Riding and pregnancy

[peacockpoo]

I would be most interested in people's experiences of getting back to riding after having a baby. I am expecting my first baby any day now and really desperate to get back on my horses when the baby's here. I'm being realistic in that I am very unfit as I haven't ridden since April due to work more than anything as we don't usually have time to compete over the summer but I hear so many stories, healthy women suddenly haemoraging, your pelvis being soft(!) and not fused together. I do have one friend that was eventing 10 days after her first baby but then she also tried and bought a horse of me when she was 8 1/2 months pregnant. Anything I should know?

 

[carthorse]

She got away with it ..............or has she , you can have problems years later. My daughter rode at 8 months pregnant because she had qualified for a dressage final but had a fall in the bridleway when a dog was out of control and bit our horses leg .He reared to turn round ,caught his leg in loose wire and pulled back going over and treading on her stomache as he got up.The air amulance came but wouldn't put her in as they were worried that she would deliver and they can't do that in the helicopter so the ambulance men had to carry her half a mile. She was ok. Her waters had not broke ,she had just wet herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Wait until after your first check and if all is ok then ride.

 

[Grey_Arab]

My instructer had her baby in May and she was back riding(gentley hacking) two weeks later. She then gradually built it up and did her first BE event of the season at the end of July. As far as I know the only problems she's had is back pain from carrying the baby around (after he'd been born)!

 

[bellaboo]

Hi!!

With my first child i was riding till i was 6 months but ran into complications had a c section so didn't get back on till about 4 weeks after ( was meant to leave it at least 6

) My 2nd child i stopped riding at 3 months because of 1st pregnancy and was back in the saddle about 2 weeks later

!!!
You need to listen to your body, you will know when you feel able to get back on and also, your so tired with a newborn baby so just take it easy when you do get back on.
Good luck

 

[Wishful]

You need to be careful for a while - there is a hormone which is released during the last month or so of pregnancy which relaxes your ligaments so the baby can get out through the pelvis. This takes a long time to dissipate - up to 6 months! Quite a lot of serious sports women have had ligament injuries after having babies - backs are a particular issue as you are lifting up the baby.

 

[gothdolly]

Please be careful. Your ligaments are stretched during pregnancy and birth and you can do yourself an injury. I had slight pelvic disfunction (really loose ligaments) and was told to leave it at least 6 months before riding. I also had bad tearing and my stitches did not heal well so I could not stand to ride until 11 weeks after the birth. And then it was still uncomfortable. Now i get pains in my hips/pelvis and wish I had left it till the recommended 6 months afterwards.... I have not checked it out but wonder if its linked to the problems I had during pregnancy.

My physio also told me you can damage your pelvic floor and become incontinent in later life as a result of riding too early after the birth. I hope that does not happen to me! Make sure you do your pelvic floor exercises!!

Good luck. I hope you bounce back with no problems

Cassandra

 

[TGM]

I was riding a week after giving birth, despite quite a lot of tearing

. I obviously took it quite gently to start - only problem I encountered was my legs felt really weak and useless!

However, you have to go by how you feel and whether you encounter any medical problems - everyone is different.

 

[mrsdoyal]

I just have to reply to this one, having had 2 babies in a row (14 months apart). Started riding again about 10 weeks after the 1st birth when my episiotomy (ouch!) had healed. No problem riding/hunting & general looney galloping around. 2nd pregnancy attempted to get back on board 2 weeks after birth - only to find I couldn't ride!!! I was like a novice, couldnt even keep my stirrups in trot!!! Highly humiliating. Basically, I had no stomach muscles left to support my back, my ligaments and pelvis were still soft and stretched, hence I had no balance and my legs were perfectly useless. I was quite knocked back by this and for the first time ever I felt nervous on a horse (didnt help that I was riding a monster who had come off 10 months box rest, ho hum). Gradually, I got fitter and thnigs went back into shape which helped, but it took some time to regain my seat and therefore my confidence.

You cant tell which way pregnancy/birth will affect you - you'll either leap onto your horse and go for a gallop or you'll discover your body had temporarily fallen to bits and spend a couple of months grabbing for the neckstrap.

Good luck and congrats to you and baby x

 

[the watcher]

i started riding about 4 weeks after a C section (I know!) because i wanted to get back into showjumping which I had given up as soon as I knew I was expecting, although i carried on riding almost to the end.

I came off and landed on my hip, I now have a permanently twisted pelvis - i didn't realise at the time how vulnerable this area was and thought the only area at risk would be my scar.

With hindsight, i realise i tried to do too much too quickly, and will be paying the price with back pain for the rest of my life.