Baby Bumps and Barbells
Health and fitness have always been a huge part of my life. I began playing soccer at the ripe old age of six and ran varsity track throughout my four years of high school. After high school sports came to an end. My mission throughout adulthood has been to cross off a series of bucket list items; ranging from mud runs, marathons, triathlons, and hikes. Outside of my outdoor activities, I absolutely love CrossFit. It provides me with both cardiovascular training and strength training. To top it off, CrossFit gives me the same sense of comraderie and support that I had while playing sports.
In January of this year my husband and I were blessed with the news that we are expecting our first baby. We are thoroughly looking forward to welcoming our sweet baby boy into the world and taking on the crazy adventure of parenthood. This presented some new obstacles with my fitness.
From the start, I began to worry about how pregnancy would affect my active lifestyle. I quickly began consulting “Dr. Google” and good ole’ Web Md.. . . big mistake! As I read, the fear began to set in. There are numerous myths about exercise during pregnancy; your heart rate shouldn’t go over 140 bpm, don’t lift over 45 pounds, don’t put anything over your head, and never workout your core. While I was reading about exercise during pregnancy I not only learned of the numerous myths, but I also learned of the stigmas against women who work out during pregnancy, specifically the stigmas against women who CrossFit throughout pregnancy.
I slowly started to notice myself avoiding the gym like the plague for the first 8-9 weeks of my pregnancy. My doctor didn’t want to see me until I was close to 12 weeks, and everything I read said to “consult your physician before exercise”. I would only make it to the gym when I started to go stir crazy and stress crazy waiting for my appointment.
When I did make it to the gym I felt great throughout my workouts. I had no pain, no nausea, and felt like I had more energy because of exercise. Even with that, I felt a little guilty that maybe I was putting myself or my baby in danger since I had not yet seen my doctor.
Fast forward a couple weeks, and I FINALLY got to see my OBGYN. I am pretty sure the first words out of my mouth once I saw her were, “Is it okay if I continue to do CrossFit ”. To my pleasant surprise she gave me her immediate approval and even encouraged me that exercise during pregnancy is a GOOD thing. My doctor told me if I had been exercising before my pregnancy than there is no reason to stop now. In fact, it is best to continue my current exercise regime. We of course discussed what types of modifications I will need to make as I got further along and the importance of drinking extra water and listening to my body if I need to take things easy.
My relief and excitement about being able to exercise safely truly made my day. I am now 7 months pregnant and have continued to do CrossFit 3 times a week with a little bit of walking on my rest days. I have slowly added in more and more modifications as I get further along and as my belly grows. My journey throughout pregnancy has been a good one. I have had no sickness, very little heartburn, and have a decent amount of energy for someone growing another human being. I attribute my breezy pregnancy to staying active doing what I love.
