Pregnancy Week 37

I was a machine this week. It’s as though my body knows it’s preparing for a WOD of a lifetime. I’m in total training mode – mentally and physically.

I have gotten plenty of sleep. I am eating super healthy/paleo. I’m continuing to rock the whiteboard. It’s pretty freakish seeing some of the scores I posted this week. More on that in a bit … as for the week …

We had our weekly doctor check-in on Tuesday. Since I dropped dramatically in Week 36 and I had two friends deliver two weeks early, I was positive I would be well on my way to dilation. WRONG. I’m barely at one centimeter.

I got over it quickly, realizing this actually set my mind at ease and I wasn’t about to deliver any second. I still need to put my feet up mid-afternoon, but I could focus my energy on finishing my last full week of work and spending quality time with my boys and friends.

Afternoon snooze with pooch

On Monday, I picked up the stroller from REI. How awesome is this? The bike department put it together for me! Saved us such a headache. Thanks REI! On Thursday, we took advantage of the Phoenix Fire Department‘s awesome car seat installation service. I highly recommend seeking out similar assistance from wherever you purchase and/or live. Friday, we drove to the hospital during rush hour to test a route and see how long it took. Just another way to put our minds at ease and do our best to prepare.

Stroller is ready!

Big brother is ready!

Pooch enjoying the dry run drive to the hospital

Saturday was devoted to my girlfriends and it was glorious. We met at a local trail for a moderate 3.5 mile hike. Sweating on the mountain was the perfect way to start the day. That afternoon, we ventured to a local, swanky resort for pool and lounging time. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was such a nice, casual day focused on good friends and laughter. We all got plenty of sun and enjoyed poolside service all afternoon. The bump is now nice and brown!

Girls pool day!

I feel like I’m accomplishing all the pre-baby suggestions from everything have read. Chad and I had a day of pampering. We’ve splurged on a nice meal and many smaller ones. I read a book. We’ve gotten our financials and legal stuff in order. I’ve enjoyed a pedicure. We’ve spent quality time with friends. We purged and organized. We packed the overnight bag. We have slept. We updated our CPR certs. We have gone to mass often. I feel really good and will reflect on this time knowing we were well prepared physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Week 37 WODs:

April 7 warm up: 250m row

strength: overhead squats 20-15-10-5; ended on 90#

metcon: 12 min amrap: 6+18; heart rate got to 167

6 hang cleans (135/95) I did 75#
6 box jumps (30/24) I did 20″ step ups
~~6 wall walks~~ I did shoulder work with 5# plates 3 moves 6 times each

April 8 warm up

Wedding week front squat with Kel – 115#

37 week front squat 135#

37 week front squat – 135#

strength: front squat, find 3 rep max. Sara and I got to 135#. Looking back in my journal, the last time I did front squat, 3 rep max was the week of my wedding with my bridesmaid Kelly. I lifted 115# on June 6. This week, I posted one of the highest scores on the whiteboard, despite having 30 extra pounds and a kiddo in the way. Like I said earlier, freakish!

Whiteboard freak!

metcon: 4 rounds for time (I did 2 rounds): 13:24

200m run
~~10 snatch balance (95/65)~~ I did front rack lunges 45#
200m run
15 ring dips

That evening, I did a 2.5 mile walk with the hubs and pooch.

April 9 warm up

175# deadlift

strength: deadlift x3. Worked to 175# with Sara

metcon: KAREN: 150 wall balls (20# ball) for time. Coach Melissa put a 10 minute time cap on it. I used a 14# ball and got 106 reps in 10 minutes. I really wanted to get to the 150 in 10 min., but had to keep breaking because my heart rate was going above 170.

April 10 warm up

strength: strict press/push press/push jerk 4×6 Got to 85#; strict became impossible around 75# because I was sacrificing form with my bump. Lifted with a visiting guest from CrossFit North Atlanta.

metcon: 21-15-9 completed in 13:10

~~chest to bar pull ups~~ I did ring rows
power cleans (135/95) I lifted 65#
slam balls (25/15)

April 11 Girls hike. 3.5 miles in 40 minutes with Hadar, Sara and Frankie

At the top!

Food: biggest craving continues to be ice. A woman at an ice/water shop (it’s a thing in the Valley) told me it’s common in pregnant women and typically due to anemia. Interesting!

Pregnancy: Week 29

Welcome to Nashville

We spent most of week 29 in Nashville visiting family and friends and enjoying some of the finest southern cooking and honky tonk music.

