Tag Archives: breast reduction

Pregnancy: Week 35

35 weeks in the box

35 weeks in the box

Ahhhh…homeward stretch! This week, we made it to 30 days from our anticipated due date. Pretty darn crazy.

We’ve been working on the house; I guess in some circles this is considered nesting. We’ve been eliminating, organizing, consolidating – and it feels damn good. I’m definitely more on the organized minimalist side and a good dose of spring cleaning always puts me in good spirits.

All the elimination has also provided plenty of space to organize Baby L’s collection. Our friends and family have been so generous that there isn’t much left for us to buy. So, a huge public THANK YOU!

We did venture into the overwhelmingly large Buy Buy Baby this week to test “drive” strollers and car seats. Holy moly is that store full floor to ceiling! I am so thankful we didn’t start our registry there; I’m afraid I would have taken one look at all the stuff and turned to run. Registering for the baby was difficult to begin with; I can’t imagine dealing with the over abundance of options in Buy Buy Baby to put an actual registry together. For those curious, we registered on Amazon, which offers a super, user-friendly guide to walk new parents through the basics, and Target for ease in our daily lives.

My husband, being the savvy online shopper that he is, found our stroller (BOB Sport), car seat base and adapter through REI at $100 less than Buy Buy Baby with the same 20% discount + free shipping (score!). I have a feeling it’s going to feel much more real seeing those contraptions put together in our house.

While on the subject of registering, I had a revelation this week. So many people are surprised we haven’t found out Baby L’s sex. Going to baby prep classes, we’ve learned we’re in the minority because everyone wants to be able to “plan” and “have control.” However, what I’ve found is that it’s given us more control – we have received almost 80% of what we registered for in the colors we like (green, yellow, gray). I having a feeling many people who announce gender automatically get all pink or blue, but that’s just not our thing. And I love the way Baby L’s space has come together – focused on our colors and theme (dogs!). So, for those of you out there thinking you lose control and the ability to plan, think again!

The other fun project I tackled this week is a wreath for the front door. I wanted it to be spring-time/Easter focused, but the one I loved on good old Pinterest didn’t come with instructions and I was struggling to find coral colored felt in the local craft stores.

Spring rabbit wreath ... without Pinterest instruction

Spring rabbit wreath … without Pinterest instruction

So, I created one in Baby L’s colors (mustard and gray). The most difficult and time consuming part was wrapping the foam wreath with yarn. I loved making all the felt flowers (based on tips from Paper & Stitch) and took three nights to make them. Three nights because I just kept adding to it. I’d hang it on the door and mull over it; add more. I think it turned out pretty perfect!

Our front door is ready for Baby L!

Our front door is ready for Baby L!

Wreath close-up

Wreath close-up

Leslie was fired up last week about the way my nurse practitioner responded to my breast reduction. She reached out to a Facebook mommy group and was directed to a website dedicated to women who have had reductions – Breastfeeding After Reduction. I haven’t spent a lot of time on there yet, but love Leslie’s passion and appreciate her doing some legwork for me!

The other thing I’m strongly considering to help with milk production and overall postpartum recovery is placenta encapsulation. I’ve had a few friends reap the benefits of this and I figure that it can’t hurt! I’m now seeking someone in the Valley that’s reasonably priced and convenient. Recommendations welcome! And if you’ve had any experience with this, would love your input.

Week 35 WODs:

Wednesday, March 26:

warm up

Strength: Overhead squats 6×3 Sara and I got to 90#

35 weeks overhead (3) 35 weeks overhead (2)

35 weeks, overhead squats, 90#

35 weeks, overhead squats, 90#

Metcon: we did a modified Nancy – 5 rounds for time of

  • 15 over head squats at half of what we lifted in strength portion (45#)
  • 250m row

It was a chest burner! I finished in 18:22.

Saturday, March 29: I dedicated this pregnancy version of the CrossFit Games Open 14.5 to Doyle, who we lost a year ago today. It was a tragic loss for my entire family and a day doesn’t go by where I don’t think of him or one of his funny sayings/words of wisdom. Never in my life have I met someone more selfless or stoic.

With Mimi & Doyle - July 4th - 2012

With Mimi & Doyle – July 4th – 2012

During his funeral, the first reading was from the Book of Micah:

Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8

Since then, that verse has become the Team Leatherman family creed.

Even a modified version of 14.5 was a chest burner and exceptionally grueling. I powered through in honor, ending my rounds at 9:45, with Micah 6:8 on repeat.

CrossFit Open 14.5

CrossFit Open 14.5

I did 21-15-9-3 thrusters at 65# and step-ups instead of burpees (my belly is too big at this point and I tend to slam myself down during burpees anyway). My heart rate almost got to 170, so I had to take a few water breaks to trim it back, but felt good finishing!

35 weeks 14 (2)

Crossfitandpregnant version of 14.5

Crossfitandpregnant version of 14.5

Coach Melissa determined the modifications and got both Sara and me through it.

Meghan and Sara with Coach Melissa!

Meghan and Sara with Coach Melissa!

