I’ve made a short video to talk about some of my tips for nutrition during pregnancy. As discussed in the video, nutrition is never as important as it is during pregnancy when you’re growing a new person. Here’s a list of my top 10 foods during pregnancy:
Eggs – Couldn’t stand them during trimester one but since that passed I am now living one them. So easy and they contain a range of vitamins, minerals, proteins and good fats.
Bananas – A great go-to snack that’s always good for keeping your energy levels up when you’re on the good.
Wholegrain Bread – A great source of slow releasing energy. I try to stick to two slices max per day and usually have them late morning or for lunch.
Salmon – Great source of omega 3 and helps to promote cell growth for you and baby.
Sweet Potato – Loaded with vitamins A,B and C. They cook quickly and are a great carbohydrate for dinner.
Natural Yogurt – Great for calcium and with my next choice, mixed berries, make a lovely healthy snack.
Berries – Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. This time of year is perfect for them too. I add them to porridge, yogurt and even mix them with a little dark chocolate for a late night snack. They help the body to absorb iron too.
Almonds – I love all nuts and seeds in general but almonds are my favourite. I love sliced almonds with my yogurt and berries or just a handful of them as a snack when I’m on the go. They contain iron too which is really important during pregnancy.
Avocados – Full of good fats. I advise sticking to a half avocado per day but these make a great addition to a sale or alongside a burger for dinner.
Water – Ok not actually food but still deserves to make the list. Staying hydrated is really important during pregnancy particularly if you’re pregnant during the summer months. I start the day with luke warm water and lemon and I always carry a nice Bobble bottle with me throughout the day.
Below are links to any websites I mentioned in the video:
Hope you find this helpful. I have started a private pregnancy fitness group on Facebook. It’s an informal group and there’s no fee to join. If you’d like to join us please mail me brid@legacy.fitwithbrid.ie or you can contact me through Facebook and Instagram.
I’m excited to share my first pregnancy video post. In this video I’m talking about:
why i felt the need to do pregnancy fitness videos
the private pregnancy fitness Facebook group that I’m going to be starting
my own pregnancy so far
what to expect in the coming weeks
When I do these updates I’ll also do a little profile of where I’m at so here’s this week’s:
No. of weeks pregnant: 18
Currently feeling: Very good. I’ve been a lot more tired in general this pregnancy but really starting to feel my energy levels improve this week. I’ve had a problem with my lower back since before I got pregnant but thankfully that doesn’t seem to be getting any worse yet.
Exercise: Managing to do most of my usual stuff. Walking/running 5km about three times per week and doing my intervals, resistance exercises, Pilates and stretches at home. I had started to do Yoga before getting pregnant but with all that I’ve had going on in the last few months I’ve let it slide. Definitely want to get back into it soon. I did the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon on bank holiday Monday and had a great day. I ran 2km and walked 1km three times and then ran the last 1km. I finished in just under 1 hour so I was delighted with that.
Food: Eating fairly well. I’ve been out and about a lot so have been trying to be as good as possible when making choices but I’ve also been allowing myself some treats too. I love desserts SOOO much but can’t blame that on pregnancy I’m afraid!
Bump is: starting to move a little. I can definitely feel the movements a lot more strongly this time and if I put my hand on the lower part of my abs I can feel it from the outside too. The size changes every day. Some days it’s really out there and then others you’d barely notice it at all. Definitely gets bigger as the day goes on.
Anything else: I told Frankie that there was a baby in my belly and he’s now obsessed with it. He goes ‘knock knock knock baby’ on my stomach. At 22 months he obviously doesn’t really get it though because he also thinks there’s a baby in his belly now too!! Also when I ask him if he’s going to share his blankey and dody with the baby he shouts a very definite ‘NO!’. Oh well plenty of time to get him used to the idea yet.
We’re off on holidays to Portugal next week. Really looking forward to getting a bit of sun. I’ll have to do a small bit of work while over there but otherwise I’m going to chill with the family and spend loads of time with Frankie. I hope to get some workouts in when I’m over there and will take plenty of bump shots!
My Measurements
My scales have been broken for about 2 months now and I’m not going to bother getting a new one. Outside of pregnancy I’ve never really cared much about my weight. Once I’m feeling good that’s my guide. If my clothes are telling me I’m putting it on I will usually do my measurements to see what’s happening. During pregnancy I just find it interesting to see how much my body is changing and it also gives me something to compare to afterwards when I’m trying to lose any excess body fat gained.
