Preggers harness?

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

OK, so here's a question for all you mothers:

 

If you climbed while you were pregnant, what did you do harness-wise? Just get a bigger harness? Bigger harness & a chest harness? Full-body harness? Quit climbing and take up chess?

 

The future is at stake, so any useful information (useful information, wiseguys) would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Flash Amazing

[olyclimber]

In all seriousness, is the Dr. pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Alpinfox]

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

In all seriousness, is the Dr. pregnant? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Well, someone certainly is.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

 

 

Does REI carry that model? And, more importantly, how many colors does it come in?

[minx]

 

 

Does REI carry that model? And, more importantly, how many colors does it come in?

 

perhaps the Dr. is an OBGYN and asking on behalf of a patient.

 

i think you can order this harness to match your lycra

[robert]

I am not a mother, but my wife is. When she was pregnant we asked about what activities were ok and roped climbing was one that her OB said was not a good idea. It might be ok until the baby is big enough that you are showing and your regular harness won't fit, but given the consequences of a problem I would stick to other activities. My wife hiked St. Helens at 5 months and was still trail hiking after 7 months, but I know sportos don't hike so you might need to find a less violent hobby for a few months. You should be able to start right back in after the baby. I bet your redpoint level will drop until you loose the baby weight, but milk production burns 300 calories per day, so you won't have to work too hard.

 

Congratulations. Parenthood is awesome. My daughter is almost two and she climbs everything in the house. We are going to be taking her to the UW wall for some bouldering soon. As a total aside, she refers to herself in the third person. It is quite funny as I am sure you will appreciate.

Edited May 16, 2005 by robert

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

As a total aside, she refers to herself in the third person. It is quite funny as I am sure you will appreciate.

 

 

That's effing brilliant! She must be a fantastic child.

 

Regarding the climbing, so far, the Doctor's, er, "patient" has been cleared for toproping. Climbing whilst knocked up is actually pretty common, too; witness Lynn Hill, Alison Osius (who penned a short article for one of the climbing mags which included the gem that she felt like Godzilla trying to climb ), and most recently, the obscenely fit Tiffany Campbell, who climbed up until two weeks before her due date (!).

[robert]

I don't doubt that it can be done. I imagine that it can be done safely, but for us it was the risk/reward that just didn't justify it. Everyone is different. If the patient wants to get after it go for it. It is probably good motivation not to fall.

 

She is a fantastic child.

[knelson]

Also not speaking from personal experience, but...

 

I think you'll find different doctors with different opinions on the safety of climbing while pregnant. A friend of ours sought out a doc with climbing experience, and while I can't remember the exact recommendations, she said it was fine to climb... as long as you use good judgement. Leading is probably not too good of a thing for most, but toproping was acceptable. If I remember correctly, the main concern was the harness being over where the baby was during the later stage of pregnancy. When she gets big enough that this happens, it's time to hang up the harness - not get a bigger harness.

 

The other physiological thing that's gonna happen is that your wife's joints are all going to loosen up at some later stage. Obviously, this is in preparation for the fact that she's gonna push a bowling ball out of her body. This joint loosening is going to make climbing a bit different as the body doesn't do the same things it used to do. Joints "clicking" when trying to do a move you've done hundreds of times before just fine, is somewhat disconcerting I've been told. This alone will probably want to make her stop, or at least minimize, her climbing.

 

And yes... you'll have fun. As noted previously, it seems that all toddlers go through a "third person" stage. Ours did. I'm sure yours will - even without training from you!

 

Oh yeah... and your life won't change much.

 

-kurt

[robert]

The other physiological thing that's gonna happen is that your wife's joints are all going to loosen up at some later stage. Obviously, this is in preparation for the fact that she's gonna push a bowling ball out of her body. This joint loosening is going to make climbing a bit different as the body doesn't do the same things it used to do. Joints "clicking" when trying to do a move you've done hundreds of times before just fine, is somewhat disconcerting I've been told. This alone will probably want to make her stop, or at least minimize, her climbing.

-kurt

 

This is a good point whether she is climbing or not. The combination of the extra weight and the loose joints means that she needs to be careful the last few weeks. My wife blew out her ACL 6 days before our daughter was born. She wasn't doing anything crazy, she just stumbled stepping off of a broken curb.

