2 weeks post baby and finally feeling like my old self! Minus the lack of sleep...
Yesterday was my first day working out since giving birth. I worked up until the day she was born and I am very thankful for that! I can't stress enough how IMPORTANT it is to stay active! I needed to get out of my house because I felt cooped up and knew that exercising would be the perfect thing. Exercise has always been my form of stress relieving and boy did it help! To all the other mamma's out there and moms-to-be, don't forget to take care of yourself! If you don't take care of yourself, you wont be at your full potential for helping others (aka baby). I said I would share my first workout back. I did a back workout and added some core into the mix. I typically jump on the pull up bar and do 3 sets of pull ups. I knew I wouldn't be able to do that right away so I tried the assisted pull ups. Well that was a JOKE. I felt my diastis recti (split abs). They aren't healed yet, so I stopped immediately and walked away like a sad puppy with it's tail between it's legs. I tried to regain my pride and jumped on some machines I knew I could do... I did 3 sets of every exercise for 15x, 12x, 10x. And 15 reps for all abdominal exercises. BACK WORKOUT: Seated row with close grip handle Seated lat pull down on HammerStrength machine Lying T- Bar row Reverse flies using plates for weights Lat pull down machine (not cables) Low row using Free Motion machine cable Wood chops from low pully Side bends on low back extension machine (no weight) Hanging knee raises with bent legs for 10x then straight legs for 10x My hubby and I will both be on leave starting tomorrow and we are going to try and get creative with home workouts so we don't have to take turns going to the gym (although I'm sure we will do that too). I'll keep you posted on the in home workouts! Hopefully we will have some videos! In good health, Cristina
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I officially hit 35 weeks on July 2nd and then a few days later found myself having a baby! Our baby, Isabella Maria, was born at 35 weeks and 4 days. She came into the world slightly early but it's because she had big plans. Everything went very well and I'm happy to report that both her and I are very healthy and HAPPY.
My water broke in the middle of the night July 5th. I had no idea and wasn't sure what it was so I ignored it. The next morning it seemed to have gotten worse. I called the doctor and they sent me to the hospital. The following day, July 6th at 4:25pm, our precious angel was born. I'm pretty happy to report that labor was fairly easy. Of course I attribute this to being healthy and in shape pre-pregnancy and during. I did have the epidural so that took away all the pain (thank goodness). I pushed for about 25 minutes and then baby was born! They told me I could push the button for more epidural but I didn't want to. I wanted to be able to feel my body more so I could have more control. Crazy, I know, but not have any feeling is also very weird and didn't make me too comfortable. After the baby was born, I had no idea of the road to recovery ahead of me! As far as exercising goes, I am starting off slow. I still haven't exercised (I'm one week postpartum) but plan on it in a few days. I don't think I'll be doing any lower body exercising until I'm cleared at my 6 week appointment OR I feel absolutely comfortable and heeled. I will start some core rehabilitation exercises, increase outdoor walking and maybe do light upper body exercises. I won't be doing any high impact exercises or high intensity cardio. I am still recovering and plan on listening to my body. Funny story, during my labor I was actually talking to the doctors about post natal core exercises for moms. I told them planking was NOT something they should recommend but instead, tell their patients to work on their transverse abdominal. Doing this will help increase the deep core muscles and from there they can work their way out to the superficial abdominal wall. It's crazy to think about having this conversation while pushing a baby out, but it goes to show how my process went and I'm very thankful for an easy labor. As for now, I'll update this page every 1-2 weeks on postpartum exercising and nutrition and my journey back to being fit post pregnancy. My total weight gain was 23 pounds and I've already lost 14lb. I am not concerned about that number though, I am concerned about my baby and her health. My health is still my priority but I'm in no rush to look a certain way.. just be healthy!! Questions? Comments? Leave them below or email me at [email protected] In good health, Cristina I hit 34 weeks this past weekend; yay! I am counting down the days and weeks even though I'm slightly terrified for D-day!
