Finding Time for Fitness

Prior to having a baby, I worked out pretty frequently. I did Crossfit and Olympic weightlifting several days a week most weeks. My husband used to co-own a Crossfit gym downtown, and I would either work out there doing group classes or do something on my own in our garage where we have barbells, weights, dumbbells, kettle bells, a pull-up bar, etc. I started doing Crossfit in the summer of 2008, and that is actually where my husband and I met. A couple of years later, I started focusing more on Olympic weightlifting and competed in a few regional weightlifting meets, which were a lot of fun, despite the lovely singlet you have to wear which is oh so flattering on all body types. Please note my sarcasm here.

Then, in the spring of 2014, I found out I was pregnant with our first child. I continued working out, doing Crossfit-style workouts and lifting weights. I had to modify certain movements the further along in my pregnancy I got, and I didn't work out with quite the same intensity as I had pre-pregnancy, but I could still do most exercises, and I continued working out until the very end of my pregnancy. Towards the end, I worked out fewer times per week and sometimes for shorter lengths of time, but I still kept moving, which I felt was important for both me and the baby.

I had hoped that staying in shape would help with labor and delivery, but, unfortunately, I did not get to attempt a natural birth as I needed to have a C-section due to my baby boy being breech. And, it turned out to be a blessing that we scheduled the surgery because we found the umbilical cord was wrapped around my son's neck three times, and his head was stuck under my rib cage. So, a natural birth could have been very dangerous.

After taking about six weeks to fully recover from the C-section, I started very slowly getting back into the habit of working out again. I would take my son on walks wearing him on me in a baby wrap or pushing him in his stroller. Then, I progressed to doing some body weight exercises like squats and some very light shoulder press, and only increased in intensity or weight based on how my body was feeling. I tried not to compare the weights I was using to pre-pregnancy or even the weights I was using during pregnancy. I tried, and am still trying, to give myself and my body grace and not feel pressured to be back to my pre-pregnancy fitness level. It is hard to find the time and energy to work out when you are up at all hours of the night with a baby that isn't sleeping well, but I just tried to do something when I could and when my body felt ready for it.

I would urge you to not try to do too much too soon as it could result in an injury or just setting you back in your road to recovery. It took 9-10 months for your baby to develop inside you and during that time, your body has changed so much and accomplished so much. It doesn't make sense to expect your body to bounce right back after going through that. Around six months postpartum, I started feeling better and moving better than I had before, but it wasn't until I neared the end of my breastfeeding journey around one year postpartum that I dropped the extra pregnancy weight.

My son turned 13 months old on Christmas, and I have just now over the past few months gotten back into somewhat of a routine working out regularly again. I am still not back to the same intensity as I was before and am not able to lift as much weight as before, but I am still getting out there and moving around and it feels good.

I have found that it works best for me to get up earlier in the morning and work out before work. That way I am able to focus my attention on my son and spend quality time with him when I get home in the evenings rather than trying to squeeze in a workout as well. Working full time, I don't get to spend very much time with him during the week since he goes to bed so early. So, it's definitely worth it to get up a little earlier than normal to work out so I can be with my son at night. Also, if I don't work out in the morning, there is an endless list of possible things that could come up to prevent me from doing it later. So it is best to get it out of the way before there are other distractions and before my son even wakes up for the day. I try to work out in the morning two days during the week, and then do one or two workouts on the weekends when I have more time. On the weekends, I will either work out while my son is napping or my husband and I will work out at the same time but take turns watching the baby while the other one does a set or two of whatever exercise we are doing. It works out pretty well.

