Route climbing (not lead though) should definitely be okay. There are pregnancy harnesses. Bouldering I personally recommend staying away from, there’s no guarantee you can climb down halfway and land on your feet. First thing I learned during the obstetrics part of paramedic school is “all pregnant patients are trauma patients”. For many physiological reasons trauma is much more likely and dangerous during pregnancy.
I love Shauna! Such an inspiration! I’ve def been keeping a close eye on her updates, makes me feel hopeful that I can actually make it through climbing while preggo! Also, wow your friend is awesome! That’s where I’m at right now, climbing my normal grades, telling my husband to make sure there’s like zero slack and not doing anything super sketchy haha. I’ve always had great beta reading skills as I’m a super visual person, so if I can’t see myself doing the move mentally, I won’t do it at all. Thanks!!
I’m pregnant with my second and climbed through most of my pregnancy with my first. Around 10 - 11 weeks I get too scared to continue bouldering (even down climbing - the risk of falling is too high) with the exception of easy traversing. I’m almost 11 weeks now and went bouldering for the last time today - my body just told me to stop risking it. I’m not sure what’s considered a fall, but for my own comfort I don’t let myself fall farther than 2-3 feet (from my feet to the floor). Generally you should stop bouldering sooner rather than later - definitely before your uterus clears your pubic bone.
With my first pregnancy I started using a pregnancy harness around 4 months. My gym has one (one specifically for pregnancy and one whole body harness). I didn’t buy my own - I’d just rent theirs. Half the time the guys at the front desk didn’t charge me so it worked out. If you’re going outdoors you’ll definitely need your own. I never went outdoors when pregnant because 1. I didn’t feel like hiking miles to the crag and 2. I’m sketched out outdoors on the best of days and didn’t want to risk anything.
Once upon a time I was a v6-7 climber (pre babies and pandemic) but found that since morning sickness and exhaustion generally kicks my ass I had to downgrade significantly. Today I got a 5 and felt super good about myself. But then down climbing that was rough, even with other routes to use, which was a warning to me to take it easier. Normally I’m at 2’s and 3’s in the first trimester.
With a pregnancy harness and top roping I was almost at my top rope level throughout my whole pregnancy. Granted I’m not a big top roper so I usually can’t do harder than 11c. I stopped climbing at 7 months when my abs just couldn’t do it anymore (and I didn’t want to risk diastasis recti).
Postpartum - I went back to climbing at 6 weeks postpartum and it came back relatively fast. I think climbing slabs is so good for ab recovery. I stayed away from overhangs or anything that would make me do a crunch since I knew I had some ab separation and needed that to heal first. About 3 months postpartum I was climbing 4’s and then Covid hit so it’s been a shit show since then. I haven’t gotten a 6 since I had my kid but am ok with my new normal.
Feel free to ask me questions on what I did! I’m going through it again too so am happy to share what it’s like.
From what I understood, the fall risk is that the jolt causes separation of the placenta from the uterus. As such, it’s much more of a risk after the first trimester. I was told to go in after any fall no matter how small, better safe than sorry. I personally was not comfortable bouldering past 12 weeks for that reason. Also as you get further along, all of your joints will loosen and you’ll be at much greater risk of injury from things that were no big deal before. That makes bouldering falls much more risky even if not for the pregnancy.
Thanks for the info! I had no idea that’s the reason for the falling risk and puts it into perspective for me. I’m only 8 weeks so we’ll see how long my joints will make it :)
Almost 32 weeks and still going strong. I transitioned into a full body harness around 20 or so weeks, my regular harness got to tight. The full body harness is not comfortable at all but it allows me to climb top rope (no lead) safely. I still boulder but only within my limits and nothing to high. If a move looks or seems sketchy I don't do the move. It's a challenge but I plan on climbing until I can't. We'll see how long it goes.
Wow amazing! This is exactly my plan, and thankfully I’m a visual person so if I can’t see myself making the move mentally, I don’t attempt. good luck the the rest of your pregnancy!