Week 32
This Week
Arm
9.5"
10"
Boobs
35"
35"
Waist
31.5
32.5"
Bellybutton
35"
36.5"
Hips
38"
38"
Thigh
21"
21.5"
The following are links for the pregnancy blog posts I mentioned about having written previously:
Excuse the change of background, my first take decided to skip and I lost loads of what I had said! Hope you enjoy and feel free to mail me if you have any questions.
If you’d like to join my private pregnancy fitness group head over to my Facebook page Fit with Bríd and send me a message.
Here’s a short introductory post telling you a little bit about what I hope to vlog about over the coming months (but as explained in this video I’m just going to call them videos because I HATE the word VLOG!!). I’m also telling a little about what’s in store for the online courses over the summer too.
To add your name to the mailing list for more information about the online courses go here.
Growing and carrying a new little person is hard work and often results in musclar imbalances within the body which can cause soreness, stiffness and general discomfort. As if a pregnant woman hasn’t enough to worry about with feeling tired and a little anxious too. The weight of a pregnant woman’s bump causes a shift in posture and the following can often happen:
Hips tilt forward as the bump grows outwards
An increased curve in the lower back, known as Lordosis, happens as a result
The hip flexor muscles (joining the front of your thighs to your hip area) can then feel tight and the glutes (bum) become weak and stretched
If there is an increase in the size and weight of the breasts the shoulders can become rounded, known as Kyphosis
Head tilts forward as a result
Pregnancy Pilates and Yoga classes can help to address these imbalances and alleviate the discomfort felt. Pregnant women who sit a lot for work should ensure that they have an ergonomic workstation (set up correctly and specifically for their needs) and that they take regular breaks to stand up, walk around and stretch.
I’ve put together a short video clip of stretches that can help. Practice as often as possible, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds while taking deep breaths. Be careful not to push too deeply into each stretch as the hormone Relaxin is present in a pregnant woman’s body and can result in soften ligaments and joints. These stretches can also be helpful post pregnancy when these areas are still feeling the effects.
It was really hard to get out of bed this morning wasn’t it?
It’s so cold and you’ve more than likely had a busy weekend whether it was partying, decorating the house, shopping for presents or all of those things. It only gets crazier from her on in so here are my three tips for getting through the Christmas madness without losing your joy.
Exercise
Don’t mistake busy for active. Unless you are sprinting up the escalator ten times in a shopping centre you are not exercising my friend. Loook ahead each week and pencil in when you will get to exercise because the days just get away from us at this time of year and next thing you know it’s been a fortnight since you’ve done anything for your body. Sure you’re plans to exercise may not always work out but there’s a better chance that they will if you’ve at least considered them. Some days you might get a good 30 minutes+ in and others it might just be a brisk walk with the dog. Whatever it is it’s better than none at all.
Food
Decide which parties are worth being bold for and which aren’t. A big catchup with the girls over a nice dinner might be worth it but would the pub grub at the cheapo office party really be? By all means accept the mince pies you’re offered when visiting family but there’s no need to keep a constant supply of Quality Street in your own house for the next four weeks. A little balance will serve you well.
Mindset
Lower your expectations. The picture in your head of how it’s suppsed to be, how you’re supposed to look, what your mother-in-law is supposed to say, what your child is NOT suppsed to say. You have very little control over how it will all go so go with the flow instead and you’ll feel less stressed and anxious if it doesn’t fit the picture you normally have in your head.
And if all else fails you can always join me on my No Nonsense New Year 12 week online course to repair the damage! More details here.
In Part 1 of this post I wrote about general guidelines for pregnancy fitness. In this post I want to look at little more in-depth at some of the specific things which women commonly question when they are considering what to do during pregnancy.
Before I continue I advise that you read Part 1 and also remind you that you MUST get permission from your doctor before taking part in any form of exercise during pregnancy.
In this post I’m covering concerns I had during my own fit pregnancy (which you can read about here) as well as those I have been asked about by other pregnant women. So let’s have a look:
Can I lift weights?
Women are often discouraged from lifting weights during pregnancy. The general weight limit bandied about is around 10kg. This limit didn’t sit well with me for a number of reasons including the fact that every woman has a different strength base coming into pregnancy. From the information I found I was correct in my assumption that this generalised limit wasn’t correct. So what could I safely lift then? The simple answer was whatever I could safely lift. That meant:
– Making sure my technique was correct – this gets harder the further you get into your pregnancy when the weight of the bump causes a shift in your postrure and alignment. If you are in any way unsure as to whether your technique is correct then don’t do it. Poor technique makes it unsafe for your body. Baby will be fine but muscles need to be cared for too.
