Growing up, I swam all the time. We had a huge pond in our backyard, and my house was always a gathering place for friends.  During high school we spent hours floating in the water and lying on the dock. I was on the swim team, and also worked as a coach and lifeguard. And then I went to college, and I stopped swimming.

Now that I’m pregnant, I’m back in the pool almost every day. Here’s my Pro/Con list for swimming while pregnant:

PROS

My community pool early in the morning
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  • It helps me appreciate summer. During July and August I try to soak up as much sunshine as I can because winters around here are long and dreary. Swimming every morning allows me to bask in the glory of summertime. My neighborhood pool is outdoors, and we’ve had incredible weather. It’s been nothing but blue skies and high 80s for the past three weeks, so getting in the pool first thing is a wonderful way to start off my day on a really positive note.
  • I feel weightless in the water and exercise is less uncomfortable. At almost 22 weeks, I’m starting to notice this belly – it gets in the way when I bend down, and I can just barely see the tips of my toes. In the pool, I don’t notice it as much. I can still do everything I did in the past without the bump slowing me down. I also tend to overheat easily  – I do not ever look cute exercising because my face is always bright red, but being in the pool helps keep me nice and cool.
  • I’m taking a water Zumba/aerobics class. The class starts every weekday at 8:30 AM, so although I have to hurry out the door in the morning, I’m done with my workout by 9:15, and I don’t have to worry about exercising for the rest of the day. I love the class because it’s 30 retired ladies and me. They spend most of the time gossiping and occasionally will actually do something more strenuous than moving their mouth. They make it a fun environment – for example, today we all wore birthday hats in the water to celebrate the instructor’s upcoming 21st birthday. It’s low-impact, and I still get my heart rate up,  so it’s the perfect pace for this mama-to-be.

CONS


All maternity suits from Target

  • I had to buy a maternity bathing suit. When I went shopping, I thought I could get a regular tankini, and just buy a larger top. After seeing my belly hang out the bottom of three or four tops, I moved onto the maternity section. The maternity suits looked a little silly on me at first as my bump was on the smaller side, but now I’m filling them out quite nicely. I ended up with the striped suit on the right from Target, as the ruching and side ties allowed me to adjust the fit a little bit more than other styles.
  • I have to wear a maternity bathing suit in public. I’m not a big fan of sporting a bathing suit when I’m not pregnant, so it’s a special kind of torture to rock one while pregnant. It’s not so bad, as the retirees I’m exercising with are all kinds of shapes and sizes, but it’s a little awkward to walk around half naked when I’ve had all the lifeguards in class.
  • Swimming makes me ravenous. I eat breakfast before I go to class, usually cereal or oatmeal and a piece of fruit, but by the time I get home, I’m starving! I try to pick healthy snacks for my second meal at 10:00 AM, but yesterday I would up chowing down on Lay’s potato chips and a second cup of decaf coffee. This morning I’ve got banana bread in the oven, and I’m ready to gnaw my hand off while I wait for it to bake.

But the pros far outweigh the cons, and I’m loving the pool during my pregnancy.

Did you swim while pregnant?