Pregnancy and riding

farrierswife

farrierswife

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Pretty much as the title says, I'm sure it has been asked before but what is everyone's opinion on it. Did you ride when you were pregnant, if so for how long? I ask because I am now 13 weeks pregnant and still riding.
 
I've just stopped at 24 weeks. Feel fine at the time but horse is very bouncy and always get a sore back later on and the next day so I've given up until the baby is born. Luckily got friends that will ride him to keep him ticking over.
 
I rode til 7months with babe 1, and only about 4 months with number 2. No reason other than it just happened that way.

Do what your body tells you!

Should add, I was back on 6 and 4 weeks after respectively.
 
Yeah that's what I was thinking, carry on until my body tells me otherwise.
Hopefully I can be back onboard as quick as possible after baby is born, can't miss a whole season of hunting haha!
 
I stopped riding when I found out, and started back up at 12 weeks under midwife's instruction duye to increased miscarriage risk. But competed in our 1st dressage at 20 weeks and stopped riding at 30 weeks due to my bump getting in the way whilst trying to mount my 17hh beast :)
I was majorly criticised for riding whilst pregnant, but trust my horse explicitly, took it easy and didn't jump him. Its personal preference at the end of the day
 
I rode properly until 24 weeks but I was still walking out hacking until 8 months and riding 6 weeks after. (luckily I didn't tear.) Now pregnant with number 2 and I plan to continue riding until I can't. Excersize is good during pregnancy. I trust my horse 100% so I felt comfortable doing this. However it's a personal decision. Some people really looked down on me, others applauded me.
 
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I rode up to 16 weeks. I meant to give up after I competed in a dressage test (it was to be our swansong, if you like) at 12 weeks only the cob was a little turd & I didn't want her to have a holiday after Very Naughty Behaviour. So I carried on up until pelvis pain got too bad. It's still sore now (21+6), but nowhere like what it was when I was riding. The cob now has a loaner who adores her and is happy tootling about while I go and pat her on the nose & tell her she's pretty.

I'd rather still be riding, tbh, but the pain in my pelvis afterwards wasn't worth it.
 
Stopped at 26weeks purely because I was getting off feeling sick :o thankfully a friend agreed to keep Loll ticking over and is having a whale of a time doing the local fun rides I'd planned for this year -it's looking like I'll have a fight on my hands to get her back :rolleyes:
 
First pregnancy I rode until 5 months - I was completing XC with a safety pin vaguely keeping my jods together cos the bump ment I couldn't do them up !

Second one I gave up as soon as I found out I was preggers - just felt totall different this time, I think I had more of an idea about what could go wrong (my son was in hospital for nearly 3 months when he was born) so I was much more cautious in everything, I also gave up work at 30 weeks and didn't drive much either.

With my son I got back on after 2 weeks but that was a bit too soon! so I left it another 3 weeks after that to get back into it properly. This time my C section was only 3 weeks ago so still waiting to recover a bit more before getting on.

Congratulations - it's an amazing time.
 
I stopped when I found out 1st time. This time (after 2 mcs) I rode for a couple of weeks as it didn't seem real, then suddenly I didn't want to get on again (not my own horse this time, I was riding for a friend).

I am having to give myself several severe talking to's to stop me rushing out and buying, I keep reminding myself how silly it would be to buy now and then pay to have horsey lounge around until next year (help me stay strong!).
 
I rode until 7 months, then I stopped more because my horse injured itself although couldn't have gone on much longer as was getting pretty fat. I was lucky that I was quite small until quite late on and felt comfy enough to ride, just felt a bit top heavy! I was doing dressage competitions up until the 7 months too. My OH didn't want me to jump so I didn't although would have been happy to do so to begin with.

My midwife and doctor was great, they both rode themselves and rode during their own pregnancies!

I think you just have to see how you go, just take each day as it comes. If you feel comfy and happy doing it then carry on, if not stop! Its very difficult to judge how quick you'll be back on afterwards as it totally depends how your birth goes. Mine didn't go to plan and I had an emergency c-section, I started riding (well I was actually backing a youngster!) at 5 weeks. You're meant to wait until 6 weeks but I couldn't... I FELL off in a big way at 6 weeks... but survived ;)
 
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I have ridden once since I found out I was pregnant, I am now 31 weeks. Pony is not 100% trustworthy so my husband and I decided it was best not to take the risk. Each to their own though.
 