[mdidriksen]

My wife climbed (top rope only) through the first five months. She found that using a chest harness in addition to her normal harness worked well. It was the only time I was able to finally best the wife at the gym . . . (and even then only when she hit 5 months!)

 

In addition to the joint loosening thing, you may find that you are short of breath, dizzy or your heart races. My wife wore a heart rate monitor all the time, as she started having issues with her heart racing pretty early in the pregnancy. In her fifth month she started having issues with dizziness (fainted at the gym in fact) and that put an end to all exercise.

[badvoodoo]

In her fifth month she started having issues with dizziness (fainted at the gym in fact) and that put an end to all exercise.

I'm amazed a gym would let a pregnant woman climb. I'd think that would raise liability alarm levels through the roof...

[luwayo]

i saw a pregnant woman climbing at the gym on sunday. she wore a full harness. wondered if she had trouble watching her footwork.

[Dru]

ya but i bet the increased friction from the belly is helpful on slab climbs....

 

tami knight climbed when she was 7 months pregnant i think...its in one of her cartoons.

[badvoodoo]

ya but i bet the increased friction from the belly is helpful on slab climbs....

I made that same comment the other day to someone who was preggo and talked about wanting to climb someday. Are sticky rubber maternity clothes aid?

[luwayo]

i'll be impressed if i get an answer for this here:

is incontinance after child birth an issue - even for climbers?!

[selkirk]

Are sticky rubber maternity clothes a marital aid?

 

yes, but they're illegal in texas.

[robert]

Loss of control has more to do with the catheter you get for an epidural or a c-section than with birth. That is what they told us in the labor and delivery class anyway. Given that I would think that climbing or any other would have no effect on the likelyhood of having a problem.

[luwayo]

just polled some non-athletic mothers in the office....they say for sure, a woman could suffer some short term discomfort from a catheter, but women who undergo c-sections tend to NOT suffer incontinance so much as a woman sending one thru the birth chute. it's all about the stretching.

 

re: fitness of the mother, what they're saying is...it makes no dif and that atheletes are not immune.

[mtngrrrl]

I climbed for the first two months of pregnancy, then stopped. My doctor, also a climber, discouraged it. She compared falling to getting into a car accident. You can pick up speed quickly and it's the jolt at the end that's the issue. The jolt can cause the placenta to shear, which would have dire consequences. I actually talked to Lynn Hill about climbing pregnant, and I'm pretty sure she stopped climbing as well. But she got right back to it 28 days post delivery. Dang!! Guess that's why she gets paid the big bucks.

 

Anyway, I decided it wasn't worth it. Climbing would always be there for me, but I wanted to make sure my kid got the benefit of a good start. It wasn't easy to give up climbing, however as a side benefit I do think any residual tendonitis is totally gone.

 

As for harnesses for pregnant women who plan to climb, I would go with full body.

 

On another note, DFA, check back when it's appropriate for your "patient" and ask about breast-feeding and climbing long routes. I just recently realized these were two incompatible goals. [i did ponder pumping on a portaledge.] For anyone who doesn't understand, I have one word for you: engorgement. Sounds sexy and um, ample, but ouch!! It's going to be all baby-friendly roadside climbs for me this year. Now if we can just figure out how to protect his wee head from any potential rockfall... Any tips?

[knelson]

It's going to be all baby-friendly roadside climbs for me this year. Now if we can just figure out how to protect his wee head from any potential rockfall... Any tips?

 

Umm... don't take him?

 

Seriously - you need some down time away from baby to somewhat regain your sanity. What better way then not having to be constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure the wee one is OK. Plus I'm sure your fellow climbers will thank you for not bringing the catterwallering little tyke (assuming he's very young) to the crags.

 

Yeah... the breast feeding thing is a definite issue, but bring the little battery powered pump, find a little secluded corner of the crag, and pump & dump. (Yeah, yeah, yeah... let the snide comments commence.)

 

IMO, there's just too much stuff going on at crags to really be safe. YOU might be looking out for the little one, but you'll probably be the only one, unfortunately.

 

-kurt

[wags]

oh man, if I cant climb for 6-8 months im not sure if I ever want to have kids