– Avoiding holding my breath – prior to becoming pregnant I would have lifted very heavy weight that required me to do this so I halved my lifting weight straight away.
– Reducing the weight as my pregnancy progressed and increasing my reps instead.
– Giving myself adequate rest days to allow my muscles to recover – not something I was always super at but as my pregnancy progressed my body started to give me no choice.
– Stopping anything that felt uncomfortable – this seems obvious but when you’re used to pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone it’s important to remember that shouldn’t be the case during pregnancy.
Why shouldn’t I lie on my back?
This is one you will hear about often during pregnancy but very rarely is it explained. The reason it is important is to avoid the possibility of Supine Hypotensive Syndrome occurring.
Image source unknown
Supine Hypostensive Syndrome can occur when a pregnanct woman is lying supine and the weight of the uterus compresses the inferior vena cava (a large vein carrying blood to the heart) causing a partial or full blockage. This can restrict blood flow to and from the heart. It is more common in the later stages of pregnancy when the uterus weighs more but can happen at any stage and is obviously very dangerous. Supine exercises, for example those performed in a Pilates class, should be adapted using a wedge or cushions under the upper body.
Will doing abdominal exercises hurt my baby?
Baby is well cocooned in there and you doing ab exercises should not harm him or her. However what it is important to be aware of when it comes to ab exercises is what they may do to your actual abdominal muscles. Excess pressure on them can cause diastasis recti which is a separation of the long rectus abdominus muscle that runs down the centre of your stomach.
This can sometimes happen for a number of other reasons but it’s important to be clever with your exercise choices for the best chance of avoidance. This is where I would encourage women to seek guidance from an instructor who has experience of working with pregnant clients. As mentioned above it’s important not to lie in the supine position and a pregnancy specific instructor will know how to modify specific exercises to make them suitable.
How much cardio is too much?
This was my biggest concern during pregnancy. I’m not a competitive athlete but I like to run 5-10km regularly as well as push myself in circuit and interval type training. I had heard that I shouldn’t allow my heart rate to exceed 140BPM but this didn’t seem like an awful lot and I wondered again how this generalisation could be applied to every woman regardless of her fitness levels coming into pregnancy. Again my suspicions were well founded as this guideline has been replaced with the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion. This is more applicable to the individual because it’s based on how they feel. When exercising during pregnancy a rating of around 13-14 on the scale is sufficient.
Two things I would be aware of when it comes to cardio exercise like running is Pelvic Girdle Pain and Weak Pelvic Floor. Exercising safely shouldn’t cause either but if you find that it aggrevates them then you might want to look at more stationary alternatives like an exercise bike or other low impact types of exercise. If it feels good I encourage women to keep going for as long as they can. Personally I started to wind up my running at about 32 weeks and took brisk walks instead but I did continue these walks right up until the morning I went into labour. Towards the end you have regular medical appointments and should check at each one if the Dr. is happy for you to continue. I’ve said it in posts before and I’ll say it again now, it gets A LOT HARDER to get your fitness fix when you have a new baby so doing as much as you are able to do while you are able to do it is my advice to you.
I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about pregnancy exercise. Awful picture but a great read if you’re a pregnancy fitness nerd like me. You can find it to purchase here.
Hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions please let me know here.
First and foremost you really need to get your medical clearance before starting to exercise again post pregnancy. General guidelines state:
Normal Birth – 6 weeks post birth provided there have been no complications and the woman herself feels good. The 6 week check-up is a great time to get the go ahead from your GP.
Caesarean –12 weeks post section provided there have been no complications. I will allow women who are less than the 12 weeks to take part in my classes if they have medical clearance but will start them off very slowly and progress from there.
Every birth is different and everybody will recover in its own way. Like exercising during pregnancy it’s important to listen to your body and don’t push yourself too hard too fast. You can read about my own post pregnancy story here.
My first steps out into the real world post pregnancy
Stage 1
Start slowly with walking. You will more than likely be looking forward to getting out of the house anyway and it’s great for you and your baby to get some fresh air (or to get a break from the constant stream of visitors). If you’re nervous at first ask someone else to join you and don’t go too far.
Core control on the go
Regaining control and strength of your core muscles which include your pelvic floor muscles is essential before moving on to other forms of exercise that may exert pressure. Practise your core control exercises as often as you possibly can. The maternity nurse will most likely have given you a leaflet with pelvic floor or kegel exercises to do and these are really important to do as early as possible. There will be days when you can’t seem to find time to eat let alone do exercise so I recommend trying to do your core control work at random times like when you’re making bottles. Tell yourself at the start of the day that every time you make bottles or boil the kettle you’ll do the exercises shown in the video below and soon enough you’ll get into a little routine.
Stage 2
Increasing your walking pace and going for longer walks may be possible at this stage. Continue to practise your core control exercises and if comfortable add in some additional bodyweight resistance exercise e.g. modified press-ups, squats, short planks etc.
This is a great time to think about joining a post pregnancy or baby friendly class like Buggy Bootcamp (shameless plug I run such a thing – check out the details here) or Mother and Baby Yoga. Just make sure that you inform your instructor if you have had any pregnancy complications.
Be very careful before putting your body under too much pressure. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t run or do exercise of a higher intensity but remember the pressure your pelvic floor muscles have been under and how week they may now be. Your body will tell you in the most embarrassing way if you are ready or not anyway. Think of your pelvic floor exercise like scrubbing your body before putting on fake tan. If you skip that part you run the risk of looking like a big streaky mess. Put in the ground work and you’ll reap the rewards afterwards.
Stage 3
Once you are starting to feel your body regaining its strength you should be able to increase the intensity of your exercise routine but again listen to your body and don’t push yourself too hard. Note that I said listen to your body not your brain which is so exhausted from the lack of sleep that all it can do is scream ‘COUCH!!!!’ Regular exercise will help to increase your energy levels and hormonal balance too so your brain will thank you eventually too. Take advantage of all the lovely people offering to mind your baby. They really really do want to do it and no you’re not putting them out.
Try to incorporate your baby in your workouts from as early as possible. I did this with Frankie and now he loves taking part or even just watching me from the buggy. If you don’t do it from early on they can sometimes get a little frightened but let’s face it a grown adult might be scared at the sight of us exercising some days too!)
If it’s not possible for you to get out of the house to exercise due to your schedule or the weather then you might like to consider an online fitness course to help you along the way. Shameless plug No.2 – check out details of my September 2015 course here.
Here are a couple of videos I put together to help you. The first includes some very basic core control exercises and the second to show you some of the things you can do with your baby as you increase your intensity (although I can’t promise the sunny day – it was the only one we had this summer in Ireland).
Bríd
by Bríd McGill | Comments Off on Post Pregnancy Fitness For All – Part 1Pregnancy
When I found out I was pregnant at the start of December 2013 I was ecstatic but also nervous. I had taken redundancy from the “good pensionable job” (aka the bank) a couple of months beforehand to run my fitness business full time and to study. The early weeks of pregnancy are a scary time for every mother-to-be but when your job is as physical as mine is it can be even more worrying. I had built up a great business over the previous 6 years and didn’t want to lose any of it yet didn’t want to put my baby in jeopardy either. I also didn’t want to have to stop exercising for my own health, fitness and enjoyment either and strongly believed that it was possible that I didn’t have to. So I started to research it during my pregnancy. After having Frankie I then went back to college to do a fitness related degree. Part of my studies during the past year have included further research into pregnancy fitness. So you could say I’m slightly obsessed with it and a little bit annoying to get into a conversation about it with.
Guidelines
I would strongly recommend that any pregnant woman who wants to continue to exercise safely during pregnancy reads the guidelines attached from both the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
These two are my bibles when it comes to what is and isn’t safe. The general advice is that once you have received medical clearance to exercise (which will usually require that you have a normal, healthy pregnancy with no complications) then exercise is both safe and beneficial to you and your baby. Both guidelines advise that your exercise intensity should not exceed that of pre-pregnancy levels. A proper balance of nutrition, hydration, exercise and rest is essential. Imbalance in any one of these areas can result in safety concerns for both mother and baby.
Both advise that you should avoid the following:
Sports that are likely to involve contact e.g. hockey, soccer, basketball
Recreational activities that involve a high risk of falling e.g. horse riding, gymnastics
Anything that increases the risk for decompression sickness e.g. scuba diving
Physical activity at high altitudes (above 6,000 ft)
Exercising in the supine position (on your back) after the first trimester
Talking to your Medical Team
During my pregnancy I received mixed messages from the different doctors and nurses I met at my medical appointments. One would tell me it was good to keep exercising, another would be very cautious. The most frustrating part was that every time I asked why I couldn’t do something I was told it was just better, just safer. I’m the type of person that needs real, factual answers when it comes to diet and exercise and I can’t just be happy with generalisations and being told ‘because that’s how it’s done’. Obviously you should take your GP or practitioner’s advice very seriously but if you’re unsure as to why they are advising something then ask them why and look for a real answer. If you have a normal, healthy pregnancy then it would be unusual for them to tell you that you couldn’t continue to exercise at some level. From my experience there is a lack of confidence amongst pregnancy practitioners as to what exercise pregnant women should and shouldn’t do. It’s understandable as they fear litigation if something goes wrong but I see a day coming when the litigation will be for the advice not to exercise rather than to continue. I would love to see Ireland streamline the pregnancy exercise advice it gives to expectant mothers and really encourage pregnancy health and fitness.