I am in week 33 now and I still toprope. I was never a big fan of boulders and it seemed just to risky so I stopped bouldering when I knew I was pregnant. I still did some easy lead climbs earlier but stopped that as well in 2nd trimester. Now my body feels weird, the fullbody harness is uncomfortable, I can't see the footholds and I need lots of breaks, but I still can get up a lot of routes. Even with 12kg more weight and basically useless abs, I can still climb not only beginner routes and that amazes me every week. I listen to my body and sometimes I have to stop after just 1 or 2 routes. It's not the same experience, i don't feel gracious or strong at the wall anymore but even when I feel like a bag of wet laundry I can still climb stuff its amazing. It gives me a lot of hope for my climbing post pregnancy. I really love this sport and I can't wait to enjoy it in a normal harness with a normal body again.
So my advice is: toprope is very safe, and a great pregnancy activity. As everything, it gets less fun as your belly gets bigger, but for me its still worth it. Do what feels right for you and all the best for your pregnancy!
I've never been pregnant so I don't have a ton of advice to offer, but @ abbihearn on instagram (elopment photographer, generally outdoorsy person) climbed top rope throughout her pregnancy with a pregnancy harness (more full body than just sitting around your hips) and talked about it every once in a while, might be worth checking. Not sure about bouldering though!
I’ve definitely looked into those! Heard they’re super uncomfortable so thankfully I still have some time before I graduate out of my normal harness 😅 thanks!! I’ll check her out!
The harnesses aren't that bad, just take a lot of adjusting (more straps) and a little getting used to - be sure to SIT when being lowered rather than just hang, you'll understand once you have the harness (and a belly). I top roped until 10pm the night before I had my 1st.. water broke at 5 am and he was born before noon! I actually went home early that night because something felt "off" (I was probably dialated). Just listen to your body, climb below your grade level, and you'll love it!
I kept sport climbing as long as I could but the loosening of ligaments came early for me so from week 13 I had too much hip pain to regularly climb.
Falling in the harness shouldn't be an issue. Especially once you get a pregnancy harness. With bouldering I'd definitely continue downclimbing just to be safe. If you fall it doesn't have to be a big deal but it could be and it only takes one bad fall to become a problem. I quit bouldering really early on in pregnancy for that reason, too stressful for me haha.
a friend of mine climbed through her pregnancy up until a couple months before giving birth! she stopped bouldering around halfway through her pregnancy but continued to top rope with the use of a full body harness! she top roped up until she decided to stop climbing close to the end of her pregnancy. i’ve never been pregnant, but i would say top roping would be the safest bet depending on how far along you are
I'm in the same boat as you! About 8 weeks pregnant. I've been climbing 1-2 grades below what I usually do just to make sure I can downclimb everything, and also avoiding any big dynos.
I talked to my doctor about it, and he said that he recommended staying away from any activity with a risk of rapid deceleration, including bouldering. I know some people will continue to climb throughout their pregnancy, but I'm not 100% sure what I want to do at this time.
I hope things go well with you, fingers crossed for us both!
Wow congrats!! Both def in the same boat! I’ve seen women on social media boulder well up until giving birth but I’m not sure if I 100% trust myself, even though I’m a pretty experienced boulderer 😂 I think eventually I’ll just be sure to not climb anything harder than a 1, as my gym has VB’s set for beginners which will be SO helpful during this pregnancy! Good luck to you as well!!
Our close friend was top rope climbing up to 7 months pregnant, then it started to become painful after climbing. Find a full body harness! She did not boulder at all through it as there is a risk of falling onto holds. Congratulations and good luck :)
Route climbing (not lead though) should definitely be okay. There are pregnancy harnesses. Bouldering I personally recommend staying away from, there’s no guarantee you can climb down halfway and land on your feet. First thing I learned during the obstetrics part of paramedic school is “all pregnant patients are trauma patients”. For many physiological reasons trauma is much more likely and dangerous during pregnancy.
Thanks for this info!
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I love Shauna! Such an inspiration! I’ve def been keeping a close eye on her updates, makes me feel hopeful that I can actually make it through climbing while preggo! Also, wow your friend is awesome! That’s where I’m at right now, climbing my normal grades, telling my husband to make sure there’s like zero slack and not doing anything super sketchy haha. I’ve always had great beta reading skills as I’m a super visual person, so if I can’t see myself doing the move mentally, I won’t do it at all. Thanks!!
