Second Trimester Bump Update

"It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any."

— Hugh Laurie

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This goes for most things in life and although a baby is a HUGE decision, I knew I would never actually be ready. I always pictured myself with kids and building a family and I knew that there would always be one more goal I needed to accomplish, so why not start now? My hope is that I continue to Conquer My Summits, even when it may be a little harder. The harder it is, the sweeter the reward after all.

I will be 31 weeks pregnant this week and wanted to give a second trimester bump update, to also include product recommendations based on what I have found super helpful so far! Second trimester seems to be the BEST trimester yet, watching and FEELING baby girl grow has really helped me embrace the journey. It has also flown by as we have had lots of travel with our babymoon in Hawaii, to then visiting family in Cincinnati and spending a week there for my baby shower.

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Workouts‍‍

My second trimester is when I began modifying my workouts, especially towards the end. Although I had more energy, compared to my first, when it comes to core moves and any move that puts a lot of pressure on the core or pelvic floor, (AKA burpees, push-ups, and plyometric moves) had to be modified. My biggest advice is if you see coning of the abs, skip the move or chose a variation.

All in all I have been doing whatever feels good for my body, which is key. Everyone has opinions on working out during pregnancy, but I would encourage every pregnant woman to discover what works for them and to educate themselves on what is safe.

I have incorporated more strength and cycling to my workouts, in place of body weight plyo workouts and have tried to add more barre/pilates moves into my daily workouts in hopes of strengthening my transverse abdominal. If I am being honest, I haven’t put enough focus on it. This is something I will continue to commit to over my last trimester.

When it comes to cardio I have been doing the same cardio routine a few times a week on the tread prior to strength, because it’s one of the only ways I can get my heart rate up without feeling too uncomfortable or adding too much pressure on my pelvic floor. My workout has been variations of hill (treadmill at a 12-15 incline) lunges, side shuffles, backward walks, with the occasional run up hill.

Here is an awesome prego safe lower body strength workout to checkout as well!

I am still teaching at Bassline, but tomorrow will be my last class as I take some time to focus on getting ready for baby girl and hopefully putting my energy more into this platform! I also don’t want to let any of the members down or push my body past it’s limits. I have learned that there is a difference between what I “can” do and what I “should” be doing and I am trying to remind myself of that.

If you follow us on Instagram regularly, then you know that in the beginning it was hard for me to slow down, before I could feel her little kicks and her body rotating inside of me or her booty sticking out of my side. Once I knew she was there, I also had a greater reason for staying healthy and started to enjoy the process of pregnancy. My why for working out has always been a huge part mental endurance, I love the challenge of pushing myself somewhere it has never gone. This has changed slightly since pregnancy... now, my workouts are not only for me, but also this little human inside of me who I want to give every opportunity I possibly can. There are benefits not only for the little one growing inside of me but I am also preparing my mind and body for labor. My hope is to workout until the day I give birth.

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Cravings

My cravings haven't been anything different from normal (I know this is supposed to be the fun part of pregnancy right!?), but you can always follow Sympathy Weight on Instagram if you want my husband's humorous twist on this pregnancy journey... he apparently has a lot of cravings.

What I can tell you is that I am progressively getting hungrier every day... baby girl is going to triple in size over the last trimester, so bring on the snacks, let's grow this baby! I have been trying to eat smaller meals, because I get full SO fast (everything is squished) and am uncomfortable if I eat too much in one serving. In general, my diet has been normal, filled with whole foods, fruits, and veggies, with the occasional treat (insert pizza and vegan ice cream... I should admit to having a pint of Frankie and Jo's ice cream in the freezer at all times the past couple of weeks). Also, a great resource for keeping me motivated, because knowledge is power, was through reading Jillian Micheal’s book Oh Baby!  

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Pregnancy Outfits

I pulled the trigger when it came to buying clothes that actually fit me! I have a hard time spending money in general (story for a different day), especially on clothing that I can only wear for such a short period. So, it's been nice that it's been Fall for most of my second trimester and was fairly easy to buy big chunky sweaters (mostly from H&M) that I can wear after pregnancy too! I did splurge on one pair of maternity jeans from Madewell and I am SO GLAD that I did. As much as I love wearing leggings, having a nice pair of jeans that you feel confident in, goes a long way! I would recommend the pair that I linked to and I am hoping that they fit under the belly through my third trimester... I will probably wear them post pregnancy as I get back into pre-baby shape as well.

For workout clothes, after our Athleta event a month or so back, I found a few key pieces that were super stretchy and comfy for my growing belly, again I am so glad I stopped trying to squeeze into my form fitting athletic gear and opted for some leggings and sports bras that have more give. Their Powervita fabric, is buttery soft and I will definitely still wear my purchases after pregnancy, which is the best part. I have also heard Lululemon align leggings are amazing and am planning on purchasing a neutral pair to live in post pregnancy, every day ALL DAY!

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Reflection

‍As I feel baby girl kick and MOVE even more each day, what I hope she knows one day is that she is so loved already. I am scared to be a mom. I am afraid of all the mistakes I am going to inevitably make as I am only human, but will try my hardest to go with the flow while also ALWAYS being her rock. I want to understand her, I want her to feel heard, to feel loved, to feel like she is safe, protected and always has a pack to look after her. A pack that cherishes her individual characteristics and wants to foster them so she feels confident in her own skin. Above all else, I want her to be kind and experience this life I have been able to give her. At times, I still can't believe that I am giving her life, physically creating her, and soon enough giving birth to another soul. Now THAT is crazy and all you other mamas and mamas to-be out there should know that no matter where you are in your pregnancy journey, you are doing something miraculous. I have struggled in many areas... balance, being extra feisty and sensitive all around, a few nights of crying for no real reason, but it's all a part of the process.  65 more days to go!

Third trimester, I will be focusing on getting ready for birth, which will include birthing classes, putting together my hospital bag, getting baby girl's nursey ready (we did SO much organizing this weekend, so now we can focus on ensuring we are prepared). If you have any recommendations or have specifics that you want to hear about, comment below!  

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