few questions!!! For future research purposes of course...

Did you still ride when you were pregnant?
If yes, up until when?
And how long did it take you to get back in the saddle after giving birth?
Did you still look after the horses yourself when heavily pregnant, or did you get help/pack them off to livery?
And what about when the baby arrives? Can you get them in a routine where they come up to the yard with you?

I keep waking up in the night panicking, worrying about how I'm going to cope with it all!!!
 
with my first I rode until I was 6 months then my horse went on loan and I gave up for 3 and a half years but was miserable so started up just after having my second baby, and now I am preggers with # 3 and still riding wont give up, have put my tb on loan but my 16.1hh mare I will ride until I cant get off anymore due to big tummy and will after her and the girls pony all the way through although they can live out so I guess it wont be that bad plus my OH helps out a lot if needed....Good luck try not to stress and enjoy it.
 
Hello, as you will see from my name I am a horsey mum to a now 4 year old daughter.

To answer your questions:-
1. Yes I did ride whilst I was pregnant
2. I rode until I was about 5 1/2 months pregnant when I just decided hauling myself on and off was getting too much of an effort!
3. I had a caesarean so wasn't supposed to ride for the six week recovery period and think I lasted for about five weeks before I went out for a sneaky quiet hack!
4. I "did" our two horses as normal until 3 weeks before my daughter arrived as they were on DIY livery and I also thought it kept me fit, although it was summer and they were still out 24/7 so there was nothing too demanding to do. The only reason I stopped then was because I was admitted to Hospital with pre-eclampsia so perhaps I was doing too much! My best mate at the yard then did my two for me along with hers until I was back on my feet.
5. I was back down the yard within 3 weeks of having my caesarean although my Husband did morning duties until my official 6 week recovery period was up. My daughter has come down the yard with me to do the horses each tea-time since she was five weeks' old - she has recently started being useful! When she was a tiny baby I used to bring the car right down to outside our horses' stables and leave her in the car as she was nearly always asleep. If she was awake I would wrap her up in her snow suit (it was winter) and put her in her pram with a blanket and leave her where she could see what was going on and she was quite happy. When she got bigger and was toddling I used to strap her in her buggy so she stayed put and out of danger and now she is old enough she walks about but has had hammered into her the "rules" and I do not allow her to walk willy nilly round the yard, she stays with me where I know where she is! Morning yard I have always done on my own at the crack of dawn when she is still in bed and left her with my Husband, although it has been known if he has been away on business to put her in the car in her dressing gown and jim jams at 6.00 am and take her with me!

Don't panic, it is possible and good luck with the baby!
 
Don't panic, you just need to be organised!

Yes, after discussing it with oh, I rode when pregnant both times till I was 6 mths, BUT I only rode my own horses, not clients, because I felt that if I fell off and damaged myself/baby it would be entirely my responsibility and didn't want clients feeling guilty. Clients were more than happy I didn't ride their horses and they got exercised on walker/lunged/ridden by owners. I stopped riding when bump got too big to be comfortable.

After both babies I was hunting full days within 7 wks, competing within 8, but I hadn't had difficult births or anything.

First time I had a yard full of liveries, and did it all myself, but it was 2001 FMD year so hunting stopped early - don't think I would have coped otherwise without more help. Second time I had fewer horses in and oh did more to help out as he was working from home by then. I did end up selling a youngster and sending another away to be backed (both bad mistakes) cos I didn't think I would manage otherwise.

My babies were on the yard (wrapped up in their carry thingies) within days. My best investment was a 3 wheel all terrain buggy with wheels on it like a Landrover! It meant they could go literally anywhere. First baby had to get used to 4am starts for autumn hunting (the mummy's revenge for being woken all hours!) and I remember a time when the vet came to sedate a horse for clipping and he ended up feeding the baby for me!

Once they were a bit more active we got a playpen which was in the office in the winter for warmth, and outside in the summer. It meant they were always with me, but always safe.

I did use a childminder for the mornings once they could no longer be contained in the playpen, and now they are at school/playgroup all morning, and as long as you plan ahead, you can get a lot done when they are not around.

Good luck, and start as you mean to go on!
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Riding whilst pregnant is the easy bit - wait until it/they grow/s up and either a) want/get their own pony or b) don't want to ride and you become increasing pressurised by a massive guilt complex whilst you try to fit in you own horse/other daughter's horse/husband/ljob etc etc.
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Re baby - you can fit it in but you do need support from those around you - try as hard as you can because it does help you retain your sanity (having just re read what i have written perhaps you may question the extent of my sanity!!)
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Yes. Rode both times until 34 weeks.

1st baby took me six weeks as I had a C section

2nd baby took a week (natrual birth)

Ed went to a friends for a few weeks after my c section. Once he came back a I did everything myself for six months until I went back to work and he then went into full livery. When I was not at work I found it pretty easy with a new born to look after Ed. The older they get and the more they move around the more difficult it becomes.

You need a very good OH to help you sort out how you are going to cope. It will take the baby at least six weeks to get into some sort of routine. Once this has been established you will find things will get easier.
 
ok here goes:-

Did you still ride when you were pregnant?
No - felt too ill!! once I was over the sickness I felt too big plus didn't feel comfortable to ride
If yes, up until when?
And how long did it take you to get back in the saddle after giving birth?
I waited until my 8 week check with the Dr. Plus I was that unfit after my pregnancies (have 3 girls!) I didn't have that much energy!!
Did you still look after the horses yourself when heavily pregnant, or did you get help/pack them off to livery?
I was very lucky that my friend looked after my horse until after the birth although I did go up and do bits when I felt able.
And what about when the baby arrives? Can you get them in a routine where they come up to the yard with you?
Yes I had no problems there! I fed my baby first quick car journey to yard, was very lucky that I could park car next to stable whilst I did the mucking out etc whilst baby slept.

