Could be T.M.I. - consider yourself warned!!

"Where is the baby???" many of you ask (myself included)!  Well, this might be the last week I can truthfully say that I know exactly where my child is....it's still in my belly!   That's right, GASP, I will be 43 weeks on Friday, GASP again! 

My estimated due date (which everyone - Holistic and Western Practitioners - agrees is kinda a month range and a bit of a joke) was Sept 6th.   Again, full term pregnancies are 38 weeks (Aug 24th) to 42 weeks (Sept 20th) so I am 6 days past "full term" BUT in the modern medicine world we live in - I am viewed as 2 weeks and 6 days past due - GASP! 

I've been met with a lot of support AND a lot of societal pressure every time I go somewhere or talk to someone about how far along I am.  It's been an interesting experience and a chance for me to get some education. 

The main reason why people - mothers and docs alike - are concerned about postterm pregnancy is due to malnourishment of the baby.    At 41ish weeks many women - myself included - go to a perinatalogist and get an ultra sound to check the placenta and amniotic fluid - both nourish the baby!  If both of these are healthy and plentiful and the baby is moving - there is no real reason to induce.
I'll spare you with my thoughts on women getting pressured into inducing or how induction via natural processes or petocin can often lead to longer more painful labors etc......

Instead I'll share with you a few things that I've learned about "longer than normal" gestation periods and a few reasons that might account for my still pregnant belly!
The Internet is full of "information" - I feel confident sharing these with you because they came directly from conversations with my health care provider/mid-wife!

1. 5-10% of Women's natural gestation period is 43-44 weeks. Just this week I've spoken with 5 ladies at yoga or at a local maternity shop who carried into their 43rd week (my sister in law being one of them!)  So, my guess is that this number would be higher if the pressure/scare to induce wasn't so great. 
2. The mother's natural cycle is longer than 28 days.  Estimated Due Date is even LESS accurate if your cycle isn't 28 days exactly!  I just found out about Nichol's Rule from my mid-wife.  According to this, my estimated due date was more like Sept 20-24th (not the 6th).  A few folks who I talked to about this wondered "why it's not the norm for due date estimation" but my guess is that most women sadly don't know her own stats to plug into the formula! 
3. Inaccurate Dating.  This BLOG talks about all the reasons dating can be off - Note even dating ultrasounds are a plus or minus 2 weeks!  ....we didn't get a sonogram at all.....
4. Ovulation variance due to Sickness - Body Composition - I knew that cycles and ovulation varied from woman to woman BUT didn't realize how much one woman's cycle could vary due to training, sickness, body composition!!  In other words, a woman may typically ovulate on the 12-14th day BUT due to 2 weeks of the flu her body ovulates 10 days later, etc!  This makes "knowing" much harder unless you're testing everyday/every month (more power to anyone who does that!)
5. Slower Gestation due to Sickness and Spouse's State.  I couldn't find much on the www about this that didn't straight SCARE me - so I stopped searching:)  I'll just share what my mid-wife believes - in our most primal state women look to our partners for protection and we won't go into labor when they can't protect us from the "neighboring tribe" - So, if your partners is out of town, stressed to the 9's about work, or sick your body may delay labor.  The same goes for sickness - if you're sick then the Chi is taken from the baby and mildly slows progress.

Does your head hurt?  Because mine does!!!!! Most likely we were off on the date as I was both competing and very sick in December......In any case, the good news remains that baby is healthy and I feel good (just a little mind numbed from the waiting) and one thing is for sure it has to come out eventually! 

Strictly Strength with Travis Holley

I am not on tumblr so I can't just "share" Travis's post so I've done my ghetto version of copy and past to share this post.....This is not to toot my own horn but to motivate you to keep working.  Make adjustments as you need to feel comfortable physically and mentally but KEEP MOVING - KEEP SANE - STAY FIT!
From Travis's Strictly Strength Blog:

DO YOU:


A) Make Excuses

B) Make Shit Happen

My purpose in posting today is two-fold. First, I want to highlight one of my Strictly Strength athletes that you may have heard of before(just maybe)….Lisa Bender Thiel. Ring a bell? Thought so.
As you may know, Lisa and Jeremy are pregnant and have been for some time now. In fact, Lisa’s due date was yesterday, Thursday the 6th! Needless to say, it’s crunch time for the little guy(or girl) to make an appearance.
Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m bringing this up….
Well, Lisa, as you all know, is NOT your typical pregnant woman. This chick has remained in outstanding shape during all of this, and other than lightening some loads and switching out certain movements that don’t feel right, she has continued to workout at a level that would make most average humans nauseous. But, again, she’s NOT average.
Lisa has been incredibly smart and cautious about her training during her pregnancy. That being said, she has not used the fact that she is pregnant as an excuse to stop being active and strong. She’s made adjustments, not excuses! That’s the key!

Check out this video of Lisa throwing weight around on her due date! OUTSTANDING!

What's the key to a happy pregnancy?

ignore horrible shoulder posture on left :)

I am convinced the answer has to be - CLOTHES THAT FIT!

Week 17 or for those who aren't stuck in weeks like pregnant folk....a little over 4 months - and I finally gave into the fact that I won't be wearing size 6 LuluLemon and my skinny jeans much longer (if at all).

So how can I feel comfy or well, less large...without buying an entirely new maternity wardrobe?

