Bras, Potty breaks, and Panty Liners

Here it is ladies, the honest reality of exercise after pregnancy. Remember, this is just my experience thus far. It is important to consult with your doctor before resuming regular exercise.

I've come to realize these main things when it comes to exercise after pregnancy:

1. "2 steps forward, 1 step back." When cleared by the doctor to resume my regular activities at 6 weeks post delivery, I was oh so excited to jump on the treadmill and resume group fitness. I quickly realized that getting back into shape was going to be slower process than I wanted it to be. The doctor advised me to rest if bleeding resumed, and it did. I felt that for every step I took toward getting in shape, I took 1 step back by having to rest more often than I wanted to. I started working out 1 time per week and slowly added/subtracted according to how my body was doing. It was tough, everything was sore, and I felt frustrated that I couldn't do more. I had to remind myself often that I had to start somewhere and to look how far I had come; from only being able to do housework and short walks to being able to jog a minute or two at a time and taking a strength class every week. My abdominals and ribs still get sore when running (everything is trying to stich back together) but it's getting better every week.

2. Support your lady parts. I have never been well endowed in the chest area, so actually having boobs due to nursing created a new challenge while exercising. Bouncing with milk laden breasts is not exactly comfortable. How the Bay Watch babes could handle that bouncy run in the sand, I have no idea. My first step was to go out and get a good sports bra. I chose a bra that was adjustable in the back and straps for ultimate comfort and one with pads in case I started to leak (got milk?) The TaTa Tamer from lululemon has been my boobies saving grace :)
The other area that needs support are your lady bits,; your "downstairs" area if you will. This has to be done internally. We're talking kegels and keeping your abdominals tight. I quickly found out just how important these were when I started jogging. See #3 below.

3. "I peed my pants!" You have to be comfortable enough to laugh at yourself ladies, because at some point you will probably leak urine. Sneezing, jumping, laughing hard, and jogging can cause some leakage. My first attempt at jogging at 6 weeks post baby knocked the pee out of me, literally. I came to the realization that kegels needed to be a part of my daily routine (I try to do them every time I nurse). Kegels, they sound dirty, but they are oh so important. The other additions to my routine include going to the bathroom right before working out, and sometimes a pantyliner, just in case. Now, after exercising regularly for the past 8 weeks, I rarely leak urine unless I try running too fast or increasing my mileage too quickly. As Billy Madison would say, "You ain't cool unless you pee your pants."

So there you have it. Post-natal exercise can be frustrating at first, but it gets better! Just keep going:)

Welcome Hayden Leigh Eaton!

We did it! Our sweet baby girl was rapidly born into this world on January 17, 2013 at 10:39pm. How rapidly you ask? 2 hours and 39 minutes, from start to finish! Obviously I will attribute the "ease" (not to say that this was an easy task by any means) of delivery to exercise! Here is a condensed breakdown of Hayden's birth story...

