Anyone interested in a pregnancy check-in?

L

lisa_la_machina

Cathlete
Hi everyone, I am currently almost 10 weeks pregnant with our second miracle baby (yay!) and would love to have a check-in with other pregnant or TTC Cathletes. We can report our workouts (and rest days!), complain about nausea, fatigue, etc. :)

Any takers?

Lisa

ETA: I guess I should put my money where my mouth is and report today's workout, huh? Today I did MIS and I had to reduce all weight loads by at least 5 pounds. I'm extra tired and not eating well these days because food is the enemy right now, LOL! Working out does help me with my symptoms, though, so I'm keeping at it.
 
desertambrosia said:
Congratulations Lisa!! Wishing both of you the best!!
Click to expand...
Thanks, Karen! My hubby, daughter, and I are excited to become a family of 4. :) Although, I am starting to wonder if I'm the only Cathlete on the forums who is currently pregnant, LOL!

While I'm here, I'll report my workouts:
Tues: Amy Bento Advanced Step 2 (modified because turns and spins make me dizzy these days)
Wed: KCM 30 Mins to Fitness: Weights
Thurs: Cathe The Classics Volume 1: Step Jam
Fri will be weights of some sort.
Saturday/Sunday: off!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Congrats on your pregnancy! How long have you known?
I'd be happy to check in with you.
I'm not currently pregnant but do have a one-year-old daughter and we are hoping for a second. However, I’m still breastfeeding and haven’t got my period back so that hope/plan may not be realized for some time – but who knows.
I would love to do a check-in with other pregnant/TTC women because I factor baby plans into my fitness plans. Due to my desire for #2, I’ve intentionally gained a few pounds so I’m not too lean, as this has stopped my menses in the past. So I’m hoping to gain strength, maintain or increase my cardio fitness, but not lose fat.
I just finished STS Meso 3 and am on my active recovery week. So my plan for this week is some fun cardio and a couple extra days off. Yesterday I did Low Impact Challenge (first time) and today I did Rockout Knockout (love this one sooooo much!).
I noticed you did Step Jam this week – was thinking about doing that one in the next few days for the first time. (I’m an On Demand subscriber so I’ll spend a few days this week just mucking around with some fun dance-y step that I might not otherwise try.)
I was planning on doing the Bodybuilding Rotation (just because it looks fun, I love weight training, and I like to have a plan – I’m not competing or anything) so will do Gym Styles this coming month, but I know when Ripped w/ HiiT comes out I will drop whatever I’m doing – I won't be able to delay gratification!
Congrats again!
 
Yay, Mom in VT! I'd love to check in with you, even if it's just the two of us. Your workouts this week sound fun! I do recommend Step Jam. It's not actually that dancey. She breaks down the moves and they are mostly basic. Let me know how you like it. :)

We've known about this pregnancy since 4 weeks in since we were being treated by a Reproductive Endocrinologist (aka fertility doctor). This pregnancy is a result of lots of medication, lots of time, and several rounds of IUI. My first pregnancy didn't involve IUI, but was the result of lots of time and lots of drugs as well! I have lots of experience with trying to tweak everything from workouts to diet to acupuncture to stress relief method to herbs in order to get pregnant, so I can relate to where you are coming from in terms of trying to get your cycle to return and regulate.

We'll be in touch. Have a terrific weekend!

Lisa
 
Well double congrats then, on your IUI success!
I also know the trials and travails of working with REs. Never did IUI -- only pharmaceuticals -- but I researched all the procedures extensively.

How are you doing with respect to nausea, fatigue, etc.?

At some point, I'll be interested to learn what wisdom you found about tweaking diet and exercise to increase fertility. There are just so many opinions out there. Some say it's all about body fat (and having enough to create the requisite hormones), while others seem to say that too much exercise can harm fertility (holding body fat constant). And if the latter, is strength training different from cardio? So many questions, seemingly so few definitive answers...

I did Step Jam this morning -- so fun! Love the leotards, music, arm jives and jazz hands. I normally love super intricate choreography as a sort of brain workout, but I was feeling pretty tired this morning so SJ was just what the doctor ordered. Cathe really does break it down nicely. I can also see how it would be a good pregnancy workout -- not too much pivoting or impact. Maybe I'll do Rhythmic Step tomorrow, then a day off, then I'll start my GS rotation. We'll see. I'm trying to be flexible.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,
Roz
 
I did Rhythmic Step on Sunday plus a hike and today was my rest day.
Tomorrow I start a month of Gym Styles -- beginning with Legs. I'm excited!
 
