Why no heavy lifting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say that when my OB told me that I should not do squats or lift anything over 25 pounds, I could not resist laughing out loud. How do you think pregnant women who live in less developed countries manage; do they just stop life daily activities just becasue they are pregnant. The carry their children, work on their farms, carry produce to and from markets. We need to stop treating pregnancy like it a disability (unless there are actual medical complications). It really ironic, but during my first trimester I had nausea for every waking hour and only time I got real releif was when I was working out in the gym (yes, I was during squats and lifting weights).

Don't spread your ignorance like this.
Women in less developed countries live around family and they have a huge and supportive network in the community. How do you think they survive without breastfeeding classes, parenting books or sleep training?

In my particular case, when a woman is pregnant her mother comes to help on a regular basis and during the 6th month she moves in with the couple and stays to take over the chores of the house and the care of older siblings. The pregnant woman's godmother is also responsible for helping both households (mom to be and grandma to be). Grandma stays until 3mo PP and the care continues as regular visits until baby is 6mo.
Through out PP period the godmother is supposed to help the new mom to get adjusted to the routine.

In my husband's culture the husband gives the pregnant woman "back" to her parents as soon as they learn about the pregnancy and the woman stays there "waiting" for the baby. The husband is supposed to visit a few times a week if he wants to.
Mom is the one responsible for arranging for L&D and the new mom is good to go back to the husband as soon as baby is 3mo.
That's one of the reasons why, traditionally, families treasure and celebrate more when the baby is a boy.

My grandma had 10 children so by the time she was pregnant with the last one the older
ones were also involved in the maintainance of the household.

The examples I mentioned come from a country in Asia and one in America.
I strongly advise you to read more and learn about other cultures before you start talking about it. You cannot expect respect or consideration when you make such ignorant assumptions talking about something you've never seen or experienced before.

By the way, thanks for the opportunity to educate other women around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say that when my OB told me that I should not do squats or lift anything over 25 pounds, I could not resist laughing out loud. How do you think pregnant women who live in less developed countries manage; do they just stop life daily activities just becasue they are pregnant. The carry their children, work on their farms, carry produce to and from markets. We need to stop treating pregnancy like it a disability (unless there are actual medical complications). It really ironic, but during my first trimester I had nausea for every waking hour and only time I got real releif was when I was working out in the gym (yes, I was during squats and lifting weights).

Don't spread your ignorance like this.
Women in less developed countries live around family and they have a huge and supportive network in the community. How do you think they survive without breastfeeding classes, parenting books or sleep training?

In my particular case, when a woman is pregnant her mother comes to help on a regular basis and during the 6th month she moves in with the couple and stays to take over the chores of the house and the care of older siblings. The pregnant woman's godmother is also responsible for helping both households (mom to be and grandma to be). Grandma stays until 3mo PP and the care continues as regular visits until baby is 6mo.
Through out PP period the godmother is supposed to help the new mom to get adjusted to the routine.

In my husband's culture the husband gives the pregnant woman "back" to her parents as soon as they learn about the pregnancy and the woman stays there "waiting" for the baby. The husband is supposed to visit a few times a week if he wants to.
Mom is the one responsible for arranging for L&D and the new mom is good to go back to the husband as soon as baby is 3mo.
That's one of the reasons why, traditionally, families treasure and celebrate more when the baby is a boy.

My grandma had 10 children so by the time she was pregnant with the last one the older
ones were also involved in the maintainance of the household.

The examples I mentioned come from a country in Asia and one in America.
I strongly advise you to read more and learn about other cultures before you start talking about it. You cannot expect respect or consideration when you make such ignorant assumptions talking about something you've never seen or experienced before.

By the way, thanks for the opportunity to educate other women around.

NP here, my aren't we smug! Thanks for sharing your personal experience PP, but I don't think that makes the prior poster ignorant, or even wrong. I think its pretty well documented that in some parts of the world, pregnant women do EXACTLY what the PP described: work on farms, carry goods to markets, etc... But thanks for jumping in and blasting her. That makes you look really smart. If you disagree, perhaps YOU should do some research?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say that when my OB told me that I should not do squats or lift anything over 25 pounds, I could not resist laughing out loud. How do you think pregnant women who live in less developed countries manage; do they just stop life daily activities just becasue they are pregnant. The carry their children, work on their farms, carry produce to and from markets. We need to stop treating pregnancy like it a disability (unless there are actual medical complications). It really ironic, but during my first trimester I had nausea for every waking hour and only time I got real releif was when I was working out in the gym (yes, I was during squats and lifting weights).

Don't spread your ignorance like this.
Women in less developed countries live around family and they have a huge and supportive network in the community. How do you think they survive without breastfeeding classes, parenting books or sleep training?