33 weeks and going strong! Not much has changed over the week besides the growth of my STOMACH! Mamma mia. I didn't realize how big it was until I looked at the picture above! :)
As I have approached the home stretch we are gearing up for the final weeks! I have decided to take this upcoming weekend to meal prep for post delivery. I hear the last thing you want to do post baby is cook. I figured if I have meals already pre-made and frozen, life will be a tad bit easier. Maybe? I will post what recipes I used next week. I wanted to swing back around to the beginning and talk about the benefits of exercising while pregnant. I still feel like it is underestimated and the more you know the better!! EXERCISE CAN HELP DECREASE OR PREVENT: Constipation Back Pain Gestation diabetes Pregnancy-induced hypertension Pelvic and Rectal pressure Swelling Leg cramps Nausea Varicose veins Insomnia Fatigue Surgical or medical interventions during delivery Urinary Incontinence Postpartum weight retention Anxiety Depression EXERCISE CAN HELP INCREASE OR IMPROVE: Cardiovascular fitness Circulation Muscular strength and endurance Mood states Functional capacity Self-esteem Energy levels during pregnancy Sense of well-being Posture and bio-mechanics Recovery time Need any more reason? Exercising is one of the BEST things you could do for yourself AND your baby while pregnant. If you find yourself too tired or achy to hit the gym, try and at least going for a 30 minute walk around your neighborhood. Movement gets the blood flowing and will help sooth the body. Until next time! Cristina Hello Ladies,
Welcome to the 32 week blog post! Can't believe how slow this trimester feels but at the same time it feels like I don't have much time left! This past weekend was our baby shower and it was beautiful. I won't talk about it much but I wanted to mention one awesome gift that we got that I had never heard of prior. Someone got us a great gift that actually can monitor the baby's heart rate. No, it's not for exercising .. not yet at least :p, but it is to monitor the baby's heart rate while she sleeps. How cool is that? I think it will come in handy and help us sleep with ease at night knowing everything is OK. Here is a little more info on the product! Check it out! www.owletcare.com This week I wanted to talk about controversy in the fitness industry while pregnant. It has come to my attention as of late that many people don't understand how exercise BENEFITS pregnant women AND their babies. Some people have gone as far as telling me I need to be careful or why am I still working out? It got to me a little bit so not only did I decide to document my workout today (it will be posted on my Facebook page and Instagram page) but I figured it was appropriate to talk about the benefits of exercise as well. Why is exercising during pregnancy beneficial? Hello Ladies!
I am currently standing strong at 31 weeks and 3 days. That means D-Day is soon! This past week we had our hospital tour and got a little insight as far as labor and delivery goes. To be honest, it all scares the heck out of me!! Maybe it is the unknown that is scary but since people have been doing this for years, I'll just assume it can't be THAT bad.. Appointments with my OB are every 2 weeks right now (until I hit 36 I think, then it's every week). Last appointment, I asked my Dr. about a bulge that appeared in my abdomen when I do certain exercises that engage my core muscles . She responded by saying, that is diastasis recti. I knew exactly what it was at that moment and was slightly disappointed. However, she reassured me that almost everyone has this and it's extremely common. I asked her what exercises I could do postpartum to help this heal faster and she actually asked me to let HER know what exercises are best. I told her I would put myself through some postpartum core rehab and then report back (I'll do the same here). I figured today would be a good day to dive into this topic and explain what it is in more detail and how to deal with it! What is diastasis recti? As I mentioned earlier, it's a very common condition in pregnant women (and immediately postpartum) where the abdominal wall splits. If you think of a six pack of abs, there is a line that runs down the middle of them. This line is called the linea alba. It is actually a tendinous fiber which doesn't have much give (like muscles do). Further along in pregnancy, when the abs start to stretch out, the linea alba can only stretch so far. Therefore, the superficial muscles (the six pack you see), end up tearing from the linea alba. No biggie, because they can go back together postpartum. Since some separation is normal in almost every woman's pregnancy, I'll touch upon evaluating the extent of the gap and how to handle it. How to figure out if your abs split? Note: this test is not 100% accurate due to location of separation. - Lay on your back with knees bent. Place 2 fingers below the belly button and do a crunch then repeat with fingers above the belly button. If your fingers penetrate the location, chances are there is separation. Keep in mind, I did this on myself frequently while pregnant. My separation actually occurred at the very top of the abs (where I never checked) and slightly to the left. The abs can split between the "packs" as well. Finally hit the 10 week countdown. 10 weeks or less and baby P will be here! Check out my stats below on what's going on with fitness, nutrition and my personal health!