Hey Roz,

You said you like to "think" when doing your step aerobics. Are you an Amy Bento Ross and Seasun Zieger fan? I have Amy's Advanced Step Challenge 2 and ASC 3, but I've only really conquered ASC 2. I also have Seasun Zieger's Straight Up Step but have only gotten so far as the first combo! I keep telling myself that I will take the time to learn the routines because I like the mental challenge as well, but then I get impatient and don't feel like stopping and rewinding during my workouts! Plus now that I'm pregnant all the spins make me dizzy, so I guess I'll have to keep procrastinating. I love Cathe's more complicated step because it's much easier to follow than Amy's and Seasun's but still fun and the time flies.

Did you start your GS rotation today? What is your plan for the rotation?

So you were able to get pregnant with your DD1 using medication alone? That's how it ended up working out for my DD1, but this baby required pills, injectables, and IUI. I'd like to have one more child after this and I'm hoping that IVF won't be required, but each pregnancy seems to require more and more medical intervention! I nursed DD1 for 11 months and it took a long while after that for my body to regulate itself again, and honestly even then it was only regulated by the medicines. Over the course of many many years I have tried everything: gaining a few extra pounds, eating specific diets, exercising less, more yoga, acupuncture, meditation, massage, stress relief techniques, etc. I have read and researched for countless hours to find the magic cure for regulating my cycle, but honestly the conclusion I have come to is that this is just how my body operates. It has been this way since I started having a cycle at age 13. I know that there are those who have found success through the more natural routes but my infertility and irregularity really seems to be unexplained. I wish I could give you a more conclusive answer, but it just seems to be another example of how every body is designed differently and how what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. For me the answer is medicine, but maybe it will be different for you? I hope you are able to add on to your family under your desired timetable, however it happens! :) How many children would you like to have, if you don't mind me asking?

Guess I should report my workouts! Monday was Kelly Coffey Meyer's Muscle Up/Lift 2 B Fit, which is kind of strange because I tend to gravitate to higher reps/lower weights during pregnancy but this one just sounded so fun so I did it. Today was Tracey Staehle's Step Sweatfest, which is an old favorite. I am sad that she no longer makes workout DVDs because I like her step routines a lot!

Talk soon,

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
I haven’t tried Amy Bento Ross or Seasun Zieger’s videos, but I love the sound of them! Though with Cathe On Demand, it’s hard to justify buying more workout DVDs…

Good for you on Great Glutes – I’ve never done that one but will have to try it. Although my feet always seem to slip off the sliding discs (I have the Golds Gym ones, not the Cathe ones, so perhaps they’re not ideal), which is frustrating.

Tuesday was GS Legs + most of Ab Circuits No Equipment (until baby woke up) and today was GS Chest/Tris + X10 Cardio Blast + Body Max 2 Bonus Cardio (I love this as a little 6-min step combo before stretching). Oh man, I walked into Gym Styles Chest/Tris from STS Meso 3 all macho swagger, thinking I would have to heavy up – ha! Cathe had the last laugh. Those 72 pushups were killer. Then the 3 sets/12 reps with very little rest in between – I had to lighten up on several exercises. The DOMS are already upon me!

Here’s my basic Gym Styles Rotation that I plan to do for four weeks:

Day 1: GS Legs
Day 2: GS Chest/Tris
Day 3: GS Legs (or other of Cathe’s more traditional lower body workouts)
Day 4: GS Back/Shoulders/Bis
Day 5: Longer Interval/HiiT cardio (e.g., Tabatacize, IMAXes, All Out Low Impact, etc.)
Day 6: Total Body (perhaps Muscle Max and STS Total Body alternating weeks)
Day 7: OFF

Still trying to tweak it. I was thinking I would do one day of GS Legs then my second lower body day would be plyo legs or CLB, but now I’m thinking I’ll stick with GS Legs or a similar workout. Maybe I’ll try PS Strong Legs & Abs tomorrow – we’ll see how the mood strikes me.

If you have any thoughts on the rotation, I’m interested to hear them.

Thanks for sharing your experiences in the world of fertility stuff. I agree that it’s all just so individual. I so wish there were a magical answer. And to answer your questions, we’re hoping for one more but I think two will be enough for us.

Congrats again on your pregnancy – that’s so wonderful. How old is your daughter, if you don’t mind my asking?
Have a great evening,
Roz
 
This morning was Leaner Legs and the leg conditioning drills from Lower Body Blast. Leaner Legs is killer -- I used a 45 lb BB (I think Cathe et al use 35) which was light for deadlifts but when those static lunges came around, I was toast! But after Meso 3, I appreciate not constantly adjusting my BB weight...
That leg conditioning drill segment from LBB (17 mins) might be good to try when you get big later in your pregnancy -- at least the first half is leaning forward, so you'll have infinite belly room! ;) Hadn't tried it before, but I will use it again -- it doesn't have the dread factor that XTrain bonus barre has for me...
 
