January 2015 Pregnancy/TTC Check-in

MomInVT said:
Wouldn't it be great if someone had a pregnant modifier in their workout videos who ran off to the bathroom every 20 minutes? 'We'll be doing plyo jacks, and Sally will skip these and go empty her pea-sized bladder!' ;)
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Roz, you should definitely post this suggestion in the "Suggestion for Next Videos/DVDs" section of the forum. ;) Too bad you didn't come up with the idea earlier because I could have totally volunteered to be the persistent potty breaker/background exerciser!

I like your suggestions for RK, Udaya, and also Senior Fit Live. I'm already modifying workouts, of course, but it is become more and more apparent that the intensities are going to probably have to decrease even further in several weeks. I've been trying to come up with lists of go-to workouts for that time so any and all suggestions are appreciated! Besides, I've always been an old soul at heart--I'm talking like a preference to watch Murder She Wrote over Sex & the City (or any other trendy, hip show)--so Senior Fit Live would be a perfect match for me. :)

It's awesome to hear that you are actually enjoying your Meso 2 workouts. It's the best when your workouts don't come with any dread factor at all! Way to listen to your body and prevent back injury, and I totally know what you mean about being wiped after Meso 2 UB workouts. I felt like I could always do a little something-something more after the Upper Body Meso 1 and Meso 3 workouts, but not so much with Meso 2.

Today I couldn't help myself and had to play with Cathe's latest Live workout. I'm seriously loving these minimal equipment endurance leg workouts. Such wonderful variety, providing for a nice leg burn and a cardio factor as well! And this workout is especially unique because it's just Cathe (although the reason WHY this happened is definitely unfortunate). I'm seriously stoked for Cathe One-on-One (I know those are going to be shorter training sessions, but still it is so fun to feel like Cathe's there just for you).

I'm not sure if I rue the day or cherish the day when Speculoos entered my life. I love baking with it, but I think my top choice for consumption is spoon-into-mouth! I have to admit that during my earliest days of this pregnancy there were times when the only thing I could fathom eating were spoonfuls of Cookie Butter so I had a short period of time where I polished off a jar all by myself in a matter of a few days! Not doing that anymore, but I do still adore the stuff!

Have a terrific Friday! I know what you mean about being a SAHM and how all the days blur together! Hugs!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Ooh, I'm so excited that you tried the new Cathe Live! I can't wait to do that one. It's terrible about the cameraman, but I think I might enjoy the Cathe-only segment. Y'know, just me and Cathe, doing our workout together! ;)

Totally with you on being on old soul! I love old Katherine Hepburn and Carey Grant films. I'd take The Philadelphia Story any day over the latest box office hit.

It's so great to see how you're listening to your body as your pregnancy progresses. I hope I'm able to do the same, if and when the time comes for me!

So today I did a new-to-me workout: Slide and Glide! Loved it! You mention you often do the cardio segment as an add-on, so I've often been tempted to do that upon your recommendation, but I wanted to try the workout in its entirety first -- just the get the concept of the whole of it (or something like that ;) ). Man, it is surprisingly tough! And those pushup variations -- yowza! Loved the abs segment, loved the stretch. (I was excited for the stretch, as I love the stretch with discs in TTM.)
As a side note, I've seen posts where woman said they loved LIS workouts during pregnancy. I feel like many might be worse than the average Cathe workout for pregnancy -- so much bodyweight stuff! Can you even imagine doing those walking staggered pushups after 10 weeks?! Maybe it's just me...

Tentative plan is Meso 2 legs tomorrow. I will see how my legs feel tomorrow morning after today's S&G. I could do Chest/Tris/Shoulders, but I think my neck needs a break after yesterday's pullups and today's pushups. Maybe yoga or rest, too. TDB! ;)

Thanks again for the info on those strength training programs in my GGS thread! Maybe I'll just take myself through the Meso 2 leg exercises without the DVD and try that out. Just to see how I feel.

Uh oh... what do you bake with Speculoos? Do you just sub for peanut butter in cookie-type recipes? (Should I even ask...? Dangerous! :D )
Oh, and I totally know that nauseous just-gotta-eat-what-I-can-stomach feeling. Blah! But you gotta get calories in somehow, and sometimes a jar of cookie or peanut butter is just the ticket... ;)
 
I agree, Roz! Carey Grant is a dreamboat....But I digress...

Excellent workout today! S&G is indeed surprisingly tough, especially the toning section (at least in my opinion). Yes, I've also seen posts suggesting the LIS series for pregnancy and I had the exact same reaction as you did...HUH? :confused: Some of the workouts, yes, but the thought of doing Afterburn right now is just incomprehensible to me...the push-up variations, the mountain climbers, and other plank-ish work. Might feel OK for some pregnant lady out there but definitely not comfortable for me. Also, I've really really slowed down on exercises like squat presses. I can still do them, but I usually lose a rep or 2 because I just can't go as fast as Cathe right now. The cardio factor gets to be too much and I'm also just a bit too unbalanced. :)

I am so impressed by your dedication to Meso 2! Am I correct in thinking that you are about to start week 3 of that rotation? And you are very welcome for the info in the GGS thread. Like I said, I need the DVDs to keep me motivated so I had to defer to my DH's experience!

