Anne, I read this yesterday in a hurry, and wanted to come back and tell you congratulations! It's very exciting. Never having had any kids, I have no advice except to be prepared for having your life change.
Hey Anne, congratulations! I can only tell you to keep their kibble bowl full, .... uh, no, that's the cats. I have no advice at all for human babies other to have as good and joyful time as you can and experience it all.
Thanks everybody for all the good wishes and the advice! Starting to seem a little more real to me every day.
Since I have pretty extensive logs, I figured out what my maintenance calorie level is, then added in the 100-200 extra recommend in the first trimester, and finally enough calories to cover my exercise needs. So far eating that much hasn't been a problem, but I'm actually getting my hunger and cravings back down to about that level. Feeling a lot better about that!
I'm continuing to exercise. My OB was very encouraging about that. I'm also planning to breastfeed when the time comes--that should help as well, not to mention be great for the kiddo. Any advantage I can give him/her on weight issues, I need to do, since she/he will have all my fat genes to deal with as well!
Anne: Congrats!! That is awesome. Just remember to log your exercise, cut back on the long distances and listen to your doctors and your body. I hopefully will get a marathon under my belt (like you did) before I TTC.
My kids are now 12 and 7--I was 26 and 31 when they were born--here's what worked for me (I wasn't overweight going into either pregnancy)--
I went to prenatal exercise class regularly (a nice way to meet other future moms). You can do abdominal exercises on a stability ball so that you are not flat on your back.
I ate a healthy vegetarian diet and stayed aware of protein/iron/calcium intake.
Breastfeeding was a wonderful, affirming experience with my 2nd child--a huge struggle with the first. It was essential for me to get professional advice from a lactation consultant right away (La Leche League is helpful too--you can go to the meetings when you are pregnant so you'll know the leaders).
Interesting stuff for Anne, and all of us maintainers, from the March edition of Runner's World (UK edition, p70).
'The medical establishment once thought that vigorous exercise, such as running, could trigger pre-term labour but researchers at the University of Carolina have discovered that women who [ran] during the first two trimesters were 20 per cent less likely to give birth prematurely than women who didn't exercise vigorously. And women who exercised vigorously during the second trimester had a 48 per cent reduced pre-term birth risk. Just make sure you drink plenty of fluid and avoid over-heating during your run: all researchers agree that a rise in your core body temperature above 38 C will put your unborn baby at a greater risk of birth defects. If you don't want to run on firm ground, pool running is the great alternative; it's an effective cross-training activity for runners and a great way for women in the latter stages of pregnancy to exercise.'
Hi, Anne,
I just realized that I was running while expecting my third child till I was about 5 month pregnant. I felt great! I did not like running on concrete, so I found track field with soft cover... Did it 2 times/week. I was overweight going into pregnancy, but I just felt better that I was doing somthing good for myself and baby.
Sandy.
Thanks. I'm still running (well, run/walking) for the time being. Being mindful of not pushing too hard. I'm finding I feel much better when I exercise, so I'm still doing lots of it. I'm hoping it lasts.