Hayden's Grand Entrance

-felt frustrated and restless: feeling like I would be pregnant forever- had no signs of labor whatsoever
-went on 40 minute brisk walk with the hubby and the dog: best I felt on a walk in a long time
-baby was very active in my tummy that day making it hard to get comfortable
-did a lot of sitting, swaying, and rocking on my exercise ball
-got on all-fours and swayed from side to side periodically throughout the day to ease restlessness
-ordered take-out for dinner: Sweet N Sour chicken, rice, and salad
-rented movie: contractions started at 8pm on the dot
-thought the cramping might have been from food, so went to the restroom: contractions continued
-decided I was truly in labor so had hubby draw me a bath and got in the warm water-thought I would be there for awhile. I was mistaken.
-contractions continued to get stronger, starting in my lower back and radiating to my lower abdomen. It was a very deep/tight sensation: Painful but manageable
-hubby made the call to head to hospital as contractions were 3-4 minutes apart from the start, and lasted 40-55seconds each. I was in denial as the "average" first time labor will generally last 17 hours
-husband was so calm and collected and coached me to keep breathing. He went outside to warm up the car and turn on the heated seats for me
-got in the car and I promptly took off my sweatshirt and rolled down the window. The crisp air helped me focus
-we turned on my relaxing music, I closed my eyes, and breathed deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth on our 25 minute drive to the hospital
-got to hospital, said "hi" to mom and dad, got in a wheel chair and checked in
-undressed, got into hospital gown and on bed, water broke (audibly) contractions became INTENSE
-nurses asked if I wanted pain meds. I said "I don't know, I think I'm doing fine without them."
-checked by nurse, dilated to an 8, felt the urge to push, and they rushed me off to delivery room
- hubby held my hand, I squeezed tightly and started to get nervous. This was happening too fast. Nurse coached me to "pant" through contractions to resist pushing until checked by doctor. This was very helpful for me
- doctor came and checked me out, directed to follow urge to push. Husband and nurse each held one of my legs and i pulled with my hands and pushed hard
-nurses brought in a "squat bar" to place my feet on the sides and a sheet was tied to the top of the bar for me to pull myself up with. This made my "pushing" much more affective
-nurse told me to visualize my abs squeezing the baby out. This was helpful as I could relate it to exercise
-baby's shoulder got stuck and doctor directed me to push really hard and hold it as long as I could. On next contraction I said "come on baby!" and pushed with all my might. Felt a lot of pressure and burning
-baby was born and immediately placed on my chest. I cried but no tears came out. I was overwhelmed with love and joy. Mom and husband were amazing coaches!

Hayden Leigh Eaton: 7lbs 12.4ounces, 19.5inches long

I am currently recovering from 2nd degree tears (tearing through top layer of skin and into muscle) from "top to bottom." You do the math. So exercise is a totally different form at this point. Breastfeeding, caring for the baby, doing housework, walking around the house every hour or so, and kegels are part of my current routine. With this form of exercise and eating nutritious meals (still taking in at least 400 extra calories for breast feeding) I am starting to feel more like me.

More updates to come on post-natal exercise after I'm cleared by the doctor in another 5 weeks:)

My Top 10 Things I look forward to after having the baby...

As I approach the 2 week mark from my due date, here is a list of things I miss the most about NOT being pregnant...

1. My body- not sure what this will look like after having a baby but I look forward to being able to see my feet again at the very least
2. Deli sandwich- it's advised not to eat cold lunch meat in pregnancy... I just want a stinking bologna sandwich! Don't judge me
3. Running/ high intensity exercise: so excited to really be able to push myself again!
4. Being able to roll-over with ease: right now it's a 3-point turn just to get from my right side to my left side
5. Tying my shoes- with a basketball in my gut and swollen feet, tying my shoes has become quite the event
6. Copious amounts of caffeine- not that i will really drink a ton of caffeine but its the fact of being able to again if needed:)
7. An ice-cold beer: need I say more?
8. What's going on down there?- going to the bathroom at this point is a guessing game, I'm always hoping I wipe the correct areas, and peeing in a cup every week at the doctor is a cruel joke!
9. Go shopping for cute clothes/shoes- maternity clothes can be great but I sure miss regular clothes and cute shoes
10. Not having to pee every 1-2 hours: I didn't think it could be possible to have to urinate so often but with a baby sitting on my bladder all day I guess it makes sense:)

Don't get me wrong, I have truly enjoyed being pregnant and I know I will enjoy it again in the future, but I'm ready to meet this little girl!

36 weeks down. 4 to go!

I always have the best intentions when it comes to blogging. I get so excited about sharing my experiences, but then life gets in the way so to speak. As you can see, life has undoubtedly been busy and here I am almost three months later and practically finished with my first pregnancy!

Let me recap the last 3 months for you in one sentence. PREGNANCY IS THE ULTIMATE JOURNEY. With the holidays, trying to get everything ready for baby, and preparing for maternity leave, all while taking care of the day-to-day business has leant itself to mental and physical exhaustion. Growing a baby is hard work and I often have to remind myself of this and that its ok to kick my feet up and relax.

