To continue my downward trend, I have been slowing down (even more) in the gym. I have been going 2-3 days a week, continuing with 1-2 days of 10,000 steps and taking it easy the remainder of the week. I really just go in to move my body and get my blood flowing. I started getting a little discouraged and tired, so at week 36 I took an entire 7 days off. But I noticed that my back started aching, I wasn't falling asleep as easily, not drinking enough water and eating like complete crap. In the past couple weeks, I think I was still trying to push myself too hard which really wore me out. So at week 37 I would take a look at the WOD, thought of a few exercises I felt I could do well that day, and substituted them in. For example, if the WOD consisted of jump roping, burpees and cleans, I would do 1/2 the reps in step ups for jump roping, do push-ups on a box for burpees and hang power cleans instead of full cleans.
Week 38 will be my last day of Crossfit until the babe is here, but not my last day in the gym. We have two beautiful gyms at our apartment complex that I am going to start using for the last 2-4 weeks of my pregnancy. I think my husband likes me going with him so he can keep an eye on me. I can also go at night because they are air conditioned!
I wanted to share a few bits of unsolicited advice for expecting mothers. Things I have done, some I have not, but definitely ideas to budget for if you are pregnant. Here we go:
1. Work Out. I am not just saying this because it is a Crossfit and Pregnancy blog. It is my BEST advice for why I have such a comfortable pregnancy. All women are different and I am not a doctor, I only know of my own experience and comparing it to others. But, because of the gym, I have had very little swelling, I have slept GREAT this entire time, I don't ache, I am not uncomfortable and my baby has been healthy all the while. Now, I HAVE gained a whole bunch of weight (45# to be exact...so far) so if you're working out to keep slim, I can't promise anything. However, I can only imagine how much I would have gained if I didn't stay active! My fellow gym friends are used to seeing me and my big belly waddle through the gym. I went to the apartment gym the other day and I got a few funny looks when I asked the guy texting at the Smiths machine if he was finished so I could work on some squats. One woman even came up and said "I can't believe you can do that while pregnant!" And I said happily "I have been doing it the whole time, I'm used to it now!"
2. Plan a Girls Relaxation Day. I have the best friend in the whole world, the God Mother to my sweet baby, who planned out a fantastic Saturday for her and I to get mani/pedis, have lunch, eat pastries and sit and gossip. It was wonderful. It was hard to drag myself out to shower and get ready over the weekend, but it was so worth it. I won't be getting too many more of these opportunities when the babe arrives and quite honestly, I don't really treat myself to mani/pedis very often pre-baby because I just mess them up in a couple days. Do it for yourself.
3. Get a Massage. After the relaxation day with my BFF, and after a workout that engaged my back muscles too much, I decided that my husband and I should get massages. We had originally planned to go up to Big Bear (beautiful California mountains where the pregnancy all started, if you know what I mean) because Joshua loves the mountains. I looked at him, thought about the 2+ hour drive with an hour of hair pin turns, looked at my big belly and thought "maybe this isn't a good idea." Plus, we will be able to bring the babe there and make it a family affair. So I suggested massages because I know we won't get this opportunity again for a while. God, was THAT a good idea! We both felt so amazing and relaxed. Joshua has had a hard time sleeping and said he slept so well that night. It's hard spending that money when you are trying to budget for a baby and maternity leave, but I highly suggest putting some aside for you to "treat yo' self!"
4. Get a Professional to Deep Clean. This is one I have not done, but I should. With such small living quarters and a full grown chocolate lab, our apartment can get pretty dirty rather quickly. We do a good job keeping it neat, but I just don't feel like getting on my hands and knees to scrub baseboards and I don't think its a good idea to be sucking in a whole bunch of chemicals to clean the tub. Plus, I am really not that good of a cleaner so even when I do put work into something, I still see spots I missed. Leave it to the professionals... they know what they are doing.
5. Get Your Groceries Delivered. Since I get off work earlier, do the cooking and the meal planning, I am also the one to grocery shop. Seems fair, right? I normally don't mind it, but when it is 90 degrees outside, I have worked a full day, carried this 6-7 lb. chunk of love around in my belly and have to cook dinner, the last thing I want to do is grocery shop. I found a few grocery stores around me that deliver and I took advantage of the free, first time delivery from vons.com. You pick out your groceries and they deliver them to your door. My husband said, "What if the delivery guy is a creep?" I said, "He will be my favorite creep. Anyone to do my grocery shopping and carry the bags in for me is alright with me!."
6. Buy a New Outfit for Post- Delivery. This has been my mother's advice for 30+ years. She is a big fan of retail therapy and believes a new outfit can lift most spirits. She's right all of the time, so I know this has to be right, too. She told me to go buy a new outfit, doesn't have to be expensive, just new. And big. She said my body is still going to be big after I deliver, and putting on my old maternity clothes that I have been wearing for the past 6 months is going to be very depressing. So to get a new outfit that is too big for me will really help not only the body image issues, but my mood as well. It makes complete sense. So I am going to Wal-Mart for a $15 outfit that I am going to rock for the drive home! Why does the baby get to have all the new stuff?!
So those are my unsolicited bits of advice. Enjoy the pictures below!
A little preview of the active little boy that is about to grace us with his presence.
We went for a hike and I loved this bare-belly picture. It was a little too hot for a shirt. Plus, we were in the middle of the canyon so no one was there to judge my summer bod.