Some days I will take one of our dogs for a walk and run some sprints with him. Other days, I will do some sort of squat, like front squat, back squat, overhead squat, or goblet squats with a kettle bell. I am working on being able to do strict pull-ups again as well. I was able to do them toward the beginning of my pregnancy, but now I have to use a resistance band to help get me up over the bar, and I want to ditch the band again. So, that is one of my current goals. It will probably take a while, but that's okay. Some days, I may do a combination of sit-ups, jump rope, squats, deadlifts,box jumps, etc. I try to change it up a lot and keep things interesting. We will go on family walks with our son and two dogs, and I will ride my bike occasionally as well. Some weekends when the weather is decent, my husband and I will go to a field near our house or the local high school to run sprints and push the Prowler. We will take turns pushing our son in his stroller around the track while the other one works out. I want to continue this and other activities as my son gets older so he will grow up understanding the importance of exercise and that it can be a fun way to stay fit and healthy.

Having a Breech Baby

When I found out I was pregnant, and even before that when we were just trying, my plan was to have a natural birth. My husband and I are pretty health-conscious; we try to eat whole foods focusing on proteins like meat and eggs, plenty of vegetables, healthy fats, and some fruits, and avoiding processed foods, sugars, and gluten. We also try to avoid unnecessary chemicals in our toiletries and house cleaning products. So, when it came to making plans for the birth of our child, it was a no-brainer that we wanted to try for a natural, drug-free delivery. I took care of myself and the baby very well during the pregnancy, eating right, and working out. And my husband and I took the Bradley Method childbirth classes to learn techniques for a natural, vaginal birth.

So, when I found out our baby boy was breech about halfway through my pregnancy, I was pretty disappointed. In talking to my doctor, my chiropractor, and doing research online, though, I learned that there were a lot of things I could do to try to make the baby turn. So, I tried them all. (The Spinning Babies website- http://spinningbabies.com- is a great resource, but I would definitely consult with your doctor or midwife and other trusted advisors before trying any of the techniques to be safe.)

The chiropractor used the Webster technique which aims to balance the pelvis properly and reduce the stress to the ligaments that support the uterus. I got adjusted once or twice per week for the last couple of months of my pregnancy. I also tried laying inverted (on an ironing board propped up on the seat of the couch) with my head down low and my hips and legs elevated and put a drop of peppermint oil and ice on my stomach where the baby's head was. My doctor and chiropractor said this could help the baby move by attempting to get away from the cold source. So I tried it once a day.  I also tried swimming and doing flips in the water, taking Pulsatilla, a homeopathic remedy, and finally, I tried acupuncture. Unfortunately, none of it worked to turn the baby, and at 36 weeks, I could still feel baby boy's head right in the same position as he had been 16 weeks prior.

My doctor and I had previously discussed the possibility of doing an external cephalic version where my doctor would try to reposition the baby by pushing on my abdomen and the baby's head, but this can be very painful and could result in an emergency c-section. So, we decided against doing the version and planned on having a c-section sometime in the next couple of weeks when I would be 38-39 weeks. I had been having high blood pressure for several weeks leading up to that point, though, so my doctor had been closely monitoring me for signs of preeclampsia, and during my visit at 36 weeks, she drew my blood again to make sure everything was okay.

She called me the following Monday and said the blood work showed my kidneys were starting to function less than optimally so she was worried I might be developing preeclampsia, and she wanted to go ahead and schedule the c-section for the following day. I was a little taken off guard since it would be a week or two earlier than we had discussed last, but I knew it was what we needed to do for my and the baby's health. So, that night, my husband and I quickly came up with a new plan. It wasn't our original birth plan, but it was the way things needed to be, and we made the best of it.

The next day, during the surgery, my doctor found that the umbilical cord was wrapped around my son's neck three times. That was very scary to hear, and I immediately felt bad for trying so many things to make him turn head-down when he obviously wasn't able to turn due to the cord, but she got the cord unwrapped. Then, I heard her ask a nurse to call for another doctor for back-up, and I knew something was wrong, but then, a minute later, before the other doctor go there, she said "got him!" And I learned after he was delivered, that his head was stuck under my rib cage, and she had to get on a step stool to get enough leverage to pull him out. That was terrifying to hear, but I'm so thankful she was able to deliver him safely, and he was, and is, healthy and happy. Although it wasn't the birth I had hoped and planned for, I will always treasure it as our special birth story and the way I first met my baby boy.