As far as fitness and nutrition, I have been relatively consistent working out at least 3 days a week. Still doing 30 minutes on the elliptical on an interval setting (1 minute moderate to hard work; 1 minute easy to moderate work) and doing some sort of resistance training at least 2 days a week. For the last 2 weeks and for the remainder of my pregnancy, I still choose a challenging weight, but do the majority of my resistance training seated and only do 2 sets of 10-15 reps. I try to pick 3 exercises that work my major muscle groups (i.e. air squats, knee-push ups, and seated Lat Pulldowns) Here are the top aspects of prenatal fitness/nutrition I have learned through this experience:

1. Warming up, cooling down, and rest periods between sets take longer: about ten minutes for warm up and cool down as opposed to 3-5 minutes before pregnancy. And at least 1 full minute between weight sets or exercises as opposed to 0-30 seconds.

2. It's uncomfortable; get over it. My back and pelvic region aches, my feet and ankles are swollen, and I'm tired all the time! But I feel SO MUCH BETTER after I exercise and it often eases the discomforts of pregnancy.

3. Eating well, drinking lots of water, and watching sodium intake makes a world of difference. Smaller, more frequent meals and at least 64-70 ounces of water have worked wonders for me in terms of energy levels and swelling. My go-to's lately have been pineapple, strawberries, bananas, anything with blueberries (this one is unusual for me), black beans (on or in anything these days), and homemade granola bars with dried cherries and dark chocolate. YUM.

4. It's ok to slow-down a little. When it comes to exercise, I have always enjoyed a challenge. I love getting my heart rate up and feeling my muscles burn. But when you're pregnant, your body has a different idea of what's challenging. Listen to your body! And I'm saying that as a reminder to myself as well. Feeling overheated, a rapid-uncontrollable heart rate, feeling faint or dizzy, or out of breath is a sign from your body to take it down a notch. I admit, I have overdone it a handful of times, but it has become my new goal to find a happy medium in each workout.

So there it is, a little pregnancy health wisdom for you. Remember to always talk to your doctor about prenatal fitness and nutrition. This blog is just that, a blog, and these are just things that have worked for me with clearance from my doctor.

Until next time! Which will hopefully be before this little girl enters the world:)p.s. Below is a picture of me at 32 weeks pregnant.

Maternity Active Wear

This one goes out to all my ladies! Athletic fashion has come a long way from leg warmers, unitards, and ratty sweat pants. As my job requires me to wear active clothing all day, everyday (no complaints here!), it has been a blast to shop for cute outfits. Until now.

My favorite brands generally include Lucy, lululemon, Nike, Addidas, and Underarmer. Luckily, some of these brands will give discounts to personal trainers, group fitness instructors, and PE teachers. Unfortunately, NONE of these brands have MATERNITY gear (tear). Thus, my search to find the perfect active gear was underway and here is what I have found to be the best "go-to" pieces after much trial and error!

GAP and Old Navy seem to have the maternity thing down. Although I still try to pull-off a size bigger in my favorite Lucy style pants, the GapFit gBalance pants have stolen my heart. Boasting a fold-over waist band, allowing you to go from "full panel" to "below the belly." Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think I would enjoy wearing my pants up to my bust (think Steve Urkel style), but having the ability to unfold these pants up over my belly has been heavenly. The full panel option gives just a little extra support for "the belly" and the lower back: almost like a gentle hug:) The best part of all is that Gap offers these in length sizes Short, Regular, and Tall. Being a shorty myself, having the ability to order the Short sizes has saved me money in alteration costs, hurray!

My favorite pick from Old Navy is the Maternity Scoop Rib-Knit Tank. Talk about versatile! Good for the gym or layering under your favorite tees and sweaters. The stretchy sides allow for belly growth and has worked with me for my entire pregnancy thus far (3 weeks away from the third trimester).

The two items I am struggling to find are sports bras and underwear! These things are VERY important to have. At the moment I am simply sporting a bigger size in both items, but they don't grow with you like other maternity wear does. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. This preggo lady is about to lose all her britches!

