At 28 weeks pregnant most women are fantasizing about their babies and eagerly anticipating motherhood. I, on the other hand, am fantasizing about box jumps and properly fitting yoga pants.
Don’t get me wrong: I am madly in live with my son and I am sure I will feel no differently about my daughter (well maybe not for the first 4 weeks. That is a truly terrible time). But right now I could give birth to the devil’s spawn and I would just be so happy to not be pregnant anymore.
I also know it is taboo to bitch about being pregnant. I know how many women would give their left arm to be pregnant right now and how devastating it can be to not be able to conceive or carry to term. But I also know that for most women, especially the second time around, pregnancy honestly sucks.
I have managed to continue with modified CrossFit workouts so far which has truly been a lifesaver for me. I thrive on my workouts even as they have gotten continuously more difficult.
But now I am reaching the point where just walking the four blocks to the gym can give me a cramp and being on my feet for more than an hour feels like I have a constant 100 pound weight on my shoulders. It doesn’t help that I tripped over a Lego a couple weeks back and have a seriously bruised bone in my foot which will probably take a lifetime to fully heel.
That said, even if I don’t make it to the gym to the bitter end, this experience has certainly been an education. For one, I learned that as much as we have all bitched an complained about CrossFit workouts, they seem like a joke after doing them with a permanent 30 pound weight vest and the energy of a snail.
I remember doing a 30 minute benchmark WOD last year and everyone in the class including myself was posting on Facebook afterward that they thought they were dying. I did same benchmark at 26 weeks pregnant and it really wasn’t that bad.
I haven’t even attempted a pull up with bands since I was about 12 weeks along. But I believe that this extra weight is building my arms so strong that I will be able to come back post baby and do my best yet in pull ups and ring dips.
It’s been really hard for me to cut back on some of the exercises I really shouldn’t be doing. Technically most doctors say you should stop doing sit ups at 12 weeks. But my doctor says its OK as long as I feel fine and at 28 weeks modified sit ups still feel pretty good to me. I’m also not supposed to squat below parallel which I tend to forget doing the weighted squats, which honestly are my favorite thing to do and still make me feel strong and amazing. (Please don’t yell at me. I’ve also eaten raw sushi and undercooked eggs.)
I’ll probably have to continue cutting back on gym attendance and intensity but I really hope to make it to classes for at least another month. All I know is, after I have this baby and get my bearings back, CrossFit is going to be cake.