Prenatal Exercise & my 23 Week Pregnancy Update

We are just cruising along now friends! I’m in the middle of my 23rd week of pregnancy and overall, I’m feeling pretty good. I’m starting to adjust to my new exercise/work/commute schedule, my new house, and my science experiment of a body.  We have an ultrasound on Friday to make sure that Pistachio’s offset umbilical cord isn’t causing any complications, but when I asked the OB-GYN about this, she reassured me that it’s nothing to worry about. So, fingers crossed, all is well with little ‘Stash. If my belly size is any indication, his growth rate is just fine.

Speaking of the above changes, I recently had quite a few of you message me with questions about my prenatal exercise routine and if anything has changed. In a word, yes.

EXERCISE AND ADJUSTING

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I’ve tried to stay physically active throughout my pregnancy. I’m convinced that it helped alleviate some of my first trimester nausea and makes me feel more energized and stronger during my second trimester. Disclaimer here: EVERY PREGNANCY IS DIFFERENT. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO DISCUSS EXERCISE AND INTENSITY WITH YOUR OB OR MIDWIFE. I know moms that were strictly prohibited from exercise and I also know mamas that ran half marathons at 7 months. I can’t stress enough how important it is to check with your doctor, listen to your body, and do what you’re comfortable doing.   

My personal prenatal exercise routine differs from my pre-pregnancy routine. I focus more on my TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) as opposed to my 1.5 hours of strength and cardio workouts. That means, more focus on consistent activity throughout the day, like moderate intensity walking, a few dance cardio routines, and light weight/body weight strength exercises. So, why, you ask? It’s a personal decision summed by these factors: 

1. 1. It now MATTERS what time I get up: I have always been a champ at adjusting my schedule when necessary. Get up a little earlier to fit my workout in? No problemo. So, when we moved a couple of weeks ago, and my commute changed from a two minute walk to a 45 minute drive with an earlier arrival time, I didn’t think twice about getting up at 4 to workout. Reality check: when you’re pregnant, that extra hour matters. I know, I know. All the moms out there are saying “better get used to it.”  To you I say: At this time, I’d prefer not to. I’m building a human and still need to function like my responsibilities haven’t changed. So, I’ve been toying with exercising after work instead and potentially going into work a little later and staying later. I’d actually prefer the latter over the former when possible. But we’ll see what the next few weeks bring as I try to nail down a more consistent routine that doesn’t make me feel like death by 12:00 PM.
   2. Breaks are necessary: This has been a tough pill for me to swallow. I preach to my clients about “listening to your body” and “knowing when it’s time to rest.” I even wrote a blog post about giving yourself a Hall Pass. However, any person that knows me understands that “resting” is potentially one of my greatest challenges.  It has never felt more necessary and applicable than it does now. I’ve taken more “rest days” over the past five months than I probably did in the previous five years. And that’s ok. My body and my mind needed it. I accepted taking the rest day and moved on. I didn’t look back. I didn’t think “I should have just trucked through.” I accepted that, on those days, allowing my body to take a breather was ok. And I moved on…
   3. I don’t want a “routine” to stress me out: This goes along with my previous point. In the past, I’ve been very focused on a set routine. Cardio 6 days a week and weight-lifting splits five days a week. However, the perils of the first trimester pretty much blew my routine out of the water. I did a lot more walking and dance cardio routines. I’ve followed suit this trimester. I work in lifting and bodyweight exercises, but not to the level I was performing at before. Honestly, my main “fitness” goal this pregnancy is simply to stay active. I’m not setting any body building goals. I don’t plan on running my fastest mile. I just want to move to feel good. Keeping my steps up and fitting in some cardio in when I can helps me achieve that. Has anyone tried prenatal yoga? I’m considering it, but would love some feedback.

For those wondering, because I have been asked, there are a few prenatal exercises that I continue to include in my second trimester to help prepare for pregnancy and postpartum recovery:

1. 1. Squats:  lower body and core strength because..pushing people. Also, squats can help relax and lengthen the pelvic floor. Google pelvic floor exercises for pregnancy.
   2. Planks: strengthens your core to also help during labor and postpartum recovery
   3. Bicep/Tricep curls and kickback: If I’m going to be carrying around a child all the time, you better believe I want to bring my arm strength back up again.
   4. Leg raises: Again, building lower body strength and hip flexor muscles to assist in an easier delivery.
   5. Lateral raises and rows: ICYMI: My chest is growing at a rapid pace. Through some upper back work, I’m trying to balance it out and avoid getting a pregnancy hunchback.

** I’m currently avoiding crunches and anything lying on my back. I may be a bit pre-emptive, but crunches can actually exacerbate abdominal separation (diastasis recti), making recovery more difficult and my midwife told me to try and avoid any exercises where you need to lie on your back and overhead lifts.

*** I find that FitPregnancy is a solid resource for  different exercises you can safely perform while pregnant. If you go to a gym, make an appointment with a trainer who specializes or has training in prenatal fitness. He or she can show you how to modify your  routine. You can also find prenatal workouts locally, on Youtube, or through different exercise programs, like Beachbody or Tone it Up! Be creative and, above all, don’t stress about it. 

So, how’s everything else going?

Kicks!: Welp, I can now say with full confidence that I have felt Pistachio kick and it was awesome. I unsuccessfully tried to get Matt to feel it to. All in due time. Mama’s out there...when did your partner first feel the baby kick?

Rate of expansion: You were all correct in saying that I was only going to start growing faster. My anxiety over body change has fizzled away, and I’ve found myself more and more accepting and excited about growth. Getting through the initial phase was the hardest part. To all my fellow mommas-to-be out there who are concerned or having a difficult time accepting their changing bodies, it gets easier and more exciting. I promise.

Baby Name: I’m not ashamed in saying that I’ve been *seriously* researching (not including my barbie doll naming binge from ages 5-10) baby names for a solid two years now. My ever-efficient husband refused to even discuss until we found out Pistachio’s gender. So, naturally, as soon as we found out, I monopolized on my green light to pressure him into name consideration. Friends, it has been TOUGH. Props to all you moms and dads out there that agreed on a name immediately. I envy you. Agreeing upon a name has been a trip..and no, we still have not chosen one. When I asked on Insta about different posts ya’ll would like to see..”baby names” received a lot of votes. It will be coming within the next couple weeks. Until then, any suggestions or recommendations on baby boy names? Comment below or on Insta/Facebook.

Self-care: With all of the growth and changes comes a lot of skin stretching and itchiness (sorry if that’s TMI). So, I’ve started a new nightly skin care routine to help keep my skin hydrated and pretend like I’m preventing stretch marks (it’s genetic people). I typically use this Mother’s Special Blend All Natural Skin Toning Oil  along with the Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer. For the face, I received this night cream and love how it soft it makes my skin feel. Let me know if you’d be interested in some of my other “self-care” routines. 

 That’s about all for this 23 week update! The next few months are jam packed with baby and life events, like baby showers, our maternity shoot, traveling, pregnancy classes, and, I can’t believe I’m saying this…the holidays!  I’ve also opened up a few more 1-on-1 coaching slots on Saturdays and Sundays. So stay tuned friends. 

Until next time,

-Xtina