I keep waking up in the night panicking, worrying about how I'm going to cope with it all!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't panick, you will find a routine that works for you, good luck,
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Hi there
Im assuming you are pregnant? If so, Congratulations!!

1) Yes I rode whilst I was pregnant. My own (slightly spooky) cob until 13 weeks then my mums much more sensible horse at walk until about 20-something weeks. To be honest I regret riding now since a friend of mine had a riding fall and miscarriage. At the time I did not realise how risky it was. Mind you I was also miserable not being able to ride ....

2) I had a 3rd degree tear which did not heal well and subsequent womb infection was in and out of the doctors and hospital until my baby was about 11 weeks old so then I rode my mum's horse at walk in the school for 15 mins. I was certainly uncomfortable "down there" and was advised by the doctor not to ride for 6 months after the birth to let everything go back to normal.

3) I was very lucky and my mum took my cob away to her yard when I was around 18 weeks pregnant. By this point I was seriously flagging with exhaustion and it was lucky that she did because my blood pressure kept going up and up and the last weeks of my pregnancy saw me in and out of hospital for monitoring....I would not have wanted to be worrying about my horse on DIY livery whilst hooked up to monitors etc!

4) my son started to come down the yard with me when my cob came back to live with me - when he was about 15 weeks old. I would put him in his snow suit (winter baby) in the car and park up outside the stable. Usually a tiny baby will sleep if you take them for a drive or a walk in the pushchair. So I would just muck out quickly and not hang around. Breast feeding made it easier because I didnt have to faff around with bottles at a yard where you cant wash hands properly etc. Now he is a roaming toddler its harder actually, he does not like to be strapped in his push chair or stay in the car so I either have to endure him yelling (or muck out whilst singing "row row row the boat" to entertain him) or go very early in the morning whilst he is still in bed and my husband is at home. Some toddlers/babies are more placid though and will sit and read a book whilst you muck out but my chap is very active
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Its lovely now because we are taking him riding etc, and I would not change anything but is bloomin' hard work and I always feel guilty and as though Im not looking after my horse/child/house/husband as well as I would want to because Im torn in some many different directions.

Its really impossible to say what you will do with your horse or how you will cope as each pregnancy and labour is different and recovery rates are different. Just because I had tearing complications that made things hard for me does not mean anyone else will. Some people have ceasearans and bounce right back but some people take longer to recover. Some people have fabulous pregnancys and some people (God forbid) end up on bed rest in hospital for most of the 9 months......

I think that having a back up plan is essential. Hopefully everything will be straightforward but its important to have the option of full livery or a friend who can help or even putting the horse on loan if you ended up on bed rest. Or a very very supportive partner?

Good luck. Anything is possible if you want to do it. Im thinking of doing it again
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hopefully my next pregnancy will not be as stressful and I will be down the yard till the due date next time!

Cassandra x
 
Thanks guys, feel a bit more hopeful now.

I think it's going to be fine. I have a really good yard where they could go on full livery if I have problems, but obviously it will cost me an arm and a leg, so I will try to keep them at my (rented) yard if I possibly can.

My husband will be helpful, and I've got friends around.

I'm the kind of person that likes to plan ahead and know what's going to happen when, otherwise I just invent 100 different scenarios in my head and panick myself.

It's the unknown that's getting to me!!

But, i've got lots of friends and helpers around who I can call in an emergency. Should be fine.

And there's always nursury!!
 
This is what my boyfriend has to say about it....

"any baby always comes first and even a close call may result in the horse being shot"

Can I seriously ever consider marrying this man!?!?!?!?!?
 
It sounds good especially if your partner is supportive and you have friends. Hopefully you will have a straightforward and easy pregnancy/labour etc but you just need some contingency plans and friends you can ring if you go into labour early or get sent off to hospital for monitoring etc
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Other peice of advice I can give (not easy to plan!!) is have a summer baby then the horses can live out and its less work!!!

Good luck. Try not to worry
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Cassandra x
 
That's so funny about the 'summer' baby! I'm not actually pregnant yet, but we are trying. And the reason we started trying recently is because I told 'im indoors that I want a summer baby when the horses are living out, making life much easier!!!

By the time the winter comes round, I'll have my routine sorted!

Now, I haven't discussed with him whether we stop trying when the possible due date starts getting close to Autumn - not sure how well that would go down!

That gives me until about November/December...better forsake riding after work and get home early tonight...

(Hhmph, much rather be riding.)
 
good luck with the trying
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The first 3 months with the baby are the hardest so if you can have the horses living out till then that would be great. Im planning a summer baby next time.

I have to tell you about my friend though who was at the stables every day even her due date, and then back down the farm the day after her baby was born and has coped marvelously ever since
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Cassandra
 
Wow, she sounds superhuman! But I've heard of other people like that too, just depends how ill you feel I suppose.

Most of my friends are non-horsey, so they just wafted about doing very little when they were pregnant. They all say, 'you won't have time to wash your hair when you've got a baby, let alone do the horses!'

Hair washing? What's that?
 
I diddnt ride while pregnant, I would have been happy to but OH was convinced something awfull would happen to me so for his peace of mind I diddnt
No set date to get help in, you can do it yourself untill bump is getting the way.

R has only been to the yard with me once(when I was looking at a possable share horse) and was a pain in ass, good as gold for first few mins the got bored and started to protest - loadly.
But I supose if it is normal to them they would be fine
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Any jobs will take 10 times longer with a toddler around,takes me an hour to pick up lounge with R "helping" 10 mins without,lol!
 
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