Pregnant women gain weight. It’s a fact of life. And a pregnant woman working out (while gaining the requisite weight) deserves major props … not flaming.
My friend Candice shared this story with me today which made my blood boil. A pregnant fitness trainer (Sara Haley) was bullied at her gym … for having stretch marks.
This makes me so sad. Continue reading “ditch the judgment already!”
There’s something really bizarre about knowing that I’ll be a second-time mom by next Thursday (and hopefully not sooner!). I had my pre-op appointment with my doctor yesterday and he’s growing exactly on track. She guessed 8.5 pounds; Luis and I think more like 7.5 so we’ll see who is right 😉 Continue reading “Knowing”
Insomnia has been the biggest discomfort as of late as I head into this last week of pregnancy. I fall asleep just fine but then wake tossing and turning, unable to go back to bed, for several hours at a time. I read blogs, I shop online (oops!), I think … mostly, I think about what’s to come, how Maya will be, how our family dynamic will change. Continue reading “Insomnia at 38 Weeks”
The past six months in particular — since our house went on the market in April and we moved to our new house in May — have been really challenging, made only more challenging by the fact that I have been pregnant this whole time and couldn’t help Luis with a lot of the burden: maintaining the physical and financial aspects of two homes (and dealing with problems at both), mowing the lawn/landscaping two homes, moving (out of the old and into the new), unpacking, fixing things … I did what I could to pitch in but realistically I ended up keeping an eye on Maya far more than making a dent in unpacking. Continue reading “Waiting (and Exhaling)”
As I’ve mentioned here on my blog countless times, I am all about working out during pregnancy. It’s good for the mind, the body and the soul. It’s good for baby, and it’s good for mommy – especially when a mom already has a routine in place. And being active can help with post-partum recovery.
But with everything in life, moderation is key. And although I’m no doctor, I feel that just because someone is fit and healthy and CAN run a marathon and then deliver a baby hours later … or lift uber-heavy weights at CrossFit 8.5 mths along (the latest story in the news) doesn’t mean she should.
Of course, I’m not saying women shouldn’t exercise while pregnant–I’d be a total hypocrite if I did, given my own 6-7 day a week routine!!–but there are limits and boundaries and pushing yourself to the limits consistently isn’t exactly the smartest decision when the health and well-being of your baby ought to be one’s top priority.
It might come as a surprise to some of my readers that I feel this way.
After all, I talk a lot about fitness and pregnancy. Continue reading “Fitness, Pregnancy and Extremes”
Today I made the decision to stop formally working out for the duration of my pregnancy. It wasn’t an easy decision to come to, but it’s the right decision for me right now.
For weeks, Luis has been asking me — OK, begging me — to take it easy and stop working out. Friends have asked if I’m sure I should be still doing Zumba/Body Pump/training. But I’ve been on the go and didn’t want to slow down. My logic (however twisted) was: “I feel good, I should do it now while I still can!”
And while there is truth to that — I do think being active during pregnancy is a good thing and will still say it’s been great for my mind, body, and soul — I also have not just been “active.” More like, I’ve not really taken many days off from working out the whole nine months. And it’s catching up to me … Continue reading ““Can” and “Should””
T-24 til baby boy H arrives–and hopefully, not a moment sooner.
Not because I don’t want to be done with this stage of pregnancy — believe me, I do. But rather because there’s still so much to do before his arrival, and of course because I want him to bake as long as he possibly can.
Nonetheless, I’m sick of feeling enormous (and getting bigger by the day) and exhausted. I’m sick of being winded from next to nothing. I’m sick of the insomnia. The aching back. The heartburn. The sensation of starving one minute, stuffed the next, then hungry an hour later (body, make up your mind!). I’m sick of this overall lack of energy (yet I’m still forcing myself to work out because I know it’s good for me and the baby)). I’m sick of the lack of patience I feel towards Maya when, deep down, I know she is just feeling her oats and sensing things are about to change. And I’m sick of feeling little connection to this baby … connection I desperately want to feel, and am hoping I will once he’s here. Continue reading “The Final Countdown”
Well … five weeks from today, it’s “go-time!!” Hard to believe how quickly it’s approaching. I think because I have so much else on my mind, it hasn’t been at the forefront of my thoughts constantly the way it was with Maya …
I added my latest bump shot here. As you can see, I am growing (and growing and growing!) by the week … Doc appointment this week showed I am all on track and doing well. My blood pressure is still really good (and low for a pregnant person) and I’m up a healthy 27 pounds. Continue reading “34 Weeks … Home Stretch”
Right now, at 33 weeks, I feel like I look like I did when I was nine months pregnant with Maya. I’ve already gained above the 25 pounds I gained with her. I’m waddling. Wearing heels hurts. And my spine is all out of whack from having a giant basketball in front. I feel like a human teapot, about to tip over at any given moment. And on top of all that awesomeness, I’m pretty much a forgetful, anxious hot mess these days.
So it came as quite a surprise when, on two separate occasions in the past week, people paid me compliments that totally didn’t jive with how I have been feeling … but made me feel great regardless. Continue reading “Perception and Reality”
I try really hard not to complain about the physical ailments of pregnancy because I know I should feel lucky and blessed to be having a baby at all. But sometimes even that blessing comes with its down-sides, and I’d be lying if I said it was peachy-keen all the time.
While I’ve overall felt good throughout this pregnancy, as someone who doesn’t have chronic pain regularly, I’m beginning to see what so many people face on a daily basis … with the exception being that mine is temporary. And it’s no fun. Continue reading “The “Discomfort Zone””
Let There Be Light 