I love it when I see a bad-ass pregnant woman. You know the kind I'm talking about. The kind who doesn't put her entire life on hold just because she's carrying a child. She still wears dresses and heels. She still commutes to work every day. And she still spends her weekends doing stuff instead of sprawling out on the couch. But I think bad-assery crosses into the territory of bad idea-ery when a woman is rock climbing eight months into the game.
Aimee Roseborrough, a 36-year-old physical therapist, has been rock climbing for 14 years, and pregnancy wasn't/isn't going to slow her down. She rock climbed until she was 37 weeks in her first pregnancy, and now, at 34 weeks with her second child, she's still at it with no plans of slowing down.
Impressive. But is doing something you love more important than the safety of your child?
Pregnancy's hard. Believe me, I know. You're constantly uncomfortable. You always feel bloated. And your head doesn't stop spinning for a minute. At least mine doesn't. Doing something that you love, something that relaxes you, is more important now than ever -- which is why Aimee rock climbs. She told Good Morning America, "I do kind of get to forget that I'm so huge and, at times, uncomfortable ... it takes you to beautiful place." But, still, it just doesn't seem like the best idea.
What if, God forbid, Aimee slipped or fell? It sounds like she's an experienced climber, but stranger things have happened. Is it really worth putting your child in danger to get a little zen time? I can understand climbing earlier on in pregnancy -- when you're still a little more nimble. But when you've barely got any time to go? Not worth it, in my opinion. I'd stick to Pilates and yoga. I know it's not the same, but it's a hell of a lot safer.
Did you work out up to the very end of your pregnancy? Did you engage in any "iffy" activities?
Image via iwona_kellie/Flickr


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Comments 26
My husband and I are climbers - not hard-core, but we do enjoy it - and no way in he!! would you find me scrambling up a rock when I'm pregnant. It's just not smart! I don't care how hard-core of a climber this chick is, I officially have zero respect for her. Part of being a good climber is knowing when NOT to climb.
As long as she is climbing safely and it is approved by her OB then more power to her! None of my business anyway...
As far as I go, about the most risky thing I was doing toward the end of my last pregnancy was fishing in a boat or walking at the park, or driving the car.... lmao. BUT I dont typically engage in "risky" behavior in my normal life so.......
It's not about "judge the mommy" it's about "judge the climber".
Assuming she is using proper safety equipment, Amiee was probably in more danger on the drive to her climbing locations. What if she got in a car accident or developed a blood clot in her legs? Stranger things have happened.
I exercised thought my pregnancy with the full knowledge of my doctor. When I announced to my doctor that I no longer felt my balance was 100% safe for biking, she was relieved that I wanted to take up another sport. What I did was in no way iffy or dangerous. But our culture has such a screwed up issues with pregnant women doing any exercise that isn't "safe" and specifically designated for pregnant ladies, that just about anything will get a pregnant lady looks and questions. Even at the pool, the lifeguards acted like they had never seen a pregnant lady swimming laps before. The closer I got to my due date the more incredulous everyone got.
I never really pushed myself. I didn't think of myself as a "bad-ass pregnant woman." I was just trying to keep a minimal level of physical activity going. The head lifeguard was respectful of that and seemed to understand. But with patrons, I picked up some mantras. "It relieves my back pain." "A healthy mom, means a healthy baby." and when pressed, "My doctor advised me to stop swimming when I go into labor."
Kudos to her. I am 37 weeks and can't even climb up a flight of stairs without having to lay down to stop the resulting contractions.
I don't think its safe to do that while pregnant!
I rock climb (7 months pregnant). My friend climbed until she was 39 weeks. She only top-roped, so there was no risk of falling. She used a full-body harness, so there was no risk of harming the baby. She was careful. And she was, physically, in the best shape of her life.
Stop treating pregnant women like they are sick and fragile.