How I stayed fit during pregnancy

My mom had 7 kids and I was the 2^nd born. I cannot remember a time when she was sick outside of pregnancy. She never got sick. Yet, with each pregnancy she got significantly more sick, to the point of being hospitalized. The summer before my Junior year of high school I forwent having a job so that my dad could continue farming without interruption, and I could drive my mom to the doctor, every other day, to be hospitalized overnight so she could receive fluids. To this day, I believe she is one of the strongest women I have and will ever meet. Sadly, I was never welcome to stay at the hospital so I needed to travel that hour back to our farm by myself in tears knowing she was there, so lethargic and alone. Every time I would leave she would reassure me she was ok and it wasn’t my job to worry about her, but if you have ever seen anyone you know like that, let alone your mom, you know that did no good. It was one of the most emotionally exhausting times in my life. She said she prayed throughout each of her pregnancies that none of her daughters would have to experience the type of pregnancies she went through.

I was granted 2 pretty incredible pregnancies. I thank my mom for a lot of that, because…prayers people, he does listen to our hearts. As I mentioned here I was diagnosed with PCOS at an early age and my doctor considered it a miracle that I conceived and was able to carry a baby. Once I found out I was pregnant, each time I knew the pregnancies might be difficult but I was determined to make them great. I know too many women aren’t granted that joy and I was determined to take care of myself and my body as best I could.

I had the typical morning sickness for a few weeks and lived on saltine crackers and water. Those first weeks are no joke, it is rough! Weird smells would bother me at the meat counter in the grocery store and I had no appetite. However, I was always able to push through a workout an average of 4x a week. I have always said if I’m lucky enough to be a mom I want to be the healthiest example I can be to them, so that is where most of my motivation came from.

A lot of people will tell you it’s impossible to stay fit during pregnancy or that it’s not healthy to work out at that time. I am here to tell you, they are wrong. I had a fantastic doctor and he would always encourage me to continue my routine. He would emphasize that whatever you were doing prior to pregnancy, you can continue to do AS LONG AS your body isn’t telling you different. You need to be in tune with your body and know what it is telling you. There were plenty of times my mind thought I could do something during pregnancy, that my body truly just couldn’t do, and I would stop, modify or just walk. You’re growing a human after all, you need to prioritize yourself and listen! After two pregnancies, here are some of the best ways that I found to stay fit during your pregnancy.

1. I drank a lot of water.

My first pregnancy I drank 100 ounces of water a day. I had a glass water jug at work and at home. At least 75% of people are dehydrated at any given time and if you wait until you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. That is not healthy for anyone let alone a pregnant woman, so I made sure to fill my jug 4 times at work and 1 time at home. Not only is this a benefit to you as it fights aging and encourages better sleep, but it prevents stretch marks too! Win, win!

2. I got in great shape before I got pregnant.

Yeah, yeah, I know this isn’t feasible for everyone because not every pregnancy is planned, but for those of you that it is possible for, it is key! If you get into great shape and accustom your body to a certain level of exercise, you should be able to continue this level throughout pregnancy as long as your doctor advises it is ok. I was a runner, lifted weights, did hot yoga and continued all throughout both pregnancies. There were a few points where I had to modify until I felt better or change to non-heated classes, but I continued doing as much as I could, especially because it helped me mentally. I was a runner, but at 6 months had to stop running with both pregnancies. However, I know part of my easy pregnancies was because I worked very hard to get into shape prior to getting pregnant.

3. I did not eat for 2.

It is a common misconception that you should be eating for two when you are pregnant, and this leads many women to overeat. This is not true, you do not need to be consuming more calories in the first 2 trimesters, but you do need to be consuming HEALTHIER calories. In the 3rd trimester it’s typical to eat a couple hundred more calories, but some don’t even desire that because there isn’t much room! The hardest part is curbing cravings, but typically those cravings mean your body is lacking in some essential nutrient. When I was pregnant with Nova I had insane sugar cravings, and I know it’s because I was lacking magnesium and potentially even calcium. I used magnesium lotion at night and that helped, but I could have eaten a lot better as well. (I still use this lotion!) During my second pregnancy with my son Knox, I craved salad. No joke! (Especially with this dressing)If only we all craved that right!? Though I was not at my lowest weight right before becoming pregnant with Knox, I was in nearly the best shape of my life and eating the healthiest I’ve ever eaten which meant my nutrient balance was better. It made it a lot easier to stay fit throughout that pregnancy too!

4. I stayed active.

If you are lucky enough to have a pregnancy like me versus my mom, stay active. Depending on your fitness level, this can be as simple as going for a walk every day. I was able to tolerate a lot of cardio and yoga with my first pregnancy and a lot of weight lifting, HIIT and heated yoga with my second so it always varies depending on what your body is ok with, but it is important to stay active. Your recovery after giving birth is a lot smoother if you stay active as well. I highly recommend Jillian Michaels 30 day shred it is an oldie but a goodie! It is one of the shortest and yet best workout dvds out there. I recovered much faster with Knox because I was able to workout through all 40 weeks. My last heated yoga class was 2 days before I went into labor with Knox. Nova on the other hand, threw me for a loop a few times. The last 2 months of that pregnancy the dreaded nausea returned, and she was pushing on my kidneys so I was told to take it easy for the last 4 weeks and keep my feet up. I was lucky if I went on a walk every day.

Regardless of what pregnancy threw at me I tried my hardest to stay active. It wasn’t easy, most days it took a lot of mental push to do more than go to work. However, it felt great that I was back working out only 4 weeks after delivering each baby!

5. Yoga, yoga, yoga.

I have always loved yoga, but through pregnancy it made me fall in love with it even more. Not only does it build strength but it teaches you how to control your breath, thoughts and movements which is essential through pregnancy and delivery. No matter what your fitness level, there is a yoga class and level for you. I did heated Ashtanga and Vinyasa style yoga but near the end incorporated non-heated prenatal classes as well. Again, it always depends on your level of fitness prior to pregnancy and what your doctor advises, but if you haven’t explored yoga I highly recommend it. Virtual classes are available by subscription and I highly recommend checking out Ashley Hagen  as she is the instructor I went to my whole 40 weeks with Knox and she’s incredible.

Mostly importantly, give yourself grace. You are in a beautiful time and growing a human, which is the hardest and most demanding thing you will ever do. Listen to your body and your doctor, try to choose healthier options on a daily basis and give into those cravings once in a while, because, after all you deserve it!