One health and fitness coach shares her pre-natal fitness journey | Pregnancy blog

Three and a half years after the birth of my daughter, I decided to put together my prenatal fitness blog. I documented my quest to stay fit and healthy during my pregnancy via written blogs and videos.

By the way, I know there are loads of pregnancy blogs out there, so thanks for stopping by to read mine! (You can also feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post and let me know about the best pregnancy blogs you’ve found to help you on your journey).

Reading through and re-watching these pregnancy fitness blog videos has certainly been interesting. By sharing my pregnancy blog, I hope you will be inspired to continue to be as healthy and fit as you can manage…and enjoy the journey.

Although I am a qualified and experienced fitness practitioner, none of this was intended to be prescriptive. For me, it was more about sharing the ‘raw’ me and the fact that I am a real human with challenges just like you.

Before we continue, if you’re pregnant now, you might want to grab my free pregnancy workout program. It uses your own body weight and resistance bands, which are cheap, lightweight, and portable. The workout pdf has been created to provide safe exercise options during pregnancy. Just click the link below to grab yours!

I will warn you now that this prenatal fitness blog is long. It wasn’t designed to be consumed in one go! If you are pregnant and are interested in following my healthy pregnancy blog, I suggest you bookmark the page. That way, you can come back and check out my vlogs and other information as and when you want to or when they seem relevant to you.

My week 40 pregnancy blog post is written in full at the bottom. If you have ever been 40 weeks pregnant before, you might understand that I didn’t feel like doing a video update at that point! So here we go…

(This post includes affiliate links for which I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase)

Pregnancy blogs week by week | Pregnancy fitness week 5

Welcome to my first pregnancy blog – week 5! Ok, so who else knew they were pregnant around only a week after conceiving? I’m very sensitive and aware of changes going on inside my body. Hence, I already felt a bit gross at this early stage! Check out my first pre-natal fitness vlog by clicking on the picture below.

Pregnancy blog week by week | Pregnancy fitness week 8

Aah, here comes the example of sharing my true, authentic self with you. I’ve always made a point of being ‘real’ with my readers. I believe I can help more people by sharing that I have challenges, just like you do.

You might consider a video like the one I share next negative for a health and fitness practitioner. You may think that I need to be close to ‘perfect’ regarding my choices. That is fine if that is your belief.

The reality is that we all have challenges. Some are willing to put them ‘out there’ to help others realize that everyone is human. Others prefer to hide behind a ‘brand’ they’ve created for themselves and their business. I’m part of the former group.

It’s undoubtedly essential for me to ‘walk the talk’ in terms of leading a fit and healthy lifestyle. However, I will always be real about my challenges. This four-week period is a special one in that it has been extremely different from any other four-week period in my lifetime. Maybe some of you who experienced severe morning sickness will resonate with it.

Looking at the overall picture

At this stage of my pre-natal fitness journey, I felt somewhat guilty about some of my food choices. Like every woman, I wanted to be as healthy as possible to give my baby the best chance of being healthy. However, there seemed to be very little I could do to stop myself from being sick except from sucking on a sweet.

My partner reminded me that this period was but a small part of my overall life. The decisions I had made to support myself with nourishing food and exercise choices up until this point counted for a lot. You could say I’d prepared with a pre-pregnancy workout and healthy food regime for a number of years prior to conception.

My pre-pregnancy fitness and health status were very good, and I knew this would help me during pregnancy. I knew the morning sickness and subsequent food choices were temporary and that I’d feel better in the coming weeks.

The picture probably says it all, but if you want to listen to my week eight pre-natal fitness vlog, just click on the video below.

Staying fit during Pregnancy blog | Pregnancy Fitness week 13

Things start to settle down a bit at this point. That first trimester is tough for many women on several levels.

Throughout this pregnancy blog, you’ll learn that I found it challenging to maintain the exercise I was doing before becoming pregnant. With all the significant changes that come with getting ready to produce a little human, this is to be expected.

