Cycling while pregnant keeps you fit and prepares your body for the uphill struggle of childbirth
Sam Hadad even pregnant still rides her bike. Photograph: Factory Media
When I first emailed colleagues to let them know I was pregnant among the congratulations and “That’ll cause a dip in the Smirnoff share price”-type chortle came this unexpected note from our receptionist, “You’re not still cycling to work are you? Is that safe?”
The truth was I didn’t know. As an avid cyclist, with a firm belief that riding to and from work makes living in London not just bearable but actually quite pleasurable, it was one of the first things I’d Googled after the test shone positive. Yet the advice was conflicting. Everyone agreed on the physical and psychological benefits of moderate, low-impact exercise during a low-risk pregnancy, and the NHS advises women to “keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise for as long as you feel comfortable”. But it also warns against cycling “because there’s a risk of falling”. A sentiment echoed by parenting sites, such as the NCT and BabyCentre, the latter warning against all but riding an exercise bike as “even if you’re an experienced cyclist, there’s a danger you’ll fall or be knocked off your bike.”
Really? Granted some accidents will be tragically unavoidable, but isn’t that the case when you cross a road or get into your car?
Thankfully the CTC – the national cyclists’ organisation – was on hand with positive advice and useful tips from raising your handlebars and fitting lower gears to the more spirited “cut down on those off-road descents and don’t race-train in a pack”. They also tell you to consult your doctor first, which I did. She saw no reason why I shouldn’t cycle as long as I took it easy and listened to my body. At three months in, my body was feeling good, with the only sniff of morning sickness coming on the rare mornings when I took the train and bus to work, which also doubled my journey time.
Beyonce and Jay-Z expecting their first child: report
March 29, 2010 Filed under Dionysus
Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles ... reportedly expecting their first child.
Beyonce Knowles is reportedly pregnant.
The Sweet Dreams singer and her rapper husband Jay-Z – who married in a secret ceremony on April 4 2008 – are believed to be expecting their first child together, according to internet reports.
Blog Mediatakeout.com claimed: “According to our source Beyonce is doing fine and resting (for now), but she’s expected to continue working throughout her pregnancy. And we’re also told that Jay-Z is extremely happy to be having his first child with Beyonce.”
A spokesperson for the couple has refused to comment on the matter.
Knowles’s publicist Alan Nierob said: “We don’t respond to private matter inquiries.”
Last November, it was reported the couple were trying for a baby.
At the time, a source said: “Jay-Z’s normally very secretive but he is so excited about the prospect of becoming a dad, he just let slip that they’re trying for a baby.”
However, around the same time the 28-year-old singer admitted she wanted to focus on being a wife before starting a family.
She said: “It’s not time for that yet. But definitely there will be a time. I want to be a great mother, the kind of mother that I have. I want the same bond that I had with my mom and that would be enough for me.
“The security and love I feel being in a relationship, a marriage, it’s absolutely incredible. Incredible.”
She has also previously admitted that watching her sister Solange give birth put her off the experience.
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