I have this problem when it comes to baking....I make up recipes! Especially things like blondies. I can just usually eyeball it and get to the right texture and taste balance because I have made so so so many different variations. And so I mainly use the cookie butter in blondies because they are dummy proof to me. I've tried to use them in cookies (ironic to be using ground-up cookies to make cookies, huh?) but have yet to find a recipe where they don't come out flat or greasy. Another reason why I love blondies and cakes--much more forgiving than cookies! I just had a random flash of inspiration: mixing the cookie butter into Rice Krispies treats. Mmmmm. Must go grab my spoon and eat some, STAT!

Today I did Athletic Step and then added the UB from PH. It seemed like a logical plan but felt kind of random when I was doing it for some reason. Oh well, I got it done! Tomorrow is a rest day and I'll probably dig deeper into your Udaya insider info. Thanks again for that!

Have a terrific weekend! Give your cutie pie an extra big squeeze!

Lisa
 
Lisa.
I was in TJ's this morning and what did I see? A new item: Cookie Butter Sandwich Cookies. I mean, yeah, maybe on some level it's like a bread sandwich but... so wrong and yet so right. (I mean, people eat egg salad which is mayo [eggs] and eggs, right? Same idea!) Must try these at some point (though honestly I generally prefer to bake, and buy very few packaged cookies).
Ooh, Speculoos blondies sound great! My only thought on the cookies is... if you're essentially using the CB (cookie butter! ;) ) in lieu of PB in a recipe, the higher sugar content in the CB would increase the liquid content of the dough (since sugar counts as a liquid in baking formulas), which could cause them to get super flat... maybe? It wouldn't look wetter at room temp bc the CB is the same consistency as PB, but once it heats up in the oven it might get too liquidy and spread too much. Just trying to do a little Sherlock Crocker act here but... maybe cut down the granulated sugar (and perhaps butter if you find them greasy) if you try CB cookies again? (Or just take a tip from TJs and bake regular cookies and sandwich some CB in between! :D)
I hear you that bars are so much more forgiving than cookies. I feel like as long as the batter's a reasonable thickness and you don't overbake, you're pretty much in the clear.

Now that I've addressed the most important stuff (food!), on to the workout bit...
First of all, great work on AS and PH UB! I need to do Athletic Step again... love that one! Still haven't tried PH.

I've been thinking a lot about my fitness goals these days. While I love pushing myself and breaking my own personal bests and outdoing myself, I feel like I just need to be mindful of my more immediate goal, which is getting my cycle back. I know the general wisdom is that exercise is fine, it helps blood flow, strength training won't harm your chances of conception, etc., but I feel like I shouldn't be trying to outdo myself at this point. Some women conceive while training for marathons (well, maybe not while training :eek:), but I'm just a little more ovulatorily challenged. (Just coined a new phrase there!) My goals are to get my cycle back, get pregnant, and have a healthy and happy and physically comfortable pregnancy. To attain the first two goals, I feel like easing up a little on exercise can only help. As to the third, I feel that simply maintaining my fitness level is more than sufficient for me to be strong and healthy through a second pregnancy.
I will likely finish Meso 2 at my own pace, but may skip Meso 3 for now. Not sure, haven't decided yet.

The yoga is great to keep me from feeling like I'm forced to stop moving. It improves my mood, flexibility, and feeling of well-being in my body. This morning, with all the above in mind, I postponed my next Meso 2 workout (I'm still feeling my low back from deadlifts two days ago and S&G yesterday so wanted to skip legs, and my shoulders/traps feel tired from... pullups? Yesterday's pushups? None of it is really DOMS but I just feel like -- there's just no need to push myself really hard at this moment in my life.) I did a really nice vigorous yoga practice on Udaya. My heartrate got a nice boost (but more like in the powerwalking range) and I had a good stretch with some very challenging core work. Great! I'm happy to set aside Cathe's core segments for a while and just do yoga. Plenty of core work there.

I hope you enjoy Udaya if you decide to try it. Have you done much yoga in the past?

OK, well you just got an earful (eyeful?) there! But... I've just been thinking about these things a lot. And I feel like you understand where I'm coming from.

Have a great rest day! Are you doing anything for Superbowl Sunday?
Hugs and nachos,
Roz
 
Hi Lisa,
Happy Monday!
Quick check-in for me today. I just finished Meso 2 Week 3 legs. Funny, I really felt that dread creeping back in once I began the workout. I don't know if this week had tougher exercises or if it was just internal to me (or both). I'm glad I stuck with it because I had a very good workout, but I definitely had more of a gotta-get-through-this feeling than I had in the two weeks prior.

As I mentioned, I've been moving away from doing lots of Cathe's core segments. Part of this is that they really bug my neck muscles and topically irritate my sacrum. I do modify for comfort and triple up my mat, but frankly I think there are other, friendlier types of core work that I can do for my body. So yoga is great, and I've been wanting to try Turkish get ups. So I checked out a tutorial on youtube. Wow, this is a deceptively tough core/total body exercise! I figured I'd go super light just to get the hang of the move with good form so I grabbed a 10-lb dumbbell and did 5 reps/side. Woah -- I was totally sucking wind! :D I think I will keep playing with this move. I enjoyed the work.

