I am 25.5 weeks along in this pregnancy. So, if you consider 40 weeks being 100% through, that’s where I got my percentage up on the header. But some people like hearing about it in months….so I am approximately 5.7 months along. That is, if you look at it in terms of 5 months and 3 full weeks, with each week being 21 days. And then you approximate each month to have 30 days total….so that’s where the 5.7 comes from.
This is why I haven’t really done a post on my pregnancy yet.
I started this blog in 2013 to talk about running, Disney World and my dad. I have been running since high school track, and then ran my first half marathon in 2004 at age 19. By 2014, I felt like I had some knowledge to share. And now in 2017, I feel even a bit more knowledgeable, or at least it is easier to share my insight. For Disney World, I have been going since 1991. I have continued to go well into my adulthood, with my mom, my husband, and most notably with my friend Maureen when we went for 16 days. I have stayed lots of places on property, read all sorts of blogs and updates on the parks….I feel confident I can help many of my family and friends plan a Walt Disney World trip if they were to ask for my help. And my dad, well…he is my dad. I had to use this blog as a self-reflection on things I was struggling with since he passed in 2004. I have not only found out more about my dad’s past as a Quebec orphan since starting this blog, but have found out more about myself in the process.
But pregnancy. Well, I can’t tell you one thing that I can guarantee to be a helpful insight.
I can’t give advice on this area! Sure, I can tell people how I handled the miscarriage I had in January but that hasn’t even still fully settled in. And what I did after the miscarriage may not work for everyone. And I dont expect it to. Much like how my current pregnancy is not like anyone else’s and people shouldn’t be following my advice. Because lets face it; I’m sure someone out there will have some scrutiny for something I’ve done. But really, I don’t care if you do!
What I’m going to share below isn’t a list of things that every pregnant woman should do, or what to expect in their pregnancy. I’m just going to go over a bunch of different things I’ve encountered and dealt with during this pregnancy. So in no particular order, other than what maybe you’d expect me to discuss….
Exercise during pregnancy
At first I was anxious about someone saying the quizzical “Are you sure you should be running still?” Well, you’re not my doctor, but thanks for pretending like you know what’s best. So, no one has said anything. Maybe some strangers have thought things as they’ve seen me in races or running in the summertime here in Lethbridge. But those who know me know I am playing this smart.
Since finding out I was pregnant, I set a goal to myself to keep running 4 days a week as long as I can. I am proud to say that I have stuck with that ‘training plan.’ I need a plan to follow so I can hold myself accountable, so that’s why I set that goal of 4 days a week. I generally do one “long run” and then three other shorter runs. Yes, my pace has been slowly getting slower, but I am still getting out there. I watch my heart rate to judge if I can pick the pace up or if I need to reign it in a bit.
I also have my weekly 9 hole golf league on Mondays and I most recently started going to the free HIGH fitness class put on by Kinetic On The Go (think of a Zumba hybrid). I had been doing the classes Kinetic On The Go brought to the school I work at during the Winter and Spring, and I figured I would try them again as I am considering registering for a Post-Natal Baby Mama Boot Camp they do at the studio.
Summer slows things down for road races, but I do have a couple things set in the final stretch. Currently, I am taking on a RunDisney Virtual Run series, where I do a 5km in each the month of June, July and August. I only have August left to do. I run the 5km on my own time and log the race. It’s given me something to “check off” each summer month. On September 30th, I am planning on running in the Police 10km in Lethbridge. It will be a combo walk/jog/run, as I will be almost exactly 8 months along. If I am not up for the 10km, I’ll drop down to the 5km. There are also some other local 5km races mid October, but I’ll wait until October to see how I am doing. Even if I could just do the Bare Bones 5km as a walk on October 22nd that’d be amazing.
Side Effects, Symtpons and Pains
I have been pretty fortunate to say the least! I have not puked once, which is obviously what everyone automatically assumes will happen upon finding out they are expecting. I had some very slight nausea in the single digit weeks of the pregnancy, but that subsided quickly. I never had any full over sickness that caused me to call in sick during 2nd semester of school, so that’s a huge positive!
I have had some issues with headaches, but I figured out the main cause: hydration. A headache starts to creep in mid afternoon if I haven’t been hydrating enough all morning. The summer heat also kicks it up a notch, so I need to drink even more. My only other minor issue were leg cramps in my calves. These started in June and I would wake up with a Charlie horse. I talked to my doctor about them and I started taking a calcium magnesium supplement three times a day. Problem solved! Really, the cramps weren’t too bad at all, but I think it has to do with my high pain tolerance. The occasional back pains I get I know have to be pregnancy related, but I always just think of them like pains I would get from after a long run or race. Overall, I’ve been feeling pretty good!
I’ve also had no food aversions! I was very nervous about this, as I really didn’t want to have to change my diet too much. All the normal foods that I ate before being pregnant settle in my stomach just fine. There was one evening that cooked Brussels sprouts sort of bothered my sense of smell, but I had them again another time and were just fine. And luckily, I am still able to enjoy all the spicy food I always loved!
Diet Staples I Miss
BEER.
It is no lie that I love beer. Specifically, I love hoppy beer. iPA’s are my favorite! While I am obviously handling the no alcohol stipulation, I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss it.
My husband has bought me a variety of non-alcoholic beer. They are not all created equal! In my opinion (and he agrees) the President’s Choice brand at Canadian Superstore is the best available and at the best price. While I don’t generally go for a blonde beer normally, their NA blonde tastes pretty comparable to a standard blonde beer. It does the trick after an afternoon of yardwork! But in case anyone is keeping notes, my husband asked what the first drink would be that I’d want after the pregnancy is complete…..with no more than 5 seconds of thought I responded with Lagunitas Lil Sumpin Wild. If you’re in Lethbridge, you can buy it at Andrew Hilton on 3rd ave. Then, just shoot me a message and I’ll tell you where to drop it off!
Other than beer, I miss egg yolks. Cooking my eggs scrambled or as an omelette is getting old. I also missed making sandwiches for my lunches during the school year (apparently listeria is a risk in cold lunch meat….). I did make some occasional grilled sandwiches at home by heating up the meat first on a skillet. I was anxious about the threat of “no soft cheese” but it is so easy to find pasteurized cheese, specifically Brie, at the grocery store. I’m a Wisconsin cheesehead, so I need my daily dose of cheese!
What Else Is On My Mind?
The main thing is that it still doesn’t seem real. Even though I have had four ultrasounds. Many doctors appointments. Blood draws. Feeling baby move. Setting up the nursery. Buying baby things. Looking up information about what’s the best breast pump. Getting really excited about finding a ridiculous good deal on used items on Lethbridge Swap and Buy.
Maybe it’ll feel more real once Dan and I start our prenatal classes this week through Alberta Health Services. Maybe it won’t feel real until we are on the way to the hospital, or maybe even not until I give birth to this baby. I can’t determine when it’ll actually “feel real” to me or when it’ll really hit me that we are going to be parents. But I do know Dan and I are as ready as we can be for every unexpected, unpredictable, wonderful thing that comes our way.
October 1st, 1984. Me!
Je Me Souviens-To Infinity & Beyond! 