We all know that there is a ton of information that people tell you about being pregnant and so many opinions/advices given- mostly unsolicited. There is also so much about pregnancy that people are afraid to discuss, or feel is too taboo to mention. Due to the lack of discussion, so many women deal with certain things and feel they are “abnormal”, or worse, they feel their symptoms are “normal”. Women need to know that they are not alone and that there is help out there! One thing that I have realized during my time of pregnancy is that every woman and EVERY pregnancy is different. There is no one size fits all in this situation. The pregnancy your sister or best friend had is not necessarily the pregnancy that you will have.
As I enter into my 25th week of pregnancy, I want to talk about one of the topics we don’t hear much about. Something that I am actually quite passionate about that I feel is not discussed nearly enough: Working out.
We hear all the time: “if you’re active and stay active you’ll have an easy pregnancy”, what we don’t hear is that it is not always easy to stay active even if you are in tip top shape pre-pregnancy. We also don’t talk about the fact that staying “active” is not always the safest option for all women. Sure, the doctor tells you “you’re healthy, keep doing what you’ve been doing…” but is it really that easy?? Short answer… NO, at least not for everyone.
Coming from a girl who 1. Is a personal trainer and 2. Works (or worked) out regularly 5-6 times a week… trying to work out and stay active during this pregnancy has been far from easy (hello pandemic pregnancy combo!).
As I look back at my pregnancy so far, I can’t help but to think back to before I even knew that I was pregnant. I had no idea; however, my body definitely did! I felt a change and had no idea why. When I was about 3 weeks pregnant (about a week before knowing) I was out for a typical run with my running group. The plan was to get in a 10-mile run, however at mile 6 my body just told me it was DONE. I literally had to stop and call my husband to pick me up- which I have NEVER done. At the time I blamed the weather and me just “not feeling it”, but I should have known then something was different.
Since that day, everyday has been different. Some days I have a ton of energy and am ready to crush a workout! Other days, I just want to sit on the couch and take a nap. My motivation levels have been extremely low. While I’m sure pregnancy is part of it, it could also have something to do with the fact that we are currently in a pandemic and leaving the house is minimal….
I will say this though… running is HARD. In the beginning I got completely discouraged. I was so upset that I wasn’t able to keep up with my running, that all my progress was going to be lost. I follow so many different people on social media and see they were able to run (and workout) throughout their entire pregnancies- sometimes even hitting some PRs. This made me even more upset. Why was I having an issue?? I am healthy, I am in shape. But then I had to remind myself… some of these ladies that I follow have been running their entire lives, I only started really training for running about a year ago. It also helped me realize even more that everyone is different, and everyone’s body is different and need different things. It also showed again just how toxic social media can be. We compare ourselves to what we see, not knowing the full story, not knowing what is actually going on in the background, what these people are actually dealing with, what filters are being used. We need to stop comparing ourselves and just embrace OUR bodies and OUR experiences.
Being a personal trainer has also been quite interesting through this process. During the first couple of weeks when we weren’t telling people just yet were especially “fun”. Due to COVID, my gym actually went completely virtual, so I was in charge of hosting a class once a week from my living room. Pro/con to that was that I actually had to do the exercise myself- which was FAR from easy. I secretly was dying but tried to hide it! Now that people know, it has been MUCH easier, but there is a lot I am unable to do- but luckily have an amazing group of clients that understand and deal with me 😊
Before I even became pregnant, I wanted to put a focus of my professional training into pregnancy and postpartum. It was an area in my field that I felt is not touched on enough, and there is not a lot of valid information for women out there. So, what better time than now? I decided that during this time I would obtain my certification in Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism and might as well use myself as a test dummy. I am just about through my course and have learned more than I EVER thought. As stated before, there is SO MUCH that is not discussed or known about pregnancy. This course has helped me see that everyone is different, and pregnancy and postpartum affects everyone in different ways. My training thus far has its good days and bad days. I realized there is a lot I could do before that I am not able (or shouldn’t) do now. I need to adjust… and that is OK! I need to do what is right for my body, and as I progress through pregnancy (and postpartum) that is going to change many more times. I am learning to embrace this “new” body and not chase something from my past. I know that part is not going to be easy, but all women need to realize that pregnancy is a huge change to your body. You may never go back to where you were… and that is fine! Embrace the change! Love the change! And continue to do what makes you happy and feels right.
As I work through the rest of my certification and this pregnancy, I am excited to share my knowledge! This is all a process and a change, and I am just learning to roll with the punches! Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have! Although my certification will have a focus in Pregnancy and Postpartum, it really does apply to ALL women. You are not alone. Your symptoms are not “normal”, there is help out there!
XO