So what can you do?
The guidelines advise the following (in addition to getting medical clearance):
Previously active women with no complications can remain active during pregnancy and modify their exercise routine as medically indicated.
Previously active women with a history of complications during pregnancy should reduce their activity in the second and third trimester.
Previously inactive women and those with medical/obstetric complications should be medically evaluated before commencing an exercise program (but can exercise if cleared).
Breaking down exercise into the categories above here is some advice on safe and effective ways to exercise:
Previously active women
This is the category I fell under and it is probably the most complicated one. This will really depend on what level of activity you were doing previously. If you were a person who exercised moderately then you should be fine to continue as normal. However if you were exercising to a high intensity you may need to make some modifications.
While many women are now choosing to continue to lift heavy weights it’s important to consider the impact that they may have on your muscles and joints due to the fact that the relaxin hormone is released during pregnancy to allow the pelvis to widen for birth.
Running is very popular now and while I personally continued to run until late into my pregnancy it’s important to consider your pelvic floor muscles and the pressure that running and impact in general can have on them and your pelvis.
I talked about my post pregnancy shoulder injury in a previous post and acknowledged that I believe my high intensity exercise program during pregnancy may have contributed to the injury. However I know of other women who exercised to the same or higher intensity than I did and they had no problems at all so it’s such an individual experience. I think it’s very important to talk to someone in the know if you find out that you are pregnant and want to continue to exercise. That might be a physiotherapist or an instructor who has experience and education in working with pregnant clients.
Previous active women with a history of complications
I won’t offer advice in this category as only a doctor can really know a woman’s medical history and how it will impact her exercise choices.
Previously inactive women
For previously inactive women who have medical clearance and even for previously active women who want to reduce their intensity there are still lots of options.
Pregnancy Pilates & Yoga – great choices for core strength, resistance exercise in general, flexibility and relaxation. Some experienced instructors with a pregnancy exercise certification may also allow you to join a mainstream class and give you specific modifications.
Swimming & Water Aerobics – the low impact nature of both can make them good choices for pregnant women seeking aerobic exercise.
Walking – we’ve kind of forgotten all about walking with the current running craze but it is still a very beneficial form of exercise particularly for pregnant women. Just make sure that if you are looking to get the cardiovascular benefits then you need to be walking at a pace that makes holding a conversation a little hard. You should always be able to talk when exercising during pregnancy but if you’re able to regale your walking partner with the full Eastenders storyline then you are possibly not walking fast enough to get the goods.
Diet & Weight Gain
Exercising during pregnancy wasn’t all about looking good for me nor is it for many women. It’s about staying fit and healthy, keeping your baby healthy and not having to struggle with a lot of weight gain afterwards. Some weight gain is normal and necessary during pregnancy. However a lot of women mistakenly believe that they need to ‘eat for two’ during pregnancy. No doubt this is part of the reason many women put on too much weight during their pregnancy and then struggle with it afterwards.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the truth is that the average pregnant woman will only need about 200-300 extra calories per day on top of the recommended 2000 calories. (1 tablespoon of peanut butter is 100 calories so that’s not a lot!) If you were consuming more than the recommended amount before pregnancy, which can often be the case, then no extra is required at all.
On the flip side it’s important to remember that if you decide to remain physically active during pregnancy you may need to increase your intake of calories to meet the energy output. Eating regularly as well as an hour before and straight after physical activity will help to keep your blood sugar regulated and help you to avoid getting dizzy or even worse fainting. Pregnancy really is a time to try and follow a diet that is as healthy and balanced as possible so that your baby gets all the nutrients it needs. Believe me you are most definitely not going to be at your dietary best in the weeks post pregnancy so during is the time to keep it in check!
Most Importantly
If you are going to exercise during your pregnancy be sure that you are 100% comfortable with your decision. If you have your medical clearance and you exercise safely then there should be no reason why it would have an adverse affect on you, your pregnancy or your baby. However if you are not fully confident of your decision and something very unfortunate does happen you don’t want to end up with feelings of guilt.