Then a 20-min hip opening stretch segment on Udaya. I really love hip opening stuff. So therapeutic. And Cathe LB work and cardio really get my hip flexors. (S&G sure did!) You might enjoy some of these hip opening segments if you do check out Udaya. IIRC, I had tension in the muscles around my hips/pelvis during pregnancy. Do you feel tension in any particular areas?

Did I say quick check-in? ;) Eek! Gotta run along with my day.
Have a great one. Big hugs to you and your gals!
Roz
 
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Hi Roz! Yes, Happy Monday indeed. :)

I was MIA yesterday since it was my rest day. Even though it was a rest from exercise, it sure was a super busy day. At least we got a lot done!

Wow, you are a baking genius! You described the exact issue with every Speculoos cookie I have ever attempted: flat, greasy, runny. Yuck. I'm all about puffy and slightly underbaked cookies--none of this flat as a pancake stuff for me! I've gotten to the point of giving up because I hate wasting time and ingredients on stuff that I just throw away but now I'm tempted to experiment with your wise suggestion of cutting back on the sugar content. Like I said, GENIUS! ;)

Aww, hugs Roz. I'm sorry that you're still dealing with the "how do I get my cycle back?" conundrum. It really is so frustrating and I can entirely relate because ovulatory issues have plagued me all my life. Just a question (and you certainly don't have to answer): have you had your blood hormone levels evaluated recently? I'm wondering if your doctor might think it is Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, just based upon how incredibly fit and muscled you are. I could be wrong and please forgive if I am overstepping my bounds. I am here to support, and nothing else. You can change your rotation on a daily basis, decide to do only yoga for a month, keep going with Meso 2, or whatever you need and want to do. In the meantime I'll be crossing my fingers, throwing up prayers to heaven, and generally wishing for your success with Baby #2 when the time is right for you.

Just a bit more on this topic while I'm at it. Have you read the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society? It's basically a book about a bunch of different people living through WWII, but one of the things that stood out to me was a discussion of the women in concentration camps (such a horrid, horrid, horrid part of history). It is described in the book how most women lost their cycles due to the extreme starvation, but then there were still some who had their cycles. I found this quite interesting because it truly does highlight the huge variability in the female reproductive environment from one woman to another. I hope this isn't too depressing to mention, but goes to show how some women can go through extreme physical conditions (starvation, extreme marathoning, etc) and not be affected, while others are quite the opposite.

Okay, moving onto MUCH lighter stuff. :) Way to go with yoga and way to work through Meso 2 legs today. Did you follow the DVD or go at it at your own pace? My yoga experience is limited to yoga-style stretching so there would be a lot of learning for me, but anything that can loosen up my lower back, glutes, and quads would be amazing (that's where I hold my pregnancy tension, similar to you). And I definitely don't think Turkish getups are easy. It is one of those exercises that I've actively tried to avoid, so you are a rockstar for going at them! :eek: I also know what you mean about pain from Cathe's ab workouts. Most of her newer stuff kills my hip flexors, and it's frustrating because I actually think my non-pregnant legs are quite strong. Perhaps my form is off but I totally get exploring other options. You can work your core without pain for sure!

Blah, blah, blah. I do go on. Let me get to my workout and end this novel! I was not feeling super peppy this morning so I went with a KCM 30 Mins to Fitness. This one is called Body Shop and it alternates high rep UB/high rep LB/compound moves. Not my best workout day but I had to listen to my body and go with it.

Nope, no Superbowl plans for me personally. My DH, on the other hand, is going to a friend's house to watch the game (or at least part of it). My DH's teams are the Colts and the Broncos (all because of Peyton Manning), and since they both lost he doesn't really have a stake in the game other than the fact that he wants to see Tom Brady lose. He's always been anti-Tom Brady (me too, honestly). How 'bout you? What will you be doing? Do you like nachos and game food? I'm not a big nacho, hot dog, potato skins, etc kinda person. Unless there's cookie butter involved, I'm not interested! ;)

We'll talk tomorrow! Take care of you and your little lady (is she walking yet?)!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,

Where to start?
First of all, I know you’re supportive whatever I choose to do – though I appreciate you saying so! And I certainly appreciate your hopes and prayers! :D I don’t feel any pressure (implicit or otherwise) from you to do things one way or another. And I appreciate any thoughts and input you have along the way. Great idea about getting my hormones tested! I totally forgot about that. I did have my levels tested during my fertility struggles leading up to my first pregnancy. I think something – I think LH? FSH? Both? – was low. Although I imagine at this point they’d find elevated prolactin due to breastfeeding. But it’s worth asking my doc if he thinks if might be useful!

I haven’t read the book on WWII you mentioned. Yes, such a horrific, gruesome part of history. And yes, there really is such a range in terms of women’s bodily responses to different types and levels of stress.

