Mums Running Club

Well done PA on getting back to work. After about 4 hours sleep (not in one go) I wonder how I would be if I were working. Thankfully and hopefully 4 hours is not the norm. For some reason the little one keeps waking up after being generally a sound sleeper for the first 4 months.

How do you folks get your babies to sleep? Are they falling asleep on their own accord á la Gina Ford ie. put sleepy baby in a dark room and they drop off? I have struggled and went down the rocking baby in arms path. Now increasingly turning to the dummy (and popping it out of his mouth a little bit later) which I am not comfortable with. Thinking about trying the controlled crying thing at around 6 months if things don't improve.

My 3rd child has just turned 7 months and I am back up to a maximum run of 8 miles. My work is sporadic (supply teaching and aerobics teaching for a charity) so I do most my daytime running with a baby jogger while my older 2 are at school and nursey. DH and the kids have a hectic evening schedule so evening running is sometimes after 9pm if I don't want to take the jogger.

Re: sleep

I made a very big mistake with my first of not allowing her to cry to sleep, as a result she didn't sleep thru the night til she was nearly 5. During that time I was trying to drag myself to part time work on 4hrs sleep if lucky. With the second we never rocked her to sleep and she was not allowed to fall asleep on us, we let her cry (you know the differece between the cries as they get older)sometimes is was hard on the nerves but by 12 weeks she slep all nigth and 6 months 12 hrs a night. DS now sleeps 12 hrs a night appart from odd occassion of losing dummy and we took same approach with him. Whenever things got tough we always kept in mind it only takes 14 days to cement a new routine in a baby/young childs mind.

Hope this helps

Getting back to running

I was advised to do nothing with impact for the first 6 weeks, only mild toning exercises and a lot of walking. I did teach aerobics classes after the first child from 2 weeks but I basically walked the routine til 6 weeks and pointed and gave directions.

It is tempting to do a lot but it only has a negative benefit doing too much. I exercised til the day all mine were born and was lucky to have 3 relativly straight forward labours so it is a real shock to tone it down to the minimum. If you do too much your milk supply is affected and your ligaments are not strong enough to cope, not to mention pelvic floor muscles.

At 6 weeks I ran a mile and although I could have done more I did not. Each week I added a little more distance or some other acticity like aerobics, swimming, cycling, weights. Now at 7 months I am back doing all the activities I was doing before. I still have a little weight to loose and I'm not as fast as I was and I can only run a max of 8 miles but within a year it will come back.

Must go as DS is crying

Hello, I am due with my first baby in August. I am / was a keen runner and have just stopped as it was getting too uncomfortable. i'm looking forward to going back to it but wonder if someone could give me some help as to the type of pram / travel system I should be buying? Having done 10 mins of research, it looks as if there's no point buying a baby jogger type of pram until the baby is 3 months old. Can anyone recommend a travel system which will be robust enough to cope with good walks in a seaside village setting (ie no pavements, rough terrain, beach, sand dunes and trails)? Am I asking too much? Sarah

Hi Sarah,

I've bought the Quinny Speedi for those very reasons (got a very good deal on kiddicare.com) I know that Austro has one and so she could probably comment on how good it is! I'd read some really good reviews so decided to go for it.

Have you looked into the Pregnant Runners Club too? There's a number of us due around the same time (I'm due 24th July) and we're frequently discussing the joys of late pregnancy!!!

Tracey thanks for all the advice re getting back into it all. I'm really starting to plan ahead now and it's good to hear what you should and shouldn't be doing, I know for one that I'll be trying to do too much too soon. It sounds like you're very much 'in the know'.

Hi Sarah,

I've bought the Quinny Speedi (it was originally advertised a baby jogger) for those very reasons (got a very good deal on kiddicare.com) I know that Austro has one and so she could probably comment on how good it is! I'd read some really good reviews so decided to go for it.

Have you looked into the Pregnant Runners Club too? There's a number of us due around the same time (I'm due 24th July) and we're frequently discussing the joys of late pregnancy!!!

Tracey thanks for all the advice re getting back into it all. I'm really starting to plan ahead now and it's good to hear what you should and shouldn't be doing, I know for one that I'll be trying to do too much too soon. It sounds like you're very much 'in the know'.

