Search Results for: blog exercise in the third trimester

Medication and the First Trimester

At the beginning of the week I cautioned against going off medication when you get pregnant.  Now I want to write a follow-up, because it actually is important to know any potential dangers with medicine and the first trimester. As a rule I’ve avoided reading lists of dangers, side effects, and rare pregnancy and birth problems.  They’ll just cause me unnecessary stress, and since pregnant women usually see their doctors at least once a month, I trust mine to keep me informed about anything that will actually/is actually affecting me.  But it is important to know that the first trimester … Continue reading →

Continued Exercise During Pregnancy

It was my first pregnancy that convinced me that exercise should be a regular and consistent part of my daily and weekly routine. Having developed a firm commitment to exercise in the last three years, I find myself not only enjoying my workout routine during my second pregnancy but depending on it for relief from pregnancy aches and pains. I have discovered now more than ever before that consistency in a prenatal exercise is essential to a healthy pregnancy. In early pregnancy I continued to do my regular workouts without any need for modification. My goals at the beginning of … Continue reading →

Motivation to Exercise

I have never been much of an exerciser. I went for runs with my college roommates but that only lasted a couple weeks. I made good use of the treadmill in the basement in the last few weeks preceding my wedding. I took a Pilate class for a month just to get out of the house while my husband spent late nights at rehearsals during graduate school. I never stuck with anything I tried and I never really cared. Sure I needed to get fit and tone my pathetically weak muscles, but the motivation just wasn’t there. That all changed … Continue reading →

Four Ways to Get Exercise During Your Pregnancy

It’s comforting to me, a person who associates exercise with pain, discomfort and boredom, that even the most disciplined women must set aside their rigorous routines during pregnancy. Is it terrible to appreciate how pregnancy puts so many of us on level playing ground? The fact is, exercise is really good for pregnant women, but it must be modified for the safety of both mom and baby. You never want to be out of breath when you are pregnant, and you certainly don’t want to be jostling that poor baby around on the jogging path. Pilates has been recommended to … Continue reading →

Exercise Won’t Decrease Your Chances of Cesarean

Go ahead and exercise during your pregnancy, but don’t expect it to increase your chances of having your “dream birth.” That is one conclusion drawn from a recent research study by Dr. Ruben Barakat and his colleagues, at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid in Spain. The study followed 142 women for the second and third trimesters. Half of them followed a moderate exercise plan and the other half exercised very little or not at all. While the study confirmed the health benefits commonly associated with exercise during pregnancy, it did not confirm the previously held assumption that women who exercise are … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Stages: The Second Trimester

The second trimester of pregnancy includes weeks thirteen through twenty-four. You will begin to show during this time and most women start wearing maternity clothes at some time during the second trimester. You will become more aware of the baby’s presence and feel movement at some time during these weeks. This varies widely among women, so don’t get stuck on an exact week to feel the movement. Many women find the symptoms of pregnancy subside somewhat in the second trimester. Some report this trimester is the most comfortable, since morning sickness has generally ended. Also, while the stomach is expanding, … Continue reading →

More Fun Pregnancy Symptoms: Leg Cramps

In the middle of the night a few weeks ago I woke up with a terrible pain in my leg.  I cried out about it, and immediately began trying to rub and move my leg.  My more-than-half-asleep husband drowsily watched me do this.  He watched me try to bend my leg, to rub it, to put weight and hobble around the room on it.  When I made it to the bathroom he followed me, and asked me if I thought I was just having Braxton-Hicks.  In my leg.  Now we know that if I go into labor in the middle … Continue reading →

Our Eleventh Prenatal Visit

These weekly visit come and go in the blink of an eye. It is astounding how quickly time seems to be going now that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy. Our last prenatal visit began with an ultrasound to check the position of the baby and the fluid levels and ended with our midwife coming to our house to get a feel for the flow of the space. Before we head off to our visit with the midwife, I wake up early to get in a workout before we leave knowing that the day is going to be … Continue reading →

Week Twenty Eight

The weeks are starting to fly by now. At twenty eight weeks, I am officially in my third trimester! With twelve weeks to go, I am feeling anxious for the birth of our daughter while also feeling the need to “cling” to my pregnancy. I only have twelve more weeks to enjoy this pregnancy and I know that I will be holding my baby girl before I know it. My mind is in planning stage especially for the holidays. I have Thanksgiving and Christmas on my mind as I am trying to plan pie baking, Christmas shopping and gift making, … Continue reading →

Week Twenty Seven

Week twenty seven has been largely uneventful in the world of pregnancy. I began the week with the same determination to maintain my pregnancy food journal and exercise routine. It has gotten easier to stay on track and I do not feel as deprived as I did when I started keeping tabs on everything. I feel like I am back in control again and that is incredibly empowering and it gives me even more motivation. This week I officially put away all my pre-pregnancy clothes. Thankfully the weather has continued to be fairly cool so my fall/winter maternity wardrobe is … Continue reading →