This post was really hard to write as there is so much I want to tell you about. However I realised that nobody wants to read a post as long as it would have been so I will be adding to this post in the coming weeks.
Please feel free to contact me through my facebook page if you have any questions at all and I’d be happy to help you.
Disclaimer: This is just my story, not advice and certainly not intended to make anyone feel bad.
I gave birth to my first baby, Frankie, in July 2014. If you’ve read My Fit Pregnancy blog you’ll know that I exercised to a fairly high degree right up until the end of my pregnancy. I had a lovely pregnancy with no major problems at all and my total weight gain was 1.5 stones or 9.5kg. I had a very fast labour and other than having an episiotomy and stitches I had no complications afterwards.
Stomach
From the day after my labour to 12 weeks
When I finally tore myself away from my little man the next day to go the loo I couldn’t get over the feeling and look of my stomach. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever felt or seen and I wasn’t a bit sorry to see it getting smaller as the days went on. I found breastfeeding really good for shrinking my stomach. I could actually feel everything contracting as I fed. Thankfully I didn’t have a diastasis which is when your abs separate and don’t knit back together straight away and so my stomach recovered pretty quickly. I have no stretch marks (go on hate me; I know I’m very bloody lucky!). I give total credit of my return to good abs to practising Pilates during my pregnancy.
Food
While breastfeeding I couldn’t go an hour without eating and regularly had to get up during the night for a munch. In the two weeks leading up to Frankie’s arrival I had made granola, flapjacks and other snacks that I could have to hand so that I wasn’t indulging in bad stuff all of the time. Himself was off for two weeks and was very good for making healthy lunches and dinners. I had asked my friends and family not to bring crap food when they were visiting and they were really good about it. It’s not everyone you’ll feel comfortable saying this to but those who you can say it to will totally understand. My crew already think I’m a bit mad (they can’t really fathom why anyone would want to exercise and eat like I do) and so a request like this wasn’t even questioned. It’s hard enough dealing with your post baby body without being surrounded with Forrero Roche and Butler’s chocolates believe me. When you’ve been up half the night with a newborn and are in that new baby zombie state your willpower is NIL and you will overindulge if it’s there. Another thing that I do and have always done is give away, or if needs be, dump anything that you don’t want lying around tempting you. Yep, mad as a March hare, that’s me!
Exercise
Any pregnant or post pregnant woman reading this should ensure that they get their doctors permission before resuming exercise. I, of course, did not wait for this permission but I did start off very slowly. The reason I chose to exercise before the generally recommended 6 week period is because not exercising seems to have a mental, as well as physical, effect on me. I get even grouchier than I normally am without it and just generally don’t feel as good in myself.
So I started off slowly at about 1 week post labour with some short walks with the buggy. They were never going to be long walks while I was feeding on demand. There was an element of terror in every step I took away from the house as I waited for Frankie to start to scream to be fed but I built up the distance over the next couple of weeks. I also started back with some bodyweight exercises at this stage but I did not go near abdominal exercise until the 6 week mark as you really can do damage if everything has not gone back to its pre-baby state (and everything really hadn’t!).
As the months have progressed I’ve increased my workouts and have had great fun including Frankie. He really enjoys all the jumping around and running we do .
My Injury
8 months pregnant and extremely proud of my back(left) & 4 weeks post labour in a lot of pain(right)
I’ll be honest, throughout my pregnancy I was concerned about how my body would be afterwards. I don’t just mean what it would look like. I was really happy to be pregnant and the more my pregnancy progressed the more grateful I was for how well it was all going. I’ve always been one of those lucky people who could exercise a lot and not get caught out with injuries. That’s mostly down to the fact that I work out with careful balance between cardio, resistance and flexibility but even people who also balance these things get plagued by pain and injuries. So with this in mind I wondered would the stress of carrying a baby and exercising regularly leave me off kilter afterwards.
Unfortunately I did suffer really badly with a shoulder injury from about 2 weeks post labour. It started with a sharp pain behind my right shoulder blade and by 4 weeks it had spread down my arm. Holding Frankie to feed him was almost impossible and when he was actually feeding the pain shot through to my shoulder as well. I started to notice that my shoulder blade was winging away from my rib cage too. I won’t go into too much detail in this post as I’d like to do another post soon about post pregnancy injuries but needless to say I was really upset. While the pain has eased over the past year I still have winging. I have been diagnosed with palsy of the long thoracic nerve caused by repetitive strain and the medical conclusion is that it was caused by me pulling on the bed handles during labour (the last 5 minutes of labour were not pleasant which I’m sure you had already figured out from the episiotomy part – sorry to my pregnant readers). Not being one to immediately concur with the educated doctors I have questioned my intense workouts during my pregnancy and some specific movements that I did too. I also question whether it was a good idea to paint the garden fence for the two weeks before giving birth too but sure we live and learn don’t we?
