So, the heat index reached 117 degrees this week. Did you know that pregnant women have to add an additional 10 degrees to the index? It’s true. We just run hotter. After living in Phoenix for 7 years, you’d think that I’d be used to the heat. I am, but this heat+humidity is downright oppressive. I’m practically melting over here.
Besides being hot, it’s been a roller coaster week. Let’s get right to it.
How I’m Feeling
Still feeling good. I had two unfortunate throwing up incidents, both triggered by horrid smells.
The first was when I was forced to use an outhouse. Tim and I had a night away for our 5th anniversary and were hiking at a state park. The only available bathroom facility was an outhouse and the smell made me vomit. Literally. Lesson learned: don’t be afraid to pee in the woods. I hate how I look in this video, but it’s funny so I thought I’d share. Tim taped me coming out of the outhouse after listening to me yak. Here it is:
The second incident was when I was trying to do laundry. I was getting ready to clean Tim’s baseball uniform that he’d worn the night before in the sweltering heat. It sat in the laundry room all night and was still soaking wet and smelled of sweat and dirt. I picked it up and again, the smell made me vomit. Tim wasn’t home, but Meghan thought it was hilarious.
I also learned this week that the nausea will still rear its ugly head if I don’t eat often enough. Sometimes there is too long of a stretch between my afternoon snack and dinner time, and that’s a bad thing. No one wants to get nauseous in the middle of preparing dinner.
What’s Happening with my Body
No huge changes this week, but I do feel like my belly grew a little. This biggest news is that I finally felt some movement! Early in the week I felt a few flutters here and there, but still wasn’t 100% convinced that it wasn’t just gas. 😉 Then, yesterday, I felt what I knew was more than gas. There really is no better feeling than the sensation of another life moving inside you. It’s incredible.
The Exercise Quandary
Last week, I reported that I was taking baby steps towards exercising more. I was feeling happy about my progress and loved that I was able to feel good exercising again. Then, I read this post on the blog Clean Eating Chelsey. I’ll give you the lowdown in case you don’t feel like clicking over to read it. It was a guest post written by Katie from Yes, I Want Cake and it was titled “Baby Bounce Back”. I’d never read Katie’s blog, so this was my first introduction to her. The topic was how she quickly bounced back into her pre-pregnancy shape after having her baby. Here’s an excerpt:
I exercised hard throughout my pregnancy. Not just walking (although I did a lot of that, too), but lifted heavy weights, ran fast, and pushed myself – I never consulted my doctor about it, because I didn’t think she knew what my body was capable of like I did. I can’t say that exercise is the reason that recovering from pregnancy/childbirth has been such a breeze – but I know that it helped tremendously.
She described how she exercised all 3 trimesters, and lost the 25 pounds she gained in pregnancy immediately after giving birth. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to other people, but reading this was hard for me. It made me feel like my being happy with my exercising baby steps was ridiculous. Like I should be doing more. I started doubting and questioning myself. Am I not doing more because I’m lazy? Am I being too easy on myself?
I’m trying to focus on staying positive and not dwelling on my self doubt, but I want to be honest with you and this is how I’ve felt this week. Like I’m not doing enough. Here’s a peek at what my exercising has looked like since my last update:
Friday: Walked 45 minutes at a good pace.
Saturday: Hiked ~2 hours (with stops to take pictures and throw up in outhouses).
Sunday: No exercise. We drove back from our getaway destination and had to go directly to Tim’s baseball game on the way home. So I got to sit for 2 hours in the heat and watch him play. 🙂
Monday: Did 10 real pushups. Not sure why that’s all I did. Lame.
Tuesday: Walked for 30 minutes, followed by 3 sets of 15 reverse lunges and 3 sets of 15 squats.
Wednesday: Planned to do an indoor workout of some kind after putting Meghan to bed, but had a terrible headache. No exercise.
Thursday: No exercise. Only excuse is that I was too hot.
My goal is to take these negative feelings and turn them into motivation to do better next week. I would like to fit in 4-5 days of real workouts next week (meaning more than just doing 10 push-ups). I’ll keep you posted if I reach my goal!
Question: Next week, we find out if we’re having a boy or a girl. Any guesses?
Youa re absolutely adorable pregnant! Oh my goodness – if I could only look like you when I am pregnant I will be overjoyed! I think it’s hard to compare yourself to others in any situation but definitely when you’re pregnant. Just remember that every pregnancy is different and you are doing what’s right for you! I say boy – you’re all belly!
You’re so sweet, Chelsey. I know you’re right about comparing yourself to others. I’m feeling much better this week about my exercising decisions. I think we all get caught in the comparison trap at one time or another!