29 weeks – celebrating at The Stage

Honky Tonkin with CeeCee & Stache

Prior to our departure, we attended a baby care bootcamp at the hospital. Super informative and useful, the class taught us what to expect with Baby L the first three months. From play to cues to sleep, to growth and general resources, the few hours we spent with other expectant parents was valuable. Our next major step is picking a pediatrician. Luckily, our OBGYN provided us a great list.

Chad practicing

In Nashville, I was able to meet with a Lipscomb University student, Hannah, who is doing her Master’s thesis on CrossFit and pregnancy. Her focus is primarily post-delivery, and has received almost 200 responses to her survey “The Lived Experiences of Women Doing CrossFit During Pregnancy” from women around the world. So awesome and re-emphasizes the importance of women talking about their experiences since so much research is lacking. While I’m clearly not in the post-delivery stage, Hannah and I spent time chatting about my experiences – including my support group, how I regulate intensity and food. We also worked out together at CrossFit Talon – awesome group of people in Coolsprings; highly recommend!

With the women of CrossFit Talon

Our Nashville stay ended with a shower celebration. My parents hosted a great evening of fun, games and food with friends. Baby L certainly is spoiled with all the great loot!

Baby L’s cradle and presents

Advice jar

Kobe protects the presents

Classic: grown men chugging beer from a baby bottle

29 weeks

Week 29 WODs:

Feb. 10 –

Warm Up – 300m row, stretching

Strength – Split squat 5×10 with 100m sprint between sets. I worked up to using a 1.5 POOD kettlebell; heart rate was at 160

Metcon:17:07; heart rate 175

50 wall balls (8#)
50 KB swings (1 POOD)
50 air squats
50 toes to bar
50 sit ups (I did on bench)
Every minute on mint do 5 push ups

Feb. 14 (CrossFit Talon) –

Warm up – 600m run, stretching, calesthenics

Strength – Power snatch + Snatch: 5 at 65%, 4 at 75%, 3 at 85%, focus on OHS position. This was was difficult for me with the belly. I was pulling the bar out too far to make it around and messing with form. The coaches had me work on floor to hip progression instead.

Then every minute on the minute (EMOM) for six minutes two power snatch and one snatch at 70%. I used 45# bar and did one clean and two overhead squats.

Metcon: 5 rounds – 7:47, 170 heart rate

10 chest to bar pull ups (ring rows)
30 double unders (90 singles)

Food: Glorious southern cooking! Sweet tea, cornbread, pancakes, fried chicken, bar-b-que, we sampled some of the finest the south has to offer. No regrets despite the high sodium intake and over-indulgence we enjoyed. Definitely not a paleo-focused trip!

Favorite meat n’ three: Swetts

Fact: Preggers love froyo

Pecan pancakes from Pancake Pantry

Pregnancy: Week 28

It was a great week focused on yoga and long walks with pooch. My body is craving the yoga. The stretching and quiet time feels amazing on my expanding body. During shavasana, the baby gives me happy flutters. That makes up for the many poses I can’t do because of the babe’s positioning.

We had our monthly check up this week and met with one of the female doctors in the practice, whom we adore. She’s a realist and clearly loves her job. She walked through what I should expect in these final weeks and we also discussed my weight gain.

I’m up 26# and with the exception of my face rounding more, I’m primarily carrying all that weight on my front. The tatas are a heavy burden! We talked about how much I’ve grown in cup size; she was shocked at the dramatic jump and rationalized that as I was implying, majority of my weight is in my chest. Glad she agreed after the scolding I received last month from another (male) doctor in the practice.

While I haven’t really restricted myself of what I’m eating, I am conscientious to make sure I am consuming enough veggies, fruit, protein and calcium. I have definitely veered far off the paleo track, but our nightly meals are centered around our traditional paleo cooking. I’m having lots of yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and grain; more than I have in a year. It’s obviously going to take a toll on my weight, regardless of growing another human. The reassuring thing is that I know with strict paleo and heavy doses of CrossFit and hot yoga, the extra gain will slide off once Baby arrives.

My paleo sous chef

This appointment was also the time for my whooping cough vaccination, Rh factor shot and my glucose blood work. I was poked and prodded from head to toe!

To ease the eczema on my face, I found my trusty bottle of Bio Oil. This stuff is magic! After using it morning and night for a week, the dryness has subsided and the dullness/patchiness isn’t as extreme. Bio Oil is also known for working wonders on stretch marks. I’m going to start using on my belly and chest to help.

