It’s been a few weeks since my little one arrived, oh those sleepless nights and what feels like a constant feeding sessions, it’s time to reflect on the year filled with pregnancy and fun hiking trips.
I was growing a human 24 hours/7 days a week, which is a lot of work 🙂 I was determined to feel good and have a lot of fun during pregnancy, irrespective of all the discomforts.
Most of my questions to the obgyn at my first appointment, at week 9, was about workouts and travel, obviously 🙂
Since there was no complication noted in the pregnancy, she approved pretty much any activity that I have already been doing prior to getting pregnant, that included running,swimming, spinning and hiking. But, the rule was not to exhaust myself or try anything new.
Right after the appointment i attempted a spin session. Found it uncomfortable to keep the form and stopped it in 15 mins.
If you are a pregnant woman reading this post, do get approval for pretty much everything that you do including road trips, air-travel etc., before attempting. It’s not worth risking pregnancy. That being said, my provider has email service to the doctors and I had emailed her all my plans and got approval before booking tickets.
I was one of those lucky ones that didn’t have any morning sickness, so energy level was fairly normal to move around.
Activities:
- Swim: I managed to swim pretty much everyday till 8th month. I obviously had slowed down, but how does that matter anyway. I really enjoyed this part of the day. Mostly 40-60 mins a day and some days more, some days less. Just purely listening to what the body wants.
- Hikes : Almost every other weekend I was out on the trails. (See below for the hikes I did during pregnancy). Pregnancy became even more enjoyable thanks to being outdoor and getting fresh air.
- Walks : Thanks to Gestational Diabetes in third-trimester, I had to incorporate walking after every meal. And in fact lost a few pounds due to increased activity level.
- Yoga : I only started doing yoga towards the end of the pregnancy as I reduced swimming. Prenatal yoga was certainly relaxing to say the least.
Travels/Hikes:
- Week 6,7 : Rancho hikes
- Week 9 : Pointe Reyes – Alamere Falls hike
- Week 10 : Mori Point hike
- Week 12 : Castle Rock State Park
- Week 14 : Channel Islands National Park. We drove from home and camped for the long weekend.
- Week 16 : Rancho PG&E trail
- Week 18 & 19 : Canada National Parks trip, flew to Calgary
- Week 21 : Henry Cowell State Park hike
- Week 23 : Trinity Alps backpacking trip
- Week 25 : Family reunion trip in North Carolina
- Week 30 : Columbia River Gorge, flew to Portland
Tips:
- Hiking poles were especially more useful during these months
- I kept the altitude limit of 8500ft,as per doctor’s instructions
- Tons of water, hydration is extremely important while pregnant
- Having a good 500 calories accessible at any point in time. When that hunger pang hits you….
- Usual things like sun protection, wearing wicking clothes etc.,
So pregnant women, don’t hold yourself back, it’s a perfect time to have fun just like any other time 🙂
Looking forward to the next chapter in my life – Hiking with the baby ! Stay tuned readers 🙂