Awww….that video was cute!! I know how you were probably feeling…the smells in those things are terrible!!! I used to get sick and vomit with both of my pregnancies and the weirdest things would set it off!! I couldn’t stand the smell of mint!!! So, brushing my teeth was so hard!! I would brush and then gag and vomit and have to brush again!!! UGH!!!
Mint? How strange!
Hi Maryea, there is nothing to worry about! You look like you are in excellent shape, you are always mindful about what you eat, you lost the pregnancy weight from being pregnant with Meghan and you are going to lose the weight this time around too (because you want to and because you will make it happen). I also think that once you feel ready (less heat, less nausea) you will start exercising and reach a level that you will be comfortable being at.
You are SUPER cute!! Jealous of your cute prego body!
And I think, despite being super hot with this heat, and all the other ‘lovely’ things that come along with prego-ness..You exercising is great! I worked out everyday too with my first daughter, but I am worried that won’t be the case with my next one. I had all the time to workout before..now I barely have time 🙂
Hooray for being active and still feeling good!!!! <3
I only recently read her post!
Don´t feel bad, Maryea! Or at least try not to 😉 The main things is you are doing something, which you are and you can only listen to what your body tells you.
I think it´s a boy 🙂
Ahhh, you look so cute 🙂 I love the striped pink shirt btw. And 117?! It’s only like 109 in Phoenix currently…. Hope you’re staying cool and hydrated!
Thanks, Monique. And no, it didn’t get to 117 degrees here. That was just the heat index–how hot it felt with the humidity. I’d take the 109 degree dry heat! 🙂
You look amazing, and you ARE amazing. Who else would come out of a stinky outhouse after just yakking up their breakfast, looking so composed, calm and SMILING?
Not me, that is for sure.
Hi Maryea! Congratulations! You look beautiful!
I’m 16 weeks pregnant (so fun following along with you!) and am determined not to gain as much weight this time. I didn’t start exercising with my first until I was 7 months and had already gained some weight due to the 4 weddings I was a bridesmaid in (arg!). I honestly believe the exercise helped me push my son out – loved every minute of it! Thank goodness for those squats! I’m doing much better this time around. Joined a gym and have been taking all sorts of fun exercise classes – Zumba, Body Pump, step aerobics, etc. You can make them as intense as you’d like. Anyway, you look amazing! Keep doing what you’re doing!
I also wanted to pass along a recommendation for my favorite pregnancy DVD. It’s been great for those days I can’t make it to the gym and want to get my workout done during David’s nap. It helps push me to do a little more than I otherwise would all by myself. http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Pregnancy-Workout-vol/dp/B000BLKJ5E
Thanks for the recommendation–I’m going to go and check it out. We don’t have gym memberships right now, but I’m wishing we did. Especially with this heat which makes getting outside to work out much less fun!
I feel the need to comment on your post and offer some encouragement. First of all, you look wonderful. There’s just something about pregnancy. I find, after two pregnancies, that it is so easy to compare ourselves to other pregnant women and wonder if we are doing everything “right” or the “best” way. All I can say is that each pregnancy is different and each woman is different. Don’t beat yourself up for what you aren’t doing. Instead, be proud of what you are doing. You have done a lot over the past week. Pregnancy requires a lot of energy, and your body needs to use that energy to create the little person that is inside of you.
There are a lot of pregnant bloggers right now, and they are quickly realizing that their bodies are different than they were before pregnancy. Many of these women have posted about the need to reduce their physical activity and the mental struggle that accompanies this change. These are women who have been very physically active in the past. Check out (never)homemaker, Daily Garnish, and This Runner’s Trials for posts that talk about how pregnancy has caused them to take a step back and realize that strenuous exercise isn’t necessarily the best option during pregnancy.
Thanks, Willow, your encouragement helps more than you know! 🙂
I must say that you look amazing! During my preganancy I gained about 20 pounds. The first 3 months I felt so ill and tired that it was really difficult to do any type of exercise besides long walks. After the illness passed and my energy level rose I focused on weight-training to prepare myself for giving birth. I also tried to strenghten my back. Due to restless legs I had to go for long walks (an hour or so) in the evening before going to bed, otherwise I just couldn’t keep my legs still.
All in all this worked out really well for me. I felt healthy and mobile and I also returned to my normal weight after only a few months. (started working out after 8 weeks and breast feed for 8 months) I avoided all jumps, jogging or other movements that can damage a pregnant body, because yes, you can exercise during a pregnancy but it is definately not recommended to do all types of movements.
Thank you, Ann-Louise. I find that I’m sleeping much better on the nights when I do my walks in the evening. I need to do that more often.
I know what you mean. The competitive person in me (I’m not even pregnant!) compared myself when I read that post. But honestly, you are extremely healthy and even active when it is THIS hot— you should give yourself a pat on the back.