In total it took me about 12 weeks to get back to a shape that I was happy with. I lost a lot of muscle when I was pregnant but to be honest I’m ok with that. I’m happier with the post pregnancy version of me and am learning to be nicer to my body too. I’m also lucky to have a very placid baby who has made the whole process a lot easier.
Hope you enjoyed my story. I’ll do a general post-pregnancy advice blog soon too.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER: This blog entry should not to be considered as advice on how to exercise during your pregnancy. It is merely an account of my own fit pregnancy. I will be totally honest and if you read to the end you’ll find out that I did have some physical problems post pregnancy and would possibly make changes to the way I exercised during pregnancy if I were to do it again. It’s important to remember that every pregnancy is different just as every woman is. Before taking part in any form of exercise or dietary plan during pregnancy it is important that you get advice and clearance from your GP as they will know your own history and if there is any reason that you shouldn’t exercise or shouldn’t do any specific forms of exercise.
I will be posting another entry very soon with advice for the general pregnancy population on exercise during this special time.
DISCLAIMER OF SHAME AND BLAME: I am not judging anybody who chooses a different way of doing things and this blog is not intended to make anybody feel guilty if they don’t keep fit during their pregnancy. My blog entries will never have that intention. I want to help women who want help.
This is not about weight either. Some women love the idea that pregnancy is a time to quit exercising and eat what they want and I say each to their own. (The other voice in my head would have LOVED to let us do that but this one won!) However anyone who has done that knows only too well the consequences. For me the idea that I would lose my fitness and become unhealthy really got to me. I’ve worked really hard on my fitness over the years and follow what I believe to be a relatively balanced diet. Also as I’m self employed and fitness is my job I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to continue to work and that my business would suffer as a result. (I know my Bootcampers were delighted that my pregnancy didn’t affect how tough our sessions were at all :))
With all of that in mind when I first discovered that I was pregnant in December 2013 I buried my head in my laptop to research pregnancy exercise and diet but I found it really hard to get straight answers. There’s no end to the websites and advice forums out there on the Internet and it can be hard to decipher what’s what. The advice varied a lot. It went from the ‘quit anything strenuous right now and don’t even think about starting again until you are at least 3 months post pregnancy and while you’re at it have a tub of ice-cream daily’ brigade to a certain group of extreme exercisers who have become popular over the last few years and who shall remain nameless and who’s advice was, well, extreme. I found that at my medical appointments the doctors and midwives that I spoke to were encouraging but somewhat vague on what I could and couldn’t do. It always kind of felt like nobody actually really knew what the answers to my pregnancy fitness questions were.
I decided to follow the advice of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists which basically says that if you were fit pre-pregnancy and have a normal pregnancy then maintenance of your fitness levels is fine as long as you have medical clearance and make the necessary adjustments to your exercise regime to make it safe. I hadn’t been participating in any contact sport, something which seemed to be a definite no-no. Even with this advice I had to pick my way through what I had been doing previously and try to come up with a modified version that suited my pregnancy.
Trimester 1
Thankfully during the first trimester I was only sick a couple of times. I did get that horrible feeling of nausea a lot and found myself turned off almost all healthy food. This was frustrating in some ways as eating well became tough when all I could seem to stomach were very basic carbohydrates like bread and pasta (and not the brown variety either!). I ate a lot of fruit but also a lot of chocolate. I couldn’t look at my usual favourites such as eggs, chicken, steak, fish and nuts. But it was helpful in some ways as I had no desire for coffee or alcohol (having pre-pregnancy enjoyed both). With my fitness classes I had no choice but to continue teaching. I had always been quite involved in the workouts and continued to be. I always felt better after a good workout though. I only had two weeks where I was exhausted and luckily these coincided with the Christmas break. Pinocchio had nothing on me with the lies I told during this time about why I couldn’t go on nights out. By mid-January my secret was out but by then I was coming back to myself and getting back on track.
