Lifting for Two; the second trimester
Weeks 13-18 - first half of the second trimester
General overview
Baby grows from 2.5 inches long and 73 grams heavy (the size and weight of a lemon) to 5.6 inches long and 223 grams heavy (the size and weight of a small cucumber).
For me, the hardest thing about being pregnant during the second trimester is just not knowing what to do with myself – mentally I want to 'crack on' and get things sorted but physically I just don't have the energy.
My sleep has started changing with my REM sleep being massively reduced – this is related to hormone changes during pregnancy and so there’s not much that can be done to prevent this.
Weight change is 130.3 lbs at 13 weeks to 134.6 lbs at week 18.
Workouts
Post-workout recovery has started to slow down and I’m getting DOMS easier and for longer than normal. I’m sore for a good few days after working out, despite the intensity being much less.
There are days where my wrists are sore which can affect my grip, and my lower back is feeling a bit weaker. Because of this I’m finding it harder to secure the same weight on my back for squats and so I’m lightening the load and slowing the tempo to keep my workout intensity reasonable.
I’m focusing on back and glute workouts to try and counteract some of the posture changes I’m experiencing (mentioned below). Strengthening the areas most affected by pregnancy is a really good method for preparing the body for these changes and parenthood.
I’ve also started feeling light-headed when changing levels quickly so I’m reducing any ground exercises or just really taking my time when I do them.
Towards the 15/16 week mark I feel like my strength and endurance returning. Workouts are more enjoyable and the number of exercises per session are on the rise again. I start working towards reducing the frequency of sessions so that I can increase the duration and intensity again.
Energy
Good days and bad days….good weeks and bad weeks. Energy is massively unpredictable and I’m having to just go with the flow. A long weekend away involving lots of walking and time outside was followed by a complete energy crash when returning home.
Because of how unpredictable my energy is, it can be difficult to maintain consistency in the gym and it’s hard to make any plans more than a day or two ahead of time.
Food
I’m able to stomach vegetables and protein again, and I’m trying to eat them at each meal. I’m relying on frozen veg and prepacked vegan meats but hey - it's protein, it's veg and it's good enough! The biggest hurdle I have is finding the energy to actually make proper meals.
By 18 weeks I'm hitting everything I need macro wise again which is a nice change - good carbs, good protein, great fibre. If anything I’m maybe getting a little too much fat but I'm not worried about it.
Body
The biggest change with my body is with my posture - my shoulders have started to roll forward and my lower back is starting to arch, leaving me with a slumped posture and tilted pelvis. I’m finding it hard to counteract this but as mentioned above I’m focusing on glute and back workouts to strengthen the muscles involved. It’s totally normal to experience this posture change during pregnancy and things should start to return to normal after the birth.
Goals/Focus
I've realised that achievement and what I'd consider a successful day has changed. Now, if all I manage to do in a day is cook and make sure I get 3 decent meals, then that's a good day. My expectations need to align more with doing the best I can considering I'm pregnant. It's not easy to adapt to this but I'm getting there.
I'm trying to focus on my overall health and wellbeing. I feel less productive and in some ways I’ve had to revaluate what I place my value on. I’ve always valued getting things done, and now I'm finding it hard to do that I’m having to reflect on what I emphasise as important.
Pregnancy is a great time to practice experiencing emotions without judgment. I need to let go of expectations, disappointment and frustration and just acknowledge and accept my body's abilities. If I'm tired, I need to rest rather than feel disappointment at not being able to get what I had planned done.
Daily activity
Generally OK but I stop cycling to work during the mini heatwave we have after getting too hot on the way to work.
Weeks 19-27 – second half of the second trimester
General overview
Baby grows from 6 inches long and 272 grams heavy (the size of a mango) to 14.4 inches long and 2lbs heavy (the size of a head of cauliflower).
I spend near enough this entire time unwell. What starts as a cold eventually progresses to a sinus infection. My constant coughing is interrupting my sleep most nights and is putting a lot of strain on my pelvic floor. I feel run down, and these are the hardest weeks of my entire pregnancy.
During this time I’m also working on renovating the CHPTR Studio space, which is amazing but difficult given how poorly I am.
Weight changes from 135.1 lbs at week 19 to 145 lbs at week 27.
Workouts
Workouts are few and far between thanks to the sinus infection. As soon as I start to feel like I’m getting better and manage a workout, I seem to fall poorly again. Even getting my daily steps in during this time feels impossible.
When I do manage to work out, I notice that I feel wobbly doing step ups probably due to my changing centre of gravity. I normally have the step-up platform fairly high, but I’ve reduced the height for the time being to make the exercise more stable.
I also start to do leg presses and box squats instead of normal squats – these allow me to lift a bit heavier without putting too much strain on my lower back. I’ve widened my stance for deadlifts as this feels a bit more comfortable for me and I’m doing my triceps push downs bent over to prevent doming in my abdomen.
I manage to get a few swims in, which feels fantastic for any aches and pains and a great way to get some cardio in without getting too out of breath.
Energy
Energy is generally low. This is partly because of being ill, but it’s also partly due to how difficult it is to stay properly hydrated when out and about or travelling due to the increased need to go to the toilet.
Food
Some days I’m eating well-balanced meals, other days all I can do is sit on the sofa and have ½ a box of cereal.
Body
I’m adapting to my changing body. Although bump isn’t that big yet I’ve started to get an aching back when sitting for long periods of time. I try and introduce regular stretching breaks to help ease this.
After doing a check up on myself it looks like I’ve got the beginning of diastasis recti – this is completely normal in pregnancy and there’s nothing that can be done to prevent it. I’ll keep an eye on how it goes and will focus on recovery work post-partum if needed.
Goals/Focus
Right now, pretty much the main and only focus is to rest and try and get better when I can and to get movement when I can.
Daily activity
Minimal! So frustrating.