I've had my worst week's cycling for ages - I mentioned in a previous column that I'm pregnant and am therefore terribly forgetful at the moment. This week, I managed to lose my entire set of bike lock keys, so I couldn't unlock any of the bikes I have access to.

It wasn't just me that missed the cycling - my son and I try to get to nursery on time by cycling there. Having to get up that bit earlier to scooter to nursery was really tough on my son, who likes to take it easy in the morning.

Then there's the baby I'm expecting. This one seems pretty chuffed cycling along and kicks like Bruce Lee the entire journey - boy, do you have to concentrate when this happens.

I've made up for my lack of cycling by reading up some more on pregnancy cycling and was quite surprised by what I read. I made a joke in a recent column about women in labour cycling to hospital, only to find one woman, Jane Henshaw (of A to B magazine), in Castle Cary, who rode to the hospital to be induced.

"My midwife told me of a lady whose waters broke, so she cycled to hospital. She'd forgotten some essentials, so rode the three miles home to fetch them. The woman claimed that cycling's regular rhythm was a welcome distraction from first stage labour pains."

Being practical, I did wonder how they were going to get home? Do the hospital check your bike seat before you and the new baby cycle off?

You do have to admire them, though, even if only from afar, waving to them from the bus.

Exercise becomes harder during the third trimester (last few months) - a hint to slow down. Also exercising can just become uncomfortable.

As well as this, if you overdo it, you don't gain weight at the rate that your midwife recommends.

I think this is the best time to go with the 'sitting down and drinking tea' genes, and also don't try to fight the love chocolate' genes - chocolate is your friend.

Of course, don't sue me, I'm not a midwife or professional food adviser - it's just my personal opinion. Actually, what I read said that if you're going cycling, you should make sure you have loads of water. Drink lots before you set off, too. And keep your chocolate cool so it doesn't melt - wow, am I obsessed? Perhaps we'll call this a craving.

As for your bike, swap drop-handle bars for straight mountain bike bars for the later months and get your handle bars raised so you can sit more upright. I've certainly started noticing my bump getting in the way.

One bit of advice that kept coming up on websites was to get a comfortable bike seat - a bit of me wants to say well 'duh!' Only men would be daft/masochistic enough to ride a saddle that's equivalent to a blunt razor. Ow!

The inventor of those saddles needs to be forced on the London naked bike ride riding one - that'll teach him (presuming it was a male inventor; unless the inventor was a woman with a vendetta against male cyclists).

Anyhow, I've now managed to get my spare keys so we're back to the streets this week for some leisurely cycling.

3:48pm Monday 14th April 2008

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