Fitness

[anonymous]

I ride an exercise and I have a Bowflex machine and some free weights. When I am going at it with motivation I will workout 5-6 times a week. When I am not really into it I still do it but usually 3-4 times a week. I find it very hard to do it on weekends, during the week I don't have much of a problem I do it as soon as I get home from work so it is basically part of my work day.

Dave 29 w/cf

 

[anonymous]

I ride an exercise and I have a Bowflex machine and some free weights. When I am going at it with motivation I will workout 5-6 times a week. When I am not really into it I still do it but usually 3-4 times a week. I find it very hard to do it on weekends, during the week I don't have much of a problem I do it as soon as I get home from work so it is basically part of my work day.

Dave 29 w/cf

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Caren, totally off topic but, my mother's name is Caren and she spells it with a C also. You're the first besides her I've seen!

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Caren, totally off topic but, my mother's name is Caren and she spells it with a C also. You're the first besides her I've seen!

 

[HollyCatheryn]

I love swimming and used to be able to do a lot (a mile or two), but in the last number of years I've gotten down to just being mom and wife. So, I'm active and up and about all day, but little that is strenuous. I've started trying to take long, brisk walks in the morning before lunch (and before it gets terribly hot - TX, USA). I can put MN (daughter) in the stroller and go, then we get to a park and I let her play for a while and then we brisk walk home. Fortunately I've begun to find other moms in our neighborhood who stay home so we can walk with company sometimes. I'd love to get back in the pool, but it costs a pool-use fee and then to find someone to keep MN for a couple hours every day. You asked about having children. My pregnancy was great. No complications. No diabetes. I gained 30 lbs (started out about 10 under). I had one cold and they gave me 5 days of Zithromax and that kicked it. She was born two weeks late, at home with a midwife, totally natural (no meds or drugs or interventions) after laboring 11 hours. I was able to breastfeed her also (wait...was? Am. Still.) PS - do you have a whippet? Or is that just a nickname? We used to have a greyhound and he was awesome - a retired racer. Beautiful, but boy was he a diva!

 

[HollyCatheryn]

I love swimming and used to be able to do a lot (a mile or two), but in the last number of years I've gotten down to just being mom and wife. So, I'm active and up and about all day, but little that is strenuous. I've started trying to take long, brisk walks in the morning before lunch (and before it gets terribly hot - TX, USA). I can put MN (daughter) in the stroller and go, then we get to a park and I let her play for a while and then we brisk walk home. Fortunately I've begun to find other moms in our neighborhood who stay home so we can walk with company sometimes. I'd love to get back in the pool, but it costs a pool-use fee and then to find someone to keep MN for a couple hours every day. You asked about having children. My pregnancy was great. No complications. No diabetes. I gained 30 lbs (started out about 10 under). I had one cold and they gave me 5 days of Zithromax and that kicked it. She was born two weeks late, at home with a midwife, totally natural (no meds or drugs or interventions) after laboring 11 hours. I was able to breastfeed her also (wait...was? Am. Still.) PS - do you have a whippet? Or is that just a nickname? We used to have a greyhound and he was awesome - a retired racer. Beautiful, but boy was he a diva!

 

[ladybug]

Hey, lil'whippet!
I try to do cardio for 40 mins at the gym 3-4 times a week. I also have been getting into yoga (which isn't cardio or anything for the lungs other than deep breathing, but I've found it to be very relaxing). I don't swim cause I just don't like to. I also live in Texas and most pools are outdoors and the humidity seems too stiffling to try to do anything aerobic outside. Good for you to those of you who do swim. I hear that's the best thing you can do for CF!
<img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0">

 

[ladybug]

Hey, lil'whippet!
I try to do cardio for 40 mins at the gym 3-4 times a week. I also have been getting into yoga (which isn't cardio or anything for the lungs other than deep breathing, but I've found it to be very relaxing). I don't swim cause I just don't like to. I also live in Texas and most pools are outdoors and the humidity seems too stiffling to try to do anything aerobic outside. Good for you to those of you who do swim. I hear that's the best thing you can do for CF!
<img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

HollyCatheryn,

WOW< this is funny because every time i see something you post i smile...my parents named me Caren with a C because of my sister who was 2 years older than me, died of Cf when she was 5 mos old, her name was Cathryn !!! So your name makes me SMILE!!

Caren

 

[anonymous]

HollyCatheryn,

WOW< this is funny because every time i see something you post i smile...my parents named me Caren with a C because of my sister who was 2 years older than me, died of Cf when she was 5 mos old, her name was Cathryn !!! So your name makes me SMILE!!

Caren

 

[anonymous]

Hello, thank you Little whippet here, no i don't have a whippet my dad does and because i am only short he calls me littlewhippet<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I am 32 and fairly fit and have been thinkinbg about having a baby just worried about the diabeties that may come on from been pregnant and if i swim alot or keep it up i think it should be ok. i'm impressed no drugs to get you through your labour thats the way i would like to go aswell. how did you go through labour did you cough much??

