I am so grateful for CrossFit, not just because it drastically and positively affected my pregnancy, birth, and the health of my son, but because it has changed my life. CrossFit has redefined how I view health, fitness, and strength. Having struggled with disordered eating for half of my life, CrossFit has really helped me cross over the bridge from equating health with thinness, to internalizing strength as my new definition of healthy.
Shortly after finding out Finn was a being, at Fight Gone Bad IV last year. About 6 weeks
16 weeks- box jumps
18 weeks- kettle bell swings
20 weeks
22 weeks- good mornings
28 weeks- prowler pushes!
30 weeks- pull ups!
32 weeks- KB swings
more pull ups!
33 weeks- deadlifting
such an excited daddy to be!
35 weeks- Over Head Squats
tired after MORE pull ups
I ran throughout the pregnancy, it stared to get a bit hard at the end! 36 weeks!
My belly says "4 more weeks!"
KB swings, 37 weeks
trying my best to do sit-ups!
ACK ! Pull ups at 38 weeks!
Mostly, I had positive feedback and awesome encouragement throughout my pregnancy. People in the CrossFit community had a "more power to you!" attitude and really seemed to "get it" that I was just continuing to stay committed to the same activity level as I had before pregnancy. Others seemed to be in awe and did not quite understand how I could still do pull ups when I was 39 weeks along, but were supportive all the same. A few people expressed concern, and maybe others were worried but never approached me about it. Then there was the "old wive's tales" contingency who said things like, "if you put your hands over your head, the baby's cord will get wrapped around its neck!" or, "if you pick up that heavy thing, you will strain your overies!" That's sooo 1910...
When I found out I was pregnant last September, I did my research. I knew that not exercising or really even changing my fitness lifestyle significantly at all was not an option. So I talked to some experts. The best advice I got came from a former Olympic athlete named Alex Allred who continued to train under the close supervision of an OB who monitored her and her baby's health throughout. She is the fitness and nutrition expert on pregnancy.org
This is her response to my questions about continuing high intensity exercise while carrying child:
"First things first -- yes, a heart monitor is important. You don't want your heart rate so high that it causes distress to the baby. But here in lies the problem with elite athletes -- as I believe you are. A heart rate of 140 bpm may be significant to a woman in average shape but for you, this is nothing. So, you naturally want to push a little harder. And because there is no real hard science on heart rates and elite pregnant athletes, its a crap shoot.
You can allow your heart rate to exceed 140 but what I tell my clients is do not stay there. If I am working with someone who has gone up to 170 or more (be careful!!!), we work to bring it right back down. As you know, there are plenty of ways to really work hard yet keep the heart rate stable. What I am most interested in is your inner core temperature. Your baby's temperature is one degree Celsius higher than that of your own but unlike you -- your baby has no sweating mechanism and cannot regulate heat. In other words, as you heat up ... so does baby. I know this is gross but I swear by it and will not let my clients (pregnant) train without this one tool -- a rectal thermometer. When you go to the gym, break after 18-22 minutes into the routine, go the bathroom and take your inner core temperature.
Women don't like this and always ask, "can't I just feel how hot I am?" or "can't I tell by how much I'm sweating?" The answer is no -- because many times your body temp will spike as you move to different exercises. You need to keep a tab on your body temperature every 20 minutes or so. Once you get near 100.5 degree F -- you are in a danger zone. I don't like people to get higher than 101 degree F.
Two more tools -- water and a journal. By keeping a written journal of each and every workout and noting your inner core temperature, you will also get a better idea of what exercises make your inner core temperature spike.
The second trimester will bring you more energy but by the third, you will slow considerably. Into your second (midway) trimester, I would like to see you move away from the plyometrics -- jumping on the boxes. Here's why. Can you handle it?? Yes. And the inner core temp is even manageable BUT your body is moving into the third trimester and joints are beginning to soften in preparation of child birth. It is in the third pregnancy that there are more injuries to joints for moms-to-be who misstep, move too quickly. Research shows that it is inactive, non athletic moms to be who experience the most injuries -- we jocks know how to move and have better muscle tone -- BUT you need to be careful. The bounding is too hard on the joints. As you get into the phase -- come back to me and I will set you up with intense workouts on the treadmill that minimize bounding but will really challenge you."
So I took all this advice. I drank a ton of water. I kept a journal with my heart rate and core body temperature. I stopped jumping on boxes when the belly got too big, and did step ups instead. I did not go for one rep maxes in my lifts. I used a little thing called common sense, and it served me very well. I am so happy that I worked as hard as I did. It paid off. I gained a minimal healthy amount of weight. I had no post-baby body. I was in labor for 5 hours and I pushed for 20 minutes. I progressed from 1cm to 9cm in an hour and a half. The nurses were shocked at the speed and ease of my delivery as a first time mom. I whole heartedly believe I have CrossFit to thank for my easy delivery and healthy strong baby. So thank you CrossFit and thank you ME for getting my ass into the gym when it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do!
I really enjoyed reading this Alex! What an inspiration you are to all pregnant women:) I think it is so important for women to know they can still workout and that it is ok. I had a friend once tell me that she compared pregnancy to training for a marathon. You wouldn't do a marathon without training and it should be the same thing for pregnancy. I think your labor experience is proof of what training can do for a pregnant woman. Hope you all are doing well!
