Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador

I have been accepted by Girls Gone Sporty to be an ambassador. I am already learning so much from other bloggers and amazing women in this tight knit community, in 1 day, and so excited to work with them in the future!

What is Girls Gone Sporty? It is a website that has various articles written by professionals and ambassadors, maybe even me one day, to help teach and motivate you in your exercise and fitness goals! There is also a recipe collection that looks great too.

The women who are ambassadors are real women who have done whatever they can to be fit and healthy. This is why I blog. Because there are so many others out here that have changed their life that I have learned from, but there will always be someone out there looking for that little nudge to help them start a new lifestyle. I hope to help inspire you that you can do this. Just 1 step at a time! Hope on. Journey on!

April Week 4 Workout Recap

So long, and farewell to April! Another one bites the dust as the months just tick, tick, tick by. It is so hard to believe that it is already May. I made it. 9 months ago my I started a few things and finally today I have accomplished so many things. I finished a year of concerts while pregnant with the Charlottesville Symphony including playing one of the most demanding symphonies for french horn as the last concert series, I ran through 3/4 of my pregnancy, completing 4 races including my first half marathon, and I started yoga. The past 9 months have been amazing!

Now only about 2 more weeks until my life will change forever and I will become a mother of 2! P.S. 2 weeks from today is Mother's Day!

I've been thinking about how these workout recaps are going to be over the next few months. I think they will be more of a weekly recap of my life and things that are going on and if I do actually exercise I will mark it down. But my plan of action at this point is to walk for fun after baby comes, not counting mileage at all. And beginning in June I will be walking more and more for the training program I am helping with. So pretty much once baby comes I will be recovering, allowing my body the full time of recovery before I start running and walking large miles again. I am sure you already figured that but I like to put it down for my own reminder!

Pregnancy Changes:  I feel like I am getting huge. I am my own zip code. But really, I am not that big. Considering I still have 2+ weeks before baby comes I am only going to get bigger. I am really keeping my weight in check and trying very hard to not gain too much. I am currently up 12-13 lbs. Crazy huh! But sadly I am craving sweets right now. And icy cold things. I feel like I am frying hot all the time! So I don't think the sweets craving is going to be good for me, but I am trying to limit how many sweets I eat in a day. (i.e. not the whole bag or only 1 cupcake)

I had my last concert today for the symphony and I am so thankful that that is over with. It is getting so hard to play horn with a huge belly and a lack of air support. I actually iced my lips for the last 2 nights after rehearsal and the concerts because I was using my face to get the notes out and not my breathing/air. NOT GOOD! But I did what I needed to do and we still rocked it.

For the first time in months I have been pain free in my sacrum. Thursday I went and saw the chiropractor, twice. The second time did the trick. And it finally is realigned and I feel so much better. It is amazing. I am actually feeling pretty good at this point. I still waddle a little as I am feeing my pelvis starting to open up and that's ok. I earned my waddle. Also after another check up at the doc this past week baby is still super high and tight. NO dilation, NO engagement. Doc couldn't even feel the baby on the internal exam to determine position of baby. So this coming week, if he can't find the position of the baby than I have to get an ultrasound to determine. I am pretty sure he is head down but just not in the pelvis yet. I am talking baby now to try and get him to get locked and loaded but not ready to fire!

Prepping For Baby:  Haven't done much in this area. But I am feeling the itch. Everyday I keep having the feeling to just get everything, toiletries and last minute packing stuff in my hospital bag. I have clothing and such but not the necessities that I need after baby. I will more than likely do this this week. As far as nesting urges. I just want my house to be clean and stay clean but I don't want to do it. Don't have the energy to do it. I still have 1 more week of teaching and when teaching is over I might actually get the deep cleaning done (actually hiring someone to do that, happy Mother's Day to me!)

Prepping Mason For Baby:  Yesterday we went to watch the Dogwood Festival Parade with some friends. They recently had a baby and after the parade we went and got some lunch. The baby started fussing and Matt helped feed the baby with the bottle and even held the baby to burp it and comfort it. Matt hasn't really been around a 3 month old. He missed that with Mason and did a really great job. Mason also saw Matt holding a baby. Mason pulled Matt's hand off the baby's back and put his head in his daddy's hand like, daddy hold me too. It was really good for Mason to see Matt holding a baby and Mason was pretty good. He really could care less cause he just walked away after that. But we will see. I am starting to think that there is some hope for us.