Pregnancy symptoms: Leg cramps and they suck! I usually stay very, very hydrated but sometimes it's just the luck of the draw. I find that calcium can help prevent them so I try and monitor my intake and make sure I'm getting enough (being lactose intolerant, it's easy to lack here). Periodic nausea- Yah, wasn't expecting this one! It's not typical but it's happened to me a few times in my third trimester. I carry crackers in my car now just in case it strikes! Frequent urination: Pretty sure this happens to everyone...! No fun. Workouts: Workouts are actually not bad! Except leg days! I truly think squats are going to help with pushing this baby out and getting everything to go back together (and I've heard it before as well). Squats help strengthen your core muscles (hello, baby house), quads, glutes and hamstrings. Not to mention, it also works your stability. However, the bigger you get the more awkward these get! Find a good placing for your feet that makes your belly not feel like it's getting in the way and you should be good to go. If it still feels awkward, try using a different machine or perhaps a seated leg press. Reminder: you don't want to sit too long during exercises in the 3rd trimester. Nutrition: As I've mentioned before, I've been monitoring my food via My Fitness Pal. When I say monitor, I mean just watching my caloric intake to make sure I'm not consuming too much of anything. I haven't been crazy strict but this has helped keep my weight gain in check. My weight gain as of 30 weeks is about 19-20lb. A lot of water weight in my lower body! I have not had very strong cravings for anything but a slight increase in appetite (I think it's because shes growing a lot more now!). Stay tuned for more info in regards to nutrition and pregnancy next week! In good health, Cristina I'm 29 weeks! Almost at that 10 week countdown! Whenever people tell me they are 30 weeks pregnant, I would think, Oh! You're almost there! What's another 10 weeks? Yah, right. I feel like my weeks are starting to go by slower and things are just getting harder! However, I always say things could be worse!
Symptoms at this stage: I have had nausea that came back :( It has only been for a few days but it's not fun! I thought this was over with months ago! Back pain in the thoracic spine. I might of mentioned this before (excuse the pregnancy brain) but since my rib cage is expanding and moving up to make way for the baby, some nerves have taken a beating. I did see a chiropractor 2 times and it did help but I think it's something I'll have to put up with for the next few weeks.. Lastly, swelling. This has been happening to me for a while (probably started around 20 weeks) and mostly in my lower body. However, as I grow, I think the swelling is starting to move up and head up to my upper limbs. Stop!! I don't want to retain anymore water :( Other than that, things are great! :) Nutrition: Did you know that when you're pregnant you only increase your calories towards the end of your second trimester? They should be increased by about 200 calories. Once you hit your third trimester, you'll need to increase to about 500 calories. It really isn't much so you must be careful to monitor your intake and not OVER indulge.. which can be easy, unfortunately. My best tip? I've said it before, but record your food! It makes it so much easier to know how much you're eating and WHAT your eating. Try my fitness pal. Workouts: Once you start getting bigger you really start to notice somethings just don't feel right. My advice? DON'T DO IT! If something feels off, stop. This is something I've been working on. Sometimes squats, leg press or other exercises just don't feel right. I will try and modify them and usually that will help. If modifications don't help, then don't do it. Stay tuned for next weeks update as I enter my 30th week! Ek! In good health, Cristina Finally hit 28 weeks. The first 25 weeks seemed to go by fast, but now time seems to be slowing down. Common August! Are you here yet?!!
