Week 8 and 9

I have done a lot better in the past two weeks. All of my coaches are aware of my +1 and I have started telling friends at the gym.

I have definitely struggled with a couple of things. It is frustrating going into new classes, not knowing anyone, and having to scale the way I do. I didn't think this was going to be an issue, but apparently I didn't realize how competitive I was. It is aggravating to do a workout that 2 months ago I was able to do with 30 more pounds on the bar, yet I am struggling through it the same way. I hate meeting new people and feeling like I have to explain why I am going so light on my weight, as if they even care.

I have also had a heck of a time dealing with weight gain. I used to be heavier in high school and when I look back at pictures, I always think "Never Again." I never wanted to allow myself to get over a certain weight and now that weight is rapidly approaching. I don't mind gaining a belly and once it is popped, I think it will be adorable. But no one tells you about the first trimester when you are just...pudgy. I feel/look like I just ate Chipotle and drank a bunch of beer and I can't suck my gut in. But my boobs are getting bigger, which makes push-ups much easier... and that's pretty awesome.

We have done testing in the past couple of days to look for 1 rep max in cleans, dead lifts, snatch and push press. We also did time trials.

Testing is a real bummer because you're really not supposed to be maxing out once you are pregnant. It is also a bummer because I have been working hard to increase these numbers.. and I never got a final verdict on how I have progressed. Luckily they weren't too much of a disappointment, except my mile time. That was about a minute slower than my last time trial 3 months ago.

Do you know that little voice inside of your head that pushes you along in your workouts? The one that goes " You can do Fran in under 6 minutes, you can do this quickly, too." Or "You have lifted more than that several times, you can lift this easily." Yeah, well, that voice is gone. There is absolutely no one inside of my head pushing me to gain anything in the gym. All I hear is "Don't go too fast... baby can't breathe." Dang it, baby.

I guess one thing that has gotten me through all of these struggles is the thought that there are many women who struggle with infertility and that would love to be in my position. Joshua and I were very blessed to be able to get pregnant as quickly as we did, and so far have a healthy baby. I need to rejoice a little more in my blessing, than be a whiny pregnant woman. There is nothing worse than a pregnant woman complaining about getting fat!

Week 6 and 7

Wow. What a change a couple weeks make.

I was in New York for 2 weeks on business and came back to California with the determination to get back in the gym, make some gains, and get better for the new year. My first day back after two weeks was rough. We did a work out of 75 KB swings, run 1 mile, and 75 more KB Swings. I love KB swings. I am able to get in a good groove with a solid breathing pattern and rock through them. I think I got through 30 and was exhausted. I blamed it on being out for 2 weeks (the longest I have been out of the gym in 2 years). I pushed through, finished the workout, and went on my merry way.

I got home and just felt... funny. I took a pregnancy test and sure enough... + + +.

I went back to the gym the next day, a little more cautious this time, but still with the ambition to rally through workouts like I normally do. Wrong. Very wrong.

You see, I thought when I got pregnant, I could continue my same Crossfit routine, with the same weights and movements, until my belly started getting big. I didn't realize that my body started making adjustments right away to make room for my passenger. Apparently, and I found this out the hard way, your ligaments start to loosen up and cannot support the weight they once did.

So this next day was a 3 rounds for time that included KB Swings, pull ups, air squats, hand-stand push-ups and sand bag runs... I LOVE these things!! I was so excited to RX the crap out of it, but baby had a different idea. On my 3rd round of hand-stand push-ups, I jacked something in my shoulder/neck and pretty much had to chip through the rest of the workout. It really, really sucked and that's when it hit me: It is NOT all about me anymore.

The coach made me take a few days off which gave me a lot of time to reflect. I couldn't be super Crossfit mom. I can still do Crossfit, but I have to scale down, I can't push myself as hard, and I have to listen to my body. I started telling my coaches one by one that next week. They say to wait 12 weeks before announcing a pregnancy, but if I wanted to stay pregnant, I had to have my coaches hold me accountable to stay safe.

So the lessons I learned:

-Your ligaments loosen up right away
-Scaling is a new word in my vocabulary :
         That means 26# KB and hand-stand push-ups are on a case to case basis
-It is not just about me anymore

Introducing Paige + 1

I have been an avid Crossfitter for a year and a half. It is the first sport that I have been a decent competitor. I am not exactly runner-up to join in the Crossfit Games, but I can do a bunch of pull-ups, I can push press my body weight over my head, and I have a mean handstand push-up.

My husband and I decided two months ago that we wanted a baby and BAM, we got one. At just a few weeks along, this new addition was already completely life changing. Not only did I get to drop the drinking, but I am tired, I'm hungry ALL THE TIME, and my ambition at the gym has completely changed.

For whatever reason, Crossfit is such a controversial subject, pregnant or not. And then adding pregnancy to it, people have their opinions don't they?! Do you remember lee-Ann Ellison? She was the pioneer to all of us crazy women who want to do Crossfit while pregnant. She posted pictures of her adorable self at 8 months doing Olympic lifts. I have to love her for it. And to quote her in this article, "Haters gonna hate." http://www.examiner.com/article/pregnant-crossfitter-ripped-for-lifting-weights-haters-gonna-hate

I have done a lot of research on working out while pregnant and not much research is done on Crossfit. I have found a lot of blogs which have helped, so I figured why not write my own? Please note: I am NOT  a doctor and I do not have a risky pregnancy. All entries are based on my own personal experiences and are to help other pregnant women gather ideas to use in their workouts.

I will touch on various topics such as heart rate, my growing belly, body image, how I scaled movements and my thoughts along the way. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I think I will!

Here are a few pictures pre-pregnancy:

 

Strict Press

 Weighted Box Jumps

 Rope Climbs

 (If you haven't already found it, www.crossfitmom.com has been pretty helpful. The information on what to do at each trimester was extremely helpful as well as the substitutions for movements.)