Kyokushin karate during pregnancy

[Fire!]

Hi everyone. When is not very safe for women to train in full contact sport like kyokushin karate? I'm a man and don't have enough knowledge on womens' health during pregnancy. I ask here because my partner may be pregnant and she also trains in kyokushin. This may be her first month.. how safe is it to train in kumite in regards to avoiding a miscarriage.. I'm just worried about impact on her stomach during sparing sessions.. osu

Thank you everyone.

[Red]

Hi

I trained during both of my pregnancies till about the 8th month. I didn't spar at all during that time because even an accidental blow to the baby could be damaging and I didn't want to take that chance. I still praticed kata and participated in 95% of the class. The whole class was aware that I was pregnant and that really helped with things as well.

I can't say that I'd recommend sparring during pregnancy but if you are than make sure your partner knows so that they avoid unnecessary blows to the abdomin. I'd reccomend wearing a chest protector as well because the boobs seem to be extra tender during pregnancy.

[Lucy]

There's no reason she can't carry on training for as long as she feels comfortable. Obviously sparring stops now, but she do can everything else. I gave up the minute i found out i was pregnant and i so wish i had'nt! But i didnt find out until after a knockdown tournament after a blow to the stomach just didnt feel right and freaked me out, but the baby was fine and is a healthy 8 year old now! Take it easy and don't do anything too demanding on the stomach and back. I know a few women like Red that have carried on training till they are well into the third trimester (last few weeks).

Don't panic she will have a good strong body if she was training anyway so any accidental blows won't cause any harm. Regular exercise is good. Keep training it will be good for the pregnancy if she remains fit and healthy. Go with the flow

[supergroup7]

Exercise during pregnancy is very good for a woman, but she has to be mindful of a few things.

There is a higher chance that she might feel dizzy, or breathless, or gain in blood pressure especially as she advances into the last trimester. She should listen to her body, and if it says "stop", she should take a little break to recuperate.

Careful about training on hot days.. it might be harder for her pregnant body to cool itself.

Unless her doctor tells her something else, it would be a good idea to avoid exercises that cause bouncing, jumping, sudden changes in direction, and impact to the breasts/ abdomen.

As the baby/plancenta grows larger it changes the position of the hips, and the curvature of the back putting more stress there. It also changes the center of gravity so it would be easier to lose balance. It's good for her to be aware of this as she trains.

I wish her the best in her prenatal time, and an easy labor and delivery.

[nova]

i studied to become a midwife for a few months, and allso i learned that a to high heartrate isn't good. so i think it's the best idea to ask the doctor under what heartrate she has to stay, and train with a heartrate-thing, so you can keep an eye on it. i wouldn't spar, and jumping also isn't that good. also you have to know that your joints are weaker because of the hormones. training your abs is ok the first three months, later on it has to keep comfortable. but when you belly is getting to big, lying on your back isn't good, because (not with all women) a vain is then closed of the pressure, and then the baby doesn't get oxygen after a while.

but it is also good she keeps sporting, because it is proved that if you keep sporting during pregnancy, the delivery goes a lot better, and later on your body is also stronger and you recover faster.

[seienchin]

Here is a reproduction (pardon the pun!!) of another (larger) post of mine about broader topics. The bits pertaining to pregnancy are reproduced below:

Can I train if I am pregnant?
Absolutely, yes, you can. We are one of the most successful mammalian species on the planet - it's pretty hard to harm a baby inside it's mum's uterus. The things to take into account are

• heart rate - you should aim to keep it in the aerobic range, and not go anaerobic.
• increased ligamentous laxity - pregnancy hormones make ligaments more lax, and can increase your risk of joint injury, especially towards the end, when the ligaments are quite soggy, and you are carrying an extra 8 - 10 kg in baby, big uterus and fluid).
• changes in your center of gravity - this can make maneouvres like spinning tricky, especially if you miss a couple of weeks of training and your baby bump grows or moves.
• body temperature - there is some evidence that getting overheated during early pregnancy can increase the risk of foetal malformation. Keep cool and well hydrated.
• generally how well you are feeling - not everybody's pregnancy is the same, and you might just feel like crap. Take it easy, and do what you can. This is NOT a time to be demonstrating fighting spirit. Save that for the birthsuite!

