Prenatal Exercise & Fashion
Everything is always easier said in hindsight. Looking back, I so wish I had done things differently during my pregnancy. I half assed my workout routine from month 5-term, which at the time seemed like the best thing for my body but it actually backfired when I started to attempt to jump back into my old routine post-partum. So if I had a do-over this is what I would have done:
Made a plan, find a workout buddy (virtually or locally) to hold myself accountable and stick to the plan!
CARDIO:
-RUN/JOG/WALK 4-5 days a week
-STRENGTH TRAIN: 3 days a week
-STRETCH/RELAXATION 5-7 days a week
It seems easier having it written (or typed) down. But it’s true once you start a new routine, consistency helps you maintain and reach your goals. Once you get into a routine, you make a new habit. Depending on your activity level prior to pregnancy, make a plan that works best for you. The most important thing to remember is to keep moving! Our bodies are never meant to be sedentary beings, we are meant to MOVE and keep active, especially during pregnancy. It’s the best thing for you, your body and the body within you!
Even if you don’t consider yourself a runner, just start slow. Walking is just as effective as running. As cheesy as it sounds, just start with one foot in front of the other. If you were a runner and find yourself struggling like I was when I was dealing with my round ligament pain, it’s important to remember to not give in to your pain (like I did) but rather, listen to your body and to keep moving. There is no shame in walk/run workouts (which has taken me a LONG time to accept) or even just walking! You will 100% of the time feel better after moving your body vs. just sitting on the couch and sulking. It not only helps improve blood circulation throughout your body but also helps release endorphins which make you feel good! The other thing I wish I had taken advantage of during my pregnancy (or more like earlier in my life) was stretching, whether that be yoga or just plain ole fashion stretching.
The other side to feeling good during your pregnancy besides working out and releasing feel-good endorphins is fashion. Am I right? What we wear makes us feel good. It’s no lie that your body is gradually changing as the little human within you is growing larger and larger. There is so much marketing it seems for new parents and new babies, what to buy and what you absolutely NEED in order survive your new bundle of joy. The one thing I struggled with finding is good maternity wear! This is what I’ve learned:
-Maternity jeans SUCK! They just plain suck. They are jeans with the zipper and waist band cut off and in its place is some sort of stretchy material. Therefore, there is nothing to keep those jeans on your waist and they slowly slide down your hips making you as uncomfortable as you can possibly imagine.
They are just as expensive as regular jeans, if not more and if you are trying to be practical about it…you’re not going to need them for very long.
-Maternity stores are virtually dead. They don’t exist anymore. If you are lucky enough to find a maternity section in department stores like Target, Kohls, Macy’s, ect….you will find that the section they have designated as Maternity is teeny tiny! It makes it very difficult to physically try on maternity wear to see what works for you and your new body. The only stores I found were all online only. Some of the clothes were cute but it was difficult to figure out what would work best for me. Not to mention I am terrible at making returns, especially if I order online. I usually will find a way to make what I ordered work rather than go through the process of returning.
-The good news though is that with today’s fashion trends being what they are, it isn’t that hard to find clothes that work for you and your growing belly…or in my case your growing belly, booty and boobies.
I work in a hospital so I ended up ordering 3 pairs of scrub pants in 1 size larger than normal figuring I could wear them through my pregnancy and during post-partum period which helped to justify that purchase. I skipped out wearing my scrub top after my first trimester and wore stretchy t-shirt style shirts and or oversized t’s. They worked great with keeping me comfortable and covered while at work and as a bonus I am comfortable able to wear them post-partum and likely will wear them for the foreseeable future!
-I essentially lived in leggings and the oversized t-shirts on days I wasn’t at work and if I needed to “dress-up” I was able to easily find clothes that worked whether it was stretchy dresses, leggings or my regular jeans with the button open.
-The best maternity thing I purchased was from belly bandit. I purchased the flawless belly and the pregnancy support wrap. The flawless belly was so worth it and helped me to extend the life of a lot of my tops, helped to hide my open pants/jeans and helped to make my tops fit smoother over my belly and lengthened the tops. The support wrap came in handy while at work, being on my feet all day and working with patients, it really gave me the added support I needed to get through my work day. Hands down the best 2 pieces I bought while being pregnant and I’ll definitely keep them handy incase I get pregnant again!
Bottom line is, I wouldn’t stress out about having to buy all new clothes for your 9 months of pregnancy…which is really closer to 6 months of having the belly. Save your money for more important things like first aid kits and essentials for the new baby! Or if you are like me for new baby clothes, it’s so hard to resist those cute outfits!
Recommended MUST-HAVE items:
https://amzn.to/3aBwazG – these leggings (like butter!)