I just feel like I’m scrounging around, trying to synthesize the few bits of actual science that I stumble upon. So, long steady state elevates cortisol, and cortisol = stress, and stress is bad for fertility. OK. And lifting heavy elevates human growth hormone, which is used (synthetically) to help with IVF for women who have repeated failed IVFs. OK. But on some level… any intense exercise is stressing my body, obviously. And intuitively, I don’t think loads of HIIT is going to be better than long steady state workouts, even if cortisol stays lower with the former.
But here’s the thing: to get pregnant last time, I cut back my activity level so much. In retrospect, I can’t imagine I needed to cut back that far, and I think I would have had a more comfortable pregnancy if I’d kept a bit of resistance training in there. I did some toning here and there, but really very light. So yeah, if I cut back to 2 workouts a week and gained 10 lbs I might get my period back sooner, but then I’d not feel as good during pregnancy. Harumph.
Whatever I do, workout-wise, I bet getting more sleep will help at least as much! Must work on that...
I’m really rambling on here but… this all has been very much on my mind recently.

If you don’t mind my asking, have you noticed a connection with your types of training or weekly volume of training and your cycle?

So… workouts! Great job on your KCM workout! I think you suggested Body Shop to me as one of your KCM faves, right? Or am I remembering incorrectly?

I had a great workout this morning with Meso 2 Week 3 Chest, Shoulders, and Tris. I was inspired by you to check out a 20-minute ‘quad openers’ segment on Udaya (I have some quad DOMS from Meso 2 legs yesterday). It felt very intense with the DOMS, but good.
While you'll be able to get some good ideas for quad stretches in this video, you won’t be able to do a lot of the moves. (And I’m saying that because you're pregnant, not because you say you don’t have a lot of yoga experience.) But you can modify some and use a strap or towel to help. (Some you’ll probably just watch and laugh at the thought of doing it with a pregnant belly.)
There are lots more hip opening segments that have moves that I think will be much more doable for you. And I find these moves stretch the glutes (and often quads, too) for sure.
You might want to start by scoping out the prenatal videos first, because I imagine they’ll give tips on what’s good and what’s not, yoga-wise, while pregnant. IIRC, the general wisdom is that any backbending or twisting should be really really minor and gentle (or just avoided). But I could be forgetting… anyways, your body wisdom will be the best compass, and you’re obviously a pro at tuning into that wisdom! :D

Ha! I asked about the Superbowl because I thought it was last Sunday! ;) Oops. I do sometimes watch it just for the fun of the event, but I don’t really care either way. Not a big game food eater, either, but I love artichoke spinach dip! Oh, and when I was pregnant, I LOVED loaded potato skins. Hehe!

Let me know if you try the Speculoos cookies again. And if they fail, you can always smash ‘em into the bottom of a pan and spread a layer of brownie batter on top and make some two-layer bars or something ;)
But I know… I HATE failed baking experiments.

Here ends my novel, I think I hear DD waking (and yes, she's been walking for a while)!
Lots of hugs,
Roz
 
Good day, Roz! I'm going to address your post in reverse order because my brain is in wacky mode today!

I thought your daughter had been walking for a while but couldn't remember for sure, but it makes sense because I'm sure that little doll is going to be advanced at everything she does! ;)

I adore your idea of smashing the hypothetically failed Speculoos cookies into a crust for a brownie batter. A cheesecake would be good too! Mmmmm. Having a backup plan like that makes me feel less scared to give it a go because then there's really no way to fail or waste ingredients. I shall keep you posted.

LOL! I finally found someone who is even less connected to football than I am! (teasing, of course) Does your DH not watch football? If it weren't for my DH I wouldn't know a single thing about anything...not like I really know much. Mostly I just smile and nod when he talks about football because it bores me so much! (Bad wife alert!) ;)

The way you described those quad and glute stretches makes it sound almost like a massage, especially after a DOMS-related leg workout. I think you are spot on about my focusing needing to be on the prenatal yoga. There are moves that I know to avoid but I'm not familiar with every single yoga move and how it relates to pregnancy, so it would be good to have an instructor guide me and keep me on the path of "safe" moves! :) Do you find yoga helpful for your upper body soreness, as well? (Like your neck and back issues?) Are there any moves you like to do after a Meso 2 UB workout? Way to go on today's workout, by the way.

Yes, Body Shop is indeed one of my fave KCMs. It's a classic KCM where it can be as killer as you want it to be (or not) depending on your weights. I also like the inclusion of some body weight work.

Before I forget, and pardon me if I've already asked this before, but are there any specific steady state Cathe Live cardios that you love? So many of them seem to have a lot of HiiT thrown in and I'm just not doing that at all at this point (25 weeks today!). I saw your conversation with another forum member about the low impact boxing so I'm going to give that one a go, but are there any others?

Speaking of martial arts-style workouts, today I did a Tracey Staehle Kickboxing workout called Strike Zone. It was kind of ridiculous in the sense that I had to take THREE bathroom breaks (TMI, sorry). EEK! I was even modifying. Ahhh the joys of a growing belly.

I so so so wish we could get together to chat over a cuppa tea. So much to discuss related to fertility/exercise/diet/stress/hormones and so on. I wish I knew what my "natural" answer was because the only thing that really, truly regulates me are drugs. My hormone levels are off, but they are inconsistently off (like it's never just the same hormone that's off and the levels vary greatly). I don't know why and I've tried it all. So in the end I focused on what made me FEEL the best, and in terms of trying to reduce stress loads to my body I also feel that moderate steady state is preferable to HiiT. I can feel wiped after HiiT but I feel regenerated after workouts like PRS2. In terms of weight training, I tend to gravitate to total body high reps and body weight work for the same reason. Food matters for me, too. I've learned that fat fat and more fat is good for me and protein is my friend! I try to avoid hydrogenated fats but I DO eat butter, full fat dairy, nut butters, egg yolks, peanut butter, etc etc. I think you eat pretty similarly as well. The other really quirky food thing I identified is that I needed to actually watch and *limit* my fiber intake. I tend to eat a lot of naturally high fiber foods and I have read and personally experienced that too much of a good thing inhibits my body's ability to really capture the magic of the fats and proteins that I'm eating.