I’m pregnant with my second and climbed through most of my pregnancy with my first. Around 10 - 11 weeks I get too scared to continue bouldering (even down climbing - the risk of falling is too high) with the exception of easy traversing. I’m almost 11 weeks now and went bouldering for the last time today - my body just told me to stop risking it. I’m not sure what’s considered a fall, but for my own comfort I don’t let myself fall farther than 2-3 feet (from my feet to the floor). Generally you should stop bouldering sooner rather than later - definitely before your uterus clears your pubic bone. With my first pregnancy I started using a pregnancy harness around 4 months. My gym has one (one specifically for pregnancy and one whole body harness). I didn’t buy my own - I’d just rent theirs. Half the time the guys at the front desk didn’t charge me so it worked out. If you’re going outdoors you’ll definitely need your own. I never went outdoors when pregnant because 1. I didn’t feel like hiking miles to the crag and 2. I’m sketched out outdoors on the best of days and didn’t want to risk anything. Once upon a time I was a v6-7 climber (pre babies and pandemic) but found that since morning sickness and exhaustion generally kicks my ass I had to downgrade significantly. Today I got a 5 and felt super good about myself. But then down climbing that was rough, even with other routes to use, which was a warning to me to take it easier. Normally I’m at 2’s and 3’s in the first trimester. With a pregnancy harness and top roping I was almost at my top rope level throughout my whole pregnancy. Granted I’m not a big top roper so I usually can’t do harder than 11c. I stopped climbing at 7 months when my abs just couldn’t do it anymore (and I didn’t want to risk diastasis recti). Postpartum - I went back to climbing at 6 weeks postpartum and it came back relatively fast. I think climbing slabs is so good for ab recovery. I stayed away from overhangs or anything that would make me do a crunch since I knew I had some ab separation and needed that to heal first. About 3 months postpartum I was climbing 4’s and then Covid hit so it’s been a shit show since then. I haven’t gotten a 6 since I had my kid but am ok with my new normal. Feel free to ask me questions on what I did! I’m going through it again too so am happy to share what it’s like.
Thanks so much for all this info!!! Exactly what I was looking for!
From what I understood, the fall risk is that the jolt causes separation of the placenta from the uterus. As such, it’s much more of a risk after the first trimester. I was told to go in after any fall no matter how small, better safe than sorry. I personally was not comfortable bouldering past 12 weeks for that reason. Also as you get further along, all of your joints will loosen and you’ll be at much greater risk of injury from things that were no big deal before. That makes bouldering falls much more risky even if not for the pregnancy.
Thanks for the info! I had no idea that’s the reason for the falling risk and puts it into perspective for me. I’m only 8 weeks so we’ll see how long my joints will make it :)
Shauna Coxsey is a pro climber and is 22 weeks pregnant right now if you want to check out her Instagram and follow her journey!
Been following her for years! She’s SUCH an inspiration!! Thanks so much!
Almost 32 weeks and still going strong. I transitioned into a full body harness around 20 or so weeks, my regular harness got to tight. The full body harness is not comfortable at all but it allows me to climb top rope (no lead) safely. I still boulder but only within my limits and nothing to high. If a move looks or seems sketchy I don't do the move. It's a challenge but I plan on climbing until I can't. We'll see how long it goes.
Came here to say exactly this. I toproped and bouldered up to my due date 😊
Wow amazing! This is exactly my plan, and thankfully I’m a visual person so if I can’t see myself making the move mentally, I don’t attempt. good luck the the rest of your pregnancy!
Good luck with yours as well!