Workout Recap: 

Sunday: rest.

Monday: rest. Mason had to go to the doctor due to an infection on his hand from his fall a week ago.

Tuesday: rest. Let antibiotics kick in before he went back to the gym

Wednesday: 2 mile walk. 18 min mile pace. 15 min bike. I was planning on doing 3 miles but body and baby had other ideas. Baby started moving around and stretching out like he was going to come out completely and made walking really uncomfortable for me. Went on the bike but kneeing my belly was just uncomfortable.

Thursday: 1 hour 15 min prenatal yoga class. This class is starting to kick my butt. Scratch that, it is kicking my butt. I am having to modify the modified poses. I just can't bend over as easily, downward dog is a thing of the past, because it makes me want to puke. On the plus side, my triangle pose is rocking still! Plus I got an hour massage and 2 chiropractic adjustments!

Friday: 2 mile walk. Another 2 miles went better. Chatted with the lady next to me asking all sorts of questions about baby and how I was feeling. Makes the time go by very quickly. 18:15 min mile pace.

Saturday: 1.5 mile walk to and from the parade. It was a long walk from where we parked to where we watched. So I counted this as my exercise for the day. It wore me out because it was hot and pushing a stroller and such. But it wasn't at any sort of quick pace.

Total Mileage: 5.5 miles
37 weeks pregnant

~Heading to the gym for my last week before account is on hold for baby!~

Old Wives' Tales To Evict Baby

Are you one of those mommas who is READY to be Done being pregnant. We all get to that point. I was there the day before I was induced with Mason. I couldn't get comfy, I was excited to meet my little man and I just wanted him out. But to avoid the induction I tried a few Old Wives' Tales to try to self induce. They didn't work for me but some of these are worth a try if you really want to push the evict button on your little one. 

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am me, providing a speaking outlet and I have my own opinions. Consult your doctor if you have any questions about self induction or at least please, let them know prior to if you are going to try some of these so they can tell you the pros and cons.*

Please keep in mind that babies cook for their own time. If the baby is not ready to come out, then these will likely not work. Also think about possible healthy problems that can happen with an early baby. You due date is an ESTIMATED due date and can be off as much as 2 weeks either side of the EDD.*

Let's talk about sex, baby! - Yep, what got you into this can certainly get you out of it. Interesting thought. At this point if you are seriously considering eviction you probably feel huge and not sexy at all and don't want to even think about sex, but yes sex can help you out. Semen contains prostaglandins, a hormone that can help ripen (soften and open) the cervix and possibly lead to contractions. 

Also having the big "O" can release the hormone oxytocin, which is the natural form of pitocin, by the way and can help stimulate contractions.  (AVOID sex if your water has broken or there is bleeding. Great for lead up to due date.) Helps to strengthen your relationship with your partner too, considering that you won't be having sex 4-8 weeks after you have baby.

Nipple Stimulation: Another pleasurable thing. These are good for you and your partner to help strengthen your love for each other and it can be fun! Gentle rubbing or stimulating can release oxytocin, which can help stimulate contractions. (caution: contractions brought on in this manner may be long and intense and cause baby stress including slowing the fetal heart rate. So please don't go overboard with this.)

HOT! HOT! HOT Spicy Food- Cinco De Mayo is right around the corner. Go to your fav Mexican restaurant and enjoy some spicy tamales or hot sauce. Or check out Spicy Thai food or chicken wings smothered in super spicy hot sauce. Spicy foods help fire up your digestive system and bowels which can cause contractions. What do I mean by "fire up?" It will make you have diarrhea, especially if you are not used to eating spicy spicy food. I did this with Mason and I had weird contractions for 3 hours then they stopped and nothing more. It will possibly cause heartburn too or intensify your heartburn.