I'm so glad to have a virtual friend to discuss these things with. You take care and have a wonderful day! BIG HUGS!

Lisa

P.S. Forgot to mention that I do think the bloodwork would be helpful for you. I would guess it would be one of the first things your doctor tries out if you discuss with him/her the current issues you are experiencing. My doc also told me that stopping breastfeeding would help (it didn't for me), but I don't know if you feel ready to do that yet. Such a personal decision.
 
Hi Roz! How's your Wednesday going? I hope you're not getting slammed by the huge storms. We're actually having fairly nice weather out here, other than fog, so we're headed out to continue enjoying our day. :)

Just wanted to report that I did the Cathe Live Lean & Mean Legs. It was so fun! Some modifications were required for the plyo moves and also I had to stick my arms out straight during the stability ball section to avoid a ball/belly collision (you would have found it quite hilarious, I think!). Overall, great workout and loved the power yoga ending. I love these endurance leg workouts. They remind me of Meso 1 legs, which I've done an embarrassingly huge number of times because I just enjoy that kind of training so much.

Well, we're off! Take care and hope all is well for you and your pumpkin today!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,

Oh, a cup of tea sounds so lovely!
I agree – it’s so nice to have a virtual mama friend to talk about these things with!
I appreciate all the thoughts and experiences you’ve shared. I’m going to reply to as much as I can right now, but I’m a bit pressed for time today, so I might not get to everything…
With respect to breastfeeding, yes, I do realize that it’s probably the greatest factor inhibiting me from getting my cycle back. That said, I know my daughter’s not ready to wean fully yet, so I don’t feel ready, either. You’re right, it’s so personal and so individual – every mama-and-baby pair is unique. I don’t judge any woman’s choices with respect to breastfeeding.
At the moment, I am trying to cut back on feedings. My doc says that the majority of women can get pregnant while breastfeeding (though most can’t while exclusively breastfeeding), so I’m just hoping I’m part of that majority. Some days I’m more hopeful than others.
That said, I know the return of my cycle will be a product of a number of factors, so right now I’m hoping that adjusting some of those other factors will do the trick. Adjusting the ‘other factors’ (food, weight, exercise, etc.) has worked in the past. That said, I have a bit more body fat now than I did last time I struggled with this (which is good! I really was too lean then).

Sounds like we have very similar diets. I also eat lots of fats and protein. I’m curious about what you’ve read about limiting fiber intake. I’ve wondered about that. (I also tend towards a high fiber diet.) Though I really do feel like I need a baseline carb intake, too. If I focus too completely on fats and protein, I feel depleted.

Funny you mention total body high rep stuff… I was just thinking that I might try a month of a few days of yoga a week plus 1-2 total body days (maybe one heavier and one lighter… maybe give my Jari Love DVDs some… love!) and maybe a bit of cardio.

Yoga can totally be like a massage! And the slow, relaxing stuff can have a different kind of intensity. I sort of follow myself as I release into the stretches. It’s so good to be back on the yoga wagon. It feels like a really lovely gift to myself.

Oh, and yoga is soooo good for stretching the upper body. Actually, I was thinking about doing a shoulder opening practice yesterday after Meso 2 UB, but I was just worried that some of the stretches might be too aggressive. Many, many yoga poses have some nice stretching through the chest and shoulders. I LOVE the specific shoulder openers, but they can be SUPER intense.
I think some favorite post-workout UB stretches are binds. If I bind my arms in side angle (http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/ss/sideanglevariat_3.htm) I always get a really nice pop in my shoulders (in a good way!).

Hmm… about Cathe Live steady state… I think any of the boxing or kickboxing workouts would be great. (You might need to skip, say, the conditioning segment in Hard Strikes Live – it’s similar to the original HS with lots of pushups and ankle grabber situps.) Have you tried the Road Trip All Step? That one’s a go for sure! So fun.
I was thinking about doing the Solid Cardio plus HiiT for a second time tomorrow. IIRC, it really is mostly hi/lo stuff with seriously just a couple HiiT moves tossed in at the end. I will report back if I get to it. But I LOVED that one. Super duper fun.

OK gotta run but I should add… my dr mentioned Provera as a possibility to start my period. He said it’s safe for breastfeeding, but I’m still a bit tentative, as I’ve read elsewhere that any synthetic hormones are considered unsafe for breastfeeding. Also, it has failed when I’ve tried it in the past. Plus, on some level I just want to give my body a chance to sort things out on its own. However, I’m ready to accept that that just might not be in the cards. Sigh…

OK! Thanks so much for sharing and listening!