How soon after having a kid can I return to training?
Depends - was it an uncomplicated birth, or are you a bit of a mess? When you feel like it is a good answer. Trust nature and your instincts. After a caesar, I'd say generally, about six weeks. After a normal delivery, whenever you feel OK. Be warned tho - if you have trained throughout pregnancy, the first session back after birthing can be interesting - you have a sudden and massive change in centre of gravity, and are at high risk of falling over a lot!
If you are breastfeeding, pay particular attention to keeping well hydrated. you might want to wear a pad to training until you see how your waterworks have recovered. A lot of women get a little bit of urinary incontinence (ie, wet themselves with exertion) for a few months after giving birth.

[BiiggDDD]

You can train just dont get invovled in sparring

[ella]

i trained karate,did weight training,swimming,jogging and yoga while i was pregnant literary right until the baby was born and the main difference in my training sessions was that i tried to be sensible and didn't do anything that didn't feel comfortable.and i think that's the main thing-since we all are different, you have to do what feels right for you-saying that i wouldn't recommend sparring-even if your girlfriend feels like she can cope-i don't think it's fair on her sparring partners-i know i wouldn't want to spar with someone who is pregnant. my baby is now 4weeks old and i am slowly getting back into my training routine-i did my first training session 10 days after giving birth-just to prove to myself that i can- i felt great and very sore.obviously the reason i could do it is because i had a very easy birth-if something like that exists and the baby just popped out.so my advice would be to do what feels right,be sensible and don't overdo it-there will be plenty of time to do that after the baby is born-if you can find a babysitter ;-)

[vapor]

ella

Thanks for adding your experience! You are lucky to have been able to be so active prior and post pregnancy!

Can I ask you to jump over to the INTRODUCTIONS forum, and tell us a little about yourself, so that we can give you a proper welcome!

vapor

[sapje321]

i'm only 14, and a male so i don't think i count..... but i do think it would be awkward for the other dojo members to have a pregnant woman training? of course it's subject to their limit of accepting that fact.

[aoerstroem]

We had a nidan that was pregnant, and while she did not spar, of course, she would train with us until she was as big as a house. She set her own pace, and she seemed to enjoy it very much.

[Bloke]

What about once you've had the baby? How soon after did you start back and have you any advice?

[Aunty Ichigeki]

After #1 I started gentle training within 2 weeks & training proper within 6 weeks. Tournament in 3mths & Shodan in 6 mths. But the most impressive lady I saw fought tournament on her due date (baby was 4 weeks prem)!! Advice? Learn to jump/run & clench.

[Bloke]

Thats pretty impressive stuff. - Thanks Aunty.

[vapor]

Seems really soon, but what do I know....I guess if the doctor ok'd it...

vapor

[Lucy]

Well if everything runs smoothly with no complications and a natural delivery, a woman could start training as soon as she wants afterwards. For me i felt fit as a fiddle after about a month with my 1st, but i didnt come back. As for my 2nd i had to have an emergency c-section and well i couldnt even walk properly for 6 weeks. It all depends on how the birth goes. I would advise don't do too much too soon, take it steady. She will be tired and if she wants to come back training then she needs to get plenty of sleep. This is where the helpful father comes in

[Bloke]

Originally Posted by Lucy

This is where the helpful father comes in

Hint taken

[Lucy]

Did'nt mean to be cheeky, im just saying that it will be so much easier if you work together. I know what it's like to be getting up all the time. Weeks of broken sleep = no kyokushin

[Bloke]

Lucy I know you werent being cheeky but I do take the point

[vapor]

Time to shape up DAD!!

vapor