5 Months Pregnant

I am now into my 6th month of pregnancy and thought that I would write about how the 5th month of pregnancy
has gone.

Per whattoexpect.com at 20 weeks the baby is as big as a large banana and about 11 ounces in weight. By 24 weeks the baby is about the size of a cantaloupe and is weight at about a pound and a half.

At 23 weeks my belly felt like it went through a growth spurt and got a little bit bigger. It was also the week that I had massive round ligament pain in my lower belly so something changed but since then it has lessened.

I am still running thanks in part to having set my goal of running in the Disney Princess Half. To be honest if I wasn't running in that race next month I don't know if I would still be running right now. I would still be exercising but running, probably not. It is hard to run while pregnant. Half the time I don't have the energy to do it but I am doing it which amazes even me. So I am thankful for the goal I have made and am sticking to it.

With that being said, I don't think I would be running and not because of laziness but because I have been getting really bad round ligament pain while running. It usually occurs for the first mile to mile and a half then it goes down for a bit. I have to remember to drink tons of water starting on Thursday if I have a long run on the weekend to help so that the pulling, or cramping isn't so bad.

I am still napping or resting everyday for about an hour and a half to keep my energy up for later in the day. I feel like I am so much more busy right now than I was last month which I am thankfully, but I am starting to feel more anxious because I know that May is going to arrive very quickly! It is already the end of January and February ALWAYS flies by. But other than that I really am feeing great.

I am still under 2 lbs what I started the pregnancy at, but I suspect that I should start to gain some weight now that the baby is starting to pack on the pounds.

This next month like I said I know is going to fly by. I have recital pieces for my studio to find and assign, every weekend is packed with still like we have a baby shower one weekend and a birthday party the next. Plus I am painting Mason's big boy room this month and moving him into his new room when we get back from our trip, oh and WE HAVE OUR TRIP to WDW. I am so excited but nervous but excited! The month will fly!

Baby It's Still Cold Outside!

Brrrr! Anyone else thinking that this winter should be over and done with soon? It has been so cold this year. I am kind of missing the AZ winters I grew up with where the weather just stayed nice and chill not FREEZING COLD!

I am building my list of things to buy before next winter. I didn't invest this year since I am pregnant and I don't want to stretch out my pants or shirts this year and try to wear them next year, won't work. So here are a few items on my list:

I am still trying to find the perfect jacket still. And yes there is a ton of Under Armour on this list. But their cold gear clothing is really good and I have heard awesome things from my friends and fellow runners about it. Even from the hubs he likes UA.
Under Armour fitted cold gear tights. Not really looking forward to wearing tights in general (too tight) but I know that they will be really nice when running in.

 Under Armour fitted crew top.

Under Armour cold gear infrared v neck long sleeve shirt. This is a nice cute fitted top.

 Champion by Target flip gloves. I had these on my list for Christmas and still haven't gotten them yet but next year I will have gloves to run in.

Postnatal Yoga Article

Hey guys! Here is a great article written by my prenatal yoga instructor, Eliza, about Postnatal yoga and getting back in doing yoga after baby. Check it out!

(Eliza Whiteman)

Postnatal Yoga- How a yogi got her groove back

Couple things about Eliza. She is a mommy of 4! And she did all of her births without drugs. She is a rockstar with yoga and knows what she is talking about. For about 3 weeks I got one on one yoga instruction because I was the only one attending prenatal yoga and it was pretty awesome! Here is her website for you to check out and if you have any yoga questions shoot her an email! She is so amazing and nice!

Prepping For Labor- NOT As Seen On TV

If you haven't seen What to Expect when Expecting…CHECK IT OUT! Super funny!

I think it is so interesting that a first time mom's (FTM) view on having a baby is determined by the shows we watch. Even before I had my first and educated myself I thought that labor was scream filled and insane. I was just going to deal with it even though I knew I wanted an unmedicated birth. There are so many movies out there that portray a birth scene. Showing the dad's sweating just as much as the mom's. The mom's screaming at the top of their lungs and just an overall crazy feeling to the room in general with nurses coming and going and doctors yelling at the patient to push while another nurse yells counting down backwards telling you when and when not to breath.

Some of the aspects are true. There might be nurses coming and going. If there is a possible problem with the baby there will be a ton more people in the room. It is also because that is what we expect to happen, because of TV. If it didn't happen than a FTM might think something was wrong. But birthing doesn't have to be like what we see on TV.

I promise it can be however you want it to be. You just have to figure out the things you want to happen and what not to happen. And talk to your doctor about it before hand. If your pregnancy is not a high risk pregnancy there are some things that you can "request".

First things first: MAKE A BIRTH WISHES plan and call it Birth Wishes. It is a birth plan but a "nice" way to say birth plan. Make sure that it is under 1 page long. Seriously if you have a 10 page document and show the doctor or nurse when you arrive at the hospital they probably won't read the whole thing or won't remember everything. Pick and choose the things you want on there. Include your name, date of birth, social security if it applies. Sex of baby being born and name of baby so they can write it on your arm band and bassinet when it is born.

Do Your Research: The way to pick and choose the things you want on your Birth Wish List is to read all about it. Be knowledgable about the things that could happen in labor and a possible outcome. Like: being cut vs tearing for an episiotomy. Or about what type of intervention you do and don't want, pitocin, epidural and such.

Make your Birth Wishes list organized: Break it into different sections with bullet points. Seriously the docs and nurses will love you for being so organized! Break it down to Labor, Delivery and Postpartum sections. It is easy to read and follow and it will sit in the front of your file so any nurse that comes in will see it right there in the front!

Ok next part: About labor and how it can be different from TV. You can ask to have the lights dimmed during delivery, music playing in the background, mother directed pushing so that a nurse is not counting at you. (probably won't work though if you have an epidural because you probably won't know if you are having a contraction). You can ask to labor as long as possible in the tub. For them not to ask you if you want any pain meds or suggest it unless you ask for it. There are so many different scenarios but one thing is for sure that however you have your baby, it will be exactly what needs to happen. That baby has to come out and it will come out one way or another but start planning now on how you imagine your birthing experience. Even if you are getting a c-section you can ask for certain things too or specify about skin to skin as soon as possible after the surgery. Just do your research and think about how you want your labor to be.

January Week 4 Workout Recap

As I said yesterday, it is getting more and more difficult to find the will power and energy to drag myself out of the house and get to the gym. This past week was one of those weeks. Monday was a holiday, Tuesday we got snow. Wednesday we had ice. Thursday had a sick kid and Friday I rested. Saturday I did workout and quite proud of myself but I need to get my midweek runs in more for safety. I can not do this again or else I will injure myself!

Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3 mile in home walking DVD (16 min/mile)
Thursday: 3 mile in home walking DVD (16 min/mile)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 9 miles (15:11 min/mile pace)

Total Mileage: 15 miles

So next week I am setting the goals again. I have to, HAVE TO go to the gym to walk on Monday. I know my legs will need it and I need a walking day before a run day. This is my biggest goal, because if I go in on Monday I tend to go more during the week. And I can't get sick! NEED TO GET BETTER!

26 days until my 1/2 marathon!