Oh yeah… I suppose I should mention that I was going to do yoga this morning but I did Sleep Max instead – yeah! I think sleeping more should be a top priority for me…

Lots and lots of hugs! And a virtual cuppa tea,

Roz

ETA: Looks like you checked in while I was writing my novel! ;) Nice job on your Live workout! Glad you avoided a stability ball snafu... ;)
 
Roz, so funny that we checked in at the same time yesterday! What are the odds? ;)

The quest to get the cycle back really is a rollercoaster, isn't it? Physically and emotionally--from guilt to hope to frustration to optimism (repeat repeat repeat!). Breastfeeding never ever caught on for me and my DD so I pumped exclusively for 1 year (will never do that again!) but stopping didn't bring my period back. About 8 weeks after I stopped pumping we attempted Provera + Clomid, although I was reluctant to do so because Provera had never worked for me in the past (Clomid, on the other hand, is how we got pregnant with my first DD but that was also when my cycle came without Provera). LONG story, but I had many months of no success cycling, then developing cysts, having to take birth control to shed the cysts, etc. I ultimately needed the additional boost of injectables and, key for me, the "trigger" shot (hcG) for DD2. I so desperately hope that you won't have to go that far! In the meantime I was also modifying diet and exercise as we've discussed and also getting acupuncture treatments (loved the way the acupuncture felt but I don't think in my case that it had anything to do with getting pregnant). Anyway, any questions you have about drugs throw them my way because I've pretty much done them all (unfortunately).

Oh, definitely NOT suggesting cutting out carbs! I would die die die without carbs. I'm mainly talking about not overdoing it on the fiber because one of fiber's main effects is to interfere with fat absorption. That's great for those following the Standard American Diet who struggle to get any amount of fiber due to eating mostly processed foods. You and I, on the other hand, tend to eat differently (fruits, veggies, and other foods in their most natural states). Much easier to get lots and lots of fiber that way! So, for me I didn't cut out the fruits or veggies but was mindful of having just 1 bowl of oatmeal per day or choosing a fat other than fiber-rich flax or chia seeds. That kinda thing. Make sense? I in no way cut out carbs or cut calories (in fact I increased calories). I just tried to make sensible swap outs where possible. I'm certainly no medical expert or dietary professional. This was a concept introduced to me by a doctor and also by some infertility sites on the Internet. I don't know that there is any specific "study" to back it up but, as a personal anecdote, it has helped me.

Thanks for the Cathe Live suggestions with cardio! I had totally forgotten about the Road Trip step. That sounds like a winner for sure.

Just imagining myself doing the arm bind...and THEN collapsing to the ground in a wobbly mess because all I could do was make it to the warrior pose. :) Your yoga skills continue to amaze me.

Way to go on Sleep Max. Sleep is Mother Nature's medicine, I think! What did you end up doing today? Are you going to do a Jari Love-style rotation or are you still thinking it out?

Today I did Cathe Live Strong Upper Body with Core (from 10/23/14). I definitely modified and I definitely did not follow Cathe's weight loads, but even then WOW what a pump! My veins were popping and the blood was flowing, especially after the biceps section. I think you had also recommended this one to me, so THANKS! And thanks in general for helping me realize that I should not wait unto after pregnancy to start Cathe Live. I so seriously seriously love it.

Cheers and hugs and hope coming your way!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,

Wow, the day really got away from me today! DD had a really rough one – maybe teething. I hate to see her in pain! L

Thanks so much for sharing the story of your fertility struggles and successes with me! You nailed it – it really is an emotional and physical rollercoaster. I am pretty hopeful that ultimately it will work out, but it may be a long wait with lots of ups and downs…
Wow, I can’t believe you pumped for a year – hats off to you for that! I always found pumping to be a pain, and I wasn’t pumping exclusively like you.
With respect to Provera, it’s funny you’ve had a similar experience. I’m really hesitant because I have a feeling it won’t work and I’d rather not go through that disappointment. (For me, at least, it’s more disappointing to try something and have it fail than just to wait and have nothing change.) Maybe that’s the wrong attitude but I guess it’s how I/we feel right now.

What you say about too much fiber does intuitively make sense. I do try to have some milled flax for the omega 3s. Maybe I’ll have so switch it up and make some homemade walnut butter – yum! One of my faves J

Oh, another Live is the Step Express with Blasts (or whatever it’s called). I think I did about half of it before DD woke but my general impression is that it’s no more intense than the step workouts that you still regularly do.
I did do Solid Cardio + HiiT this morning. I know you specifically asked for cardio with no HiiT mixed in… but here’s my summary. It’s really mostly a hi/lo workout, probably most similar in intensity and vocabulary of movements to Cardio Kicks (which, IIRC, you did recently). In the main body of the workout, there are a few blasts and plyo moves that you would modify in a very straightforward way. In the last few mins of the workout, she gives a little ‘teaser’ for the then-upcoming RWH. But that segment really only lasts 2-3 mins. Totally skippable. And the workout is SO FUN! I was just rocking out this morning. I added some serious attitude to the twist section, let me tell you!
I then did some Turkish Get Ups (5 reps per side at 10 lbs then 5 reps per side at 15 lbs). I am enjoying playing with this move, but keeping it light still, as there really are a lot of little movements to coordinate and I want to get it down mentally first. There’s definitely a cardio pump, too!
Then to top it off, a 20-min shoulder opening segment. This felt GREAT! Definitely a good call not to jump into this right after Meso 2 UB, though.