However, you will find many examples on the internet of women who somehow manage to keep doing what they were doing before getting pregnant. I ran my first full marathon only a few months before getting pregnant. However, I found that running, even a little bit, didn’t work for me at all while I was pregnant. I had to change my exercise routine significantly, but I always got out and continued with what I could do safely and without putting immense pressure on myself.

One of my friends, on the other hand, continued running right up until she gave birth. Just remember that everyone’s journey is different. Comparing yourself to others pays no respect to what is going on in your own special, unique body. So be kind to yourself. Click on the video below to listen to my week 13 prenatal vlog.

My fitness journey blog | Pregnancy Fitness Week 17

Maybe by this point, you will realize I’m not one of those women who glide through pregnancy! You know, all glowing and feeling fabulous! But hey, at least I’m smiling:)

In my week 17 prenatal fitness video, I discuss some of the pregnancy books that I read. I’m a bit of a ‘bookworm,’ so after the 12-week mark, I started looking for books on pregnancy that fit my general philosophy. For me, that involved selecting pregnancy books that would embrace my focus on natural pregnancy and childbirth.

I know that nature sometimes takes choices out of our hands, but that still wasn’t going to stop me from reading books that aligned with my beliefs. I chose the best pregnancy books I could find. These were ones centered on yoga and meditation. They also all embrace pregnancy and childbirth as natural processes.

Click on the video below to watch my week 17 update.

Prenatal yoga classes | YouTube pregnancy yoga

At this point in your pregnancy, you might be really starting to ‘feel pregnant.’ You may be looking for pregnancy exercise classes to help maintain your pre-natal fitness. Have a look around and find out what’s in your area. Alternatively, you could try a pregnancy workout DVD or a yoga DVD. Amazon has a good collection if you want to get a prenatal yoga DVD.

Even easier than purchasing a pregnancy exercise DVD is going online. YouTube is full of pregnancy-specific exercise classes. Just ensure the instructor has some credibility and expertise before diving straight in. Ultimately, make sure you communicate with your primary care team regarding what will be safe for you.

If you’d like to try something online, I have some very simple yoga postures suitable for a straightforward pregnancy. I have erred on the side of caution with these, so they are pretty gentle. I didn’t put them together until I was 39 weeks pregnant. I wanted to ensure they would be doable for me at that stage.

Many women are still bouncing along at 39 weeks pregnant. I was waddling and doing very little, but these still worked well for me. Please remember to check with your midwife or whatever health professional you are most closely working with before deciding if they are right for you.

You can grab my free yoga postures pdf here.

Fit Pregnancy Blog | Pregnancy Fitness Week 20

In my next update, I share the usual about what I’ve been up to fitness and nutrition-wise. I never really got into prenatal exercise classes. I joined in with regular workout classes, but I had a good understanding of what to avoid and how to modify exercises. For example, when attending the pump classes I mentioned, I would put my bench on an incline for chest and tricep presses. This is a safer modification than keeping the bench flat.

I would have gone to some pregnancy fitness classes, but there weren’t many that fitted my timetable. If you’re pregnant and want to attend workout classes, talk to the instructor about modifications. If possible, choose prenatal workout classes because they will be specific to your needs.

When no specialized classes are available, ensure you select a class appropriate for your ability and the stage of your pregnancy. Now is not the time to take on brand-new forms of exercise.

[Side note: During my second pregnancy, five years later, I put together several pregnancy fitness videos available to watch (and do!) for free on YouTube. Jump onto my YouTube channel, click on subscribe, and then also click the bell icon so that you get notified about holistic health and fitness videos that I add in the future. If you want to save or try any of the videos now, here are some of them for quick reference:

Keep your fluids up, be careful not to overheat, and listen to your body. Realize that you might feel different every day, so you need to make appropriate decisions based on your current situation.

By the way, you might want to check out these great ideas for pampering yourself at this point in your pregnancy.

