Working Out & Pregnancy

Even before the discovery of Otter girl, working out was a priority in my life. Now, I value it even more & believe it is a necessary component of a healthy & enjoyable pregnancy. I've been thinking a lot recently about the variety of benefits that working out has & try to encourage other mommy's-to-be to get moving [because it feels so good!].

I should also be more specific on what I would consider a workout. A workout doesn't have to end with you soaked in sweat and short of breath. I would actually discourage that during pregnancy as it isn't wise to push yourself to exhaustion. Any activity that gets the heart rate up a little bit for an extended period of time is an appropriate workout for the pregnant gal. A 20 minute quick walk, a [stationary] bike ride, the elliptical machine, doing some light weight lifting, yoga, or body weight workouts can all help prepare the growing body to carry & support increased weight throughout daily activities & for post-partum activities as well.

Benefits to working out while pregnant:
 1. Prevents lower back pain - As baby grows & weight increases around the abdomen, posture can be affected & the strain of carrying that weight can cause back pain. Also, having tight muscles & ligaments from a lack of movement also causes lower back pain. Even a simple 20 minute walk, 5 days a week, can help the body build muscle to support the baby & prevent the back from over-arching, which causes pain. Stronger muscles help maintain better posture; something I've seen that can go out the window during the last couple months of pregnancy [shoulders hunched forward & too much lower spine curve].

2. Controls weight gain - It is suggested that women gain 25-35 pounds during the 9 months of pregnancy. Gaining too much weight increases the chance of developing high blood pressure or gestational diabetes [which puts the baby at a higher risk of developing diabetes later in life]. Other problems can include a large baby, which complicates labor, & premature labor. It also helps post-partum to lose the weight quicker because there is less weight to lose [mostly the weight of the baby, placenta, & water retained which is gone just after birth].

3. Relaxation - There are many things to be stressed about during pregnancy, & wacky hormones don't help either! I find that after I take the time to workout, I feel better emotionally. Even when I'm tired, but choose to workout, I feel much more energized & refreshed than before. There is scientific proof that working out boosts emotional well-being...  endorphins are released during a workout, which are "feel-good" hormones & provide a natural "high".

4. Prevents late night leg cramps - I've been warned that now is the time [starting the third trimester] that leg cramps can start haunting me in the middle of the night. I haven't had one. Cramps are caused by fatigued muscles [& other factors, like dehydration]. Spending a day on your feet with extra baby weight can be exhausting for muscles that aren't used to doing that kind of work. By working out, legs will become stronger & daily activities won't be as exhausting for the muscles. End result = less likely to be woken up with agonizing leg cramps.

5. Self-confidence boost - I want to feel good about myself & how I look while my belly continues to balloon.  Becoming a mother isn't an excuse to "let yourself go" but an even better time to really take care of your body [for yourself & your baby!]. I'm not scared of getting a puffy face or ankles during the last couple weeks of carrying around Jori girl because water retention is just part of the last phase of pregancy. But I do care that I don't put on excess pounds & fat that will affect how I feel about myself.

I could list even more benefits, but will save that for another day.

[disclaimer: it is never my intention to offend or seem as if I'm passing judgement on someone who isn't "doing pregnancy" the same way I am... My goal is to just give out ideas to consider for a healthier life & easier pregnancy]

Healthier Food Alternatives

Here is a small list of some of my favorite foods: french fries. bread/pasta. ice cream.

& if I wasn't careful I could easily be packing on some extra pounds now that I'm a washed-up, former college athlete that will never do a dead-lift or burpee again. & pregnant. It makes running tricky now that I'm belly heavy.

I've come up with a small list of suggestions on how to still eat some of your favorite foods, but in a better version of them. It's not all about weight loss, but about putting food into your body that keeps in functioning & feeling its best [but also a little bit about weight management].

1. French Fries: Choose sweet potato fries &/or red potato wedges. French fries sure do taste good. but are also fried. & don't have much nutritional value. Sweet potato fries are taaasty & so so easy to make! Lightly coat in olive oil, add some paprika [just a little, that stuff has a kick of spice!], and cook them up for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees... yum. Even good dipped in a little ketchup [which is good for fulfilling ketchup cravings]. Sweet potatoes are cheap, full of vitamins, are a good source of potassium & iron, & contain kerotins=good for eyes. Red potato wedges are also a better option; slice them up, lightly coat in olive oil, add some salt/pepper, & cook them up in the oven. These also contain significant vitamins & minerals good for the body.

2. Bread/Pasta: This is simple. Get the white out & switch to wheat/whole wheat. Be aware of sneaky bread companies that claim their bread is whole wheat, then the first ingredient they list is not whole wheat but "enriched wheat flour". You're not getting what you think you are, so look for 100% whole wheat [& double check that label]. Pasta also comes in the wheat option. It may take a couple tries to get used to the different texture, but your body will thank you for switching to a better carb. & it still tastes amazing with some spaghetti sauce & parmesan cheese.