We ended our week with a date night at our church. It was a great opportunity to spend some quality, spiritual time together and meet other couples in our parish. It was much needed time for us individually and together.

Saturday was full of “nesting.” We bought some awesome furniture from a new boutique – Twigs and Twine. Then it was on to tackling the garage, which was in much need of organization and sorting. We felt very accomplished by the end of the day!

Baby L’s dresser

Awesome new chair

Week 28 WODs:

Feb. 3 – Flow Yoga with our favorite instructor. She provides lavender soaked wash cloths during shavasana. It adds such a nice touch to relaxation! I’m going to make sure we have some of her water soluble lavender oil on hand during labor since it has such a calming effect on me.

Feb. 5 – Centered Yoga, filled with hip and pelvic openers. Many of the poses will come in handy in April!

Feb. 6 – 2.5 mile walk with pooch, enjoying the gorgeous day, and deep cleaning the house. I mean deep; I worked up a good sweat!

Feb. 7 – 3 mile walk with pooch

Yoga with these gorgeous ladies!

Feb. 9 – Yoga with my lovely ladies, outside in the gorgeous sun. Can’t think of a better way to start the day!

Athlete Profile: Leslie Spector

Leslie, Meghan and their bumps

When I first started writing this blog, one of the first women I reached to was my friend Leslie. We met at our current affiliate and she was more than willing to share her experience. I’m so impressed by her dedication to CrossFit, while balancing being a wife, mommy to a toddler, full-time educator, and preparing for baby #2. And you guys, she looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I hope I look this fit when I’m 30+ weeks into pregnancy.

Leslie: 30+ weeks and lifting strong, while looking amazing!

Leslie’s story:

Leslie pre-pregnancies

Phoenix, Ariz., native Leslie Spector began her CrossFit journey September 2010 in an effort to train for Ragnar 2011, a 200-mile team relay race and to medicate her recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder, naturally (i.e. sans drugs). CrossFit, in combination with paleo eating, did the trick, shaving more than two minutes off her mile time and balancing her moods like never before.

“Unfortunately, I suffered a hip flexor injury during the race, earning me three months of physical therapy and rehab,” said Leslie. “Shortly after this I became pregnant, exercising very moderately. Despite being healthy and active, my body decided it needed a reset and after only a few weeks, I miscarried.”

Following the devastating loss, Leslie suffered some depression (understandably!) and self-medicated with “laziness in combination with deliciously gross food.” She became pregnant again almost immediately and was terrified of everything this time. The result? A sedentary pregnancy and a total of 70 lbs gained.

Leslie & Sophie

After an emotional roller coaster of a pregnancy (she chose to go without medication for her bipolar disorder) and the somewhat traumatic birth of her daughter, she was determined to get healthy again. And Leslie wasn’t merely focused on her physical health; she wanted the full mind, body, spirit health. After walking, then running, then a round of Insanity, she craved more and found Back Alley CrossFit, a Central Phoenix Box, in October 2012. She was able to shed those 70 pounds with CrossFitting Rx, until pregnancy #2 happened.

Now, at the end of her second pregnancy, Leslie has maintained her CrossFit and paleo lifestyle, feeling better than ever and more relaxed for baby Spector #2 to arrive.

30+ weeks pregnant

More on Leslie:

Other exercise practices: When I am not CrossFitting I love to hike, run, and do yoga.

My goal in CrossFitting while pregnant is: My first pregnancy was less than healthy and resulted in major weight gain and crazy mood fluctuations. My goal this time around is to continue to CrossFit since it is truly my medication. My goal is not only to make healthy weight gains, but to also maintain a healthy mental balance.

What exercise advice did your doctor provide you? Did you follow it? I love my doctor! He is very liberal as far as doctors are concerned. He seems to follow the latest research and keeps his recommendations up to date. I have been totally honest with him about how active I am and he fully supportive. At my very first visit this pregnancy he began rooting me on as far as exercise and CrossFit goes. He has continued to be supportive even through my own fears when things feel off. His best advice has been to listen to my body and I do it every minute of every day and especially in the box!

CrossFit and pregnant: Leslie

CrossFit and pregnant, where do you find support? I have a friend who CrossFitted through her pregnancy and she was the first call I made. She sent me to CrossFit Mom and there was lots of great information there. I also lean on my own coaches, CrossFit buddies, and of course the amazing, Dr. Harris.