We registered 2 weeks ago for our baby shower and it was slightly overwhelming, however after doing lots of research I actually kind of know what some things are and what they do. I'm sure I'll have a rude awakening when I am actually in the moment and discover 1/2 the stuff I don't need (so I hear). I'll keep you posted. I will say that one of the things we are super excited about is the stroller! We originally had our eye on the Britax B- Agile, but after finding out it was going to be discontinued where we registered, we switched to the Graco Modes- which is awesome! It is great for the "on-the-go" mom. It's light weight, can break down easily and is great for traveling! I highly recommend checking it out! OK, let's talk abdominal now. I have been getting a lot of questions in regards to abs and what happens to them when you're gestational and postpartum. For those who aren't familiar with the term, diastasis recti, it is a common condition that can occur during pregnancy in the abdominal region. Basically what it means is the abdominal wall can separate because of all the stretching that occurs during pregnancy. Don't freak out- it can go back together as long as you do the right things! I repeat, as long as you do the right things! I have had clients who have had children as long as 5 years ago, and still have the separation in the abs. It's all about precautionary movement and therapy postpartum. So take note! What causes diastasis recti? Diastasis recti can be caused by a number of things: the size and amount of babies, placenta size, amount of fluid (amniotic), number of previous pregnancies, amount of weight gain, length of torso and the strength of your abdominal muscles pre pregnancy. Women with stronger abs pre pregnancy are usually more resistant to this condition (so if you aren't pregnant, do some planks!). You can test out your abdomen by lying flat on the ground with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place two fingers in the middle of the abs below the bellybutton. Crunch up slowly. If the 2 fingers (or more) can go between the abs, then your abdominal most likely split. If this is the case, avoid doing any abdominal exercises on the floor and rotational exercises (as this could split them more). However, you can still work on your abs by creating a "splint" for your torso while preforming the crunch. Take a towel and put it under your back. Have two sides stick out and grab those two ends with both hands over the bellybutton. Try crunching up while pulling on the towel. Repeat 15x. This will help support the abdominal wall, muscles and the linea alba (the fiber that runs between the abdominal). Post pregnancy diastasis recti is less of a concern because there is no baby pushing on the abdominal wall. However, it can still be something that women experience. If this is the case, work on increasing your deeper abdominal muscles such as transverse and obliques. Do this every day and eventually your core will become stronger! Hope this was helpful for my pregnant ladies out there! It is always a good idea to be fit and stay fit before, during and after your pregnancy, for this and many other reasons! For questions on exercises or what to eat while pregnant, please email me at [email protected] Cristina Hello Big Belly!
It seems like my stomach has grown faster and bigger over the past week than any other week! Which I hear happens... I'm going to be brutally honest on this post!! Which I assume is what you want. Once I hit 26 weeks, things started to get tough. Acid reflux kept me up at night, leg cramps started and back pain had increased. I had been so happy with my nearly pain free pregnancy and healthy approach that I thought I was in the clear! Well, baby got the best of me! I have to say though, learning how to deal with the situations and preventing them from happening again or getting worse REALLY helps (if it's possible). Here's what I did: Acid reflux was worst at night. I am now eating dinner SUPER early (don't think I'm crazy), but I try to eat around 5:30pm. This gives me time to digest. I also have cut my meals into smaller portions so that I can break it down better inside my body. It helps! When I sleep at night, I prop myself up slightly so that digestion flows better and it makes a difference! For the leg cramps, besides stretching my calves like CRAZY, I ended up icing them in the middle of the night! There was really nothing else I could think of and stretching wasn't working at that point. The ice actually did wonders! I have been trying to sit down more and get off my feet (not really possible though) but it seems to help. And lastly, my back pain. I've been having back pain in a spot you wouldn't think, the middle. My middle back has been hurting a lot lately. I tried foam rolling it and working out the muscles, but still no good. I read that the ribs actually condense a little to make room for the baby and the possibility of a pinched nerve is likely. However, I'm no doctor so I figured seeing a Chiropractor would help. I will be going tomorrow and will give an update! Workouts have been getting tougher and so has the creative process! Trying to do different exercises each week that can accommodate to a growing belly without causing discomfort is a challenge! Let's talk about weight gain. I have been getting a lot of comments here and there that I "look small." I honestly don't know how to react to this comment because I feel HUGE and because I don't really know how big I am supposed to be!! The good news is, everyone grows at different rates and everyone holds babies differently. I know a lot of women get offended when they're called small during pregnancy, but honestly, I feel good and feel like I am the right size I'm supposed to be, so I don't care what people say. So how much weight have I gained so far is the big question? Whelp, in the beginning I lost 5 pounds from food aversion and nausea and then gained it back in the second trimester. It took me a LONG time before I started showing, but I am happy to report I'm right on track at about 17-18 pounds. I have been conscious of my weight gain and have been trying very hard to gain the RIGHT amount of weight from the RIGHT food. It makes a huge difference, in my opinion. Stay tuned for week 28 as things continue to get interesting!! |
AuthorCristina Panagopoulos is the owner and founder of CW Physique, an in-home personal training and nutrition company. She has been in the fitness industry for over a decade and loves helping others transform their lives. She is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and metabolic coach along with American Fitness Professionals & Associates certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Over the years, Cristina gained specialty certifications through the American Council of Exercise for Orthopedic Exercise and Pre and Post Natal Exercising. Cristina started this blog as a casual and personal journey through her experiences of pregnancy and later on motherhood. She wants to educate females on proper fitness and nutrition who are going through pregnancy and motherhood. For more information, please email Cristina directly at [email protected] Archives
October 2016
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