We're expecting!

The ultimate journey begins; the journey of pregnancy and parenthood! We will be welcoming a little girl into the world January 23, 2013! The photo on the left was taken at about 20 weeks. Keep reading to take a look into my pregnancy fitness journey so far...

Not gonna lie, weeks 8-12 were rough. Although I never actually vomited, I was definitely nauseas most of the time. The two things that really helped me were walks outside and saltine crackers. I was still able to do a lot of the same exercises I had been doing; jogging, weights, teaching fitness classes, and even boot camp! With the exception that I was moving a little slower and no longer doing jumping exercises.

The second trimester has been fabulous so far! I feel wonderful and definitely have the "pregnancy glow." Although I still get fatigued, it's not nearly as much as the first trimester and exercising most days of the week helps my energy levels. There are a few more exercise limitations now, besides having to modify exercises for my growing belly:) The doctor has prescribed that I keep my heart rate at or below 140, I'm not supposed to lay flat on my back, and shouldn't lift more than 25lbs. But this doesn't mean I can't exercise,  I just change a few things! 

Walking, elliptical, or indoor cycling has been my cardio of choice. I teach 2 weight training classes a week, one for upper and one for lower body, and try to spend a little more time stretching after exercise. My minimum goal is to exercise 3 days a week, but I feel so much better when I'm active most days of the week (5 seems to be the magic number). Light dumbbells and the stability ball are my go-to pieces of equipment!

I plan to keep teaching group fitness and personal training until my body says "no more!" As far as group fitness goes, I am hoping to make it to at least the 8th month, which is only 3 months away!

That just about sums up the last 5 months! I look forward to sharing my pregnancy fitness journey with you and hope that any other moms-to-be out there will find this helpful:) Happy exercising!

A Quick Full Body Workout

We are finally getting to the end of our week long winter storm! Unfortunately, I chose not to brave the weather and go to the gym until yesterday. Although I tried to be active indoors by running up and down the stairs with the laundry, or dancing around the kitchen when I was cooking (yes,i really do this), taking 4 days off of my regular exercise routine made my 20 minute jog a little harder than it should have been. But you gotta start somewhere! Today I wanted to get in a quick and efficient workout and thought I might share it with you! So here it is:

Warm-up: elliptical for 5 minutes. I ALWAYS perform a warm-up of some sort for 5 to 10 minutes. Never skip your warm-up!

Circuit 1 (10 reps, 2 sets. Little to no rest between exercises and circuits)

TRX pull up. TRX is a form of suspension training. YouTube it!

Single-leg step with unilateral overhead press. Sorry for the exercise lingo. Basically its fancy for using your opposite arm and leg. For this exercise I used a kettle bell, but you can use just about anything that's 5-10 lbs. And I mean anything (gallon jug, laundry detergent container, or even a small animal, haha) To perform this exercise, put your left foot on a 12inch step and hold the weight in your right hand, resting the weight on your shoulder. As you step up with your left foot, press your right hand overhead, then return to start. Do 10 repetitions then switch legs/arms.

TRX ATOMIC PUSHUP. If you have not yet tried this exercise, I highly recommend you do! If you don't have TRX bands, you can also use a stability ball. Check it out. http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/77/trx-reg-atomic-push-up 

Cardio: 5 minutes on the step mill. 1 minute going forward, 1 minute going sideways, 1 minute backward, 1 minute other side, and the last minute going forward. Make the speed challenging! No step mill? Go up and down regular stairs or try jogging for a minute, then sprinting for a minute.

Circuit 2 (10-15 reps, 2 sets. Little to no rest)

Barbell dead lifts

Barbell row

Bench tricep dips

5 minute cool down.

And there you have it! This workout took me about 30 minutes including the warm-up and cool down. It hits every major muscle group and by doing the exercises with as little rest as possible, you are keeping your heart rate up and the calories torching! For more of a challenge, try performing 3 or 4 sets of both circuits and add in 1-3 more rounds of cardio. Happy sweating!