Hellobee

Before I got pregnant, I was hopeful that I would be able to keep up my exercise routine during pregnancy. I really enjoy working out. I like the way I feel when I consistently exercise, and looking fit is nice too. I’ve done many different types of workouts from P90X at home, to spinning and body pump classes at the gym. About a year before I got pregnant, Mr. P and I joined a Crossfit gym and I fell in love with weightlifting. Feeling strong was new for me. I was hooked. I always told myself that I would keep it up when I got pregnant.

Fast forward to last December when I started my FET cycle. I have worked with two REs and both of them are conservative when it comes to exercising while cycling. I was no longer able to do the intense workouts at the gym. Since I wanted to do everything I could to achieve a pregnancy, I cancelled my gym membership and took it easy. After my transfer the most activity I did was walk a little. Then the first trimester hit and I felt awful. All I wanted to do was stay in bed, and besides going to work that’s really all I did. I took naps most afternoons and ate carbs and fruit almost exclusively.

Once I was feeling better I started to think about working out again. I didn’t feel comfortable going back to my previous routine after being away for so long. OBs typically tell you not to start a new exercise routine while you are pregnant, so I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I knew that I needed to exercise for a couple of reasons. I want to keep myself as healthy as possible, not gain over the recommended amount of weight, and stay strong for labor and delivery, but the reality was I would not be working out at all like I expected pre pregnancy.

I started by taking long walks around my neighborhood with my dog. I even tried to jog some, but I’ve never liked to run so I nixed that pretty quickly. Once my neighborhood pool opened I started swimming laps a couple days a week too. Now that I’ve been back to working out a few weeks, I’ve established a good routine.

I try to make it to the pool a couple days a week to swim laps. If I time it right, I can avoid having to swim around too many kids. The pool is within walking distance of my house, so I always walk there and back. The other days I use hand weights at home and do a routine with bicep curls, shoulder presses, chair dips, and squats. Every day that I work out I also stretch. I browsed pregnancy stretching videos on YouTube until I found one I really like. This one is my favorite. It’s only 20 minutes long so I know I have time to fit it in. I also take one day a week off, typically Saturday.

Here are my tips for exercising while pregnant:

– Keep yourself hydrated.

– If you are unsure about doing an exercise routine talk to your OB.

– Listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, then stop. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

– Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you aren’t able to do what you thought you’d be able to that’s ok! You’re growing a baby.

I have felt so much better since I started my routine. I don’t have as many aches and pains, and I’m sleeping better at night. Mr. P has been really encouraging too. He tells me all the time that he’s proud of me for working out, and that keeps me motivated. I do miss lifting weights and the way my body used to look. Once Baby P is born I’m hoping to get back to it in some capacity. Carving out a little “me time” will be great for my mental and physical health.

doing deadlifts last summer