Food: I’m craving iced tea, which is unusual for me outside pregnancy. I’m still drinking coffee and I love a nightly ginger ale. Ice is also a weird craving. I love all my drinks to be overflowing with ice. Totally random. Food has been fairly paleo. We’ve been starting our day with a fruit & greens smoothie, ever since our San Diego trip. I’m at the point now that if I don’t have one, it effects the rest of my day’s energy and focus. I do eat Greek yogurt and still love ice cream (but that’s definitely always a craving, pregnancy or not!). I’m not trying to be strict paleo or beat myself up over anything. Just focused on 7-8 servings of fruits and veggies with good doses of protein.

Feeling: My hips are definitely expanding and are tight. The extra weight can be felt if I have to stand for any length of time. The weekly visits to the chiropractor is definitely relieving a lot of my discomfort. It gets to a point where I can tell I haven’t been in a week to see her. The heat ultrasound she gives me on my shoulder blades reduces a lot of inflammation and pain. Don’t know what I’d do without her!

 

Pregnancy: Week 34

34 weeks with my fellas. Camelback Mountain summit

34 weeks with my fellas. Camelback Mountain summit

We kicked off the week in the most glorious fashion I know – poolside with a (virgin) drink in hand. Sunday was spent pool lounging with our guests. We went to the hotel where we had our wedding reception, knowing it would be quiet and luxurious and that’s exactly what we got. It was a nice, hot Phoenix day, so the pool felt refreshing and time in the shade was even welcomed. Needless to say, the baby belly is nice and brown.

Perfection

Perfection

Monday was my favorite day on the calendar, St. Patrick’s Day (and, yes, also my birthday). It’s been my goal during pregnancy to climb Camelback Mountain. We haven’t done that hike since the first year we dated and I figured it was a great challenge with 30+ pounds on my frame. We convinced our house guests it was worth an early wake-up to beat the crowds and heat.

With lightweight clothing and plenty of water, we were on the trailhead by 7:15 a.m. and began our ascend. Since we had pooch with us, we were forced to take the Cholla Trail, instead of the recently re-opened Echo Canyon Trail. The hubs and Kenny did Cholla Trail last June during our wedding week, but it was new for Jenny and me. This would also be Frankie’s first trek on the infamous Camelback. The summit of Camelback Mountain is 2,704 feet above sea level. The mountain’s two summit trails gain approximately 1,200 feet in elevation. Definitely no small hill!

The trek took us just under three hours and a total of 3.85 miles. The ascend was definitely the toughest – especially with some of the tight crevices and rocks we had to scale. Pooch was a trooper and there was only one real challenge getting him through a tight spot. All in all, it was an awesome feeling to get to the top. On the way down, icing on the cake when a few college girls in their lulu’s and sportsbars with tight tummys said, “check out that bad ass pregnant lady,” as I passed by them. Yep, ladies, that’s right, watch and learn!

Taking in the scenery on the upward climb

Taking in the scenery on the upward climb

Water break for pooch

Water break for pooch

34 weeks preggers on Cholla Trail

34 weeks preggers on Cholla Trail

Pooch, happy to be hiking

Pooch, happy to be hiking

We made it!

We made it!

Feeling like a champion

Feeling like a champion

Aunt Jenny and Frankie snooze, post hike

Aunt Jenny and Frankie snooze, post hike

Later that day, we had a doctor’s appointment. Unfortunately, all the doctors were booked so we ended up meeting with a nurse practitioner. This woman had terrible bedside manner. After asking a series of strange questions, she asked if I would be breastfeeding. I explained we’d like to, but that I had a reduction 11 years ago and weren’t sure if I would be able. She made a face. And not just any face – an “ooo that’s bad” face, all scrunched up. Instead of leaving it there, her follow-up question was, “Did they have to reconstruct the nipples?” I said, “well, yes, it was an extensive reconstruction.” And again with the face coupled with a “oh that’s not good; it’s going to be really difficult.” Well, no sh*t, Sherlock. I made that decision 11 years ago well aware of the risks and my husband and I have faced the reality of it long before we ever got pregnant. Not helpful.Sometimes, I don’t know why I even bother answering these dumb questions, knowing it should already be documented in my chart.

So, my advice to any women out there facing something similar, do your best. Rely on your husband and communicate through these outside influences. Accept that you can’t change something you did for yourself and your health, knowing good and well that one risk might be the inability to someday breastfeed. If it happens, great; if it can’t or doesn’t work, move on.

DQ cake. It's a family tradition!

DQ cake. It’s a family tradition!

To celebrate the St. Paddy’s birthday, we hosted a friends for dinner and ice cream cake. As a kid, I was always thrilled to have a Dairy Queen ice cream cake; since I was allergic to milk and milk products, it was a special treat that didn’t set off my asthma. It was the perfect end to an awesome day!

