Pregnancy diary 5.0: Instead of exercising, the expectant mother turns into a seal

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Pregnancy diary 5.0: Instead of exercising, the expectant mother turns into a seal
Pregnancy diary 5.0: Instead of exercising, the expectant mother turns into a seal
Anonim

15. week

+3 kg

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It is very difficult for me to decide how much I consider myself an "active mother". If I listen to the pregnant mother I talk to in the playhouse, who sits yawning with her head hanging down, then I am a bouncy, energetic, sporty pregnant woman. He used to listen with open mouth to what I was up to in the afternoons and how much I swam on the weekend. If I compare myself to my friend Ági, who was in motion non-stop during her pregnancy, going to the gym three times a week, walking for at least 4-5 hours in the open air every day, shopping and all this from 8 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon, then I am a lazy pig, because often I just sit at home for half the days. And my doctor and midwife tell me to keep going, I look great, I'm doing well, all my results are fine and don't worry about it.

Almost all experts agree that exercise and sports are very good for both the pregnant woman and the developing fetus. Sport reduces the occurrence of complications, improves mood, improves blood circulation and oxygen supply, and facilitates recovery after childbirth. A generation or two ago, the attitude was that expectant mothers should just rest with their feet up, but now it seems that the tide has turned. It has become almost a requirement to exercise during pregnancy, gyms are full of women with bulging bellies, and publishing maternity exercise DVDs has become a multi-billion dollar business. The classic rituals of early pregnancy, such as shopping for maternity clothes, taking vitamins, choosing a name and visiting the doctor, have been expanded by one more: the purchase of the maternity exercise DVD.

I also fell into this trap during my last pregnancy. I immediately bought the classics available here, which have catchy titles like "Fit Mama". Three of the four DVDs I bought managed to survive the birth of my child in the factory packaging, which I felt a little guilty about until I read a survey somewhere that most fitness videos that consumers buy in good faith are only played once. Except for the ones we get as gifts, because we usually never get them. Never mind, I thought, I'll still be pregnant, and then I'll use them, since I'll be at home all day and not at work, I'll definitely have more time for things like that. Yes, as I imagined.

When it suddenly occurred to me at the end of the first trimester that I could do sports again, I thought it was some kind of instinctive impulse, when a woman starts to take care of herself and the well-being of her developing fetus, and naturally wants what is best for them. Then I realized that I was deceiving myself. Modern women are taught that as soon as the tip of the scale starts to creep up and their belly starts to round out, they should immediately do everything to stop this process, or minimize it in the case of pregnancy. There's nothing wrong with that if we do it wisely. It's a fair warning when it comes to exercise for pregnant women not to start any crazy new routine without a doctor's involvement, and it's not the right time to do strenuous exercise for the first time in your life. Which is unfortunately a necessary warning, since a very large part of the adult population does not exercise regularly. The number one mistake pregnant women make when it comes to exercise is doing nothing but lying down. And the second is that they perform too demanding or inappropriate exercises, and they cannot maintain this in the long term, or they get injured. Somewhere in between is the right path that I'm trying to find.

I started this pregnancy in pretty good shape and a bit overweight. My daily routine consists of a minimum 3-kilometer stroller walk in the fresh air (everyone can measure the length of their favorite route HERE) and running after an ever-moving two-year-old child, interspersed with innumerable head movements. Still, I had the urge to add some regular exercise. Although moving a stroller on a frozen snow field is much more demanding than curling, it is still not an Olympic sport.

So I picked up and dusted off the previously mentioned barely used DVDs, selected "Pilates for pregnant women", put it in the player, stopped in the middle of the big carpet and started the warm-up exercises with great breath. The next 15 minutes were drowned in cabaret. The child first followed my hand and leg movements with wide eyes, then tried to imitate them. When he tripped over his own feet, I had to stop because I couldn't concentrate from laughing. I also had to stop the DVD when he climbed onto my stomach during one of the floor exercises and tried to hug my neck and kiss me. "Get out of here, honey, mommy is doing gymnastics," I told her, and unfortunately she took this seriously and ran out of the room. I was able to finish the next exercise safely, although there was a suspicious silence in the next room, which worried me.

I stopped the DVD again to look for the girl, because I don't usually get away with such silence. He was standing in front of his father's closet in the bedroom, surrounded by dozens of expensive silk ties. There were two or three of them around his neck, and at least the same number under his legs. By the time I put everything back in its place, it was time to leave, so the first training ended here. A few days later, I gave the matter another chance, I pulled the child in the stroller in front of the television so that he couldn't run away or climb on top of me. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear the accompanying text from the constant wailing as the child begged for the baby TV. During the day, the TV is almost never on at our place, and when the child sees it on, we usually play children's programs for him. Then the phone rang. I gave up.

Although several of my friends recommended the afternoon nap time, during that time, if at all, I tend to talk on the phone, send e-mails, run errands and finally eat alone, I can't do this any other time. I lack the motivation to reorganize our entire day. Sometimes I still feel guilty when I walk by the shelf and the curvaceous women in leotards and big bellies from the front pages smile at me. But it really seems that if I was unable to join the fitness DVD movement before pregnancy and parenting, it's even less possible for me with a child. I don't know why I thought I would suddenly motivate myself to do some jumping jacks in front of the TV (maybe because many of the internet sites for new moms are full of DVD ads?) when I've only enjoyed, or known, outdoor and water sports all my life. to continue in the long run. My youth sports were figure skating (for 10 years), middle distance running on clay (as a senior), and water polo (varsity team).

Unfortunately, organized pregnancy exercise and gym visits during the day are not options for me, because there is no childcare in the gyms here. Grandma is nowhere near, and the child doesn't go to daycare, so I have nowhere to leave him. And of course, all maternity gyms, maternity pilates and similar organized gyms are during the day, when all my friends work and my partner comes home at 7pm.

I almost gave up when a dear friend of mine gave me the key to the solution in the form of a pass. She used to go swimming when she was pregnant and had a weekend pass to the local pool gym that she lent me while she was in labor so I could try it out. The ticket is valid from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, just when I can go. One time in the water was enough for me to realize that swimming is my "blue-and-white love", in the words of Éva Székely. When a pregnant woman begins to round out and become sluggish, she remains as nimble as a seal in the water. When you're panting, sweating and everything is out of your hands on land, you can be graceful and cheerful in the waves.

I also surprised myself how well things are going and how long I can last without fatigue and muscle fever the next day. Although I haven't been swimming since last summer, my stamina seems to be holding up. Now that my back pain is gone, my training dose is one and a half to two kilometers every time. I don't do it for time, but for pleasure, and it's also very good for my mood. I feel stronger and in a better mood. It's also worth its weight in gold that this is my time, the child is with his father, safe and happy, and I don't have to rush. There are no nauseating smells in the pool, no children crying, no distractions, relaxation is complete.

Walking is still enough for me on weekdays, I don't seem to have the capacity for anything else. I'll give away the DVD collection of mom gymnastics, or sell it to someone who likes something like that, because they're clearly not for me. And as I look at the unopened and barely used maternity exercise videos on eBay, I'm not alone.

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