Pregnancy Paddling

I have had a very hard time staying away from the water over the last couple of weeks. I had taken safety into account and the wishes of Ej's to steer clear for the baby's sake. But I am taking a mental beating. Not having a productive way to relieve the stress I am under creating a life and dealing with this very complicated situation has really taken a toll. I have taken up Yoga, but it's not the same. I don't get the physical exertion. I walk for exercise, but I can't clear my head.

And here I am, telling my doctor and Ej that I am going to paddle anyway. I spoke candidly to my doctor regarding the motions I take while paddling. The most dangerous aspect to paddling while pregnant would be to wet exit and expose my baby to anything in the water capable of piercing my gear or jarring my body hard enough, creating placental separation. I am confident in my skill level, safety on the water and judgement. I still have my roll, great mobility and a wonderful crew willing to give me my two hours of breathing and exercise on the river.

Class two and flat water are my options. I am unwilling to endanger myself or the baby on anything else. I take into account the length of the run, the character of the river, the remoteness as well as levels.

My crew is well versed in river safety, CPR and also confident in my ability to make sound choices. I started making plans regarding different runs by asking fellow paddling enthusiasts what runs they would suggest they would be comfortable on. The list was quite extensive from some people and others wouldn't support my endeavor at all.

My choice originally, for length, exercise and safety was the Dead Cow run on the Santiam. Firstly, there is enough draw for my class 3-5 paddling buddies to entertain themselves on the play wave while I shoot video from the banks. Secondly, the run is long. This means I would be exerting myself in my barge of a boat. Safety being a concern in any run, and cell phones, proper safety equiptment, and knowledge of the run was a crucial aspect. The run is lined with private property, fields and such, but the kicker is the hospital, in case anything happened, being within a mile of the take out.

However, high water this weekend forced me to change my plan and head to Barton to Carver... Cell phone service, housing lined river, but very short. I can't have it all!!

We picked up an extra boater, shuttled on up and pretended that there were rapids on the stretch of river we have only done as the Clackamas Clean Up effort throughout the years.

Fantastic to be on the water, with wind, rain and great people all bundled in Gortex! The run was extremely uneventful, however in every way shape and form, a release on every level for me, which really was my goal. I feel a bit more relaxed and ready to tackle the stress eating away at me. Maybe this clearing of the mind will make room for a bit more understanding.

I will also participate in pool sessions with my friends here and in Corvallis. If you are interested in bobbing around in flat water, class two and pools, give me a call.