Go Tropical with Pineapple- Eating pineapple can also start labor because of the enzymes found in it called Bromelain. When eaten it can help soften the cervix. But you need to eat about 7 full sized fresh pineapples to get the desired amount and possibly well before that point you will probably have burned your mouth from the acid in the pineapple. So eat cautiously. But I still like to eat some pineapple for fun, or a virgin pina colada! YUM! 

Teas- Red raspberry leaf tea, or I am currently drinking the Earth Mama Angel Baby Third Trimester Tea, which has red raspberry leaf in it can help trigger contractions. It really helps to prep your uterus for contractions or as Earth Mama says to nurture all those mama parts gearing up for the joyous arrival of your angel baby.

Castor Oil- EWWWW! Is all I have to say. I tried this with Mason, didn't work. And it was ewwwww!!!It is an unpleasant-tasting veggie oil like laxative. Same side affects as eating too much spicy food. It will give you cramping in the intestines, it will clean out your bowels completely. It is a laxative. You can possibly suffer from dehydration because it cleans you out so efficiently. Keep in mind when your body recognizes that you are going into labor it will do this automatically, and nicely and everything will release. (laboring on the toilet is one of my fav things) 

Walking , Running, or Wogging: It may not start heavy contractions, it may make you lose your mucus plug which then can start contractions. Or you could have your water break on a walk. Walking is just good for you because as your hips sway from side to side it can help correctly position the baby farther down into the pelvis which can trigger the body into starting to dilate and then you know the rest. But it is still good for you! You will probably notice some Braxton Hicks contractions when you walk. I just decided last night that they are useful for helping to nudge the baby down since they usually occur at the top of the uterus. This is my thinking because my baby is super high and doesn't want (I don't want him) to engage quite yet.

Acupressure/Acupuncture: There are specific pressure points on your body that can cause the baby to descend and press onto the cervix which will the make softening and effacing and dilation occur. Some acupressure techniques are designed to directly stimulate contractions. Find a massage therapist or acupuncture that specializes in prenatal therapy and tell them, please use the pressure points. I am going for weekly massages right now, since covered by my insurance and in a few weeks time I will be asking for pressure points to be used. (after I discuss with my doctor of course) 

A few others that might help-

A bumpy car ride to help break your water.

Walking under a full moon to help break your water. 

Evening Primrose Oil taken orally and/or vaginally can help soften and efface. Usually started around 37 weeks pregnant until baby comes. I use a shampoo, John Master's Organics, with its main ingredient is EPO (found it at Whole Foods Market). Get a little aromatherapy everyday. 

A local bakery in my town has a claim to fame for getting pregnant women into labor by eating one of their lemon cupcakes. 

So here you have it, a fun list on how to evict that baby! Do you have any other Old Wives' tales I missed?

Thanks for reading! Also if you want to read more posts on all things pregnancy and baby check out the pregnancy tab at the top or just click here! 

Watermelon, Say What!?!

Woke up this morning to my pregnancy app that said, Baby is the size of a WATERMELON! I thought that watermelon was further along like 39-40 weeks but nope, apparently at 37 weeks my belly is bigger than a watermelon, cause the baby is the one the size of the watermelon.

Sad fact: I am allergic to watermelons. Thankfully not to my baby. Kind of scared as to what size I will be next week!

This week is my final concert with the Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra. Let's just say that playing the french horn with a HUGE belly has been a little tricky lately! Playing position, breathing (which is actually really good for me but really hard to deep breath), sitting for long periods of time without getting up! And having to hold going to the bathroom for long periods of time too (Don't you move baby!) Oy!

3 more weeks to go until I hit my estimated due date!

Wearing Pink

Looks like this summer, early on Saturday mornings if you wanna find me, look for me in PINK! Got the email asking if I still wanted to volunteer to help with the training program this summer and, yep I sure do! Just hope they don't mind me bringing a boy along. At least he will be super cute and a babe magnet!

In the area and want to join the training program? Check out the registration info at the website: Women's 4 Miler Training Program. Program begins Saturday, June 14th at 7am!

Want to run in the race? Saturday, August 30th at 8am. register here June 21 early, early, early morning because they only allow a limited number of participants and it fills up quickly!

Hope to see you there!