Pregnancy and fitness: Past, present and future.

About a month and a half ago, I hit a point where I realized I was starting to freak people out at the gym, and I enjoyed their looks of amusement/terror when they saw me run on the treadmill or hop on the elliptical with my big ol' belly. I enjoyed the same reactions during my pregnancy with Elle, although at the time I think I was more self-conscious about it and knew everyone was worried I'd go in to labor while at the gym (and actually, I kind of did, as the first signs of labor started during a weight lifting workout almost 24 hours before Elle entered the world). This time, I'm kind of impatient with the stares (and basically everything in the world) and just want to work out without being judged.

Apparently my pace isn't fast enough anymore to keep her awake.

During my pregnancy with Elle, I did a lot of strength training, but at this point my strength training is limited to carrying a 35-pound toddler and heaving myself out of bed several times a night to attend to said toddler or go to the bathroom. The cardio, though, I've been pretty good about - at least, as much as I can. It's getting harder to amble around - I haven't run in almost two months just because I don't have the energy. Elle has been a good sport and has indulged me in stroller jogs/walks a few nights a week after work, which I was eating up as long as I could, but now we're pretty much at a point where it is too hot to do much at the end of the day. (I figure at some point in the near future, we'll start hitting the pool after work for some large belly gravity-free time.) When I have crazy soreness, stiffness or pain, I hit up my favorite prenatal Pilates workouts. Not as couch potato as I feel like being, although I certainly have my moments.

At this point, 33 weeks pregnant and heading in to the thick of Florida's sticky, humid summer, I'm pleased with how active I've been thus far but also aware that I'm winding down. And while I don't feel like I'm in as good of shape as I was during my last trimester with Elle, I just don't have the time (or energy) to hit the gym 4-6 times a week. I'm getting in a workout 2-4 times a week, and my doctor says my weight gain and Wesley's growth are good, very much on track. I'm up about 20 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight so, and I figure I'll probably gain another 5-10 pounds in the next seven weeks or so (I'm leaving room for the fluid retention that I anticipate happening as I head in the final stretch of my summer pregnancy). Dr. S. also said that three workouts a week is good right now, so to meet or beat that makes me feel good about things overall, even though I feel like a huge, fat cow 90% of the time.

Working out on vacation in the hotel gym -
27 weeks, 2 days pregnant.

 My feet have started to swell when I do too much or am on them all day. I'm physically exhausted by the afternoon, and by the time I finish working a full day, pick Elle up from daycare, make dinner, tidy up the house, bathe Elle and put her to bed, I'm completely dead. To fit in a walk after work is a huge feat (and often results in huge feet). I usually get in a walk or quick workout on the weekends.

But I'm also at the point where I'm motivated to reclaim my pre-baby body. Not that I'm dieting or going to kill myself to lose the baby weight after Wesley arrives, but I'm looking forward to having a waist again. To being able to run again without discomfort. To not only be fit, but also clear my mind during my workouts. To eat well and not have the old "But you're eating for two!" comment thrown in my face. I see people at the gym with their flat(ter) stomachs and quick movements and simultaneously feel jealous and self-righteous (I am, after all, a vessel of life).

I plan on breastfeeding Wesley, which I know will help with calorie burn, but I also distinctly remember how my flexibility for fitting workouts in between nursing sessions (and being engorged or "on call") was affected during Elle's first few months of life. In short, I might not be able to work out as much as I want to for the first few months after I resume exercise, and I'm just going to accept that.

After Elle was born, my sister and I ran a half-marathon relay. I trained for it as much as I could, and while I wasn't super speedy, I prepared enough so that I wouldn't kill or injure myself during the race. Most of my "me time" came in the form of my training runs, and I also enjoyed the added benefit of breast feeding+relay training that resulted in my weighing less - and being in better physical shape - than I had been in more than a decade. I'm looking forward to getting back to that point - being healthy and fit, feeling that sense of accomplishment after a good workout or crossing a finish line. I want to be a good fitness role model for my kids, and I am eager to incorporate them in to workouts (Elle told me tonight that she would do planks with me, although it's been months since I've done a plank and will be quite some time before I resume planking, haha). Whether it be showing Elle some stretches or packing Wesley in to the jogging stroller for a quick run, I hope I can set a long-term example for them and get back in to - and stay in - shape after this pregnancy.

Linking up with Ashley for Move It Monday: