First Trimester Weight Gain

At my first doctors appointment I asked how much weight I should gain in the first trimester. My doctor stated I shouldn’t really gain any, maybe a couple of kilos right at the start from fluid increases and then it should stay steady during those first weeks.

I asked for a few reasons, first I know I gained too much weight in my first pregnancy and much of the excess was gained early on. This is something I don’t want to repeat as losing the excess at the other end was hard work and the extra weight gain was probably a factor in developing pre-eclampsia. Secondly I wasn’t sure exactly how much was too much as the information out there varies dramatically.

The following tips are things I plan to do to help manage my weight this time around, while still ensuring adequate nutrition for bub:

• Manage cravings by choosing a lower calorie alternative. If I’m craving chocolate I’ll drink a hot chocolate instead. If I crave a cheeseburger (that was my big craving the first pregnancy), only get the burger instead of the whole meal, or better still cook a healthier home made version. And likewise for all other cravings.

• Eat from a smaller plate. This is something I do when not pregnant to try and lose weight. While I am not trying to lose weight, and it is dangerous for bub to do this when pregnant, continuing to eat from the smaller plate will help reduce the possibility of falling into the ‘I’m eating for two’ over eating trap.

• Enlist a personal exercise motivator. I have already told my husband on days that I’m exhausted and don’t want to exercise to drag me out the house for a walk, and not to let me talk him out of it. A short walk each day is better than no exercise on days when finding the energy for a workout seems impossible.

• Keep on doing things for myself. I remember last pregnancy, a lot of the time (especially later when my belly was so huge I looked like I was about to topple forwards) people around me would do things for me saying things like you rest up and let me do/get/whatever that for you. While it was nice having people wait on my for a rare change, it meant I was being lazier and less active than normal. I promise myself to try and resist more of that well intentioned help so that I don’t end up sitting down for lengthy stints as much this time.

Comment below if you have any more suggestions to add.

Quicker Than Expected

I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant….. That’s me reminding myself as it has still not having fully sunk in yet, if I say it enough it might hit home. I did the at home test two days ago, and while there was definitely the second positive line, it was very faint. So I did it again today to be sure, and there it was, the second positive line showing much more clearly.

In between reminding myself that it is true I am pregnant already, much quicker than I thought it would take, I have 1001 things twirling around my head. Got to visit the doctor, how far am I already?, that explains why I got uncharacteristically weepy watching TV the other day and why I have been also uncharacteristically craving chocolate, I want to tell people, I want to wait before telling people, I so can’t make up my mind on that….. so I’ll tell anyone who happens to read my blog, at least for now.

1 gym, 2 gym, 3 gym 4, to which gym should I knock on the door?

Picking the right gym/antenatal classes/place to work out while pregnant is not easy. I cancelled my gym membership today (30 days notice so I’ll still be going there for the next month). Why? Because that gym is not suited to me for working out while pregnant.

Now I can hear some of you thinking any gym has to be better than none, why quit? Well to put it simply the gym I currently visit has no pregnancy appropriate classes at times where I can get in. I have quit so I can use that money at more suitable facilities.

Firstly I will be switching from kick boxing and combat style classes to swimming. While those that are already very fit are told they can continue with high intensity training, you need to be wary with high impact movements or those with directional changes, especially later in pregnancy, due to the hormone Relaxin making the body joints unstable. Mainly due to the stability issues I will be avoiding high impact classes from the start of my pregnancy to be on the safe side.

Swimming however is the perfect pregnancy exercise. The low impact nature means joint stability is not an issue. It is shown to help with fluid retention for those retaining too much fluid, and it is a great workout that is able to exert the fit with out being too taxing on a pregnant body. Swimming is also more suited than classes as you need to be carful not to over, exert yourself when exercising while pregnant, and it is easier to monitor your pace when not in a class.

In addition to swimming, when I get to about 12 weeks I will start antenatal classes. I have already looked into providers in my area, as last pregnancy I left it too late and due to waiting lists missed out. I have narrowed it down to two providers and will decide which list to put my name on when I am pregnant.

Finally in regards to resistance training, there is a gym near home that has fairly cheep casual visits. I will use that gym in the meantime, after my remaining 30 days runs out. When I am pregnant I will continue to do LIGHT resistance training with the bar and 20kg of varied weights I already have at home. Once again due to the hormone Relaxin, heavy resistance training in pregnancy is unadvisable as the risk of joint damage is quite high.

To sum up, the right exercise facility when pregnant, might not be the same as the one(s) you where using before hand and it is well worth investigating your options. If you are interested in a more comprehensive overview of safe exercise when pregnant see the Better Health Channel, or for those who like more of the reasoning behind the advice read the science of exercise during pregnancy.

Food Glorious Food

I love cooking. I will often spend hours in the kitchen cooking up an elaborate meal or trying out a new recipe. I love hosting dinner parties as it is a great excuse to go all out. Admittedly my love of food is part of the reason I am overweight as I can’t help sampling as I go. Food in pregnancy, however, takes on a whole new focus, with many things taboo.

While as far as I know I am not pregnant yet, the possibility is there, so I am trying to eat as if I am pregnant to get into practice. Just yesterday I had some soft serve ice-cream while out with the family. About half way through it I realised that soft serve is on the list of no-no foods for the pregnant. I added it to my rapidly growing mental list of foods to not eat.

When we decided to start trying and I decided to start eating as if I am pregnant, I thought it would be easy to remember what to avoid, after all it wasn’t that long ago that I was last pregnant. I was wrong! I keep catching myself going to eat things, or part way through eating remembering it’s on the ‘foods to avoid while pregnant list’. So after yesterday’s incident I decided to look them up again and share here for anyone else struggling to remember what to avoid.

Foods to avoid when pregnant:

• I’ll start with the obvious, avoid alcohol and cigarettes and limit caffeine.
• Soft and unpasteurised cheeses, basically any unpasteurised dairy is out.
• Processed sandwich/cold meats and cold cooked chicken.
• Raw seafood – brought sushi is definitely out unfortunately.
• Pate.
• Soft serve ice-cream - oops.
• Undercooked eggs, there goes those lovely runny yokes for a bit!
• Undercooked meats, if you like your steak rare, you will need to go medium for a while.
• Anything cold foods such as salads or dressings that have been sitting around at room temperature for a while. Basically anything that is meant to be cold that has been at room temperature for a while.
• Pre-prepared salads.
• And finally regardless of the food, watch out of food hygiene to ensure cross contamination between raw and cooked foods or other hygiene issues don’t cause salmonella.

The NSW food authority has a handy and comprehensive printable version of the foods to avoid that is easy to check foods against.

So now it’s off to the kitchen for me, to cook up a lovely dinner that contains nothing on the above list!

Fitness and Health are More Important than Age When Getting Pregnant

Recently Dr Barry Walters came out saying that women who get pregnant past the age of 37 are selfish as they will leave their children with geriatric parents by the time they are becoming adults. He also claims that the health risks for mothers are too high by this age and they should not be having babies. Read the full article.

Yes I agree that the risk of health problems would be higher as a person ages, but that does not mean that all 37 year olds are unfit, unhealthy and beyond being able to have a safe pregnancy. Some people over this age would be fitter and healthier than their younger counterparts. Shouldn’t this decision be done on a case by case basis between the potential mother and her own GP who knows her medical history and fitness level?

Further his claim implies that all females will be geriatrics by age 60. Given that the current average life expectancy for a female is around 85 years, I would say this it is a bit unrealistic to assume that the majority of people will be geriatrics by this age. Yes some people may be having major health problems by age 60, but many people are still fit, healthy and active at this age. Different individuals age differently and so the decision should be up to the individual, rather than a pre-determined age being considered ‘too old’ for all. In fact studies have shown that individuals who are fit can expect an extra 12.7 years of disability free life on top of what their less fit counterparts achieve, so fit people are not being selfish getting pregnant beyond their mid thirties.

Even though I firmly believe that when a person has children is up to them and no-one else, a better argument to have children early is the increased risk of Down syndrome as the mother ages. My personal preference would be to finish having children before age 34, when the risk goes beyond 1 in 500.

Rather than using age as a magical cut off point for getting pregnant; mums-to-be should decide if they are right to get pregnant based on their own fitness and health. A pre-pregnancy check up is always a good idea when your pregnancy is planned to allow any health issues to be addressed first. If you want to remain healthy and active well into your children’s adulthood, the most important thing is to be fit, before during and after pregnancy – keep on exercising for life.

Expecting Earlier than Expected?

I went to the doctors today to have a ‘before I get pregnant’ conversation. Basically to see if I’m healthy enough and if there are any concerns from a medical perspective around getting pregnant. I was expecting to be told I had things to work on first…. To my surprise he gave us the all clear to start trying.

All my health issues that can affect a pregnancy are under control at the moment. He even told me I don’t need to loose any more weight (this one especially surprised me as I am still overweight). He said that I can loose more weight if I want, but losing some more weight would not significantly reduce the risk of the same complications in my next pregnancy. In fact he said based on recent studies loosing more weight at this stage would likely reduce the chances of conceiving successfully.

After a lengthy conversation when we got home my husband and I have agreed to start trying now. I’m happy that both my fitness and strength are solid enough to get me though pregnancy and there are no other advantages to waiting. I will keep working on improving these further while we are trying, after all it could be many months away before I am pregnant again. Now to go and enjoy that last piece of Brie in the fridge…

Housework, Opportunity or Chore?

That depends on your attitude. This morning I attacked the housework with gusto, vacuuming, mopping, doing the washing, cleaning the bathrooms and even washing our couch (white leather, obviously bought before the little one came along!). All this was done along side some corny dance moves to one of my favorite CDs, and I had fun.
If you think of housework as a chore, change your attitude to thinking of it as an opportunity and you will have a lot more fun getting the work done. It is an opportunity to get moving and burn a few extra calories off. Don’t believe me? Then check out this Daily Mail Online article.

So while a jog or gym workout might burn more calories, next time you find yourself sitting around bored or not doing the housework because you can’t be bothered, think of the bonus calories burnt. Who knows you might find this gives you the motivation to do those extra jobs that usually get left undone.

One Crazy Week Over and Out

This week has been hectic and as such I haven’t progressed with my goals as much as I would have liked. Between the take away loving in-laws staying with us for a few nights, to a dinner party where massive pieces of cheesecake were served up for desert, keeping on track has been far from easy.

That said I still managed 3 gym visits and must have managed to steer away from the worst of the junk food better than I thought, as I still managed to loose 0.4kg (Sunday to Sunday). Despite that I’m putting in an extra big effort to eat clean and healthy this week as I don’t want too many toxins from processed rubbish and sugar building up in my body.

My gym sessions went well this week. I’ve only been back at the gym for about 6 weeks, after having to have a 2 month break due to being severely ill. I’ve finally got my strength back to my pre-sick levels – which I’m pleased to say are higher than my pre-pregnancy levels for all muscles except my abdominals. My fitness needs a little more work, but is getting close to where it was.

My goals for this coming week are to avoid processed foods (especially sugars), to be able to hold a plank position for 30 seconds on my feet (not my knees as I have been doing), and beat my PB for 1km on the rower.

Caesarian Preparation

I recently read a blog entry by Kylie titled “How to Prepare for a Caesarean Section”. This is well worth a read for anyone who looks likely to have a caesarean, and anyone who is pregnant, as you never know if you might have an emergency caesarean.

Preparing for Pregnancy

When I started this blog I was asked by one of my fellow uni students, what can I do before I get pregnant to help with recovery afterwards? As I am in the process of getting my body ready for pregnancy number two I have decided to answer this by blogging about what I am doing at the moment to get ready for the next pregnancy. I will discuss my fitness and health regimes as well as share my progress over the following months.

I am aiming to be ready to start trying my January so all my goals have the end of 2011 as their time frame. Briefly the 6 things I am focusing on are:

· Building my core strength so that I have less back aches and related issues during pregnancy.

· Even though I am now 2kg below my pre pregnancy weight, I am still a little overweight, so I am working on losing more weight. I am aiming to lose another 10 kg by the end of the year. This equates to slightly less than 1 kg a week – achievable with a LOT of hard work.

· Detox. I did a doctor lead detox prior to my first pregnancy, and my doctor stated that this was the reason I didn’t get any morning sickness (she claims morning sickness is in part the body trying to detox). I don’t know if this is true of not, but I will definitely be doing a detox soon just in case.

· Nutrition – at the moment I am eating to lose weight. When I get a bit closer to my goal I will work on moving what I eat towards the way I should eat in pregnancy (with a few less calories a day for now).

· Increasing my fitness. While exercise during pregnancy is possible and indeed recommended, it is not advisable to get your heart rate above 140bpm (beats per minute) when exercising in pregnancy. As such I will be working on getting my fitness up as much as possible before I get pregnant. This should help to make an easier pregnancy as well as meaning I’ll likely be fitter at the other end.

· Strength training. I have been doing strength training for over 10 years. When pregnant it is not advisable to lift the heavy weights I am used to lifting as the weaker joints are more likely to be injured. As such I lost a fair bit of strength during my first pregnancy (though lifting lighter weights helped a little). Knowing I will lose strength during pregnancy I am trying to build as much muscle before hand to ensure that I am still strong at the other end, specifically focusing on muscles that get used lots when looking after a little one (e.g., upper back).

Approach wtih Caution

If you have been struck by motivation and feel ready to re-start jogging/lifting weights/dancing/whatever activity you like again there are a few safety considerations you need to take first:

• After pregnancy your joints are still more elastic and unstable. This is due to the relaxin that built up in your body during pregnancy. It caused all of your joints to loosen and become unstable. It can take many months post pregnancy for your joints to return to normal – in simple terms this means avoid/minimise high impact exercises and be careful not to overextend your joints when stretching or doing anything else that places pressure on them.
• If it is early days you are still probably not getting enough sleep. If you are one of the lucky ones that still manages to squeeze in 8 hours a night it is likely that you sleep is disturbed so does not have the quality it should. Either of these factors means you will be more tired. This in turn makes you more prone to injuries while exercising and likely to physically fatigue more quickly when working out. So take it easy on yourself, don’t try doing your pre-pregnancy workout intensity straight away, instead build slowly back to that point.
• Your stomach. Its going to be flabby weak and not working anywhere near as well as before you are pregnant. You’re probably tempted to start doing crunches to help flatten it? Well don’t start yet. During pregnancy your stomach muscles separate and if you start doing crunches or similar before these muscles have come back together you will actually weaken and damage them further. I will post a short video during the next few weeks to explain how to tell if your stomach muscles are ready to start being worked.
• If you had a caesarian you have some additional precautions. If this is you do not do any exercise other than walking unless given the all clear by your obstetrician. You have just had a major operation and doing too much too quickly opens you up to potential complications as well as having the potential to long term put you back a lot more than just waiting until the all clear to start.

Post Pregnancy Fitness: Why Should I Bother?

Do you need four good reasons to get physically and mentally fit? Read on…

‘Me’ Time

While you might feel like you are being selfish taking some time out for yourself, this will make you a better mum in the long run. By having time out you will de-stress, have more energy, enthusiasm and patience when you get back to your little one. This ‘me’ time doesn’t have to be exercise either, just time doing something you enjoy will improve your mental fitness. Besides, if you don’t go away for a little while you miss out on your little ones excitement at seeing you come back!

I am Woman… not just Mummy

Taking time to yourself will also help you to feel like you are still yourself, the woman you were before you got pregnant, not just a mum. Hopefully you are loving being a mum and will do so more and more as you get used to the role, however it is important that you keep on being a person in your own right and not just defined as your role as a mum.

New Wardrobe vs Getting your Skinny on

By getting your skinny on I don’t mean getting thin enough to be the next catwalk model! I mean getting back to the size you were before you were pregnant. You will feel more confident, save money as you won’t need to buy a new bigger wardrobe and feel like you own your own body again.

The best part is if you use exercise to get back in shape you will also regain any fitness and strength you lost during pregnancy. This will help you to keep up with your little one when they get mobile as well as giving you the strength to lift and carry them and all their gear without backaches and other muscle soreness becoming part of your daily life.

Reducing the Risk of Post Natal Depression

You have probably been told this by your obstetrician, midwife and health nurse, but it is true - taking the time to fit in a bit of exercise a few times a week will decrease your risk of post natal depression. A short walk each day is enough to make a difference. This is especially important if you have a history of depression.

So what are you waiting for? Start making time for yourself and a bit of exercise!

4 Motivators – Why I became interested in post pregnancy fitness

1. Frustration

During my pregnancy I had trouble with pre-eclampsia, resulting in being ordered to rest up, I wasn’t even allowed to go for walks! I ended up having to have a cesarean. I remember on my second day in hospital being over the moon when I managed to shower myself without help, and again later that day when I walked to the door of the next room along the corridor. I also remember the sense of frustration at not being able to do a lot of small things on my own, things like getting in and out of bed. This frustration was my first motivator to get back in shape as quickly as possible.

2. Time Out

Over the following weeks as I slowly became able to move more freely I got excited each time I could walk further up the street or each time I did something else without help. By my 6 week checkup I was keen to get the all clear to get back into the gym and start working on getting my body back. I’ve always been an active person; I’ve always played sports and spent many hours a week at the gym. I’ve always been an active person; I’ve always played sports and spent many hours a week at the gym. My gym sessions have always been my time out to myself and I was missing this aspect of my workouts.

3. Health

At the 6 week checkup I got an extra stab of motivation. My obstetrician made it very clear to me that it would be very unwise to get pregnant again without loosing all the extra weight I had put on during pregnancy, and it would be better to loose some additional weight to reduce the chance of having the same complications in the next pregnancy. I set myself a goal to loose the 18 extra kg I was carrying from pregnancy as well as an additional 10 kg. I knew that I was in for a lot of hard work, as even though I have always been a very active and fit person, I have also always been slightly overweight.

4. Siblings

My final motivator is my desire to give my child a sibling. I grew up with a brother and sister and want my child to also have a sibling. Every time I feel like pigging out on chocolate or skipping a workout, I remind myself that I am doing this for my baby to be able to have a sibling.