Newly Pregnant with a Couple of Questions.

I always say Better SAFE than SORRY! I would hold off on both things till after the baby is born! A light workout is okay but "boot camp" sounds a little extreme...........

Congrats on the new pregnancy! I would wait to do your hair. To me, anything that could be a risk, I would rather not do. I would hate to have something happen that I could have avoided. In my opinion, my hair is not important enough to want to color it while pregnant.

As for working out, as long as you have no risks and feel up to it, I have always heard you can do whatever you did before you were pregnant, as long as you feel up to it. It you are feeling run down, tired, nauseous, or any cramping at all, I would stop immediately. The name boot camp worries me, though, that it may be too much. I would consider doing less impact work outs while pregnant. Swimming or water aerobic classes may be a better choice.

S.

Hi N.-

I just wanted to add something about the exercise. What my OB had always told me is that it was ok to keep up with what you were doing before pregnancy but that your heart rate should not exceed 140bpm. I had been running regularly before all 3 of my pregnancies BUT I have a really high heart rate so I had to stop. My resting hr is around 85 and it gets to 170-180 when I run. Unfortunately for me, walking at about 3.5 mph on a treadmill is enough to send my heart rate to 140+.

Good luck!

Try organic hair dye. Do it yourself at home and ventilate well. Otherwise, I read that you can get your hair dyed but try to go when the salon first opens or when it is very slow...less toxins in the air. Ask them to prop doors open. Fans, etc...
I worked out with a trainer who was pregnant the entire time, she also taught two classes a day and went to one at the end. She worked out until a few days before she went into labor. As long as you and the baby remain in good health and you drink lots of fluids and do not push yourself, listen to your body. Try some other classes, sculpt, light weightlifting, step, etc..

honestly i dyed my hair through out both my pregnancies. a different doctor each time. one a normal family practice that also did pregnancies and the second a high risk doctor. both said it was fine to color my hair. do what ever i wanted with it. and i could work out but not to over do it. also my kids are 5 and 2 if that tells how recent the doctor said this.

Congratulations, N., this is such great news!!
I'm not sure what the current recommendation is, but I always have highlights during pregnancy. I just do.
I would not work out as intensely during pregnancy. People will say that if you have been working out at this level, it is safe to continue. For the most part, this is true. However, recent studies have linked pre-eclampsia with women who work out a lot during pregnancy. This just seems to be a risk that comes with it as your body strives to maintain blood pressure levels with a baby inside. You might want to google it to see what you find. I would recommend continuing your exercise, but just not on this same level. You don't want a baby born at 24 weeks because your blood pressure is through the roof and they can't get it down. This happened to a dear friend of mine who was extremely fit, a runner, and maintained her workout routine during pregnancy. Her second pregnancy was healthy, but she cut down on these activities.

I got highlights throughout my pregnancy. I also ran regularly (cross country) until 7 months pregnant, then I needed to walk after that, my choice. I just suddenly got bigger and could tell it was time to slow down. If you are feeling good, you can work at as usual. If you aren't feeling good, back off a bit or skip a day. I think our bodies tell us what is OK.

They recommend you NOT color / perm your hair until the second trimester. However, many moms-to-be don't do a chemical treatments until after the baby is born just to be safe.

Moderate exercise is usually okay if you don't have a high-risk pregnancy. What you're describing as "boot-camp" sounds way to intense. You will feel tired / run-down because your body is putting in overtime to grow a baby. Take it easy until you see your doc and he/she tells you different.

Good luck to you!! The precious cargo you're carrying is well worth any and all sacrifices you'll need to make during and after your pregnancy.

No you should not get your hair colored. Trust me, this bummed me out too as I last had mine done a few months before getting pregnant. I am 2 months from having him now though so it's very noticeable but my beautician said absolutely not because it can be absorbed by the scalp.

I was always told that if you have a workout regimen you have been doing for a while, than you are okay but even the people I know who worked out regularly had to cut back the intensity of what they were doing while they were pregnant. If not, they would begin to feel like they were having contractions. :-|

Congrats!

According to my Dr. as long as your body is already used to the excersise you shouldn't have to change anything as long as you use common sense. For me it was Volleyball so no diving on the tummy :)

Definitely ask your doctor, but I can tell you what I was told by my doctor...

1. In regards to coloring your hair, I was told it was safe and would not harm the baby. I continued to color my hair during my pregnancy.

2. As for working out, I was told to continue doing the exercises I did prior to getting pregnant, but to watch my heart rate and try to keep it below 165. I was advised not to start any new exercise program that I wasn't already doing, but that I could keep doing what I was doing. I continued to run until about 7 months when it was just not comfortable to run anymore, and I did total conditioning, kickboxing and spin classes up to the day before I gave birth. At about 4 months, you aren't supposed to lay flat on your back anymore so you will have to modify some abs exercises, etc.