Hello, i'll have a look at the Quinny Speedi! Thank you so much for your help. I'll also take a look at the Pregnant Runners Club. Sarah

Hi Astrorunner
Re sleep.. We dont have trouble putting him down to sleep most of the time..
We have been following the baby whisperer...and she says follow baby signs..so as soon as we see the baby yawn/rub his eyes we know we have to put him down. When we do put him down..we just sing "twinkle twinkle" once or twice..put his mobile on.. and then leave him in his cot..and he is usually asleep within 5 mins.
He is used to this routine now and he is tired at the exact same times every night and knows its going to sleep time once Twinkle twinkle starts.
(Even for naps during the day we follow the same routine and it works a treat)

There have been times when we missed the window(his yawning/rubbing eyes)and rather than put him down then(when he is overtired/cranky etc), we play with him for a few mins..make sure he's in good form..smilling etc..and then we put him down..and he's fine.(we may have to sing twinkle twinkle a few more times, but he usually nods off by himslf)

We have been lucky in that he has always been a good sleeper tho

Best of luck with it.It just takes time to figure out what works for you and your baby

Blimey, I STILL can't keep up with the postings!! This is a great idea though.

Minks, glad to hear you didn't do too much damage in the return to running. Unfortunately it is something I learn't the hard way too and this time around I am easing myself in much more sensibly. Possibly easier to be more relaxed as I know from before that you can get your fitness/form back, where as before all I could think about was what I had lost! When I fell pregant last year with no. 2 I was fitter than just before I was pregnant with no. 1 AND I was a minute off my 10km PB which I had run about 3 years previously and thought I would never repeat. So at nearly 37 I am convincing myself there is still hope!

For those planning a marathon, it DOES take commitment and good time management BUT I did one last year and ran less miles doing a better time! I have never been able to run lots of miles per week because I get ill or injured. 45 miles a week is my max, so I followed a runners world programme they included in their magazine last year that had 3 runs a week + cross training. So I did 1 long run, 1 speed session (in the gym), 1 avg length run (with the club) and a spinning class (in the gym). The 'in the gym' bits meant I did that in the day with son in creche so less impact on 'family' time. It meant I did more longer runs than b4 as not injured etc. You really need to see how you recover post-birth and how your new life evolves. Joshua was 18 months old when I did this marathon (Taunton - hilly & windy)and I managed sub-4. I'm aiming for another one next autumn.

Astro-runner, re the sleep thing. Definitely agree with Tracy Cross about letting them cry to sleep a bit. With no. 1 I followed Gina Ford quite a bit so he fell into a good routine, but again, at about four months he would not just settle down to sleep (I think their awareness gets greater), so every night we would put him down and leave him and he would (without fail) cry for 20 minutes and then shut up. At this point we would turn the baby monitor back on and it would remain silent for the rest of the evening!! After a couple of weeks he stopped crying and just went to sleep. Also echoing Mrs T - watch for the signs of tiredness and try and get in first b4 overtired. Another thought, is he a big hungry baby? If he is waking in the night, is it hunger? Although you've probably already questioned this. Not sure when they are weaned now (with first it was somewhere around five months-ish I think). I started when J started waking up in the night again having previously been good.

Oh no, where on earth did all that come from! You can tell I've spent the day talking to a almost three-year-old and a baby!

I was running with a teutonia Y2K jogger for my first 2 girls but then at the time I didn't really ever go above 1 or 2 miles and as the girls got bigger used to just use it for dog walking. I tried to use this pushchair for DS and it was OK to start with as it laid right back and I didn't go too far but as the milage increased and my routes became more uneven the weight of the puschair started to be really show, and the harness was not as snug wriggle proof as I would like for running.

So when DS hit 6 months DS got me a baby jogger (you can't use it till 6 months due to seating posn)and I have found it really easy to run with. I have taken times of all my routes using this and can even jog up the bridges on my route(although slowly). I jog on uneven roads, pavements, sea front and the river path and found the harness good and he pushchair very easy to push and stable. I even made it around the block with my 6 year old sat in although she wasn't strapped in and I went round a corner real fast and nearly threw her out as the pushchair spins on 2 wheels to change direction very easily.