Trimester 2
My second trimester saw my energy levels increase a lot. I was able to get back to doing most of what I had been doing prior to becoming pregnant. In terms of cardio, for me, that meant running about 5km 3-4 times per week (big dog, life is just easier when you tire her out!) and plyometric type exercises usually in a circuit style. Before my pregnancy I had been strength training quite regularly. I had been dead lifting in excess of 60kg using a trap bar but I cut this out in the second trimester as I didn’t want to jeopardise my lower back. I could actually feel my lower back starting to niggle after the first trimester so instead I stuck to a 24kg kettlebell for deadlifts and ensured that my lifting technique was correct at all times. I didn’t decrease my upper body lifting weight much, still pressing 12kg kettlebells.
Running at 6 months (left) and 7 months (right)
I was really careful with my abdominal exercises. All of the guidelines that I read advised avoiding lying flat on your back or front after the first trimester to avoid the risk of supine hypotensive syndrome. As I was teaching Pilates at least 3 times per week I was required to demonstrate a lot of the exercises but thankfully a regular attendee in each class took over demonstrating the tougher exercises as my pregnancy progressed. I still continued to do a lot of the regular exercises but I elevated my upper body and was careful not to put too much pressure on my stomach muscles when performing. The danger is that you will put excess pressure on your rectus abdominus muscle causing a tear or Diastasis (something I will blog more about soon). During this trimester I was also able to get my diet in order too. I got back into my usual habit of eating a balanced diet from Monday to Friday and then having my ‘off’ time at the weekend. It wasn’t always easy to get out and exercise or eat right and temptation was always there but I’m so glad now that I did stick to it.
Trimester 3
My third trimester continued similarly to the second with plenty of energy however by 32 weeks I was ready to quit running and change to a fast paced walk instead. I was finding it increasingly difficult to get around the block without having to stop at some poor unfortunate’s door to ask to use their loo. Considering I was running with a big drooling Boxer dog I don’t think there would have been too many willing to let me in. I’m pretty sure most people who saw me out and about thought I was mad too. From a dietary perspective I was definitely a lot hungrier so I increased my intake throughout the day. I’d love to say that it was all fruit and veg but in truth my scone addiction really took over by month 8 and I was very good to myself in month 9. I can’t say it was ‘cravings’, I was mostly just giving in to temptation. I was meeting up for lunch or dinner with friends and family a lot because I was conscious that it might be a while before I had that sort of freedom again. A dietary bonus of the big bump was that I hadn’t room for large portions so even though I wasn’t eating particularly well I was only eating little and often which is actually recommended for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
I really pushed the boundaries with exercise during my pregnancy. Often women fear doing harm to their baby by exercising during pregnancy. Fear of the unknown along with old wives tales and unsupported myths hold so many women back. I was confident that maintaining my fitness levels wouldn’t hurt my baby and from most of what I was reading, I understood that it would be good for my pregnancy and my baby. Unfortunately bad experiences do happen to some women but exercise should not be the cause once you have your medical clearance and you exercise sensibly. With pregnancy exercise becoming more popular it is important for mothers-to-be to consider the impact of their exercise choices on their own body – bones, muscles, joints etc. Post pregnancy I suffered with a shoulder injury and some lower back pain, both of which continue to trouble me. I can’t be sure how these injuries occurred but I have considered that some of my exercise choices may have been too severe on my body. In a later post I will discuss my injuries and look at the different exercises I did and how they may have contributed.
People’s reactions to how I exercised during pregnancy were interesting. As it’s not something that has been encouraged over the years people find it hard to accept. It’s sad that people can react more negatively to a pregnant woman who continues to exercise than they do to a pregnant woman who continues to smoke. I did my best to explain to anyone who was concerned about me that as long as I was careful and made the necessary modifications then it was perfectly safe. The majority of people were just looking out for me and I appreciated their concern.
I had such a nice pregnancy with no protein or glucose issues and also no swelling or major discomfort. My weight gain in total was 1.7 stone / 25lbs. I continued to exercise right up until the morning that Frankie was born, going for a 5km walk with the dog. By this stage people were actually openly gawking but I didn’t blame them because to be fair it’s not something you see every day. I was admitted to hospital at 1:30pm and gave birth without an epidural at 6:01pm (torture but fast torture!). I had to have an episiotomy because the little divil held his hands up to his head and made himself even bigger. Even though he arrived a week before my due date Frankie weighed 7lb 8oz, was in perfect health and we couldn’t have been any happier!
I’m a Pinterest lover and really like what a lot of women in America do by taking regular bump photos to watch the progression. I took fortnightly pictures of my bump and posted them to the following link. There’s a whole lot of bump going on here so don’t say I didn’t warn you:
