{"id":1359,"date":"2022-10-14T16:01:05","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T16:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecharlotteathlete.com\/?p=1359"},"modified":"2023-11-30T19:19:50","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T19:19:50","slug":"crossfit-and-pregnancy-my-story-part-i-1st-trimester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecharlotteathlete.com\/crossfit-and-pregnancy-my-story-part-i-1st-trimester\/","title":{"rendered":"CrossFit and Pregnancy: My story – Part I : 1st Trimester"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Yes, I\u2019m one of the \u201csoon to be moms\u201d that is going to continue Crossfitting throughout my pregnancy, baby bump and all. In fact, I came in 2nd in an individual competition at 6 weeks pregnant and I am actually competing in a 4 person team competition in April (18 weeks into pregnancy). At this point, you may be looking at me like I have 3 heads and thinking \u201chow unsafe and dangerous!\u201d.
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It can be easy for new moms to get lost in a sea of conflicting information\u2014not just on the internet, but also from doctors and well-intentioned friends and family members. So, the point of this blog is to provide you with the most recently updated research as well as my personal experience of Crossfitting while pregnant. <\/strong>

Thankfully, there have been a lot of elite athletes that have continued their pre-pregnancy workout routines throughout their pregnancies and have delivered perfectly healthy babies while doing so. For instance, Serena Williams won the Australian Open while 2 months pregnant and continued to play tennis and workout at a high intensity even at 8 months pregnant. Similarly, Olympian Alysia Montano ran an 800-meter race while 34 weeks pregnant! And the list keeps getting longer and longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u200bMy Story<\/strong>
I\u2019ve been doing CrossFit for almost 5 years now (6-7 days per week consistently), and I am 12 weeks pregnant. At my 8 week check-up I made sure to tell my doctor that I liked to do CrossFit (alot) and asked him if there were any precautions or guidelines that I needed to follow in regards to working out. The only information he gave me was to limit my heart rate to 140 bpm once I got into the 2nd trimester. As you can probably guess, my doctor wasn\u2019t very familiar with CrossFit and didn\u2019t have any specifications or recommendations on movements I should or shouldn\u2019t do. And naturally, as soon as people found out I was pregnant, I received a couple of comments like \u201cyou better lift while you can, you won\u2019t be able to for much longer\u201d and questions like \u201cwhen are you going to stop lifting heavy?\u201d. So, wanting the best for myself and my baby\u2019s health, I dove into research instead of listening to what other people\u2019s comments, questions, and concerns were. 

The more I researched, the more I came to realize that most of the information out there was based on the more \u201cconservative\/traditional\u201d view of pregnancy. For years and years, medical professionals have erred more on the cautious and careful side when it came to exercising while pregnant due to lack of research and evidence. But, thanks to elite athletes and the women in CrossFit that have continued to workout throughout their pregnancies, I\u2019ve found that it\u2019s actually MORE beneficial for pregnant women to remain active. For instance, labor and delivery are probably one of the most physically demanding tasks our bodies will ever go through and this task is somewhat comparable to competitions, meets, and\/or marathons where we exert the most effort. You wouldn\u2019t compete in these events without training and preparing! Exercising during pregnancy is almost like training for delivery!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u200bDo I have to monitor my heart rate?<\/strong>
In regards to my doctor\u2019s recommendation, I\u2019ve found that the more recent research says that if you\u2019ve been working out regularly before pregnancy, then there\u2019s no need to be concerned about heart rate during pregnancy. \u201cFor healthy women, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends [AT LEAST] 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity \u2014 preferably spread throughout the week \u2014 without any specific heart rate limits<\/strong>. This recommendation also advises that pregnant women who were previously engaged in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or who are highly active can continue their activities, provided they remain healthy and talk with their health care providers about any needed activity adjustments over time.\u201d

\u201cHeart-rate precautions do not have scientific backing and gynecologists no longer recommend even monitoring a pregnant woman\u2019s heart rate if she exercises because heart rates vary so much from pre-pregnancy levels, as do the heart rate\u2019s responses to exercise. Dr. Shangold recommends using perceived effort as a guide and making sure that the effort remains moderate. But, she said, there are no rigorous studies to back that up [either]\u201d. While heart rate isn\u2019t a huge concern, it is important to understand that our bodies are working overtime during pregnancy and our natural abilities will diminish. So instead of finding that dark place that leaves us lying on the floor from exerting so much effort, workouts should be more about moving intentionally, sweating, and staying active and healthy.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u200bWhat I\u2019m Doing Now<\/strong>
At this time, I haven\u2019t scaled or changed anything about my workouts. I am still working out 6-7 days a week, performing ring muscles ups, handstand push ups, burpees, toes to bar, box jumps, and all the other fun stuff that comes with CrossFit. I\u2019m currently still doing all of the workouts as they are prescribed (with high intensity), not out of persistence and stubbornness, but because my body feels great (besides the fact that I have to pee more often) and I haven\u2019t experienced any weird aches, pains, or discomfort. I still feel fully capable and good about these movements without feeling like I am putting the baby at risk and I plan on performing these movements for as long as my body can handle it. I know I may have to scale back and modify at some point in the near future and I am fully willing to do so. After all, the baby is my number one priority and I want he\/she to be as healthy as they can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Nutrition<\/strong>
Another common question I\u2019ve been getting is whether I\u2019ve gotten sick or if I\u2019ve had to change anything with my nutrition. Well, there was one week during my first trimester where I did feel nauseous everyday and didn\u2019t want to eat my typical foods, but I never actually got sick. Once that week passed, I was back to normal and have been eating my regular meal prep ever since. A lot of other women have told me that the first trimester is the worst (when it comes to sickness), so I\u2019m thankful that I\u2019ve made it through with minimal sickness so far! I also haven\u2019t felt the need to eat more than usual nor have I had any cravings yet. I do know these things can change in the blink of an eye, so I\u2019ll keep y\u2019all updated with any changes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom Line<\/strong>
The best thing you can do is listen to YOUR body. Your heart rate, your ability to continue certain exercises, and your nutritional needs are all variable and dependent on your history and pre-pregnancy health and ability. There\u2019s no \u201cone size fits all\u201d piece of advice, so if it doesn\u2019t feel right, don\u2019t do it! Your body is smarter and more resilient than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Helping athletes and active adults STAY active during pregnancy is my specialty. I work with athletes in the Charlotte, NC area and around the United States navigate their fitness & pregnancy related pains and questions, and I would LOVE to help you too. If you have a question for me \u2013 leave a comment below or click here<\/a>! If you\u2019re interested in working with me, the next step is a free phone consult<\/a> so we can learn more about your specific situation! Just pick a time below. LASTLY \u2013 don\u2019t forget to check out\u00a0Part 2: My 2nd Trimester<\/a>,\u00a0Part 3: My 3rd Trimester<\/a>, my Post Partum blog<\/a>, and Baby Number 2 Thoughts<\/a>!! See y\u2019all in the next one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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