CrossFit and pregnant, where do you find inspiration? I work out with some amazingly fit women. I find inspiration every time I step foot into Back Alley. I know the more I do while pregnant and the more consistent I am the faster I will be able to catch back up to everyone else I am ogling during my slow, paced WODS now.

Since doing CrossFit while pregnant, I’ve learned: That exercise of any kind is even more mental than I thought prior to doing it pregnant. There are times when body can do way more than mind will let it and there are times when mind wants to keep pushing through and my body is screaming slow down. When I can control the mental side of CrossFit, I find the most success.

Biggest CrossFit and pregnant challenge I’ve faced: Hands down, my biggest challenge has been slowing down and scaling back. I am competitive by nature and strive to always beat my own best. Being pregnant, the recommendation from around the CrossFit world and the mainstream is to slow down. The easiest way to do this is the “talk test.” I should be able to maintain a conversation throughout the WOD.This is not a time for getting better or pushing toward PRs, but rather a time to maintain. It has taken great mental dedication to follow this recommendation, I mean, when is the last time you could carry on a conversation during a WOD?!

Do you follow a particular eating lifestyle? As far as eating during pregnancy my goal is balance. Nothing has been eliminated, but we definitely lean towards a paleo-ish diet…with ice cream. We definitely indulge in ice cream!

Best CrossFit and pregnant tip or secret you’ve discovered: Just show up! You can scale and modify any WOD to make it work for your ever-changing body. Throw expectations out the window and listen to your body.

What have you found most valuable about CrossFit while pregnant?: I have proven to myself with this pregnancy that no matter how much exercise and diet balance I maintain, my body will gain weight to support my pregnancy. However, CrossFitting while pregnant has given me energy and mental balance, which in my situation is far more priceless than hot preggie bod.

Favorite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Ghandi

Favorite girl WOD: Honestly, none stood out and I had to look them all up to pick a fave. Kelly is fun one; I like when running is incorporated.

Three words that describe me: Dedicated, neurotic, fun

When I’m not in the box, you can find me: At home with the fam! They are my world!!!

The bump, getting pumped!

If you have a CrossFit and pregnant story to share, email meghan@backalleycrossfit.com.

Hitting the Box: Baby Steps

All the research from the day before really did me no good. I was still confused about what I should and shouldn’t be doing when it came to my pregnancy fitness. CrossFitMom is great, but I wasn’t looking for programming; I was looking for answers.

I needed some normalcy, so I hit the box.

Courtesy of reebok.com

August 27 WOD:

Warm up

Strength: Push Press 10-8-6-4-2 I got to 105#, but only one rep.

Metcon: Partner WOD 20 min AMRAP Push Press (95/65), double unders; partners switch every minute. I managed 74 push press and 160 singles for a total of 244 reps. My partner managed 380 reps.

I felt good during the strength portion, but was struggling during the metcon. I was watching women I competed with prior to pregnancy knowledge doing circles around me. I think my fear of doing something wrong was eating at my subconscious. Throughout the metcon, I kept catching my hubs’ eye to let him know I wasn’t feeling right. We were both at a loss.

Two days later, I hit the box again.

August 29 WOD:

Warm up: 500m row, 61 kbs (1 pood), 30 slamballs (15#)

Strength: Max reps in 2 min: box jumps (40 at 20′), push ups (50), situps (60)

Metcon: 20 min AMRAP 50m plate run (45/25), 10 med ball cleans (20/14), 10 pull ups, 20 alternating lunges. I skipped the plate run and added the 25# to my alternating lunges. Managed 6 rounds + 9 reps.

Felt better today and whatever was gnawing at me two days before had subsided. Considering the entire WOD was basically 3-in-1, I was happy about my numbers.

On Friday, August 30, I skipped the box for a lunchtime power yoga session to celebrate a girlfriend’s birthday. I felt empowered on my mat. While the class was tough, crowded, hot and full of advanced yogis, I kept up and challenged myself into some balancing poses I typically struggle with. Little did I know, the hot rooms can cook the baby (not really, but I can’t shake this image from my head) … little did I know, pregnant women shouldn’t let their body temps get too high, but that class I left glowing from sweat and pose success.

Courtesy of: http://www.rlsaunders.com

I guess I really didn’t take baby steps. More like broad jumps!

Courtesy of: dbstrength.com

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CrossFit & Pregnant

Here's to the next nine months!

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