 

[anonymous]

Hello, thank you Little whippet here, no i don't have a whippet my dad does and because i am only short he calls me littlewhippet<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I am 32 and fairly fit and have been thinkinbg about having a baby just worried about the diabeties that may come on from been pregnant and if i swim alot or keep it up i think it should be ok. i'm impressed no drugs to get you through your labour thats the way i would like to go aswell. how did you go through labour did you cough much??

 

[HollyCatheryn]

So cool! Glad I can give you a grin.

 

[HollyCatheryn]

So cool! Glad I can give you a grin.

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Little Whippet, No I didn't cough much during labor - until I goofed. I had been snacking all the way through, which was fine. I has sandwich meat and fruit and juice. I ate dinner. All that. But, then I ate some cheddar slices. Oops. I got really phlegmy and when I ate the cheese I didn't realize how close to pushing I was. So I gagged with phlegm a lot after the cheese. That was just a dumb move. I wasn't thinking about mucus or coughing. I was just thinking about that I was a little hungry and I wanted to have energy. If you want to have a natural birth, whether in or out of a hospital, you ought to hire a midwife. She will help you work with your body and maximize your energy and strength with good body positions and support. Midwives are great encouragers and can stay with you from start to finish unlike a nurse who will come and go with shift change. Hospitals do not like natural births because they are boring, docs want to "do something". So having support for what you want is vital. Most docs won't even consider letting you do what you think is best because they will put the CF/High Risk label on you before you even walk in the door. So you have to educate yourself.Some good books are "Gentle Birth Choices" and "A Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth"Depending on how healthy your pregnancy is and how aggreeable your hospital, you may want to consider a birth center or homebirth. There are some good birth centers in Australia, but how far from you I don't know. I know of a woman who has diabetes, but is excellent at managing it and she was able to birth at home without complications. Also, if you are well-educated (and therefore not afraid of your body and the process) and you have good support people who are also confident, it is possible to give birth naturally and at home to even very large babies. My midwife has delivered babies at home all the way up to 14 lbs. I mention big babies, because that is what most docs are afraid of with a woman with diabetes in letting her go full-term and birth vaginally. Nursing your baby immediately after birth will also help to balance out any sugar-level issues in the baby if you do develop diabetes.If you want to email me directly I can give you more details and info in researching your situation and finding support. jaloughlin3@sbcglobal.netHope that helps you. And yes, swimming is a great activity because you can continue it all the way through pregnancy and it is less stressful as your joints stretch and loosen. It also gives you a break from the growing weight of your middle.

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Little Whippet, No I didn't cough much during labor - until I goofed. I had been snacking all the way through, which was fine. I has sandwich meat and fruit and juice. I ate dinner. All that. But, then I ate some cheddar slices. Oops. I got really phlegmy and when I ate the cheese I didn't realize how close to pushing I was. So I gagged with phlegm a lot after the cheese. That was just a dumb move. I wasn't thinking about mucus or coughing. I was just thinking about that I was a little hungry and I wanted to have energy. If you want to have a natural birth, whether in or out of a hospital, you ought to hire a midwife. She will help you work with your body and maximize your energy and strength with good body positions and support. Midwives are great encouragers and can stay with you from start to finish unlike a nurse who will come and go with shift change. Hospitals do not like natural births because they are boring, docs want to "do something". So having support for what you want is vital. Most docs won't even consider letting you do what you think is best because they will put the CF/High Risk label on you before you even walk in the door. So you have to educate yourself.Some good books are "Gentle Birth Choices" and "A Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth"Depending on how healthy your pregnancy is and how aggreeable your hospital, you may want to consider a birth center or homebirth. There are some good birth centers in Australia, but how far from you I don't know. I know of a woman who has diabetes, but is excellent at managing it and she was able to birth at home without complications. Also, if you are well-educated (and therefore not afraid of your body and the process) and you have good support people who are also confident, it is possible to give birth naturally and at home to even very large babies. My midwife has delivered babies at home all the way up to 14 lbs. I mention big babies, because that is what most docs are afraid of with a woman with diabetes in letting her go full-term and birth vaginally. Nursing your baby immediately after birth will also help to balance out any sugar-level issues in the baby if you do develop diabetes.If you want to email me directly I can give you more details and info in researching your situation and finding support. jaloughlin3@sbcglobal.netHope that helps you. And yes, swimming is a great activity because you can continue it all the way through pregnancy and it is less stressful as your joints stretch and loosen. It also gives you a break from the growing weight of your middle.

 

[ladybug]

Hi, Holly!
I really appreciate you sharing your story and information with us! I have been considering getting pregnant, but am truly scared with CF and whether I'll go downhill fast after the pregnancy and whether I can handle it. If you don't mind me asking, how were your fev's prior, during, and after baby? Mine are about 60% fev1 and the doc says that's borderline what they should be to conceive. Please share with me your thoughts. All the women with CF that I know that have given birth had a tough time of it on their bodies after the baby was born. Of course, they don't regret it for a second, they just haven't quite bounced back yet.
Thanks!

