So now that I am pregnant, I have less of a risk of getting ovarian cancer. Being pregnant actually reduces your risk of ovarian cancer because your ovaries are “quiet” during this time. I still have to go in every 3 months to my oncologist for blood work and physical exam, however should have less of a concern during these 9 months. So let’s talk about pregnancy…
Not sure if it was the first trimester or the IVF medications for the first 3 months of pregnancy but I felt like absolute trash. The best way I can describe it is a really bad hangover that lasts 3 months… I may throw up, I may not. Nothing sounds good to eat but you should eat every couple of hours so you don’t feel sick. It’s worse in the mornings and the evenings but does last all day long. AND you are supposed to work, workout, and act like a normal human being throughout this time. Hoping one day you wake up and feel better. Eventually you do, and I did. About 11-12 weeks, about the time I got to discontinue my IVF medications, I felt better. Not 100% but definitely better. Looking back, I can definitely say that I felt better when going through chemotherapy than I did during my first trimester of pregnancy, so I have some serious respect for anyone who has been pregnant.
Now, with that being said I am now 19 weeks, nearly halfway through my pregnancy and feeling GOOD, much better and finally have my energy back. So what I am trying to do throughout my pregnancy is continue to exercise and eat healthy- not only for my baby but also for ME. Not only for my physical health but my mental health as well.
So what I have learned so far is that it is safe to exercise while pregnant. I had a lot of questions regarding what is safe and what is not because I usually lift heavy and push myself. My fertility clinic and OBGYN told me I “had no restrictions” when it came to the amount of weight I lifted. Well, I decided to do my own research because if you know me… that’s just what I do. So turns out, you can lift relatively heavy but you do have to be cautious of a few things:
- Injury
- Elevated heart rate
- Center of gravity
Risk of injury is higher when pregnant due to your body releasing many hormones, one being relaxin. This begins relaxing your body, ligaments, joints and muscles so you are at higher risk of injury to ligaments, joints and muscles. Elevated heart rate can indicate over exertion and limiting oxygen you or your baby are receiving. The research that I have done, indicates keeping your heart rate at or below 140 bpm with cardiovascular exercise. Not much research has been shown for elevated heart rate during weight training, however there has been more recent research that shows if you were working out prior to pregnancy you are safe to push your heart rate up to 170 bpm without any complications. I have been trying to follow these guidelines as much as possible. One last thing to keep in mind as you enter your 2nd and 3rd trimester is your center of gravity changes and you are at higher risk of well… falling over, injury and you may want to limit how much you are completing exercises on your belly or back.
Now, this is probably way too much information for those of you who are not pregnant but may be a good insight anyway.
Mandafit 