The only drawback is the long wheelbase makes negociating Tesco or the school playground interesting. But then it is not designed for that.
Must go a bedtime story to do

I agree with the commnets about running and exercise inpacting on family life.

My local gym has shut our creche so I do most runs,4 out of 5 are now with the pushchair when my girls are at school and nursery. I used to go to the gym rain or shine as the girl loved it when they were little and it was precious me time. The gym creche shut when DS was 5 weeks old how is that for bad luck.

My work is sporadic and on a casual basis so running in the day with my jogger is the only way I can get out, or as happens in school holidays I have to go after all the kids are in bed.

My DH has his interests, the girls their dance, gym, swimming etc..So as a mum you usually come last on the list.

I have my first Tri on Sunday since having DS 7 and a bit months ago so I will get a real test of how much fitness I have regained. I expect a reasonable swim as I only stopped swimming for 4 weeks while I had blood loss, cycle will be hard as I stuggle to find time to go out but DH has just got me a cycle trainer so I can cycle in the garage with the kids in bed, nap times or while DH is out training or teaching TKD. Running I am slower than before, not a lot cause I've never been that fast and still 7 lbs over the heaviest weight that I am happy at. One day I wish to try for a marathon but the most I've ever done is a half in 2 hours and 1 min.

Must go again as oldest has heard a strange noise in her room. Probably the wind or a fly.

TC - Which Tri are you doing on Sunday? My club has one on Sunday, just wondering if it's the same one? (Cosmeston run by Cardiff Tri). Thanks for the info re running it's also good to hear about the baby joggers.

CC - Thanks for advice re marathon, it's interesting to hear that you can do as well or better with less training. That said I used to swim and swimmers are reknowned for being over trained, when I slacked off some of the training I swam better that I had ever swum before!

I seem to remember someone saying a while ago that it was best to buy baby joggers from the States? May be worth looking at.

Jane Tri - It is my local tri on sunday and probably one of the few I will do this year as getting babysitters on a sunday for 3 children is not easy as DH is doing this event too!!!

It is held at Burnham on Sea. The swim (500m)is in the pool where I teach aqua aerobics, 20 K cycle is almost past our house (flat but can be very windy) and the run 5K is on the beach thru the dunes and golf course and is ok if the sand is not too soft.

I'm looking forward to it even though I know I'm not super fast I normally mamage a respectable mid placing of the people in my age group. Though in 2005 I did get a prize for being 3rd local lady home even if I was half way thru the field overall.

Lucky you Tracey, wish I was doing our local one on Sunday, just helping at registration from 530 for me this year. Sounds like a really nice race though, not disimilar to Tuska in Porthcawl in July. (Except that has a sea swim, can be challenging!!!). Good luck on Sunday!

Hang in there Janie, you'll be back out there before you know it. I managed two three-km runs this week + a trip to the climbing wall - I can't believe 11 weeks have already passed and that I am already making a tentative return to some of my former life. I know just how you feel though. My fellow club runners were participating in the first of a series of three 10km races done locally last night. I always do these and was just back on form last year when I fell pregnant with Scarlett. Next year ...

Good luck Tracey for the Tri, with two now I am just beginning to discover the babysitting challenges ahead! It was definitely easier with just the one.

Anyone out there have tips for a potty-training toddler (boy nearly three) who is happy peeing in potty or toilet but will only poo in his pants!

Sarah - I have the Quinny Speedi and now have five months experience with it under my belt :-) It is a nice pram, very manouvrable and easy to fold. After using my sister's pram whilst in the UK I realise it is quite light as well. Obviously so far only used it with the Dreami bassinet and my only gripe is that it is possibly on the small size. Oliver looks big in it now (he's 66cm) and just has a bit of room top and bottom. I heard from someone else that they found it on the small side too and switched earlier than recommended to the pushchair. I didn't buy the pram with running in mind and in my booklet it does say it is not suitable as a baby jogger. Don't know why cos it has that sporty look...