The place you went hiking looks really nice!
I can’t believe how hot it is where you are – insane!!
Yes, it’s been a really hot week. It’s not normally like this!
I guess another girl!
First let me say you are beautiful! I wouldn’t be too concerned about your routine. You do alot more than most people. Many women I know think pregnancy is an excuse to not exercise. Do as the other post said – listen to your body. You have been through more than she has. You are a different person. If you feel it is best to take baby steps then you are probably right. If you feel ready to push yourself more then go for it. Do you read Tina’s blog Faith, Fitness, Fun? She has an infant and she has blogged about body after baby. She did miraculously drop her baby weight, but she did drop it in a very healthy way. Check her out it is inspiring!
Thank you, Helen. I am a regular reader of FFF and Tina is super inspiring!
First of all, congratulations!! You look amazing.
And secondly, I’m so sorry for making you feel badly about yourself – I really didn’t want to come across like I was preaching about exercise in my guest post – I just knew how well MY body responded to it, and it worked for ME! Any little bit of movement you are doing is awesome, and even if you couldn’t do ANYTHING, that doesn’t mean your baby won’t be healthy and happy. My sincerest apologies if I made you feel anything less than fantastic about pregnancy. It’s amazing, exercise or not! 🙂
Oh, Katie, I definitely did not intend to make you feel bad about your post. You were honest about what worked for you and I think that is great. Really it just made me question if I am doing enough and that is probably a good thing! If it motivates me to do more, then I should be thanking you. 🙂
Oh my, I would not be able to take that heat, that sounds awful!
Don’t feel bad about your level of exercise! Everyone is different and if you’re not enjoying doing more strenuous exercise right now, then only do what does feel alright to you. Listening to your body is so much more important now so take it slow and just see how things go. No reason to feel bad if you’re doing less than someone else. Heck I know a couple pregnant women right now that make me feel bad about my fitness level and I’m not even pregnant, haha.
I’m excited for you! I’m awful at guessing, but I guess I have a 50/50 chance so for the fun of it I’m going to say… boy!
You’re right. It’s so hard not to get caught up in the comparison game. I’m a pretty competitive person, so when I read something like that I think, “She can do that…why can’t I??”
Let me start by saying that you look great! Your tummy has definitely grown! (in a good way)
I think everyone is different. I will admit that I LOVE to exercise so I continued to do so through both my pregnancies right up until the end. I gained 21 lbs with both and did lose most of it fairly quickly. With my second I had a wedding to be in exactly two months after giving birth with a size 2 bridesmaid dress waiting for me. I didn’t try it on until one week before the wedding. It was a little snug through the middle but zipped with ease!
I definitely think it was because I exercised throughout my pregnancy, but the breastfeeding helped too! 🙂
I wish I loved to exercise as much as you do. I think that’s probably part of the problem. I love the way it makes me FEEL, but the actual process I don’t always love. Unless I’m playing a sport or something like that. I think that you only gained 21 lbs for not only your first but also your second pregnancy is pretty AMAZING.
Oh, just read Katie’s post and it was very interesting. I also delivered naturally like she did (no anesthetic) and like she said I felt like a million bucks right away after delivery. Had an adrenaline high for a week or two afterwards and that also could have helped. Bradley Method classes were AWESOME for natural childbirth delivery and we also hired an awesome doula to be in the delivery room – maybe another way to loose the weight quickly after giving birth – natural delivery… probably burned tons of calories just from all the hard work during delivery. It was awesome and I’ll do it again.
Hmmm…maybe I’ll have to look into the Bradley method. I have heard of it, but know nothing about it. Natural childbirth terrifies me, to be honest, but I’m willing to learn more if it means an easy recovery!
Your exercising sounds great! I found that BREASTFEEDING was the key to loosing the baby weight and since you are an avid breastfeeder, don’t worry! I started off at around 120 (5’3″) and gained almost 50 pounds in my 1st pregnancy (even though I felt like I was eating healthy and barely ever eating out). Lost almost 30 pounds right after delivery and lost the rest in the first few months of breastfeeding (baby nursed almost every 2 hours!). Also, the excerpt from Katie actually sounds a little dangerous to me – I think you should consult your dr before doing strenuous exercise. For me, water aerobics and swimming laps were both refreshing and low impact. I also did low impact aerobics. I remember during the 3rd trimester that if I did weights with my arms, I couldn’t keep my arms up above my head for more than a few cycles before starting to feel light headed. So I’d stop! You look great – keep listening to your body!
Thanks, Anna. I am not overly concerned about losing the weight afterwards–it came off relatively easily after Meghan. I was just questioning if I am doing enough to stay in shape and be healthy. I want to push myself in a healthy way.