<img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0">

 

[ladybug]

Hi, Holly!
I really appreciate you sharing your story and information with us! I have been considering getting pregnant, but am truly scared with CF and whether I'll go downhill fast after the pregnancy and whether I can handle it. If you don't mind me asking, how were your fev's prior, during, and after baby? Mine are about 60% fev1 and the doc says that's borderline what they should be to conceive. Please share with me your thoughts. All the women with CF that I know that have given birth had a tough time of it on their bodies after the baby was born. Of course, they don't regret it for a second, they just haven't quite bounced back yet.
Thanks!

<img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0">

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Ladybug, sorry it took me a while to get back to you. This thread got buried. I have read quite a bit of research on the issue and though it doesn't match the theoretical outcomes, the stats show that pregnancy has no effect on overall CF health. If you're in good shape when you get pregnant and you continue to care for yourself diligently, you will be in good health afterward. If you are borderline, you'll be borderline. Basically, your health will continue on its current trend without regard to your pregnancy. Yes, I'm sure there are exceptions - but they are on both sides of the spectrum. I, for one, got healthy, when I got pregnant. I went for 16 months without antibiotics or hospitalization which was at that time a record for me, with my pregnancy in the middle of that span. I have remained healthier since. My last two hospitalizations were 18 months apart. I would say 3 things which tend to be counter-medical. 1) Do lots of research about the physiology of pregnancy and birth and alternative health practices - like herbs and fitness, and alternative practitioners like midwives and naturopaths. Avail yourself of what you can - seek out options actively. When you work WITH your body, rather than against it or independant of it, you are going to have better results for both of you. 2) Don't let doctors, even ones you trust, just hand you a diagnosis or plan for treatment. You will not be sure you are getting the best possible care and outcome if you just accept what is handed you. If you seek out answers and come to that conslusion and concur, you will be convinced that you are doing the best thing for yourself and your baby. 3) Try AP (attatchment parenting) practices. You won't know that they will or won't work for you until you've given them the old college try. Try nursing your baby, sleeping with him, carrying/slinging him. I have found that having my baby close helps keep my stress level down so that I can rest  and calm and care for her easier than if I were waking up 4-5 times a night to make bottles and soothe a cranky child into deep enough sleep to be put to bed by herself. Nursing also ensures that your baby is as healthy as she could possibly be. The benefits for her are obvious, but you then are not dealing with a child with ear infections, viruses, colic (which is just a 5 letter word for "there's something wrong with your baby, but I don't know what it is"). And you can much more safely take him to the hospital or clinic with you without worrying about what funky germs he's going to pick up, because you are actively, moment-by-moment immunizing him to the germs in your shared environment. I know that looks like a lot, but it's my short list. If you or anyone else reading this want more details or names of places to get the information I have, please email me. There are a lot of great books and resources out there and I will be happy to guide you to what you are looking for. <A href="mailto:jaloughlin3@sbcglobal.net">jaloughlin3@sbcglobal.net</A>

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Ladybug, sorry it took me a while to get back to you. This thread got buried. I have read quite a bit of research on the issue and though it doesn't match the theoretical outcomes, the stats show that pregnancy has no effect on overall CF health. If you're in good shape when you get pregnant and you continue to care for yourself diligently, you will be in good health afterward. If you are borderline, you'll be borderline. Basically, your health will continue on its current trend without regard to your pregnancy. Yes, I'm sure there are exceptions - but they are on both sides of the spectrum. I, for one, got healthy, when I got pregnant. I went for 16 months without antibiotics or hospitalization which was at that time a record for me, with my pregnancy in the middle of that span. I have remained healthier since. My last two hospitalizations were 18 months apart. I would say 3 things which tend to be counter-medical. 1) Do lots of research about the physiology of pregnancy and birth and alternative health practices - like herbs and fitness, and alternative practitioners like midwives and naturopaths. Avail yourself of what you can - seek out options actively. When you work WITH your body, rather than against it or independant of it, you are going to have better results for both of you. 2) Don't let doctors, even ones you trust, just hand you a diagnosis or plan for treatment. You will not be sure you are getting the best possible care and outcome if you just accept what is handed you. If you seek out answers and come to that conslusion and concur, you will be convinced that you are doing the best thing for yourself and your baby. 3) Try AP (attatchment parenting) practices. You won't know that they will or won't work for you until you've given them the old college try. Try nursing your baby, sleeping with him, carrying/slinging him. I have found that having my baby close helps keep my stress level down so that I can rest  and calm and care for her easier than if I were waking up 4-5 times a night to make bottles and soothe a cranky child into deep enough sleep to be put to bed by herself. Nursing also ensures that your baby is as healthy as she could possibly be. The benefits for her are obvious, but you then are not dealing with a child with ear infections, viruses, colic (which is just a 5 letter word for "there's something wrong with your baby, but I don't know what it is"). And you can much more safely take him to the hospital or clinic with you without worrying about what funky germs he's going to pick up, because you are actively, moment-by-moment immunizing him to the germs in your shared environment. I know that looks like a lot, but it's my short list. If you or anyone else reading this want more details or names of places to get the information I have, please email me. There are a lot of great books and resources out there and I will be happy to guide you to what you are looking for. <A href="mailto:jaloughlin3@sbcglobal.net">jaloughlin3@sbcglobal.net</A>