Skating while pregnant

[AnnM]

I know there are some of you out there that have done it. I was wondering how long through your pregnancy did you skate? When did lacing up your skates become impossible?

My OB has cleared me to skate, but I'm not allowed to jump, spin, twist or turn. So I'm pretty much asking in the context of forward stroking/laps around the rink.

[dbny]

My former coach skated almost right up to delivery with her second 2 kids. She had to stop at 5 months with the first one due to a broken wrist. She felt her balance was better on ice than off.

[manleywoman]

I did double jumps through the 3rd month.
Singles through the 5th month.
Just stroking, spirals, footwork through the 7th month.
Then I just didn't feel comfortable doing it past that. I went swimming instead.

[dbny]

I don't think falling is a problem. If you could shake a pregnancy loose that easily, there would be no abortion debate. My concern would be an injury that might need surgery, and therefor, anesthetic. Of course, it does happen, but it's pretty unlikely, IMO, especially if you're just skating around forwards.

[Hannahclear]

My doctor said it was ok in the first trimester, but not after that. She mentioned placental abruption as the major risk, if I were to fall forward.

I skated when I was newly pregnant, before I even took a test. My last time on the ice, I (barely) passed Silver FS. Found out later that week and it seemed a good time to stop, because what was my objective at that point? I made it through my test and wouldn't have been comfortable still working on the axel.

Just getting back on the ice now! Can't afford lessons or ice time, so it's pretty much just public once per week. I can still do some stuff though....

[dbny]

My doctor said it was ok in the first trimester, but not after that. She mentioned placental abruption as the major risk, if I were to fall forward.
<snip>
Just getting back on the ice now! Can't afford lessons or ice time, so it's pretty much just public once per week. I can still do some stuff though....

Forget what I said, the doctor knows best!

[GarrAarghHrumph]

I skated up until my seventh month. I've told people here this before, but I did a skating test while seven months pregnant, and one of the judges wrote on my form that "Garr and baby" passed. So my daughter actually passed her first skating test before she was even born. Impressive!

But at that point, I was doing only MITF and dance. No jumps or spins. And my coach would scream at anyone who came anywhere near me, for fear they'd bump into me.

[AnnM]

I skated up until my seventh month. I've told people here this before, but I did a skating test while seven months pregnant, and one of the judges wrote on my form that "Garr and baby" passed. So my daughter actually passed her first skating test before she was even born. Impressive!

I love this!

[Skittl1321]

One of my friends said her personal rule was that she would skate (very low level, no tricks really) until she couldn't tie her own skates. She also taught tots level LTS while pregnant.

I think if you do know you are pregnant, and are still first trimester, so not telling anyone, it would still be a good idea to tell your coach and probably the skate director in confidence, that way if anything did happen, they would know to treat the situation even more seriously. (Just like how I like to have them know I have a history of spinal cord injury. Just good information to pass along to the paramedics if I'm unconscious.)

[myy]

I skated synchro (recreational level) through 3rd month, and just some stroking/turns etc a few weeks more. I stopped when I started to notice a difference in my balance. Also at that point I couldn't bend much at the waist, which made sit spins etc. impossible. I stopped jumping immediately, and only fell once while pregnant (before I even knew I was), as I didn't do anything beyond my comfort level.

Also I stopped going into public ice quite early on, and only did adult only ice, which is much less crowded and there is not that much recless behavior.

[overedge]

One of my friends said her personal rule was that she would skate (very low level, no tricks really) until she couldn't tie her own skates.

One of the coaches at my club worked right until the day she went into labour (luckily that started at night, after she was done teaching for the day). During the last couple of weeks, she couldn't see her feet, so she had to get the other coaches to put her skates on and tie them up for her

She's usually a pretty active coach, demonstrating things and following her skaters through their programs - but for her last month or so, she was holding onto the boards in one place and telling her skaters what to do. And we were really glad that was all she was trying to do!

[Susan1]

One of the coaches at my club worked right until the day she went into labour (luckily that started at night, after she was done teaching for the day). During the last couple of weeks, she couldn't see her feet, so she had to get the other coaches to put her skates on and tie them up for her

She's usually a pretty active coach, demonstrating things and following her skaters through their programs - but for her last month or so, she was holding onto the boards in one place and telling her skaters what to do. And we were really glad that was all she was trying to do!

Way back when I was in ISI, the last thing our adult club coach did was judge our Basic Skills tests before she went on maternity leave, after spending the last 8 weeks of her pregnancy teaching us! I think the baby was born within the week. But she was a "pro" and didn't do things that would have made her fall or anything.

[victoriajh]

i gave it up early on- I barfed for 5 months ( which made it hard to skate ) and then my balence went almost immed. that is actually waht made me test with my daughter!!!
I think it is individual and differnet with each pregnacy-
I was back on the ice 4-6 weeks afterwards and found it wonderfully relaxing- and really what is a few months in the grand scheme of things!

[AnnM]

i gave it up early on- I barfed for 5 months ( which made it hard to skate )

I can relate. I had to give it up entirely from weeks 6 to 12 because the nausea was so bad & caused motion sickness on top of it.

I've stopped my lessons since I was working on Silver moves & freestyle, which is almost entirely all the stuff my doctor doesn't want me to do. But I am still planning to skate laps for exercise until my belly gets in the way of lacing up. I'm 15 weeks now, so I'm hoping I can skate for at least another 6-8 weeks.

Thanks for the input everyone!

[JasperBoy]

Isabelle Brasseur was 4-5 months pregnant during their last show tour about 10 years ago. (someone will know the exact year)When they did the head banger the whole audience shrieked "NO!".

I think Jamie Sale was still skating in CSOI during in her second trimester.

Not recommended for amateur skaters. Listen to your Dr.

[AnnM]

Isabelle Brasseur was 4-5 months pregnant during their last show tour about 10 years ago. (someone will know the exact year)When they did the head banger the whole audience shrieked "NO!".

I think Jamie Sale was still skating in CSOI during in her second trimester.

Not recommended for amateur skaters. Listen to your Dr.

I don't think there was anything in any of my posts that indicated I'm not listening to my doctor. I just wanted to know what others' experiences were like.

[MacMadame]

I stopped as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I was a beginner at that point and I didn't feel comfortable doing it. I figured my balance would be changing constantly and I'd be a nervous wreck so what was the point in paying someone to "teach" stuff I'd have to relearn anyway?

I have a lot of friends who ice dance and have been skating for years, often since they were children. Most of them continued skating until around 7-8 months. In their case, I think that is fine because they pretty much rarely fell and they also had a lot of body awareness so they could cut back on the right moves as they got bigger.

[JasperBoy]

I don't think there was anything in any of my posts that indicated I'm not listening to my doctor. I just wanted to know what others' experiences were like.

Down, girl. Watch those hormones!

I was just giving some scary examples that I witnessed, out of interests sake. There was no implication meant that you were not listening to your doctor.

Take it easy.