Yes, I have abused my Lower Body Blast DVD through so much use, but hadn't thought about the conditioning in terms of pregnancy, so thanks for the suggestion! And yes, barre work has a dread factor for me, too!

You really rocked it today with Leaner Legs. I am impressed that you can push your legs so hard just a couple days after Gym Style Legs. Usually when I do Gym Style Legs I will leave my legs alone for at least 3 entire days! Sounds like you are enjoying that rotation, though. It's amazing how Cathe executes endless push-ups with such perfect form. I think the push-ups in Gym Style are harder than those in STS because she hits you with them all at once...and at the beginning so you are truly pre-exhausted for the remainder of your chest workout.

Today was cardio in the form of boxing. I did most of Amy Bento's Rumble, and I say "most" because towards the end I think I moved my foot in a weird way and sprained/strained my second toe on my right foot. I've been hobbling around all day since. I taped it up and am just praying that I will heal up in a few days. It's definitely not a fracture (I've done that before so I know the difference). So, if I have no workouts to report over the next couple of days, you'll know why!

By the way, my DD1 will be 3 at the end of next month and almost 3.5 when the baby is here. I was really hoping to have #1 and #2 closer together in age, more like 2 or 2.5 years apart, but in my situation you get WHAT you get WHEN you get it! :) I'm sure in the end I will consider this age gap to be a blessing in disguise since my DD1 is very high energy and having a newborn any earlier probably would have done me in.

Lisa
 
Oh no! That's awful about your toe. Injuries are the worst (though hopefully this one proves to be mild and you recover quickly) -- especially while pregnant. You don't need another thing to worry about!

I bet you're right that the larger age gap will be a blessing in disguise. I saw a mom at the grocery store yesterday with three kids in tow -- all close in age but no multiples -- and I just thought HOW does she do it?! Having multiple kids in diapers would be really tough. But I also understand the desire to have a smaller age gap. I guess you're right -- we get what we get! :)

Yeah, I'm not accustomed to working my lower body so much. I often just do one lower body workout a week (in addition to cardio, plyo, etc., which of course is lower body, too...). But during STS I just felt like I wanted to work out with weights more often, so I wanted to try something like the rotation I've put together. We'll see if it's too much, esp lower body (with two weighted LB days + a total body day). I'm listening to what my body is saying and not trying to overdo it, but so far it feels good (though I'm definitely sore!).

Oh yeah, and speaking of -- today was GS Back/Shoulders/Bis -- love it! Although I found it more manageable than Chest/Tris. You're right, in Chest/Tris you're already toasted after all those pushups! I was just feeling tight in lower and upper body after that workout, so I added on Step Moves. It was just right -- pretty short and not too challenging or blast-y. I just wanted to shake it all out, and that video fit the bill. (First time I'd done it.)

Healing thoughts to you and your toe!
Roz
 
Thanks for the healing wishes, Roz! It's somewhat better today, but I'm still hobbling and it still hurts. I did want to get a workout in, so I opted to do Pyramid Upper Body. I needed another upper body day this week and I know that workout is safe for foot injuries since a few years ago I had toe surgery (what is it with me and my toes?! ha!) and I did about 3 weeks of just Pyramid Upper Body, with rest days in between obviously, without any pain. Pyramid Upper Body for the win! And those planks at the end never get easier. I did them today without the stability ball since that would be too much pressure on my toe, but they were still hard!

GS Back/Shoulders/Bis is definitely nicer than Chest/Tris, but no by much. :) I really like the outfits in those--if I recall correctly they are the pretty pink tops? I usually add a power walk or a short 20 minute cardio premix like Slide & Glide when I do the GS upper body DVDs. Step Moves is a good idea. Do you own that one or did you use On Demand? Do you have Cathe Live? I'm dying to get that. I don't need On Demand because I own all the DVDs but boy do I want Cathe Live!!!

How long will you be doing the GS rotation? I think you may as well try it out and listen to what your body tells you. Can't hurt to try, right? Keep me posted!

What is your little one going to be for Halloween? My daughter is so spoiled, she has TWO costumes: Tinkerbell and Elsa. We have a party this Saturday and I think she will be Elsa and then on Halloween I think she will be Tinkerbell.

Have a good day!

Lisa
 
Taking the weekend off to rest my toe. It feels worse, grrr! Hopefully total rest this weekend will make a difference. Thank heavens for books and movies!

Have a great weekend!

Lisa
 
I hope your toe is feeling better, Lisa!