Great job on Strong Upper Body – so glad you loved it! That one’s a winner – I will definitely go back to it in the coming month. And yes, my biceps remember that segment well! ;)

I think I may finish up Meso 2, sort of taking it day by day. There are only 4 workouts left and, well, I love the feeling of completion. That said, I probably won’t go into Meso 3. I’m guessing I’ll just freestyle it, rotation-wise, with lots of Cathe Live and total body stuff and yoga and a bit of cardio in there. I’m really feeling the need to listen to my body and just do what feels right every day, whether that’s a little weight work or yoga or cardio or just nothing/sleep! So setting a rotation feels contrary to that M.O.

I was just about to send this, but DD woke up and wouldn’t go back to sleep – yikes, hope the little woman isn’t getting sick! If so, I may be up much tonight and need to skip the workout tomorrow… ah, motherhood!

Hugs and yawns (and apologies for the typos I'm sure remain littered through this note),
Roz
 
Hi Lisa,
Yikes! Somehow I sensed last night that it would be a rough one, and it sure was. Many hours of sleep with frequent interruptions is, for me, almost always worse than fewer consecutive hours of sleep. I'm pretty zonked.

I didn't have time to work out this morning but I've done all the exercises from this week's Meso 2 Back and Bis today, split into two sessions (back in one, bis in a second). I didn't have the video running, because our wifi wasn't working well at the time.
I also added ~10 mins of my own core work (Turkish Get Ups @ 17 lbs and some medicine ball core moves). It feels fine to do the TGUs at the weight I'm doing for a few consecutive days, as they're mostly core/metabolic stuff.
It felt good to move and work out, even though I was tired.

Yikes, gotta run, DD is up from her nap! So short...
Hope you and your DD and DD-to-be are all well!
Talk tomorrow,
Roz

ETA: I really enjoyed the more freestyle workout today! Somehow it felt gentler to go at my own pace... though honestly I don't think that pace is slower than Cathe's. Not that I'll switch away from DVDs. Also, I managed the heavy deadlifts, no problem back-wise, though my forearms gave out on the last rep!

Unrelated side note : though I'm trying to cut back on bfing, I'm a total spineless pushover when it comes to night nursing while she's sick or in pain! :(
 
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Roz,

Sending virtual roses and teddy bears to your DD. Is she sick or do you think it is teething (which often brings some yuckies with it)? It is so hard to watch our little ones in pain, especially when they are so young they can't understand what's going on. :( I totally agree that consecutive sleep--even when shorter in duration--is much more effective than interrupted sleep. I hope this passes for you both soon.

Oh yeah, I totally hated pumping but mommy guilt drove me to do it. I wanted the best for my daughter. In retrospect I was putting WAY too much pressure on myself. The only nice thing about pumping, though, was that I never had to let go of that emotional/physical bfing bond. On the other hand, I never got to enjoy that bond! Ironic trade-offs in life! Anyway, if DD2 is not a good nurser, there is NO WAY I am pumping for 1 year. I will probably try to go 6 or 8 weeks but beyond that I just simply cannot do that to myself again. Besides, my DH was exclusively formula fed and he is a Ph.D. engineer in a field that few people understand! (Not saying that to brag at all, but just to point out that a child's brain and learning potential are not indefinitely damaged for lack of breast milk!)

Those Cathe Live recommendations sound great! Step Express with Blasts was one I had on my "I hope I can do this" list, so it is helpful that it has your stamp of approval as well. And you and I are in the same boat in terms of being lovers of hi/lo cardio so I will add Solid Cardio + HiiT to the mix. Modifying is no big deal. Just part of the pregnancy package. Given your dancing background, I'm sure you look much more graceful with the hi/lo moves than I do, LOL!

Excellent work on the yoga, TGU, and weight work as well. I am loving my fly-by-the-seat-of-my-maternity-pants rotation. In fact, today as I was doing my workout (Tracey Staehle Step Sweatfest) I was thinking about how well-rounded the past couple of days have been and how energizing my workouts have been of late. A very good feeling.

I will be here with you on your rollercoaster ride, cheering you on. The biggest thing I've learned is to trust my gut and be my own best advocate.

TGIF! Cuddle with that poor little cutie pie and find time for a nap today, okay? ;)

Lisa

ETA: Jealous of the 2015 Cathe Road Trippers who got to sign up today! I would love to go to another RT! I just need to keep reminding myself that I will be busy snuggling with newborn DD2. :D
 
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for your words of support, both immediate and ongoing.
We had another rough night last night -- DD is definitely sick! I know, it's so awful when you can't explain it to them -- I imagine for them, it's like an alien is inhabiting their bodies and making them so uncomfortable! I know that's a truly bizarre analogy but... I'm pretty sleep deprived so I hope you'll cut me a little slack. ;)
Re: bfing vs formula feeding, I think the anti-formula frenzy is ridiculous. I was actually just reading an article (that quoted a number of studies) that basically stated, yes, breastmilk is best, but it doesn't matter that much. Hmm... if I can dig it up I will link you to it. Your DH is a perfect example of this fact -- and I know plenty of well-adjusted, intelligent folks who never got a drop of breastmilk. I mean, hey, many, many members of our parents' generation were exclusively formula fed. If formula were that much worse than breastmilk, you'd think their generation would be an outlier generation in poor immune health, poor brain development, whatever. It's just not the case.
If your DD2 isn't a good nurser and takes formula, you'll be emotionally and physically available to your 2 DDs in a way you couldn't be if you were constantly pumping! Anyways, I hope it all works out for you in an ideal and minimally stressful way. My bfing journey with DD has had its bumps along the road for sure (and still does!), but has ultimately been rewarding. That said, I know I'd still feel infinitely attached to her even if she'd never breastfed at all.