Thanks for the feedback on getting your babies to sleep. There are certainly some good tips I am implementing. His waking in the night is getting better and I never thought it was really cos he was hungry. An additional problem now is that he is rolling onto his tummy and he can't roll back so I think after a while he wants to be back on his back. I also can't sleep as soundly knowing he is on his tummy but when I turn him onto his back he either wakes up or just rolls over again.

my oldest kept rollin on to her tummy too so in the end I just gave up and let her sleep their unless she had a bad cold. My mum told me that when I was a baby the health visiters advised you to let baby sleep on tummy. Now number 2 slept in the same way on the tummy and so does number 3, infact he is there right now.

If you have the right matress and correct bedding (my last last 2 use/d sleeping bags which are brilliant), right room temperature and baby has no fever, frequently check baby is ok and can breath easily it is easier to let them sleep as they wish or yiu just keep waking them up. For the oldest DD I have some great photos of her sleeping on her hands, knees and forehead at 9 months.

It is just a case of commom sense and trust your gut instinct as it is usually right.

Just a quick bump so I can find this thread easily!

Also I have a question - I'm sure this has been answered already but if you've had a baby how long did you wait post birth before running, and did you do anything in the meantime - core exercises etc. - before running? If anyone has folowed a 'post-birth' training programme I'd be really interested for details.

Thanks ladies!

sb x

After my first baby it took about 3-4 weeks to start running again (run/walk in the beginning). After the second baby I started running (again run/walk) after +/- 10 days. I didn't have a programme, just listenend to my body.
No abdo-exercise until about 6 months after birth.
But: I ran/exercised/swam (I found swimming is excellent in later stages of pregnancy!!) throughout both pregnancies and I had two "normal" births (no ceserean, minor tears, etc). Just listen to your body. I found it is amazing what it can do during birth and how well it tells you afterwards what is right and what is wrong.

I had 3 very normal/easy births with only minor compliations tears etc...

This is my experience
My children are 6,4 and 7 months. On Sun I did my firs tri for 2 years and have improved on the bike, swim is the same but my run was 3 seconds down but I was quite pleased with overall.


For the first 2 weeks I did the abdominal exercises suggested by the physio (they give us a sheet of suitable exercises at our hospital) and only walked as much as I felt capable. As I was breast feeding I felt I got shaky if I did too much. The dog ran off 1 week after DS(child 3) was born and I chased after him and everything felt loose and wrong and I knew I was not ready for running. So do listen to your body.

Withe number 1 and 2 I had 2 aerobics classes running out of a local church hall and after 2 weeks I returned to teach those but I mostly walked my routines, did minimal squat/leg type exersices (I did mostly one or 2 demos them talked/counted) and did no impact til 6 weeks.

With each child I checked my abdominal gap at 2-3 weeks and as it had closed so I stared to do a little more stomach work say 10 curls and 10 secods plank and added in the odd mild toning exercise say 10 sqats, 10 lunges a few tricep dips and push ups. If I felt any discomfort I stopped instantly and did nothing the next day. I kept this up with a lot of walking to 6 weeks.

At six weeks I bounced thru an aerobics class with child 1 and 2 (or tried too) but I did gradually over the next month or 2 build up to full impact aerobics and running. I went to the gym at week 3 to do very mild exercise and from weeks 6-12 built back up to what I was doing before.

With child 3 I ran around our block with the jogger once at 6 weeks one day, did 10 mins step another, went for a short cycle one day and another I did more toning as my gym creche had closed. Now he is 7 months I can run up to 8 miles (the increase was gradual, cycle 20K, swim 1 mile no difficulty (then with swimming I only stopped while I had blood loss which was around 3-4 weeks). I returned to teach aerobics classes at around 22 weeks when my ML was up and went straight back almost as if I'd never stopped.

With each child I had trained and taught aerobics til the day I went into labour. I ran on the tradmil til DS was born but witht the others stoped running sooner dur to comfort really. I didn't cycle at all in 3rd pregnancy due to varracous veins and discomfort on the saddle but could run and swim. My weigth programm got adjusted to suit me as my body changed. I alwasys put on too much weigth though and still have 7lbs to loose.

Sorry this is a lnog post if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.