This week also included a St. Norbert College alumnus event hosted by the president and featuring the Knights on Broadway. For anyone in the Green Bay, De Pere, Appleton areas, I highly recommend attending a show. It was a great cabaret performance. We also went to the Kings of Leon concert. The hubs scored great seats. While I sat half of the concert (I’m typically on my feet dancing), it was a great show that featured some of our favorite KOL hits.

Knights on Broadway, performing in Arizona

Knights on Broadway, performing in Arizona

Ready for Kings of Leon

Ready for Kings of Leon

We capped off the week at a dinner with some of my cousins who spent their spring break in Scottsdale. It was a great evening catching up. Then the weekend was spent spring cleaning to prepare organizing all of Baby L’s gear! Quite a busy, fun, successful week.

Week 34 WODs:

Monday, March 17: Hike Camelback Mountain. 2:55; 3.85 mi

Wednesday, March 19: Three mile walk with pooch on the canal

Thursday, March 20:

warm up

metcon: 7 rounds, 40 min timecap

  • 7 power cleans (135/95; I did 65#)
  • 6 hand stand push ups (I modified on box)
  • 5 burpees (I modified on wall)
  • 4 front squats (135/95; I did 65#)
  • 3 muscle ups (9 pull ups + 9 ring dips = 3 muscle ups)
  • 200m run (I rowed)
  • 1 handstand walk across gym (I attempted a bear crawl modification, but failed; I dropped this all together after that).

I did 5 rounds in 28:30. My heart rate was really escalating, so I thought I would cap at 5 and focus on cheering on everyone else.

Friday, March 21

warm up CFx3 (10 air squats, 10 sit ups or toes to bar, 10 pull ups, 10 push ups)

strength: Deadlift 10×6. I got to 155

metcon: 10min amrap

  • 20 air squats
  • 20 sit ups (I did on a bench)
  • 20 push ups

I got 3+40. So, I know I shouldn’t compare myself, especially during my pregnancy and I know everyone walks into the box at different places, but I was pretty damn excited that I got the same number of rounds + reps as a guy after lifting 10# more than him in the deadlift/strength portion.

155# x 10 at 34 weeks pregnant

155# x 10 at 34 weeks pregnant

Prescott Hotshot 19 twinsies!

Prescott Hotshot 19 twinsies!

Pregnancy: Week 11

So, I’m finally caught up to myself on the blog! Yippee! And I’m heading into my second trimester which will bring more of a reveal to who I am. While we’ve enjoyed sharing our special news with family and friends in person, it’s just not possible for everyone in our lives given the great geographic differences. Once we’ve shared with everyone, I’ll share more about me with you. Thanks for your patience!

This was a really tough week for exhaustion and pain. Especially the pain. Eleven years ago, I had a breast reduction, going from an almost E cup size to a B. I am so happy with that decision because it brought me much relief in back pain, trips to the chiropractor and the ability to shed my ugly, huge, expensive bras for the much cuter and more economical alternatives. However, in these 11 weeks, my chest has grown rapidly in preparation. My bras are barely fitting and there are days where the tenderness is overwhelming. To top it off, this week, my back felt the brunt of the growth. And it was very uncomfortable to sleep, hence the exhaustion.

I got a chiropractor appointment on Friday morning. Not only did that provide me instant relief, she also gave me a few tips for sleeping and a scapula brace to help with my posture. After my appointment, I napped most of the day!

My stomach is also beginning to pooch, but instead of the cute bump, I just look like a fat kid. Looking forward to the cute bump! This is not a fun phase since I  have worked so hard to not have a tummy the last 3+ years.

As a result of the back pain, I laid off CrossFit so I wouldn’t hurt myself further. I did make it to one WOD, but the rest of the week, I just took our dog on really long walks.

Week Eleven WODS:

Oct. 8 Warm up row for 3 minutes

Strength/skill: 400 m run (2:18/166 rpm for heart rate) + 500m row (2:13/163 rpm)

Metcon: Three Rounds for time – weighted run (45/25), 30 weighted sit ups, 20 ground to overhead, 15 box jumps (24/20) – 16:55/168 rpm. I ditched the weights for the first two movements because of my back + pregnancy. I really had to slow myself down with everything to better keep my heart rate in check. Wasn’t easy since I’m so stinking competitive!

Oct. 13 2.15 mile run with the pooch. Took about 25 minutes (had some potty stops with pooch) and heart rate reached 164 rpm. Felt great to have running weather again!

Food: This week was much easier to get back into cooking. The hubs was praising Jesus and all that’s holy. While I managed some cooking, I also had some crazy cravings – Cheez Its, Fruity Peebles (yes, seriously!), Barbara’s peanut butter Puffins and popsicles.

Breakfast has been really difficult and making sure I’m getting enough veggies is equally challenging. Today I made ham and egg cups to help the both problems. Super simple and paleo –  preheat oven to 350 degrees; saute 1/2 cup of onion and 1/2 cup of mushrooms; spray muffin tin with olive oil spray and place ham slices in cups; spoon in mushroom and onion mix; crack individual eggs into ham cups; bake for 15 minutes or until ham edges are crisp. Enjoy!

Balanced breakfast

Balanced breakfast