On Fit Mama Friday today, I’m featuring Caroline. I love her blog, Fit Pink Mom, but a couple of months ago she posted that her blogging was taking a backseat for a little while.  I was bummed, until she suddenly got back into writing regularly with the big announcement that she is pregnant with her second child! It’s so fun having a bloggy buddy due around the same time. Caroline and her husband of five years, Adam, already have a 2 year old son, C. Here’s Caroline’s take on what a second pregnancy is like for a fit mama.

Meet Caroline.

Congratulations on your second pregnancy! How has this time differed from being pregnant with your son? Are you feeling different, working out differently, trying anything new?

Thank you! I was teaching full time during my first pregnancy, so being a pregnant stay-at-home-mom is definitely different! In some ways it is easier and in others it feels way more difficult. After my son was born, I spent a lot of time developing healthy exercise and eating habits. I’m trying my best to continue those.  I’m running – which is something I definitely didn’t do during my first pregnancy! I need to take walking breaks, which is something that’s difficult for me, but I try be grateful I can still run at all.

Did you work out at all when you were pregnant with your son C?

When I was pregnant with my son I did a lot of walking, prenatal yoga and some swimming, but it wasn’t until after he was born I decided to make my fitness a priority.

It sounds like you stayed relatively active, though! Do you think that helped with the pregnancy and delivery?

The breathing I learned from prenatal yoga definitely helped during labor (it also helps me now with my running). I was in labor for 23 hours and 32 minutes with my son, so I’m hoping being more active during this pregnancy will trim that time down!

And what was the catalyst for you deciding you needed to make time for fitness after he was born?

When my son was eight months old I hated the way I looked and hated the way I felt. I also knew if I didn’t make some changes it would negatively impact my health. I love my son so much and want to be around for as much of his life as possible! I decided to start a Couch to 5K program and start running for the first time ever. I didn’t enjoy running, but it was an efficient way to burn calories and get my heart pumping. After a few weeks I fell in love with running and the constant challenge to improve. One of my brothers decided to start a 5K program and we completed our first 5Ks together in 2013. When my other brother found out I signed up for a half-marathon this past spring, he did too!

Yay, a mother runner! 😉 So, you’d never run before, what was your fitness background pre-kids like?

I grew up relatively active. I never played sports, but I started ballet when I was three and continued dance through most of college. After college, fitness took a back seat to working full time and a social life. I stayed somewhat active, but it was definitely not a lifestyle.

When you revealed you were expecting, you mentioned you were letting your doctor monitor your weight without actually finding out yourself what your pregnancy weight gain is from appointment to appointment. Why was that an important choice for you?

When I decided to change my lifestyle in the spring of 2013 I weighed myself regularly. I loved seeing the scale go down! When I was in the middle of training for my first half-marathon, my weight totally stalled. I knew my body was changing because my jeans were getting too big, but that number on the scale stayed the same. It was so frustrating! I have a very good friend who patiently listened to me complain about my love/hate relationship with the scale. She probably asked me at least 15 times, “Do you like the way you look?  Do you like the way you feel?  Why do you care about a number?”  So I decided to divorce my scale. We don’t even own one anymore.

When I found out I was pregnant, I became anxious about being weighed regularly knowing I would gain weight. Pregnancy is probably the absolute BEST reason to gain weight, but I was worried seeing that number increase would mess with my head. I didn’t want to spend my pregnancy thinking about how much weight I need to lose once the baby is here. Thankfully my doctor is supportive and says my request is actually pretty common.

I don’t know about you, but when I was pregnant the first time, exhausted & uncomfortable, I would see pregnant women with toddlers and think, “HOW is she able to do that?” How has the experience of being one of those mamas of a toddler with another one on the way been for you?

Oh gosh, I KNOW! I remember coming home from work, sleeping, Adam would wake me up for dinner, then I’d go to back to sleep.  I thought “Seriously, HOW do people do this with a toddler? I can’t even take care of myself!” Well I’ll be honest, C has watched Cars about a million times since I found out I was pregnant! Thankfully he’s usually a content toddler (although last time I took him to the mall he threw the BIGGEST fit; I was literally sweating trying to get him in his car seat…I haven’t taken him back since!). C still naps for about two hours every day, so I make sure to lay down during that time too. I’m very grateful to have family nearby and Adam usually works from home once a week. I couldn’t do it on my own!

Tell me about your eating habits – do you follow any kind of plan? Has that changed at all since you found out you were preggo again?

I generally eat pretty clean. Now that I’m pregnant I’m definitely giving in to some cravings, but I still try to limit processed foods. I eat a lot of protein and veggies.

Obviously your workouts now are about keeping you and baby-to-be fit and healthy. Apart from being pregnant, what is your main reason for prioritizing fitness and working out?

Now my primary reason for working out is to keep myself sane! I love being a stay-at-home-mom, but it isn’t easy! Working out helps me have patience, which is a must when it comes to toddlers! I also hope that it’s setting a good example for my son.

Because I’m pregnant my exercise routine is constantly changing. I’ve definitely had to take it down a notch, but I’m still active. Right now my biggest challenge is adapting to a different fitness routine. Even though I know it’s okay (and normal) for my pace to slow, it’s been difficult.

I know, I struggle with that, too. I think especially with running, you’re so conditioned to being focused on numbers and pace, that it’s kind of strange to have to let it all go all at once. What’s your current goal with your pregnancy workouts?

My current goal is to get in three workouts a week. This usually includes one run (usually intervals because I need walking breaks these days!), a Zumba class, and a prenatal yoga video. I’m due in May and hope to be 5K ready (running the whole time) by July and hope to complete another half-marathon sometime next year. I’m entertaining the idea of running a full marathon, but I’m not quite ready to commit just yet!

Do it!! Come to the dark side and be a mama marathoner! 😉 Thank you so much for answering all my questions for Fit Mama Friday, Caroline. I’m so excited for you – congratulations again!

Want more from Caroline? Check out her blog, Fit Pink Mom, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

 

Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday

Every Friday on Fine Fit Day I feature a Fit Mama or a Fit Dad story of how and why a fit and healthy mama or dad ensures fitness is a priority in her or his life. You’ll read about all kinds of parents and their fitness stories. Some are stay-at-home parents, some are single parents, some juggle more than one job on top of parenthood, but they are all committed to a fit and healthy lifestyle. As you’re getting ready for your weekend, I hope you’re inspired to be active after reading about these kick-ass mamas and dads on Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday!

 

Do you want to be featured on Fit Mama Friday? Or do you know someone you’d like to see featured? Please contact me for details!