Congrats on your pregnancy!! That is so exciting! My doctor always told me that it was safe to color my hair and I did. My two children are perfectly healthy. He also told me that I could do the same amount of exercise as I was used to doing pre-pregnancy, so I think your bootcamp sessions are fine at this point. All doctors recommend different things though. I would guess that you could still do your workouts, but maybe go at a slower pace until you talk to your doctor. Good luck!

A.

For hair color they recomend no hair color during the first trimester, but if you HAVE to do it to use only the foil method. No all over color because you don't want the color to be directly on your skin. It is thought that there could be a link between the chemicals in hair color and certain types of birth defects. If you want to color your hair than its just a risk that you have to be willing to take durring your prgnancy.
Everyone would always tell me that different things were ok to do while I was pregnant and gave me the "my child turned out perfectly healthy" line. In fact my boss who is 7 months pregnant right now insists that it is PERFECTLY safe to smoke while pregnant and that it has no effect on the fetus..... because her doctor told her so! Makes me sick. My rule of thumb while I was pregnant was, Would I allow my infant/child to do it. If the answer was no than I would avoid it. I was willing to be selfless for nine months(turned into 2 years because I nursed) for my baby and it was so worth it!

First of all congrats on the baby! :) K so I was always told that there really hasn't been enough studies done to know for sure if coloring your hair can have any effect on the fetus. So my doc always told me just in moderation should be fine. So for me once I found out I was pregnant with my first I just got my hair dyed back to my natural brown so I didn't have to get it colored again while pregnant. But I have lots of friends who continue to get their hair done while pregnant and their babies are all fine. And as for your second question the rule is you can continue to do whatever you were doing before you were pregnant. Although if you feel that anything is starting to be too much or uncomfortable then stop.

Color used to be a lot different and is now considered safe. My doc and stylist told me it was fine. As for working out...my doc told me I could continue my workout until it just got to the point that I had to slow down due to my belly. She said you just will reach a point where your body tells you to slow down because it's uncomfortable or you can't do certain exercises. I have also read that you can continue what you are doing but shouldn't start any new strenuous exercises, so as long as your body is used to it, you can keep doing it.

I think the hair highlighting thing is a myth. I had my hair highlighted while I was pregnant.
Also, I think you'll be OK doing your normal workouts.
Get the book "What To Expect When You're Expecting" It's excellent!

Congratulations!

Yep--safe. See below from http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-color-my-hair...:

Is it safe to color my hair during pregnancy?

Expert Answers
Ann Linden, certified nurse-midwife

The limited evidence that's available suggests that it's probably safe to dye your hair during pregnancy. The Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS), which provides information on potential reproductive risks, says that animal studies are reassuring and that there are no reports of hair dye causing changes in human pregnancies, despite the fact that many women have colored their hair during pregnancy. What's more, OTIS points out that very little of the chemicals in hair dye are actually absorbed into your system.

That said, if you're still concerned, consider waiting to color your hair until the second trimester, when your developing baby is less vulnerable. Also, rather than using an all-over hair color, consider a process like streaking, highlighting, painting, or frosting, in which the chemicals have little or no contact with your scalp. (Any hair-coloring agents absorbed into your system would come through your skin, not through your hair shaft.)

You may have heard that vegetable dyes are a good alternative if you want to avoid using synthetic chemical agents during pregnancy. But buyer beware: I looked at all of the so-called natural and herbal preparations at my local health food store. In addition to the various "natural" substances listed as ingredients, all of the dyes I saw had O. or more of the very same synthetic chemical compounds (such as p-phenylenediamine, dihydroxybenzene, and aminophenol) that the major cosmetic companies put in their permanent and semipermanent dyes.

Pure henna (Lawsonia inermis) — a semipermanent vegetable dye that's been used for thousands of years — is considered safe, but it's quite messy to use, needs to be left on for a relatively long time, and imparts a red-orange hue that you may not like. (Note that henna products that come in other colors or are fast-acting are not pure henna and may contain synthetic chemicals or potentially risky metallic compounds.)

I certainly think it's important for women to feel good about themselves during pregnancy. Whether coloring your hair will make you feel good or cause you to worry needlessly for nine months is something to think about. If you do choose to color your own hair, wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated space to minimize your exposure to the chemicals used in the coloring process. Don't leave the dye on any longer than necessary, and thoroughly rinse your scalp at the end of the process.

With my youngest, who just turned two, my hairdresser said that the chemicals used now are much easier on the skin and hair and not as toxic. Plus, the salon I go to uses a lot of more natural products that are not as harsh as some. The only thing would be to try on a spot that doesn't show as much and see if it works.
As far as working out, keep it up! I have worked out for years and the only thing my doctor told me to stop was the ab stuff so as not to scrunch the baby. A gf of mine participates in those intense cycling classes at the gym and she kept it up until the day she went into labor. Don't start any more intense programs than what you are doing now but unless you develop problems your doc will probably tell you it's ok.
J.

the coloring that they use now is not like it used to be. you can ask your stylist if they have a low amonia product. and as for working out if you have been doing it awhile and are in shape to begin with there is no need to stop or slow down when you get more prego you really dont want to be bouncing around. the better shape you are in the faster the recovery.