Women Coaching while pregnant

[eucoach]

Although I found two rather old threads in the coach's forum, they did not get very many replies and I'm hoping to get more answers here.

Did you or a coach you knew keep spotting while they were pregnant? Did you just go by how you felt or did anyone tell you what (not) to do?

I'm currently 3 months along and I've been spotting the same way as before I got pregnant. I was a little nervous about it for the first few weeks but now I never remember and usually don't even resist carrying around heavy equipment. I feel like all the skills I spot are fairly predictable - f. ex. I wouldn't spot a gymnast on something I feel I might have to jump in and catch them mid-fall.
Of course I think that will change once I develop a belly and I will have to be even more careful in order not to get kicked.

But other than that - is it common for a pregnant coach to keep spotting or would you not recommend it?

 

[Splash123]

One of my old coaches supported / spotted loads of skills on all pieces right up until she went on maternity leave. Some things she would try and say it wasn't comfortable so someone else would do it. And as you said, she didn't spot anything that had a high chance of her having to catch them. So didn't do much higher level bar work with us (giants for those of us who could alone were fine and cast hs were fine. didn't do circling skills tho).

 

[GymDad9.9]

Congratulations on your pregnancy. My daughter's coach coached up through the near end of her pregnancy; however, my daughter did not train with her at the time so I cannot tell you how much spotting she did.

 

[raenndrops]

Our HC stopped spotting anything more than a BHS starting in the 6th month. She was coaching at meets and still spotting the occasional BHS 2 weeks before giving birth.

 

[3riverselite]

I spotted pretty much everything I did before I was pregnant all the way up until I was 7 months. About 6 months along other coaches started stepping in and helping me with spotting more difficult skills. I appreciated the help but didn't feel it was all that necessary.

I did find it difficult to make it through my preschool classes and ended up transitioning them to another coach when I was about 5 months along though.

 

[azara]

No idea, but congratulations!!

 

[e'smum]

eeek! one of our upper level coaches is pg with #2 but she is an upper level coach and is about the same size as some of the girls she is coaching. i hope she doesn't spot them. lol .
she did go to every meet for this pg and her 1st one. her first one was a may baby and she was at meets pretty much right up until she had the baby. but no spotting.

 

[Vivianflips]

One of the coaches at my gym spotted skills up until about three months before her due date. She was a compulsory coach though so the skills she was spotting were more limited. Congratulations by the way!

 

[MuggleMom]

Our coach spotted up till the very end. Something my dr told me when I was pregnant is to remember your belly is designed to keep the baby safe, the amniotic fluid acts like an air bag for the baby so you could get hurt more easily than they could. I would do what you are comfortable with. Also in terms of effort and exercise and lifting heavy things basically the rule is you can keep doing what you were already doing---like all the cross fit ladies that keep lifting heavy even when pregnant. You can continue to do things that were within your fitness level before. the Coach my daughter had did a handstand on the high beam when she was like 8 months pregnant!

 

[eucoach]

Thanks for all our answers!
I feel a lot better now doing so much spotting, hearing that it is really common.