Working out while pregnant

This time is different. From the beginning to the middle (I'm nearly through my 2nd trimester), I've felt much calmer and smarter this third pregnancy. There was no need to rush to Google pregnancy symptoms and how to handle them. There's no baby shower list in the making. I'm not sorting through the thousands of options for a stroller or the best pump. Everything I need (and more) is tucked away in boxes in our basement. And at some point, possibly before the baby arrives, my husband will bring those boxes up and we'll start setting up for the baby. Or maybe I'll just have a handful of onesies washed, diapers & wipes ready and a few burp cloths on hand, since that's really all the baby needs in the beginning anyway.  But what has changed the most this pregnancy is my approach to exercise. ​

Successful 6am workouts every day on vacation last week

With my first child, I was afraid to workout. See, those Google searches led me to reading "don't lift more than a bag of groceries," and I listened (unfortunately!). Two years later when I was pregnant again, I hadn't established a workout routine in my short postpartum period and then my doctors told me to take it easy because of my placenta placement during my 2nd trimester. So once again, I did light walking and yoga occasionally for that pregnancy too. 

​But this third pregnancy is nothing like those first two. I'm entering my 23rd week of pregnancy and I feel so strong (and happy!) because I've maintained a safe workout routine this entire time. Even through the morning sickness and extreme fatigue of the first trimester, I'm SO thankful I pushed myself to show up for workouts and keep on track.

Teaching a FIT4MOM DC Family Class at 18 weeks pregnant

Now, in some ways, I didn't have a choice. During my maternity leave with my second child, I joined FIT4MOM for a Stroller Strides class. I loved being surrounded by a mom community first of all - and secondly, I felt safe knowing the workouts were designed specifically for postpartum (and prenatal) women like me. I stuck with it and trained to be an instructor myself. That was more than a year and a half ago.

So, when I found out I was pregnant with my third child, I was in the midst of teaching 1-2 FIT4MOM classes a week (while working full time too - that could be a full blog post on its own). As the instructor, I had to show up. It wasn't easy. At all. If I had the choice, I would have stayed home and went to bed (one class I teach is at 8pm!). But I had a commitment and I stuck with it. AND, I knew how to adapt my exercises for my growing baby, which gave me a great peace of mind. 

All this to say, I am so grateful for how this played out over the last several months. Again, I feel strong, which is something I couldn't say in my last two pregnancies. I can still see definition in my legs and arms. I lift my 2-year-old son with ease. I'm mentally better because I don't feel so limited by believing what I read on the internet my first pregnancy. 

And here's what I am most excited for: the postpartum recovery. I am SO curious how this will translate to my postpartum period, where I usually feel like I'm crawling out of a giant hole after giving birth. Will this make the birth easier? With I feel stronger immediately in the postpartum period? My gut is telling me "yes." And my drive to stick with this commitment to movement to see if that's true is stronger than ever. I'll let you know the results. But regardless of what happens then, sticking to a workout routine this pregnancy has already been worth it. I'm so glad this is how my 3rd pregnancy is working out (pun intended). 

**This is just my story, not medical advice. Listen to your doctors and your body. No two pregnancies are the same.