Diastasis recti

Also known as ‘abdominal separation,’ diastasis recti is what I talk about in the second part of my week 20 prenatal fitness video. As you will hear, I was surprised to learn I was experiencing this at only week 20. Listen to the video to hear how I could feel my insides pushing through! That’s how it was determined that I was experiencing diastasis recti symptoms.

Blogs about pregnancy | Pregnancy fitness week 24

Enter the first stages of sleep challenges! Not only for new mothers but also for moms-to-be! Sheesh, I mentioned a two-hour nap on this one…I can barely even remember those days when I had more choices to make with my time!

Are you still looking at books for pregnancy? At the beginning of this vlog, a photo of a book that I read during this part of my pregnancy pops up. However, I don’t mention it in the video. It’s called “Birthing from Within.” There are so many books for pregnant ladies out there. I’m just sharing the ones that resonated with me.

Fitness journey blog | Pregnancy fitness week 28

A lot is going on with my body by this point! I’m still managing to stay active, but as you will hear, I’m quickly learning my new limits. Every day is different. Some days I walk up to two hours; and on others 20 minutes is plenty.

Listening back on this, I remember the pain in my pubic bone clearly. It stayed around for some time. I have ongoing challenges with my back still to this day. I’ve been very careful about listening to my body along the way and looking after it as much as possible. Backs are complex structures, though, and indeed, a lot has changed in mine during and post-pregnancy. I will continue to work on strengthening it!

As I mentioned at the beginning of this pregnancy blog, I’m human, too. Even though I’m a fitness trainer, I still have health and fitness challenges. I have simply gained some knowledge and skills along the way to help others reach their goals.

Click on the video below to hear what was going on during my week 28 prenatal fitness update.

Natural pregnancy blog | Pregnancy fitness week 32

Getting close now! Bookworms, this is the book featured at the start of the next video. I don’t talk about it in the video.

In my week 32 prenatal fitness vlog, I discuss how I manage my back pain. One way is to wear a pregnancy back brace. As you’ll hear in the video, I didn’t know how to wear it properly at this point. The physio ordered it for me, but she wasn’t available when I went to pick it up, and I couldn’t get an appointment with her.

Now it’s four years on, and I wonder to myself why the heck I didn’t just Google “how to put on a pregnancy back brace.” Google tells me pretty much anything I want to know. Gee, I only would have had to look at a picture of a lady wearing one to figure it out. Maybe my ‘baby brain’ was kicking in already at this point?!

I learned something new today!

I was wearing it wrong. Never (until this day) did I figure out that one part of it is supposed to go ‘over’ the bump. Well, if there’s ever a ‘next time,’ I will know what to do. Also, I am feeling quite chuffed that I learned something new today! Of course, I wouldn’t have run into this problem if I had purchased one online and been able to read the instructions that came with it.

However, at the time, I wanted to do things through the guidance of a professional. The one I picked up from the physio didn’t have a box or instructions with it, nor was anyone available to help me!

Pregnancy journey blog | Pregnancy fitness week 36

Wow, it’s all happening now! Watching back on this one four years later makes me feel very excited! Stocking up the spare freezer in our garage was one of my best ideas. It allowed us to relax more in the first couple of weeks following the birth. We didn’t have family where we lived, so these freezer meals kept us going for a few weeks until we headed north to spend time with family.

It was interesting to hear me talk about Mr. Ono and the amazing treatment he provided for my back. I went to see him a couple of times during the postnatal period but then stopped going because he wouldn’t stop talking about my belly, which was still sticking out! But that’s all part of the postnatal journey, which we will get to in due course.

As mentioned at the top of this post, this week 36 prenatal fitness vlog is my last one. I was still around at week 40, but I truly did not feel like talking to a camera at that point in time! But before we get to that, here’s the week 36 prenatal fitness vlog.

Pregnancy Fitness Week 40

Here it is – the full written version of my week 40 pre-natal fitness blog.