I did Step Moves On Demand. I've only discovered Cathe in the last year, so it makes sense for me to just do On Demand as I don't own that many of her DVDs. I do have Cathe Live because it comes with On Demand. I haven't done a ton of the live workouts (as there are still so many of the regular workouts that I haven't tried yet -- including Pyramid Upper Body), but I did do Imax Live yesterday -- it was great! Pretty simple to follow along on the first shot but enough new stuff that it felt fresh. I chose it because I slept a bit late and needed a shorter workout before baby awoke (she woke up during the w/o anyways so I got a little extra 'active recovery'), and it was only 44 mins. And I wasn't really feeling up for Tabatacize or the like... needed a more moderate workout day. Also tried the standing core work from last week's Live 'Strong Upper Body and Core', as I understand this is similar to the RWH core segments. You might be able to do some of these non-traditional core moves well into pregnancy, long after you've abandoned standard crunches, etc. Good stuff.

This morning I did STS Total Body for the first time -- holy cardio, batman! That workout is such a winner. Though I've only done it once so it's a bit premature to say so, if I had to choose one workout to bring with me to a desert island, this might just be it. While the 'body' of the workout is fantastic, I also adore the barbell warm-up, ab work, and stretch. I'm in love! I might end up doing this w/o every week for my total body day. (I just finished the first of four weeks of this largely-GS rotation).

This month has been so busy, I just had the 'oh shoot, it's Halloween!' realization the other day. I think we may go the bunny rabbit route -- she doesn't care one way or another at this age, and she looks so cute in the little ears! Will keep you posted ;)

Tomorrow is my day off -- then Tuesday back to GS Legs!
Happy Sunday,
Roz
 
Hi Roz, my toe is feeling better today. Yay! It's still not 100% so I am going to be conservative this week and do only low impact cardio (the elliptical at my gym or spin classes), because better safe than sorry. It is a little tender when I walk, but most other movements are just fine. Even the lunge position. So today I did Meso 1 Disc 6 legs. I have done 3 full STS rotations but I think I most enjoy throwing a random DVD workout into the mix of a normal workout week. I get the fun of an STS workout without the commitment of a long rotation. ;) Also added the STS Extended Stretch at the end. Felt soooo good.

You've inspired me to pull out STS Total Body. I haven't done that one in ages mainly because I'm too lazy to take out my pull-up tower. I guess if you were on a desert island you could do the pull-ups on a palm tree branch, ha! My all-time favorite total body from Cathe is Muscle Max. That one never gets old or easy to me.

What was your workout routine before Cathe? I've been working out with her for 8 years and it's hard to remember my fitness life before that!

Your little one will be adorable for Halloween no matter what she wears! Babies are just cute by nature! This is my DD's 3rd Halloween but the first time we've ever put any effort into her costume because it is the first time she "kinda sorta" gets what is going on.

Enjoy your rest day today!

Lisa
 
I used to go to the gym and do cardio and lift weights. Although I did lift heavy, my weightlifting routing was never so well-planned or balanced as it is now. Love how it makes my body feel! I also SO prefer fun Cathe cardio to cardio machines. I get bored easily, and I'm no good at reading on the elliptical.

Today I was planning on starting the week off with GS Legs, but was still feeling rather toasted in the lower body from STS Total Body on Sunday. So I rolled with that and began the week with GS Chest/Tris and threw HiiT 30/30 in there for good measure! Tomorrow I'll tackle GS Legs -- or at least that's the plan now... ;)

During my GS workout today I was reminded of that Wendy's slogan, 'Where's the beef?' After Meso 3, I find myself asking, 'Where's the rest?' I was still dropping down from several of Cathe's weight selections, although I did do more pushups than last week! Woo!

So glad your toe is feeling better -- enjoy your spin classes!
Roz
 
I agree that the structure that Cathe's weight rotations are way more effective than anything I can do on my own. And yeah, her cardio is better than the elliptical, but I fight through the boredom when I'm injured. :) In fact, I will probably be on the elliptical tomorrow because the spin class I needed to go to was this morning and I couldn't make that work because of childcare. So I did another round of PUB instead. I'm not disappointed because it was fun.

Yay on your improvement in the push-ups! Seeing progress is so rewarding, isn't it? Ha ha "where's the beef?!" Those 1-2 minute breaks you get during Meso 3 would be nice in the GS workouts, huh?

I keep meaning to ask if you are enjoying any Halloween indulgences? When I'm not slammed by pregnancy nausea I typically enjoy a sweet treat each day, like a couple mini candy bars (Twix or Milky Way or 3 Musketeers) or a small scoop of pumpkin ice cream or something, but I don't want ANY of that this year. Especially not the pumpkin stuff. Makes me sad because it's usually my favorite seasonal flavor, but when I have pregnancy nausea I can't eat any of my normal favorites. I'm just looking forward to wanting to eat again, which didn't happen last time until around week 20 (and I'm only at week 12!). :eek:

Lisa
 
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