3. Ice cream: [notice I did not cross this one out. because I love it. & still eat it.] Oh sweet sweet goodness I love ice cream. Especially with peanut butter. The key to this, in my own little opinion, is portion control. We have adorable polka dot dishes that are meant for ice cream & don't allow me to fill up a cereal sized bowl with 800 calories. We also don't buy it on a regular basis, maybe once a month. [Now that Jori girl gives me unstoppable ice cream cravings I've given in a few more times a week than I normally would. I justify it by claiming she needs more calcium. I just need my vanilla & peanut butter goodness]. An alternative to ice cream is smoothies. Cold, sweet, & creamy. But with natural sugars & a lot less calories! We buy extra fresh fruit sometimes & just freeze it up. We found this to be more economical than buying frozen fruit. Add a little low-fat vanilla or plain yogurt to the fruit in a blender & mix away. Use bananas, cocoa powder, & peanut butter for an amazing treat & a massive boost of vitamins & minerals.

These are only a few of multiple ways to replace the foods you love with healthier, but similar options. Got any other tips? I'd love to hear them :]

Jori Marie Update:
-25 weeks [26 weeks on Friday & a week away from the third trimester]
-Tiny girlfriend is the size of an eggplant, almost 2 lbs, & over 13 inches long! what a woman.
-She is kicking my bladder. a lot. but I haven't peed my pants yet [I hear this could happen!]
-Weight gain weight gain :] At my appointment Monday, the scale showed that I gained 8 pounds since my last appointment 4 weeks ago. Which is SO good. The last time I had lost 3 pounds. So I'm now within the 11-19 pound gain suggested for 25 weeks that keeps me on track for 25-35 total gain. [my total is now 14 pounds!]
-A couple instances of mild cramping... hoping this goes away & not that I'll have to end up on bed rest before my due date. How boring.
-I love her more than I could have ever imagined.

Nursery Update

It has been busy for the Owens the past couple of weeks - AAU bball tourny for my husband's 6th grade team & I worked a couple 50+ hour weeks. However, I still found some time to do some crafting & Craigslist browsing for nursery furniture. My plan is to create Jori's nursery with as many home-made things as possible to save some cash but also because I just love having reasons to make things. The first two projects I took on were an adorable little owl pillow [not an owl themed nursery] & a banner to hang over our little girlfriend's crib [that we don't have yet].

I found my inspiration for the owl pillow from a Pinterest. I've never made a pillow before, or even put together anything out of felt, but it didn't seem too complex so I just 'winged it' & am super happy with the results!

I started with the face - eyes first, then layered under it to get the right portions. I lightly drew out the shape I wanted with pencil on the felt & eyeballed it the rest of the way while cutting. 

Next I used the size of the head to cut a proportionate body shape & top head feathery thing [I really have no clue what that is for on real owls... extra feathers? it just looks cute.] 

Before sewing the owl to green fabric, I hand sewed the individual pieces of the owl together to add a little dimension to it. After all the pieces were together, I sewed around the outside of the owl to the green fabric square.

This is the back of the pillow, & the main colors of her nursery :]

The other project I've completed [& so far my favorite] is our Jori girl's name banner. I made a banner that says "Mr. & Mrs. Owens" for our head table at the wedding & it now hangs above our bed. How perfect that our tiny girlfriend will have one too above her crib :]

I cut the banner triangles & letters from fabric I purchased from Hobby Lobby with their wonderful 40% off coupon. The letters are the same fabric as the back of the owl pillow. 

I sewed the banners to a string of twine [with the extra light green triangles, same as the green fabric on the front of the owl pillow & some cute mini ones between each flag]

I just can't wait for her crib to be under the banner [sure would love it if it was gifted off our registry!] & to have our sleeping girl cuddled up & cute in her bed.

Another area we've started to set up is her book/reading area. I bought a bright pink trunk my freshman year of college & my husband really couldn't think of an appropriate place for it to sit in our grown-up apartment pre-baby. Now I can pass on this cutie trunk to our little girl & encourage her to be a baby genius :]

I picked up the metal bird book ends at a garage sale for $2 a couple summers ago - they even made an appearance at our wedding. The trunk sits on the floor between two, 10 foot windows, & are considering putting mini shelves above the trunk, between the windows, for more books. 

& lastly, here is the beauty of a Craigslist treasure we purchased a couple weeks ago. We originally wanted a simple dresser that would double as a changing station because these things are expen$ive - we found this glorious changing station/dresser/shelving unit for $130 & it's basically new. There is one tiny scratch. Bonus: The top piece comes off for when we want it to look more like a dresser & not the place we used to wipe her butt :] I cannot wait to put little baskets multiple shapes & sizes up top & possibly put different/fun knobs on the drawers.

& that's the nursery so far :] Current projects include a heart garland that is basically done, just needs a home for hanging, a little wall decor with some letters & fabric-filled cross-stitching rings, & curtains. 

Looking Ahead:

-25 week appointment update

-Small eating habit changes that make a big difference