Great work on your Step Sweatfest! I'm so glad you're feeling energized by your well-rounded rotation! I guess when you're flying by the seat of your maternity pants, you're apt to be 'well-rounded', though! ;)

This morning I felt like I wanted to get my cardio on, but I knew I may only have a few minutes until DD awoke for the umpteenth time, so I opted to try one of the High/Low HiiT Live workouts (I chose the one that uses the step, as I often find the step HiiT to be a touch gentler). The workout is 42 minutes (as opposed to 30 or less for the RWH cardio HiiT workouts), but has a longer warm-up, more/longer water breaks, and a brief (~5 mins?) core segment at the end.
I did the first 22 mins (of 42), then DD woke, but after a 45-minute snuggle/nurse break, I brought her in to my workout room (rare) to see if she might like the cooler temperature there (she's running hot). She was having fun and boogying to the music and smiling! I knew Cathe Live was a feel-good tonic but I didn't know it was a panacea! ;) Though obviously she felt I needed a little extra 'work work' in the planks segment of the core work, because she came over and added some resistance. Then during reverse crunches, she came and sat on my lap and lay her head on my chest. I'd never done that move with a toddler (babybell?), but it sure was effective!

Now obviously I wouldn't recommend any HiiT during pregnancy (unless it's Happily inert incubation Time) or immediately postpartum (unless it's Harriedly interrupting infant Tears), but when you do feel ready to work your way into high intensity cardio workouts (I believe you said this is an eventual goal of yours), you might consider getting into it via the Live HiiT workouts. They have similar vocabularies of moves (and intense moves!), but there's just more rest. I'm not sucking in air as I am in PH1.

As a side note, when you do return to high intensity workouts, I will be eager to hear your reviews of JM Bodyshred. My interest has been piqued, but I'm not ready to shell out for it just yet.
Oh! and I was running out of time to return EFX, so I returned it without trying the other two workouts. Honestly, if the dread factor is so high that I can't even get myself to preview the workouts, why bother? There are plenty of other workouts out there.

I do hope my suggestions for Live step workouts end up being good ones. I saw someone mention that the Road Trip step was akin to PH2, which made me a little anxious about my recommendation. My memory of the workout is that the moves were straightforward (not a ton of spins, crazy choreography, etc.), which led me to say that it would be a good pregnancy workout. But maybe I misremember the intensity? Oh well, you can always preview the clip before giving it a go. (And of course, I generally anticipate that you'll have to make some modifications to any workout. You're great at that!)

I'm babbling on here... DD has fallen asleep in my arms and I can really go on and on about this stuff! ;)
Thanks again for the get-well wishes! Hope you have a great weekend with some good rest in there, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Hugs,
Roz
 
Happy Saturday, Roz! I wish it was happier on your end...Poor sweet DD! Give her a big hug from me. If I lived near you I would totally drop buy with some "emergency supplies" from TJ's to give you a little pick-me-up in your sleep deprived state. So sorry you are both having a rough patch. :(

Um, yeah, SO true that there is a frenzy surrounding bfing. I read a blog written by a nutritionist who just became a mother and she felt SO compelled to bfeed that she ended up in the hospital multiple times because she kept getting infections but would not allow herself to stop bfing. I'm certainly not judging her, just simply remarking on the amazing pressure that exists out there to bfeed--especially in the "healthy living" world.

I just have to throw this out there: you are running on empty (in terms of sleep) and still manage to pull out zingers like "Happily inert incubation Time" and "Harriedly interrupting infant Tears." You rock! :)

I'm impressed you managed to get a workout in today. You should definitely feel proud. Sounds like it was a good one, despite the breaks. I can give firsthand testimony that toddlers love Cathe! My DD is obsessed with Cathe. She wants to workout with me and Cathe, wants to watch the Cathe Live videos, etc etc. Every time she sees the Cathe logo she says "Is that Cathe? That's Cathe!" So, just sayin' that it's no surprise that a little step with Cathe helped boost your sweetie girl's mood today!

Speaking of Cathe Live, I go into most every workout expecting to modify so I will not hold you accountable for leading me astray. I don't think that's possible anyway!

Good call on returning EFX. Workouts should be (mostly) fun. Why suffer through something? And I'll definitely give you my 100% honest feedback on the JM workouts when I get to them!

I wanted a circuit-style workout today so I was debating between a few Cathe Lives and KCM's Trim Down. In the end I opted for Trim Down because I woke up brain dead and am already familiar with that workout (which alternates boxing cardio with LB sculpting). Good times and now I get to enjoy a rest day tomorrow!

Sending you virtual chicken soup, hugs, and hope that your weekend will get better from here. Take care and I'll be back on Monday!

Lisa
 
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