To The Small Chested, Fit, Mom-To-Be

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I once was in that category. Small chested, fit, and mom-to-be. Yes, once. As in I no long am. Now I’m not so small chested, not as fit, and for sure am a mother. As I transition into trying to be a fit mom I have had some thoughts and experiences that I just feel the need to share with other small chested, fit, moms-to-be! Please read this post with a little sense of humor, although it is all very true! Also, you might find out more about me than you care to know so if you know me personally proceed with caution. Otherwise, if you want to know some truth about what you have to look forward to then go for it- keep on reading!

1) You know those not so top quality sports bras you buy because really why pay more when those do the job? The ones that have stretched out a bit and you wonder if you should toss them. Don’t. As you gain a little weight (yes, you will gain weight!) you will be thankful you kept them.

2) They say you can do anything (fitness wise) you did before pregnancy. Yeah, that would be nice! Continue to do all the things you did, while keeping in mind there might come a time when you really can’t do everything you did. At a certain point I couldn’t run anymore because the extra weight flared up an injury. I had to stop doing burpees in the 3rd trimester because I would get lightheaded and feel gross. Then, the last two weeks I had to resort to a smaller box on my step ups otherwise I felt like baby was going to pop out! It’s okay if you can’t do everything you did before. It does not have any measure on how fit you were/are. Your body is doing a lot of changing. It is a part of it!

3) Speaking of not a measure of how fit you are. There will come a point that you will so easily and quickly get your heart rate up that you will feel like you just ate a whole tub of ice cream and package of Oreos. You will wonder how in the heck you can be so out of breath. You will question how out of shape you are getting. You will be frustrated that you cannot go as hard or as fast as you once did. Again, do not take this as a measure of how fit you are. Your body is pumping more blood which requires more oxygen. Listen to your body and keep your baby safe.

4) While you are at the gym 6, 7, 8, or even 9 months pregnant people are going to start looking at you funny. First it is amusing. Then, it becomes annoying. You don’t even care what people are thinking of you because you know you are doing what is good for you and your baby. However, you wonder, “Are they looking at me in awe or do they think I am crazy?” You might even have a few people that offer to tell you what they are thinking.

5) And yes, people will tell you what they are thinking. You might often get, “You are SO small!” This might not sound so bad. I am sure most mean it as a complement. But again even though you don’t really care what people are thinking you feel like you have to ensure them the doctor says you are right on track and you are caring for you and your baby in a perfectly healthy manner.

6) If your boobs don’t go up a few sizes during pregnancy, don’t you even get excited thinking you missed that train. I mean who wants big boobs to get in the way during workouts and runs. Not I! Oh guess what when your milk comes in they will get big. No such luck on missing out on that one.

7) While we are on the topic of boobs- you will become one of those ladies whose large nipples show through her workout shirt. Come on you know what I am talking about. We have all seen them. We use to think what in the world?! Now I am here to tell you it is the mark of a little one sucking on them every few hours (errrr, I mean motherhood.)

8) Ok, so the lack of sleep makes it a little easier not to work out in the first few weeks after the baby arrives. But then you start getting an itch. You want to do something. So you start to think what your plan of action will be when you get cleared at your 6 week appointment. You have it all figured out. Get up, nurse baby, put her in the running stroller and go! Yeah, that sounds nice! And on most occasions it works that way. But just be prepared: your workout schedule is occasionally dictated by a tiny human.

9) After a couple of days pass when your swelling has gone down and you lost some weight you’re going to look at yourself and feel so thin. You will wonder if you lost muscle mass. You will wonder how in the world you could be smaller now than you were when you got pregnant. Just go try to put on your jeans. That will put it into perspective. You for sure are not as small as you feel. It is just that you haven’t seen your body that size in several months.

10) Even after waiting your 6 weeks and gradually getting back into activity your body will do some weird things. You’re finally feeling like you are dropping some of that weight and you look in the mirror to only see what seems to be extra layers of fat. I’ll save you some worry and fret and tell you now. Your insides are swollen. This is not a sign you need to amp up the work out. Just take it easy.

11) Another weird thing: you will pee a little. I know, it’s gross. But every time you run or jump you will leak. Do your Kegels now and after delivery (before post 6 weeks). You think you are doing a great job of doing them now? Wrong! Do them more. Like 10 times more. At every stop light. Every time you are in a line waiting. During every shower. Do them religiously and you might pee on yourself less.

12) Once the baby comes people will look at the baby, tell you how cute they are, ask how old they are, then proceed to tell you how great you look for x amount of weeks. They may even add, “It doesn’t look like you just had a baby.” Again, I know they mean it as a complement. But all you can think about each time someone says that is when you thought you were so small and then tried on your jeans.

BONUS

13) But the most important thing that I want to share with you is: IT ALL IS WORTH IT! Yes, your body is different, you get to make sacrifices, you are trying to figure out a whole new way of life, there are some answers you just don’t know, you’re exhausted yet want to hold to this standard of a good new momma. And that all is okay. All will get situated. All will start to feel normal. And all will feel just right in your world, because you know it is all worth it!

Until Next Time- Truly Love,

Cassie