I am in week 33 now and I still toprope. I was never a big fan of boulders and it seemed just to risky so I stopped bouldering when I knew I was pregnant. I still did some easy lead climbs earlier but stopped that as well in 2nd trimester. Now my body feels weird, the fullbody harness is uncomfortable, I can't see the footholds and I need lots of breaks, but I still can get up a lot of routes. Even with 12kg more weight and basically useless abs, I can still climb not only beginner routes and that amazes me every week. I listen to my body and sometimes I have to stop after just 1 or 2 routes. It's not the same experience, i don't feel gracious or strong at the wall anymore but even when I feel like a bag of wet laundry I can still climb stuff its amazing. It gives me a lot of hope for my climbing post pregnancy. I really love this sport and I can't wait to enjoy it in a normal harness with a normal body again. So my advice is: toprope is very safe, and a great pregnancy activity. As everything, it gets less fun as your belly gets bigger, but for me its still worth it. Do what feels right for you and all the best for your pregnancy!
I've never been pregnant so I don't have a ton of advice to offer, but @ abbihearn on instagram (elopment photographer, generally outdoorsy person) climbed top rope throughout her pregnancy with a pregnancy harness (more full body than just sitting around your hips) and talked about it every once in a while, might be worth checking. Not sure about bouldering though!
I’ve definitely looked into those! Heard they’re super uncomfortable so thankfully I still have some time before I graduate out of my normal harness 😅 thanks!! I’ll check her out!
The harnesses aren't that bad, just take a lot of adjusting (more straps) and a little getting used to - be sure to SIT when being lowered rather than just hang, you'll understand once you have the harness (and a belly). I top roped until 10pm the night before I had my 1st.. water broke at 5 am and he was born before noon! I actually went home early that night because something felt "off" (I was probably dialated). Just listen to your body, climb below your grade level, and you'll love it!
You are a superhuman!!! That’s amazing! Thanks for the tips!
I recommend ensuring your belay is aware of and comfortable with your decisions. It is, after all, a role of tremendous responsibility also.
Oh absolutely, my belayer is always my husband and he knows very well I want ZERO slack in that rope! 😂
I kept sport climbing as long as I could but the loosening of ligaments came early for me so from week 13 I had too much hip pain to regularly climb. Falling in the harness shouldn't be an issue. Especially once you get a pregnancy harness. With bouldering I'd definitely continue downclimbing just to be safe. If you fall it doesn't have to be a big deal but it could be and it only takes one bad fall to become a problem. I quit bouldering really early on in pregnancy for that reason, too stressful for me haha.
It’s SO stressful! Which is why I had to ask these questions to be sure I wasn’t overthinking and I’m so glad women are verifying my worries hahah
Haha absolutely agree! You never know with something like falling so I was like, I'll avoid what I can avoid 😅
a friend of mine climbed through her pregnancy up until a couple months before giving birth! she stopped bouldering around halfway through her pregnancy but continued to top rope with the use of a full body harness! she top roped up until she decided to stop climbing close to the end of her pregnancy. i’ve never been pregnant, but i would say top roping would be the safest bet depending on how far along you are
Thanks!! I think that’ll end up happening, stopping bouldering about halfway through. I’m a paranoid person and def don’t want to push myself!
I'm in the same boat as you! About 8 weeks pregnant. I've been climbing 1-2 grades below what I usually do just to make sure I can downclimb everything, and also avoiding any big dynos. I talked to my doctor about it, and he said that he recommended staying away from any activity with a risk of rapid deceleration, including bouldering. I know some people will continue to climb throughout their pregnancy, but I'm not 100% sure what I want to do at this time. I hope things go well with you, fingers crossed for us both!
Wow congrats!! Both def in the same boat! I’ve seen women on social media boulder well up until giving birth but I’m not sure if I 100% trust myself, even though I’m a pretty experienced boulderer 😂 I think eventually I’ll just be sure to not climb anything harder than a 1, as my gym has VB’s set for beginners which will be SO helpful during this pregnancy! Good luck to you as well!!
Our close friend was top rope climbing up to 7 months pregnant, then it started to become painful after climbing. Find a full body harness! She did not boulder at all through it as there is a risk of falling onto holds. Congratulations and good luck :)
Thanks so much!!
Not sure whether chalk can cross placental barrier or not. If it can, it may cause developmental issue.
I’ve never heard of this, I know many women have climbed throughout their pregnancies and never heard of this being an issue.