ReplyDeleteGreat post darlin, it was an amazing inspiration to watch you work so hard through all the phases of the creation of our Finn!
ReplyDeleteAnd coming out the other side of the pregnancy stronger and faster than ever before, evidenced by your placing as the 15th fittest woman in Colorado just three months later!
Love you Strong Mama!
Your Walden
Funny timing -- I just found your blog through KERF. We're *contemplating* trying for our first baby in the next year or so, and I was just saying to my husband LAST NIGHT, that there's part of me that wants to be in the best shape EVER before I get pregnant, but then I would just watch all that hard work go down the drain while I sit around pregnant for nine months. Your story proves that is not the case -- very inspiring! I guess I better set some goals and get to work.
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa, you guessed it-pregnancy is not the time to sit around; quite the opposite ! As a friend said, would you train for a marathon by sitting on the couch? Think of labor and those first weeks with a newborn as your marathon :-) find some activity you love, train hard and stick with it throughout your pregnancy- you wont be sorry ! Thanks for reading !
ReplyDeleteI'm currently 33 weeks and still going strong, so it was great to hear about your Crossfit pregnancy as there is so very little out there on the topic!
ReplyDeleteEmma, that's awesome to hear! Are you CrossFitting as well? Lots of luck to you in your upcoming adventure, your perseverance and strength will serve you well!
ReplyDeleteAlex - thanks for posting this - you are an inspiration to all of us pregnant CFers. I am 35 weeks and have been CFing the entire pregnancy. In my second trimester, I even (unintentionally) set some PRs on lifts. I did lose my unassisted pull-up pretty early in the game, but figure the assistance from the band is about equal to the weight I have gained, so I should be back off the band post partum! Now that I am in the home stretch, my WOD times are slower, and I definitely don't do some exercises at all (GHD sit ups, knees to elbows), but most things I can modify pretty easily. I have gotten nothing but support from my CF family, although some co-workers and others think I am crazy! I think it is crazy to use pregnancy as an excuse to just sit around, and hope that keeping myself active will help me rebound quicker.
ReplyDeleteEmily, its amazing how much CF wills assist you in your labor and recovery. I think that's the biggest payoff (other than the baby of course !) And since I was doing wods til the day before his birth, I found it really natural to get right back in the gym soon afterwards. all the best !
ReplyDeleteHi, I did Ironman Canada shortly before getting pregnant with my first. I was in great shape before pregnancy, I gained abaout 25lbs during pregnancy and wore my prepregnancy jeans home from the hospital 2 days after my son was born. I did some moderate exercise while I was pregnant, yoga, swimming, a bit of running, hiking but eased off the Ironman business a lot. What I found out though, is that the baby takes a lot out of you, during and after pregnancy. I suspect that I was depleted in some nutrients and minerals even though I ate well, took vitamins, clorella, D's, Omegas you name it. I struggled with energy levels and anxiety and quickly had to adjust my goal of getting into PR shape within 6 months (that was a stupid goal looking back), but partly due to sleep deprivation. I think that if you have been really fit within the last little while, this is not the time to worry about losing your fitness, or trying to be the most fit of your life during pregnancy or right after if you are breastfeeding. It comes back quickly once you decide to get back into it after. My personal lesson was that I should have instead focused on being in the best emotional shape of my life at that time. Whatever that takes is most nb. There is nothing more important when you are a new mom.
ReplyDeleteI am a committed crossfit mom of two toddlers 5 and 3 years old. I've been doing crossfit since December 1, I found out I was pregnant with my third baby on the 7th! Im now 6 months pregnant and have been doing crossfit 5 days a week. I feel fantastic and healthier than I've ever felt in my life!!! With the approval from my ob, and supervision of my trainer its been the best thing (and eating healthy) I could have ever done! Throughout these past few months we've had to modify as needed, and yes there is always a modification to be made for any workout!! I plan to continue as long as comfortably possible. I have gained 20 pounds so far, I think its about average? I look great and feel better than i look, its truly been the best pregnancy for me and i have crossfit to thank for that. My previous pregnancies I did not do crossfit, I gained 30 with my first and 40 with my second. I didn't workout regularly with either, but ate pretty healthy throughout with both. Overall Im healthier and happier, and love my Crossfit!!
ReplyDeleteI am a committed crossfit mom of two toddlers 5 and 3 years old. I've been doing crossfit since December 1, I found out I was pregnant with my third baby on the 7th! Im now 6 months pregnant and have been doing crossfit 5 days a week. I feel fantastic and healthier than I've ever felt in my life!!! With the approval from my ob, and supervision of my trainer its been the best thing (and eating healthy) I could have ever done! Throughout these past few months we've had to modify as needed, and yes there is always a modification to be made for any workout!! I plan to continue as long as comfortably possible. I have gained 20 pounds so far, I think its about average? I look great and feel better than i look, its truly been the best pregnancy for me and i have crossfit to thank for that. My previous pregnancies I did not do crossfit, I gained 30 with my first and 40 with my second. I didn't workout regularly with either, but ate pretty healthy throughout with both. Overall Im healthier and happier, and love my Crossfit!!
ReplyDeleteAshley, that's amazing you feel so much stronger with this pregnancy. Go girl! Isn't it a great feeling getting into the gym and doing WODs with your little one along for the ride? Congratulations and keep up the hard work :)
ReplyDelete