I was pregnant again and cycled until 33 weeks (my daughter was born at 37 weeks). Update: cycling while expecting for the second time I truly believe it prepared my body for the challenge of labour. Looking back, cycling relieved my back pain and helped my ankles not to swell too much. In the end, I had a straightforward pregnancy. I stopped cycling when it snowed and I was 39 weeks. Most people don't realise that the benefits of cycling outweigh the risks by as much as 20:1 and that sitting at home on the sofa all day long is actually more dangerous. I had done my research, but wasn't prepared for the comments from concerned family, friends and complete strangers who all declared: "You shouldn't be cycling in your condition!" The bigger my bump, the more I had to justify my decision. The bigger my bump, the more I had to justify my decisionĬycling UK's digital and content manager, Victoria Hazael - mum of two At the traffic lights I knocked on the window and pointed to my bump – the driver was extremely apologetic. A driver beeped and overtook me a little too close for comfort, and as the car accelerated away I saw a yellow sign in the window that read 'Baby on Board'. Only once in nine months did I feel unsafe on my bike. I was slow – but it was much less tiring than walking. Towards the end, I had the saddle low enough for me to put my feet flat on the ground. By the time I was seven months pregnant I rode a Brompton instead. As I entered my second trimester and my bump was bigger, I was more comfortable sitting upright on my mountain bike, with fat tyres and flat handlebars. In the early days, I found the fresh air helped my morning sickness. It's a practical way for me to exercise – and it cheers me up, too. To me cycling is not a sport, a race or a training session it's just the way I choose to travel anywhere that's fewer than 10 miles away. I should also not get too hot or dehydrated. I was warned not to get out of breath or over exert myself if I could talk at the same time I wasn't overdoing it. The midwife explained that as I was already cycling every day, I just had to be careful because my joints would be less stable and my bump would alter my centre of gravity. Thankfully, both my GP and my midwife were really supportive of my decision to cycle to work. NCT lists cycling under their activities to continue with when pregnant, while the NHS advises pregnant women to proceed with caution because of the risk of falling, but doesn't say to stop cycling. Although most people believe it isn't safe to cycle while pregnant, both the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives advise pregnant cyclists to "take particular care" but stay active. Searching online for advice on cycling when you are pregnant is confusing. I read the books, gave up drinking wine and eating brie – and worried I'd have to put my bike away, too. From the moment I found out I was expecting my son I wanted to protect him and keep him safe.
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