I'm 13 weeks too!! Congratulations :0) I'm riding twice a week just plodding around the school - don't trust other road users where we are to go out and about. I'm planning on stopping at 20 weeks as I think I'm going to have a bit of a bump as biggish already!! Lol do what feels right for you, you will know when to stop x
 
I didn't really stop riding with either of my two pregnancies.I was fine throughout and felt great especially riding, so I rode until the day before both kids were born. Luckily, I had two really quick and easy natural births and so was back riding gently after a week with the first kid and after 3 days with the second.

Having said that I had a very reliable horse who seemed to know that he needed to be extra sensible. I also mainly walked towards the end of both pregnancies.

With the second pregnancy - riding was definitely therapeutic for the baby! He used to get terrible hiccups and riding was about the only thing that stopped the hiccuping!!!

Its obviously a matter of choice - but for me I did what felt right for my body and what felt safe and comfy...

Good luck... and I hope you have a great pregnancy and an easy foaling!
 
I stopped at 6 weeks as I had a threatened miscarriage. After a few weeks and scans and everything ok I wanted to start up again, but owner of the horse I rode didn't want me to. I don't think she'd have forgiven herself or her horse if I'd have come off or something and although he was great 99% f the time he could spin a bit.

Sensible decision I think as I didn't know the horse that well. If I still had my old boy I think I'd have ridden until my SPD too hold at about 26 weeks. Ouch.

They moved and we moved during my pregnancy and they're miles away now so I've only just got back into riding 2 years later.

Each to their own. I was happy with how I did it. I would have hot back on much quicker than I did though, with hindsight.
 
I rode my old boy until about 26 weeks, but only quiet hacking. Hubby banned me from riding my mare at all, so she was kept ticking over by other people. I stopped when it became uncomfortable to dismount. I was back on board about 2 weeks after birth (onto a very naughty liveries horse, no less! ****** was being a nappy sod and I couldn't watch the poor lady struggle!) but I had a very straightforward labour and delivery. As others have said, your body will tell you what it can cope with - ive known people give up riding immediately, and others that have ridden until up to the day, we're all different :)
 
I rode right until the end but I've owned my boy a long time so know him inside out ! My waters broke at 33 weeks and had to stay in hospital I got let home one day a week as I was extremely frustrated midwife and doctor told me to ride might start me off , at 35 weeks went for a ride in the school lots of trot and canter work , 2 hours later in Labour yippee !
2nd baby rode when I could as had to look after first child , had problems with my hips and back and found riding helped keep me loose , rode the last time about 38 weeks with him.
Back in the saddle with both of them after 2 weeks , worst mistake with my 2nd as had an emergency c-section so waited another 2 weeks and much more comfortable .
It's your body , your choice but I did find some midwifes that didn't like it and others said to keep at it as long as I was comfortable including my consultant !
They said falling off was no different from tripping on stairs etc , wouldn't do it on a horse I didn't trust 100% though
 
The ultimate bottom line is could you cope if riding caused you to loose your baby. Whilst this is harsh it is the stark reality. If you feel happy with your horse and are comfy the continue riding and enjoy it, if you have any doubts then don't. Personally I knew that I simply would not cope if anything happened to my baby through riding so just didn't. Entirely personal choice.
 
I stopped riding at 14 weeks, and that was a very very slow plod on a boringly safe neddy!

OH was very supportive of me and left the decision up to me but asked me not to do anything too exciting.

Now my little one is here I cannot believe I took the risk at all, she is so precious to me. If there is ever a baby number 2 I won't ride at all.

Little one will be 7 weeks on Monday and I am hoping to have a sneaky ride on sunday! I had a second degree tear, 2 labial tears and far too many stitches to even think about getting on any earlier!
 
I stopped at 17 weeks, I was finding anything other than walk uncomfortable and it was hard getting off! My boy is safe as houses so I would have happily carried on if I wanted to. He is now on loan with my neighbour so looking much better for some proper work.
 
