CrossFit and Pregnant was started by Meghan Leatherman as a means for women who CrossFit to share stories and experience during pregnancy.
ABOUT MEGHAN
Meghan likes to live life big. Since moving West in 2009, she has embraced the healthy, active lifestyle commonly found throughout the region.
Meghan started running in 2010, thanks to her husband’s insistence, completing the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon and the Chicago Full Marathon that year. Since then, Meghan has completed eight half marathons including: for 2011 – Surf City, America’s Finest City, Nashville Half, for 2012 – Rock n’ Roll AZ, inaugural Hollywood Half, Green Bay, the Fiesta Bowl and, most recently, she ran the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon again.
Running
In 2012, she ventured into CrossFit, starting at CrossFit Elysium in San Diego, which provided an amazing foundation. Nestled in the heart of North Park, Meghan will always deem Elysium her CrossFit home. With CrossFit came a focused lifestyle change to paleo eating … but is probably better categorized as primal because the Leathermans love their cheese!
At CrossFit Elysium
Wedding WOD with Coach Josh
With CrossFit’s Dave Castro
During the Hotshots 19 CrossFit Memorial WOD, baby on board
Meghan and her husband Chad (aka Team Leatherman, as they are affectionately called by family and friends) were married 6.8.13 and four short months later found out they were expecting their first addition to the team. However, their beloved pooch, Frankie, will always be the first “child.” Part catahoula, part Labrador, Frankie keeps up with his parents active life and travel schedule. Here’s hoping the babe can do the same!
Meghan and Chad welcomed baby Florie to the team on May 3, 2014. She’s a strong, active spitfire – no doubt from those nine months of CrossFitting in the womb! Micah J. joined the team July 3, 2016 after consistent CrossFitting, including the day I delivered. He’s another strong, spirited bebe who we can’t imagine life without.
Meghan is a graduate of St. Norbert College and has been in various communications roles. She loves the art of storytelling to better clients and is obsessed with social media because of its networking and sharing powers. When not CrossFitting or blogging, Meghan loves reading, going to the theatre, cooking, and adding to her shoe collection.
CrossFit & Pregnant 
Hi Meghan,
I hope this finds you well and you don’t mind me contacting you!
I’m a British TV researcher working on a new international documentary series about exceptional pregnancies, and the extra-ordinary journey some mums-to-be go on as they prepare for the birth of their babies.
Whilst I was researching pregnant women with extraordinary lifestyles, I came across your blog about training while pregnant and was wondering if you would be interested in chatting to me about your experience, in relation to the documentary series I’m making?
It would be lovely to hear from you. If you would like to send
me a good number to call you on at a time convenient to you or you can email me on thepregnancyproject@cineflix.com and we can go from there?
Hope to speak to you soon,
Lucy
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Hi Meghan – I’m 14 weeks preg and have been visiting many sites. I’m happy I came across yours because some seem too restrictive (crossfitmoms.com). I feel strong and that I can do the weight I was doing but I feel like I “should” reduce the weight already according to some websites. Also, I feel fine doing sit-ups and squatting below parallel but again, websites say I “shouldn’t!” I see that you pr’d during your pregnancy – I’m thinking you just go with “listen to your body” and not the “should nots” on the internet?
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Maybe instead of websites you should talk to a doctor, for your own health and your baby’s. It’s important to think on the consequences that exercise and hormones release (associated with exercise) can have to the development of the baby.
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Alicia,
We always recommend working with your doctor to ensure the success of the pregnancy. You will see that recommendation noted throughout this blog and any athlete featured always shares the conversations with doctors.
Typically, what we’re learning, is that if a woman is doing a particular type of exercise before pregnancy, she is able to maintain that exercise during pregnancy. When it comes to CrossFit, modifications end up being required, but those modifications vary based on athlete.
Ultimately, we support women who have a desire to remain active and healthy for themselves and their babies.
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So a friend of mine recommended this page to me because I am first time mom and crossfitter. What advice can you give on how to scale weights and movements the farther you get?
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I just found out that I am 5 weeks pregnant and I crossfit 6 days a week on our comp team. I was wondering what are some things I should limit while being pregnant and in the gym as much as I am. Adjusting is getting tough and I have a competition in 3 weeks. Any advice would help.
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While I’m CrossFit Level 1, I am not a doctor nor do I train anyone else. All I can recommend is that you listen to your body and work closely with your coach and doctor to ensure you and the baby remain healthy {when the time comes}. I wore a heart rate monitor starting my first trimester and found that a range between 150-160 was good metabolic conditioning for me when pregnant. This would obviously vary by athlete. I was also very careful during my first trimester since that was the most critical. By the third trimester, I was setting new PRs for myself. Give yourself time. Don’t hesitate to scale. Talk with your coach. It is hard to step back, but listening to your body is your number one priority!
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Good Afternoon. I hope you don’t mind me posting this to your wall but I just thought I’d share my Crossfit pregnancy journey. It’s a little different than most because I didn’t actually start CrossFit until I was 14 weeks pregnant.
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Congrats on a successful pregnancy journey! We welcome all positive, inspiring stories.
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Hello,
I just wanted to thank you so much for this website. As I sit here writing this, I’ve been up since 5 am worrying that my previous evening’s spin class was too intense and that I’d ruined any chance of staying pregnant. I had a recent MC and had come to the conclusion that exercise definitely had been to blame, so trying to keep doing what I love while having that fear in the back of my head is torture. I’m a runner, biker, and group fitness instructor, so activity is a big part of my life. Thank you for featuring all of these ladies, and yourself. You guys are inspiration. (I live in the upper Midwest I.e. North Dakota, and the medical advice around here is pregnant ladies need to stay out of the gym.) I hope to be able to keep your stories with me while I keep elliotipticalling, cycling, and bootcamping. 🙂
Thanks again for helping me believe in myself.
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Listen to your body, Kelly! You’re the only one who really knows what’s right for you. Perhaps wear a heart rate monitor, too, to ensure you learn your limits during pregnancy and can monitor yourself that way. I know it’s tough to start scaling back – in any exercise. Good luck finding the balance. xoxox
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Hi Meghan – I’m an OB/GYN and Crossfit coach. I’d like to start CrossfitPregnancy (a la CrossfitMobility). Want to join forces? Great website!
nathanmriley@gmail.com
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