Closet Makeover:

Every season I move "last season's" clothing (ie: sweater, jackets, scarfs) to bins and replace with "this season's" basics (ie: shorts, skirts, tanks). Don't get me wrong - this takes like 10 minutes as I am NOT a fashionista! I decided that I would do the same thing as my belly expands and HIDE anything that is not going to fit this summer. The only thing hanging in my closet are flattering tops, skirts, shorts that were too big, and anything with an elastic waistband! My logic? Out of sight - out of mind - I won't be tempted or depressed by any cute little something that won't suit me right now AND everything I grab will fit!

Get The Basics NOW:

Everyone will have different basics but for me it was a pair of jeans/dressy shorts and of course Lulu shorts (workout gear). Rather than waiting until I desperately needed them aka nothing else fit.... I went and found a pair off super cute below the belly jeans (for $20 at Motherhood)- a pair of white Bermuda shorts. A few folks suggested the Belly Band but to me it was like a hot, awkward contraption that didn't' really keep my pants up anyway....so the other purchases were well worth it! As for the up sized Lulu - I quietly scoped out gals who I knew lost weight and probably had some old shorts sitting around that were now too big for them but perfect for me. Ok, so you can't be a germaphobe for this one and you should probably wash them in super hot water. It may not be for everyone but for me it was a quick fix to comfort for all my favorite activities (crossfit, yoga, etc etc).

Assess MISSING Necessities:

Now I've got a closet full of "only what works" and something to workout in (Lulu) and a pair of jeans to dress up! What else will make my expanding summer more pleasant? Dresses - camisoles - long tanks! Really the list isn't that long but it gave me peace of mind to have know what will make me happier without spending hours shopping (I am not a shopper). I got an "Easter" dress and decided to wait on tanks/tops until I REALLY need them in a few months.

Adopt The LFS Rule:

At first I was grabbing all the loose fitting, flowy peasant tops in my closet but soon realized those led to two possible responses from people:

1) you look "big" rather than "pregnant"

2) "are you sure you're not having twins"

I quickly learned that following the LFS rule was the way to go.

A little less "Lookin' F'ing Sexy" and more "Long/Fitted/Stretchy". This rule applies to dresses - tanks - tees - etc!

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize:
With limited options (yes, you saw this black tank last Tuesday....) and an out of body experience of expanding - I started digging thru my accessories to spice things up. "Look at my earrings....not my belly" is the approach I am going for! So far it's working - I'll update you in a few months to see if it's still that easy!

1st Prenatal Yoga Class - the HARDEST thing -

Was realizing I belong there!

We live about 1/4 a mile from on of Austin's best yoga studios and better yet they are know for pre/postnatal and kids classes! So, all it took was 1 free class offering by a long time athlete at RBG and I was there!

As I sat in the empty room (I am always early.....) watching the other pregnant ladies arrive, I kept thinking how great they looked - how fit and agile even the 37 week pregnant woman looked. I was inspired by the process of creating a kiddo and fascinated at how HUGE a tummy could be and how "normal" the rest of the body could remain. THEN I realized I was not just watching these pregnant women - I was one of "them" SHIT!!!!!!

I know we're all supposed to talk about how exciting this is and how great it's gonna be - and it IS - but it's also strange - I do not associate myself, my identity as pregnant, as a mom, etc. I successfully choked back tears for the next 20 minutes or so of class all the while to trying to remember my intention that the instructor had asked us to create before class began....Peace and Relaxation!

The class was great - the instructor was nothing but awesome - but I that didn't mean the entire 75 minutes wasn't surreal. When the instructor said "one hand on your little one" or "mommy arms" etc - I almost didn't know what to do - do I have "mommy arms"? It sounds silly to think but pregnant is not ME but it is so ME. One day at a time- one lb at a time - a million emotions at a time......

And I'll be back - I committed to every Wednesday for the next 5 months!

Training for a Health/Fitness....not Competition

As short sighted as it may sound, the hardest thing to adjust to immediately is my training schedule/routine. Mentally I know I need to make some adjustments but physically I feel better than I have in weeks and I don't yet have any "feedback" from the baby. I'm over the sickness and not yet to the baby kicks so all decisions are based on mental prep rather than physical feedback.....twilight zone!

I know me and I don't trust myself to scale intensity right now - I might get better at this as time passes - however, right now GO means GO. I know that the 1pm workout with the coaches and other competitors is not the place for me. Not because I can't do the workouts but because I can't keep up....nor do I want to anymore! :)

I thrive with a plan - I like to train with a group - and I can scale loads more confidently than intensity. For these reasons I joined Travis Holley's Strictly Strength class 2x a week - I already knew I loved Travis's program and it's even more refreshing right now!

I will do the Open 12.? WODs in class with Big Mike and look forward to getting back in the pool a couple days a week!

Once again the community of CrossFit has proven to be one of my favorite things! I reached out to a couple other Competitive CrossFit moms (Carey Kepler, Heather Bergeron, Tanya Wagner)for their advice and got a plethora of support - information - and a reality check! I plan to eliminate all inversions (HSwalks, HSPU, skin the cats, even flip turns in the pool) But otherwise carry on until something says STOP - SLOW DOWN - OUCH!

The good thing about not finding out until I was 12 weeks = seemingly short pregnancy. Kiddos for time....3-2-1 Go!

The not so good thing..... = having 2 weeks to adjust and absorb before I was "showing"!