My husband and I are considering having a child. That thought alone is nervewracking enough but I am trying to approach it with an open mind.
My question to you kind folks is this:
I am training Jiu-jitsu but am no means fit and healthy right now. 175lbs, 35% bf (tanita) 5'4, 31 and umm female
I am just beginning to get a handle on my weight loss (having always been the fat kid) I had lofty goals on getting in the MMA Cage in a couple of years maybe.
Getting pregnant will obviously put a dent in that plan.
So can anyone point me to some good reading material on diet and exercise while pregnant? There is so much out there I don't even know where to start. Obviously I won't be rolling for a while and even technique classes will be severely limited but I want to stick to some form of exercise.
I am absolutely 100% against a cesarean birth unless my babies life would be in danger as I do not want my abs getting cut. I can't believe that will help my goals at all.
I am so out of my element and just considering having a child is scaring the crap out of me let alone potentially destroying everything I have been trying to work for in health and fitness for the last couple of years.
I'm looking for advice and I guess reassurance that I don't have to turn into a blimp..
Obviously a doctor is going to be a port of call at some point but I want to go in armed with enough knowledge that I can intelligently pick a doctor who will work with me instead of telling me to quit all exercise at conception. I have no idea if that might be the case but I'm guessing as there are many doc's with conflicting ideas on health and fitness in the first place adding pregnancy into it is going to add a totally new element.
I have 2 months till my current contraception runs out and then I have no idea how long it might take to conceive after that as I have been using depo provera for about 15 years now. Could be up to a year (in which case I might be at my goal weight (132ish) by then )
Hey
This is all good news and plans, I am sure things will work out great for you.
I've been working with pre and postnatal training and nutrition for about 5 years now, and I have seen a lot of women enjoy an ongoing exercise program + great prenatal modification and easy delivery and recovery.
Preparing to get pregnant is key, since you would ideally be at a weight that will allow you to gain some pregnancy weight and at a fitness level where you will have a painless pregnancy once you conceive.
There is no reason to get freaked out about having a child, it will NOT destroy your efforts in the least.
Most books on pregnancy and post pregnancy fitness are written for the non fit women and you would probably find the ones available pretty boring and not very useful. Tupler's books (Maternal Fitness and Lose Your Mommy Tummy) are a good read to get a grasp on abdominal control. I find this book great, but it still won't give you what you need in terms of real exercise.
This is how it usually goes in previous clients like you:
1. Focus on weight loss and a well balanced strength training program that is total body and very focused on lower back / hip balance and upper back strength and abdominal / static strength; get adequate nutrients (e.g. folic acid), limit toxins
2. Once pregnant, get cleared by doctor and lower intesity while keeping to strength program; include pelvic floor exercises, up aerobic activity; stop all high impact or dangerous activities
3. End of 3rd month and later: discontinue all activity on your back, keep postural training, keep moderate intensity with weights, focus on stabilization, moderate aerobic activity
4. Monitor how you feel for months after 7 to decide how to modify rest intervals and weights, switch to multiple shorter workouts, rather than 1 long session
There is no reason why you shouldn't have a great carefree pregnancy, enjoying little weight gain and adequate physical activity. It will all depend on your health at the time, so for now, focus on being healthy and happy and decreasing your weight
Once my contraception is up I am going to get some prenatal vitamins from my doctor and start taking that. I don't smoke, rarely drink (and will make that none at all during pregnancy) and try and eat a clean varied diet at present. I will miss my coffee and sashimi but a healthy kid is worth it.
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Most books on pregnancy and post pregnancy fitness are written for the non fit women and you would probably find the ones available pretty boring and not very useful.
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Heh, thats what I figured so thanks for the recomendations.
I really appreciate that. It's going to be a while, I'm guessing maybe 6 months at least before I even conceive but I'll keep a note
I'm a lot less in the freaking out place now. There is still the what on earth am I getting myself into fear underlying but since I finally decided to do this I kinda feel more at peace with it. I've never liked other people's kids, I am the one running in the other direction when they are in the vicinity, come to think of it I don't think I have ever even held a baby. I doubt the baby stage is going to be my favourite but I am looking forward to sharing a child's life and experiences.
