Pregnancy and training (aikido)

Hi, can you give me special advices for aikido training during pregnancy? Any literature, links?

thanks,

Hi,

I am not a doctor, nor do I have any links to provide but I'll offer some ideas.

- Don't take any hits to your abdomen. - Listen to your body. My wife's body told her quickly when she was over doing it, especially in later stages. Don't go 'macho' and decide to gut out pain. - Consult a physician and ask about it during your prenatal visits. Every woman is different. My guess would be that your instructions would not be much different than any other exercise regimens like aerobics. Close to anything goes early in the pregnancy (provided the abdomen/stomach region is not injured) but you must start doing low-impact stuff toward the end.

Just some thoughts in lieu of a response from someone who knows :o)

Good luck and congratulations!

<< Hi,

I am not a doctor, nor do I have any links to provide but I'll offer some ideas. >>

No MD (I'm an acupuncturist, actually) and no links either; but I would ask your obstetrician or labor practitioner, obviously. Pregnancy needn't be an impediment to aikido practice as far as I know- a woman who's I think either a sandan or nidan at the NY Aikikai practiced until she was nearly term, I think; she took it easier towards the end, I presume. Pregnancy tends to throw your balance off, and it also loosens the ligaments (preparing the pelvic ligaments to stretch to allow the baby's head to get through) so you might be slightly more prone to joint injuries. Needless to say it is probably more plausible to continue practicing if one is in good shape already. As others have already mentioned, it's almost certainly fine as long as one proceeds with common sense and reasonable prudence.

Best,

Jack Forster

Sounds like a great excuse to do all of the throwing.

I wouldn't take any falls at all, but the rest of the movement should be good for you.

I've heard that bonking the baby can make it periodically unconscious, during which time anything which is said is recorded into the babies body-mind and affects them later on in life as though it was a direct suggestion whenever it is triggered by various things. Try some sort of meditation.

Nice one - good aikido thinking )

Cheers

Roger Taylor

Tadashi Renzoku wrote:

Yes, but you won't like it.

You should cease training as soon as you are visibly pregnant. It is inconsiderate of the other people in the club, who will have to restrain themselves unnaturally when paired with you.

Of course, it is possible to do so, and you can even make arguments that it helps learn control. But that is not what they are there for. They pay money to use the mat, time is a limited resource, and they want to train to the limit of their abilities (I hope). Training with you becomes an act of charity, and you should be considerate enough to avoid such demands. Remeber the spiel about martial arts building character?

Swimming is fine exercise when expecting.

Pregnancy is a bitch, but Eve ate the apple, and her daughters have been paying ever since...

I am sorry Paul, but I think you missed O'Sensei's teachings about harmony.

Anyone can train no matter what their level of physical or mental ability.

My master taught one student who has a mental illness and takes lots of drugs which make his joints stiff and painful. He did it though, he got to brown belt just over a year ago, and he's still training. I took him 7 years to reach it and it might take him another 7 to get to his 2nd brown (we have 3). We can't throw him hard and we have to restrain ourselves 'unnaturally' (as you put it), but do you think he should not train? Aikido is for everyone, that is the beauty of this art. A beginner and a black belt can train together with no feeling of compromise!

A little off topic for this thread, but that needed to be said.

Tadashi,

The only person who can say whether you should train when pregnant is you. Although, that said, you may find that you are not insured during pregnancy, so your instructor may not let you. I have to admit that I would not let my students train during pregnancy, as I could not live with myself if a pregnant student had a miscarrage from receiving a strike in one of my classes.

If you want to train and your instructor lets you, then, as others have said, do not Uke, but only be Tori/Sh'te/Nage. Make sure anyone you train with knows you are pregnant and always practice under the direct supervision of a senior grade.

My advice to anyone, in any martial art, who is pregnant - stop your martial arts training as soon as you find out! That is a life inside you and you should protect that life and not expose it to any risk, not matter how small you think the risk might be! That is a child inside you!

Congratulations on your great news. Enjoy it and Aikido will be waiting for you after your great day.

Take care

Hi Paul,

Even pregnant, my wife is a better partner than some of our students (we have also handicapped ones): in fact, she's the teacher (2nd kyu, little group in a small town, the master - 4th dan - comes once a month), so it wouldn't help anybody if she stopped - this is out of question. I just wanted to know what she should avoid.

Of course, she discussed it also with her doctor also, but he knows little about aikido.

She can't swim...

bye,

Hi Sai,

than you for your advices. Some of the mentioned problems will not occur: my wife is the instructor, so even avoiding do be uke is no problem - this is my, the husbands, job.

About miscarriage: the doctor said, if there are any serious problems, sport can cause a miscarriage to come some days earlier, but if anything is OK, it should not be any problem. Of course, avoid hard falling and injuries (abdomen, joints etc.). In our case, everything seems to be OK, no special risks.

Because many of our students are boys about 11-13 years, it might be a good lesson for them to be taught MA by a pregnant woman, don't you think so?

best regards,

Hi Tadashi

Yes it is a little different when you are the instructor. (Letting out a big secret now As an instructor you can control your involvement allowing you to protect injuries!!!! That is the big perk!

So your wife can keep going, she knows what she can and cannot do, so she can protect that life by controlling her involvement, something that is not as easy for a student, hence why I would not allow it.

I think it will be a huge lesson for your wife as she will have to make adjustments to her timing, distance and balence in all her techniques.

I send my congatulations once again.

All the best,