It has been a hot minute since I've posted. Read on if you're interested in hearing all about my pregnancy journey. I feel like I started this super fun, exciting blog about all things fitness and life, then took a hiatus because I was pregnant! Ha, pretty accurate I guess - but I must say, I learned so much more about myself during this 3rd pregnancy.
When I first told everyone about being pregnant I would say most people's reactions were very surprised :) Steve and I thought we were pretty much done with 2 kids. We had a boy and a girl, we were finally sleeping again and getting finances and this thing called life in order. Check yourself. Christmas 2018, we decided to try one more time. I literally took my IUD out on our anniversary 1/16/19 and was pregnant the next week. We are extremely blessed and lucky. Fast forward. Weeks and months go by- I had the typical exhaustion, food aversions and cravings, cranky moments followed by crazy ideas.
I got so much done during this pregnancy! If you have bunch of house projects to get done I highly recommend getting pregnant, haha. Sort of kidding, sort of not. I painted our interior walls, purged everything we didn't need anymore, cleaned ALL windows in and out and window sills, steam cleaned couches, rearranged kitchen cabinets and got a ton of sleep and workouts.
39 weeks of FIT Pregnancy is the title of this post because I documented my journey and wanted to share it. I know working out during pregnancy is HARD. But it can be done, safely and effectively. I worked out 5-6 days per week during my entire 39 weeks. It wasn't always easy but it was always worth it - you never regret a workout once you are finished. The hardest part is getting started. And it doesn't have to be hard! As most of you know I like running - of course I continued running but I cut my mileage in half and focused on getting a good 30-45 minute workout in. I ran 3-4 days/ week anywhere from 25-45 minutes; most of them were around 35 minutes after week 25 - because running and pregnancy isn't the most comfortable feeling :) I also continued a modified strength training program 2 days per week and taught my 2 cycle classes weekly. There were also days I just went for a walk. I continued this cycle until 2 days before delivery.
Workouts:
25-40 minutes of running 3 days/week
10-20 minutes of strength training 2 days/week (basics such as squats, lunges, chest press, curls, planks, push ups)
45-60 minutes of indoor cycling (I recommend stationary bikes when you're pregnant) 2 days/week
Stretch a little bit every day
Nutrition:
Eat what you're craving but everything in moderation. Try to keep your main meals more protein based; I craved carbs a lot, but ate small portions. I also really like cinnamon rolls, like daily.
Drink half your body weight in water! This will help with your energy level and is very good for your baby
Sleep:
This is a great time to catch up on sleep and read some good books. Take advantage of your time now and let your body rest. I averaged 8-8.5 hours/night - which is really good for me and I felt amazing.
Weight gain:
I ended up gaining about 20-25lbs. I can't remember where I started and honestly I don't own a scale and never follow the numbers so this is going off what the doctor's charts said. I only believe in listening to how you feel and how your clothes fit. There are too many other variables. My other 2 pregnancies were closer to 35lbs due to bed rest and not as much exercise.
Today:
We are 3 weeks post-delivery and I had a C-section (3rd time). I'm still sore in my mid- section. C-sections are a beast. If you've had one, you know. It's a major surgery where they move your abdomen section to the side, literally, and pull the baby out of the uterus. The recovery is slow, but it gives me extra time to snuggle and rest. As much as I would like to exercise, I simply don't have the energy or the strength yet. Sleep, rest and baby snuggles take precedence and I couldn't be happier.
Cheers my friends.