With my first I rode up until 19 weeks, just schooling and hacking on my own horse, when I started getting SPD - started off with sciatica then turned to pelvic agony... ouch! DUe to the SPD and stitches I didn't get back on til baby was 3 months old and it was such a relief to be riding my horse again. I had PTSD from a traumatic birth, and the doctor said I had to get back on my horse to help me get better, and it worked.
This time I rode gently up to 20 weeks, but once I had my 20 week scan I didn't want to ride any more. Not worth the risk, they are just so precious. No SPD this time though so I am hoping to get riding sooner. I am 36 weeks now so counting down the time til I can get back on my horse!
 
I gave up straight away... it was a planned pregnancy so actually gave my month's notice to owner before I'd conceived.

The risk from a fall wasn't worth it to me.

Obviously there are other things (crossing roads, walking up stairs...) that could end a pregnancy. But for me riding is a hobby not a living or anything so it wouldn't have felt right to risk a baby for it.

OH would have been devastated if I'd taken chances with our baby.

Can't wait to get back on after it arrives though... only a few weeks to go so feeling very pleased at all the quick return stories on here!
 
I rode up to about 35 weeks but it was very much slow pottering around at the end. My horse is very trustworthy however and was a complete star with me the whole pregnancy.
 
My friend rode up until 2 weeks after the baby was due!!! Then rang me up on the saturday morning to say she couldn't go on exercise that morning as she'd started!!! I was just glad that she didn't start while we were out on exercise! I'd been having the heebiejeebies about that for weeks!

It's what feels okay to the individual I think.
 
I was so violently ill for the first 14 weeks, I couldn't even look at a horse let alone ride one. I started riding again when the morning sickness passed. I became so nervous at the slightest little thing, so I was probably just teaching my horse bad habits. (He looks at a leaf blowing in the wind = I get off) so I decided to quit riding and I was so relieved when I made that decision.

I continued mucking out etc till 9 months. Towards the end a 3yo Connemara I was putting in a stable spooked and double barrell kicked right at my bump. Luckily my arm was in the way and took the hit and we were far enough away that we weren't hit too hard. It was a real eye opener. A potentially terrible accident caused by a rake falling over in the wind spooking a normally fairly quiet pony
 
I can't begin to express how much I want to ride :(
I sold my mare because she was a handful for me whilst pregnant, had every intention of waiting
Until after I had the baby to buy another, didn't quite work out
That way .
I've just brought a lovely 4yo conny x who I'm pretty sure would be as safe as houses for
Me to take out, but not willing
To take the chance.
I'm now 33+ so not too much longer to wait, just so hard having a horse and watching everyone else ride him whilst watching from the sidelines, specially after I've had such a good pregnancy and barely even feel pregnant at all with a really small little bump.
But I know the wait for both occasions will be well worth it :)
 
I have a just backed youngster so have decided not to ride apart from a few walks, with the precaution of a helper on the ground with a lunge line just in case something unexpected happened. My pony is very very sweet and does not push or barge so I love hanging out with her in her stable, and will be doing so later on as well.

Anyway although I won't be riding myself, I would be supportive of other women who prefer to keep riding.

I think some people are unrealistic about risk. For most pregnant women, getting into a car might be the most dangerous thing we do yet nobody stops travel by car when pregnant or says 'but do you really want to be taking chances with the baby, are you prepared to loose the baby if you have a car accident? '

miscarriages can and do happen no matter how careful one is. many are due to something gone wrong with the development of the baby, for reasons beyond our control. yet when having this devastating experience people naturally look for "causes" in what they did, ate, or even felt. Was it stress, too much coffee, too much sports, hoth baths, slipping and falling...

If a rider miscarries it does not need to have anything to do with riding at all. Women are fairly robust, and as people experienced prior to modern birth control, babies stay put and aren't easy to get rid of.
 
Didn't have a horse with baby 1, I had SPD so couldn't have ridden if I wanted to. With baby 2 (18 years later) I rode properly up until about 7 months when I began to feel unstable - but had the odd hop on and walk around up until I was due - ridding again at 2 weeks.

With 3rd baby I stopped at about 25 weeks as I felt unstable, and as my old girl was suffering from arthritis I didn't think it fair for her to have to cope with me getting heavier and lurching about. I guess everything was weaker and stretching more readily third time round, and as it turned out I had a big baby. Sadly I had to retire my horse so didn't get to ride her again, but had my first ride on my daughters at at about 6 weeks PN.

Congrats to you OP and all the other HHO'ers who are reproducing. Happy times indeed.
 
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