Looking Back at My Second Pregnancy: Exercise and Self-Care
In the recent post on my second pregnancy experience I started discussing the factors that helped me stay fit and healthy during those 9 months. I talked about my pregnancy diet and nutrition there and this time I'll focus on exercise and self-care.
I did my best to stay very active throughout my pregnancy. I also put as much emphasis on self-care and time for myself as I could, given that I had a husband and a toddler whom I wanted to spend some quality time with, and a full-time job.
It’s not Just about Exercising, it is about staying active
To me, staying active is not only about exercising. Aside from working out regularly, our family really enjoys spending time outdoors and being active during the weekends or when we travel - let it be hikes, swimming, paddle boarding or just long walks on the beach or in the neighborhood. Those are great ways to stay fit and active in your day-to-day life or on vacations.
I was lucky to have a pretty easy pregnancy without any complications. Because of that I was able to maintain my regular workout routine until the very end of my pregnancy. While I could do pretty much everything without any modifications for the first 5 months, I needed some adjustments later to accommodate my growing belly and pregnancy-related piriformis pain.
Exercising in the early pregnancy months
My workout routine didn't change much during the first 5 months as I didn't have much of a belly and could still do most of the exercises. During that time I exercised 4-6 times a week. This included fitness classes in the gym (30-60 minutes each) and home workouts using 8fit app or YouTube videos (15-30 min each).
Over the last few years I've slowly shifted towards more cardio in my routine. While I still prefer to have a good mix of sculpting, core and cardio workouts, my routine definitely includes more of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and cardio exercises than before. I can feel that over time doing more cardio has significantly improved my endurance. And combined with the stronger core and muscles from all the prior strength training, it allowed me to maintain high intensity workouts and manage my piriformis pain better during pregnancy.
Exercising later in pregnancy
It was around 5-6 months when I needed to start modifying my workouts. First of all, I could no longer do any exercises on my belly. Secondly, just like with my first pregnancy, I started having piriformis pain. It is a very severe pain that can be triggered by something as basic as walking, as well as particular exercises, laying flat on the floor or sitting in certain positions. I felt much more limited in what I could do due to this pain during my first pregnancy. As a result, I had to significantly cut down on most of the cardio exercises and did more weights / sculpting classes instead. To compensate for those cardio classes, I started swimming in the pool and taking spin classes a lot, as those activities didn't cause piriformis pain.
Luckily, this time my piriformis issue wasn't as limiting as before. But when the pain occurred, it was just as severe as before. So I definitely had to adjust some exercises and movements to avoid the pain. The exercises and poses that were causing it the most were abs exercises with both legs and upper body elevated (i.e. balancing on the tail bone) and exercises requiring laying flat on the back. Also quite often it was not the poses but getting out of the poses that caused severe pain. So I had to learn what exactly was causing the pain and how to avoid or mitigate it.
This was quite a learning experience and it wasn't easy. I had to deal with pain during every workout. But quitting, even for just the last few months of pregnancy, wasn't an option as exercising had always been such an essential part of my lifestyle. And that's why I was willing to deal with pain and be smart about adjustments. As a result, I was able to continue taking the same classes and doing the same exercises as before, with some modifications, 4-6 times a week until the very end.
However, while it is okay to tolerate certain pain, you always have to be careful! You need to know your body well enough to understand what is normal and what is not. Especially when it comes to pregnancy, it is your and your baby's safety and health that is the most important. Therefore, I would always suggest that pregnant women consult with their doctor about exercising and listen to their body as every pregnancy is unique.
Self-care
My second pregnancy proved to me once again that there was no single magic factor (such as diet or exercising) that could help you reach your fitness goals. It’s rather a well-rounded combination of factors that can help you get there. Even if you think that you got your nutrition and exercise routine covered, it still requires a few other things such as good sleep or a reduced stress level. I have started paying more attention to those 'extras' during second pregnancy and am committed to continue it after. Here are some of those important factors on my list:
1. Sleep
It's been a few years already that I've prioritized good sleep over other things that could keep me busy and awake late at night. It is proven that lack of sleep is associated with so many negative outcomes, such as weight gain, stress, and aging, which I would like to avoid as much as I can. And while having a newborn at home makes 8-hour sleep stretches more of a dream than a reality, getting as much sleep as possible (instead of extra 30 minutes on the computer, for example) becomes even a bigger priority for me.
2. Time for myself
I made it a point during second pregnancy to build in some time for myself into my routine. The key to me was to make those moments of 'self time', let it be reading, doing a facial mask or grabbing coffee with a friend, more predictable and planned. For example, I dedicated 30 min every Sunday night for my 'beauty time' when I did a facial mask and took extra time for skin care, nails, etc. It was extremely nice to have that time put aside just for myself and I was really looking forward to it. I'm definitely keeping this new activity in my post-pregnancy routine.
3. Massage
When I was 7 month pregnant, it was my husband who suggested that I should do something for myself, like a massage, on a regular basis. If I have it scheduled once a week, I'll have something to look forward to every week. And mainly, it will help with my piriformis pain and will make me feel more relaxed and rested. I thought it was a wonderful idea and was lucky to find an amazing massage therapist in my neighborhood specializing and pre- and post-natal massage. And those massage sessions truly became one of the highlights of my last two month of pregnancy. This pre-natal massage was extremely helpful with back and shoulder pain associated with sleeping in the same position all the time, calf pain from carrying a heavier body and continued intense exercising, and provided overall relaxation. So if you have an opportunity to do something that can help you relax and feel rested, and hopefully also mitigate any pregnancy-related pain, I would highly encourage you to do it!
4. Other professional services providing relief from pregnancy-related pain
I tried acupuncture for the very first time during my first pregnancy as I was looking for ways to treat my piriformis pain. Since it was helpful back then I decided to do it again this time. I had weekly sessions for the last 3 month of my pregnancy and really enjoyed them for multiple reasons. Acupuncture provided relief for my piriformis pain, helped with some regular colds, relieved muscle pain in my back and shoulders from always sleeping in the same position, and made me feel extremely relaxed. One day my acupuncturist suggested that I'd get even better results if I combined acupuncture with chiropractic services. I decided to give it a try and did it also on a weekly basis for the last month.
This combination of massage, acupuncture and chiropractic services really made the third trimester of my pregnancy so much more enjoyable, made me feel rested and relaxed, taken good care of and in control of my body and pain levels.
To sum up
Staying active and fit during pregnancy doesn't mean hitting the gym 5 times a week. If for any reason you can't exercise during pregnancy or were not working out before, don't underestimate the power of other activities, such as long walks outside. Just try to make an effort to get out of the house more or sometimes walk to that nearby coffee shop instead of driving.
In general, here is my rule of thumb when it comes to exercising during pregnancy. If you have always been active, it is okay to continue doing what you were doing as long as it feels right. However, it is not advised to introduce new high impact activities that you haven’t done before. It is different, though, if you start a new activity that is proven to be beneficial for pregnancy, such as swimming or prenatal yoga.
And don't forget about self-care and time for yourself during pregnancy. When you bring your new baby home, you'll have less time for yourself, so take advantage of this 'extra' time now. Put your 'self time' in your calendar, plan for in, look forward to it! It'll make you feel so much better, more rested and more in control.
At the end, do whatever makes you happy during those 9 months and embrace the changes that happen to your body, mind and life!
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions expressed in this post are solely based on my own experiences and health conditions. All the materials here are provided for informational purposes only and may not apply to the reader; they are not intended and should not be interpreted as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, they should consult with an appropriate physician or a health care provider.
While I encourage interesting discussions and comments for this post, I will not provide any medical advice in response to comments or emails.