In my particular case, when a woman is pregnant her mother comes to help on a regular basis and during the 6th month she moves in with the couple and stays to take over the chores of the house and the care of older siblings. The pregnant woman's godmother is also responsible for helping both households (mom to be and grandma to be). Grandma stays until 3mo PP and the care continues as regular visits until baby is 6mo.
Through out PP period the godmother is supposed to help the new mom to get adjusted to the routine.

In my husband's culture the husband gives the pregnant woman "back" to her parents as soon as they learn about the pregnancy and the woman stays there "waiting" for the baby. The husband is supposed to visit a few times a week if he wants to.
Mom is the one responsible for arranging for L&D and the new mom is good to go back to the husband as soon as baby is 3mo.
That's one of the reasons why, traditionally, families treasure and celebrate more when the baby is a boy.

My grandma had 10 children so by the time she was pregnant with the last one the older
ones were also involved in the maintainance of the household.

The examples I mentioned come from a country in Asia and one in America.
I strongly advise you to read more and learn about other cultures before you start talking about it. You cannot expect respect or consideration when you make such ignorant assumptions talking about something you've never seen or experienced before.

By the way, thanks for the opportunity to educate other women around.

NP here, my aren't we smug! Thanks for sharing your personal experience PP, but I don't think that makes the prior poster ignorant, or even wrong. I think its pretty well documented that in some parts of the world, pregnant women do EXACTLY what the PP described: work on farms, carry goods to markets, etc... But thanks for jumping in and blasting her. That makes you look really smart. If you disagree, perhaps YOU should do some research?

Actually, NP, you sound pretty smug. PP had experience in two cultures, and you are lecturing her about doing research. If she is so wrong, would you please link to stastical data with significant samplings to prove your point? You counter her argument with eye rolling and the statement "I think it is pretty well documented."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say that when my OB told me that I should not do squats or lift anything over 25 pounds, I could not resist laughing out loud. How do you think pregnant women who live in less developed countries manage; do they just stop life daily activities just becasue they are pregnant. The carry their children, work on their farms, carry produce to and from markets. We need to stop treating pregnancy like it a disability (unless there are actual medical complications). It really ironic, but during my first trimester I had nausea for every waking hour and only time I got real releif was when I was working out in the gym (yes, I was during squats and lifting weights).

Don't spread your ignorance like this.
Women in less developed countries live around family and they have a huge and supportive network in the community. How do you think they survive without breastfeeding classes, parenting books or sleep training?

In my particular case, when a woman is pregnant her mother comes to help on a regular basis and during the 6th month she moves in with the couple and stays to take over the chores of the house and the care of older siblings. The pregnant woman's godmother is also responsible for helping both households (mom to be and grandma to be). Grandma stays until 3mo PP and the care continues as regular visits until baby is 6mo.
Through out PP period the godmother is supposed to help the new mom to get adjusted to the routine.

In my husband's culture the husband gives the pregnant woman "back" to her parents as soon as they learn about the pregnancy and the woman stays there "waiting" for the baby. The husband is supposed to visit a few times a week if he wants to.
Mom is the one responsible for arranging for L&D and the new mom is good to go back to the husband as soon as baby is 3mo.
That's one of the reasons why, traditionally, families treasure and celebrate more when the baby is a boy.

My grandma had 10 children so by the time she was pregnant with the last one the older
ones were also involved in the maintainance of the household.

The examples I mentioned come from a country in Asia and one in America.
I strongly advise you to read more and learn about other cultures before you start talking about it. You cannot expect respect or consideration when you make such ignorant assumptions talking about something you've never seen or experienced before.

By the way, thanks for the opportunity to educate other women around.

Gosh, did not realize that this would cause such a stir. Obviously we are both posting based on our personal experiences and I think that we can both agree that we can both be right (maybe I should have said "some" less developed countries). You based on your experiences in Asia and America and me based on mine in the Caribbean and West Africa. I was not implying that women in less developed countries do not have help and are not celebrated or valued just that they do not have the luxury of stopping their daily life activites just because they are pregnant. Based on my experiences these include carry heavy objects (water and food) often on the head; carry children etc. My close friends from Africa (Senegal, Ghana and RSA) have all shared similar experiences.

BTW, not to be competitive but my grandmother had 12 children, all but one still alive and well and the family lore is that she went into labor with her last (a boy) while she was digging up sweet potatoes in the family farm - to this day he still gets teased that he was "born in the red dirt".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't lift/push heavy things while pregnant. I knew someone who tried to move a piece of furn. while preg., and the baby was premature because of it.

That seems to be quite a bold claim. Did the doctor really say the heavy lifting CAUSED (definitively) the premature birth or mentioned that it may have been a contributing factor?