Anyway, I checked my vitamin supp and it has 400mg of folic acid added to it so that should do me good for now. I guess now I have a new goal.. How much fat can I lose before I get pregnant.. lol, that's gonna make me think twice before grabbing a doughnut or skipping a workout.. I might not have tomorrow to work it off
I think the time before getting pregnant is the easiest time in terms of motivation. I am sure you won't have a problem choosing a better dessert than a doughnut or getting to your workouts
I was so fit and healthy for my 2nd pregnancy. Ate like a pig for the first one and gained 40 lbs. After the 3rd, I kept gaining, and losing, and gaining...where I am now.
But the 2nd, I went to the gym a lot, doing weights, up to the last week. I gained less than 25 lbs (started at 125) so I never got higher than 150. OMG, it's amazing what gaining less weight when pregnant will do for your recovery.
She was also a breeze to deliver, as I focused a lot of relaxation tapes, and breathing.
If you have the time to get yourself in better shape and drop some fat, go for it. And if you have the control, watch your weight when pregnant. It's easy to say when you're not pregnant and craving food, but it truly helps.
This is the latest on pregnancy weight I heard in the news recently. Though it's based on BMI, which isn't always relevant, but each of us knows if we are at a healthy weight or overweight.
Good luck when you choose to become pregnant (I hope that is the case.)
I can suggest you a portal where you can get personalized advice from nutrition and fitness experts throughout ure pregnancy http://www.healthcaremagic.com/.
I have been in touch with them throughout my pregnancy. Very helpful. I went for their annual plan..and could just ping the doc whenever i needed to check on something..much better then bothering my gynae all the time..the diet plan tehy sent me worked for me fine.
Many pregnant women worry about weight gain and diet during pregnancy. Weight gain is common to a degree. Pregnant women should have a good diet that provides them plenty of nutrition, including vitamins, minerals, fibers, etc. Women who are pregnant should add at least 250 additional calories to their common diet. It is important to eat a healthy and balance meal three times daily.
Moderate exercise can help you avoid stretch marks, too much weight gain, etc while keeping your baby and you strong and healthy. It is also recommend that pregnant women maintain their routine exercises, however in some instances a woman and her baby may be high risk, so normal exercises are not welcomed.
Thank you so much to everyone, I'm sorry, apparently I was getting the emails about updates to the thread.
I am doing RFL from Lyle Mcdonald with some great success at the moment. I shot up to 182.2 after I posted originally and went on a business trip, mostly bloat weight thankfully but still not good. I am down to 168 ish right now which is awesome.
Mentally I have come a long way since originally posting as well. I am really looking forward to this child, it just feels such the right thing to do right now.
I definitely appreciate I will put on some weight, hoping to keep it around the 25lb mark, I am still 'overweight' right now but I have 8 weeks left on Lyle's diet. I have one more business trip in late September which will be part of a 2 week diet break and then we will chuck out the condoms and start trying - I decided to wait because I really really want to go on this trip (court technology conference that only happens every 2 years and is very informative) and I could guarantee that tempting Murphy would have me pregnant and in full blown morning sickness if I didn't hold off.
My cycle has come in with a vengeance 3 weeks before my depo wears off, almost like my body knows what I have planned, usually I just get some light spotting. Odd. Anyhow Mum (nurse practitioner) says that is a pretty good indication that I won't be one of the take a year to get pregnant people.
So all is moving forward nicely, going to be looking for a obgyn in the next few weeks.
Thanks again,
Oh and Galya, if you are still eyeballing this thread, I think that mock bread you posted about might become a staple during my pregnancy, it looks fantastic. I am holding off actually trying it while on RFL as I don't want to be craving it for the next 8 weeks
Hey,
glad things are working well for you.
You know, you can check out the besan pancakes I posted recently, they are only 100 calories each and they are as satisfying as bread. The Italian Mock bread is awesome, too, and it really doesn't cause you to crave it bad, since it's very filling and satisfying.
Health and fitness while pregnant.
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