What	Week 5	Week 40	Change
Weight	51.3 kg	70.4 kg	+ 33.5 cm (up 5.5 cm since the last measurement!!!)
Waist (narrowest)	69.5 cm	No longer exists
Waist (b. button)	76 cm	109.5	+ 33.5 cm (up 5.5 cm cm since last measurement!!!)
Hips	91cm	99 cm	+ 8 cm (up 2 cm since last measure)
Bust size	12 B	12 D	+ 2 cups

With the due date only two days away and feeling like I’m about to pop, I thought I’d get one final prenatal fitness blog in.  Let’s say there are signs that the baby will likely arrive in the next few days rather than later!

[I was right – bubs arrived pretty much right on time].

Umm, I can’t even walk now

My fitness has been an ongoing struggle over the past four weeks, especially over the last two since I’ve been on maternity leave!  I have always intended to use my newfound free time to walk, continue practicing yoga, and go swimming. 

But it seems that my belly is growing every day, and my body is being forced to adjust to doing less.  Over the past two weeks, walking has sometimes been out of the question, mainly because I seem to get a random pinched nerve around my left hip.

Swimming is uncomfortable. The slight rolling motion of my body as I take a breath makes my stomach sore, and it feels like my insides are being pulled in every direction! Sometimes, when heading to the pool, I relax in the spa instead! 

Finally, even yoga, which I’ve been doing most consistently throughout pregnancy, is too uncomfortable most of the time. I just feel like my stomach is wrenching at the skin, muscle, and other tissues in most positions, especially when changing positions.

It seems ridiculous that I can’t enjoy these basic exercises, but I guess that I’ve put on just under half my original body weight. It’s not exactly evenly distributed over my body!  It’s been quite an adjustment for my petite frame.  So again, I’ve just been doing what I can, and sometimes that is just a few simple exercises with a resistance band, or some gentle stretches.

The freezer is prepared!

What I have been proud of in the health arena is that I have achieved my mission of filling our spare freezer with healthy meals to get us through the first few weeks without having to cook. 

I asked people not to buy presents for my baby shower, but of course, they often still wanted to do something. Therefore, I suggested I would appreciate a healthy homemade vegetarian meal (having been vegetarian for over 10 years).  Here are the meals I ended up with and healthy snacks for when we have visitors coming over.

Tofu, apricot and banana curry – 1

Cannellini bean patty mix – 3

Ratatouille – 5

Carrot and lentil dahl- 2

Vegan Lasagne – 2

Mexican cheesecake – 2

Pumpkin and chickpea casserole – 3

Vegetable and bean chilli – 2

Pumpkin Soup – 2

Quinoa and Lentil loaf – 2

= 24 Meals!

Snacks

Apricot and ginger bites

Protein balls

Protein Slice

Potato Savouries

So I’ve been very pleased with my efforts and grateful for the meals others have contributed.

As it stands, I have 33.5 cm I want to lose from my waist after the birth to fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes!  I would have 19.1 kg to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, although I’m not as concerned about what the scales will say, and I imagine that while I’m breastfeeding, I might have a bit of extra weight on the boobs! 

I’d also like to gain a kg or two of extra muscle to what I had before.  I know this will take some time, but I look forward to sharing the ‘other side’ of my fitness journey with you.

If you enjoyed reading about my prenatal fitness journey, I’d love for you to leave a comment below. Tell me a bit about your own pregnancy journey or about some of the other pregnancy blogs you follow!

Next, you may want to read about these prenatal fitness benefits, my home birth story, and my postpartum fitness blog. A couple of others that you might want to bookmark for later are these essential self-care tips for new moms and these awesome ideas for a successful postpartum exercise plan. If you’re a mom and you think you might be suffering from postpartum incontinence, find if you’ve got it and what to do about it.

For some online fitness advice, try my physical fitness blog category. You can also check out other blog posts from my healthy moms category.

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these recommended service provider links, like an insurance broker, or a travel agent, I may earn a commission – at no extra cost to you. [For my full disclosure, please see my DISCLAIMER page].