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29 weeks pregnant

The past couple of weeks have finally felt a bit more normal since lockdown is easing more and more.

And I’ve definitely felt more pregnant – or at least looked more pregnant!

The weekend before last, on the Saturday Kyle and I headed out for a run. He was going to run about 8 miles with me while I would go a bit further. The run felt amazing! Previous long runs have felt a bit of a slog due to one thing or another: the wind, the baby’s position and how tired I was. We ran a bit faster than previously and I was able to do 13.1 miles in total – and felt great!

Pregnant running is very similar to normal running in that you have good days and bad days. But I think for me, the worrier and over-thinker, I start to seriously wonder if this is it and my pregnant running is over. Then I go out for a run a few days later and everything feels fine again. Ups and downs! Sometimes my hips ache more than usual, sometimes I feel super heavy and tired, sometimes the baby is in an odd position which feels uncomfortable… and then sometimes it all feels amazing and I’m running along smoothly feeling incredible.

I’ve just learnt to not expect too much and to take each run as it comes. In my mind I’m counting down the weeks to the end and every run I get is a gift. I’d love to run until my due date – however that will look; run-walking, shuffling along, doing 2 miles here or there. I’ll take what I can get as long as the baby is still healthy and I’m enjoying it.

Anyway on that Saturday we were allowed to go shopping! Now while ordinarily I would have probably waited a while for everyone to calm down, I was keen to get a few bits and pieces for the baby and myself in terms of maternity wear. While living in leggings is a dream I was keen to change things up and wear some maternity jeans occasionally too. Everyone said H&M did really good ones so I wanted to check them on in person.

So Saturday we were able to tick off buying the pram (the Upperbaby Vista), car seat (Joie) and a pair of super comfy and flattering maternity jeans – job done!

And a few little extras…

With my parents, Kyle and I headed in Southampton where we had a John Lewis appointment to help us select our pram and car seat. This made things so much easier as honestly we didn’t have a clue and having someone talk it through with us was perfect. We were able to select the pram that fitted best into our lifestyle. We got to physically push it and see it pack away etc. This was so much better than trying to do it online.

We then enjoyed our first meal out in months at the lovely local Osborne View pub with my parents. We were sat outside (obviously) but under a partially closed marquee which made it a lot less cold. Though to be fair the weekend was so warm we were fine.

I had chicken wings to start and a mozzarella salad and a side  of chips (I can’t get enough of salty chips right now). It was delicious.

On Sunday Kyle and I headed to Bristol to meet with our friends, Kate and Jay, so we could meet their adorable identical twins who were born in January. Kate was so lovely and gave us so many baby things that she no longer needed – so so helpful! And then we headed out to Bristol Harbour for a lovely alfresco meal in Spitfire.

I went for the chicken (another thing I can’t get enough of) and chips and it was very tasty. It was just so nice to feel normal. Seeing friends! Eating in a restaurant! It was just fabulous.

Playing mum

We then hung out on the College Green in the sunshine catching up before grabbing some VERY tasty and indulgent treats from Mrs Potts Chocolate House.

Kyle and I picked up a couple of double chocolate stuffed cookies (drizzled in melted chocolate!) each and I had to get some of their rocky road again.

So all in all, a very happy, love-filled, calorie dense weekend 😉

Cookies or rocky road? I’ll always go for rocky road first and foremost.

Have you been out shopping yet or to any restaurants?

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28 weeks pregnant

So I’ve just hit 28 weeks and my third trimester.

It really is so mental how quickly it flies by. But looking back so much has happened! Thankfully the second trimester has been an utter dream really. I haven’t had a huge amount to complain about, especially compared to the hell of the first trimester.

28 weeks

This week has been especially good though as we were able to get in a lot of family time (albeit in gardens) and enjoy Easter as best as we could. On Good Friday Kyle and I headed to Stansted House to go for a lovely walk.

The weather was cold but sunny. I’ve been to Stansted House a few times – a couple of those times doing the Stansted Slog Half Marathon.

Let me tell you, that is not a half for the faint hearted! Undulating and off-road, but beautiful. Sadly it hasn’t been running for the past few years, COVID aside.

Anyway we had a lovely walk and decided to drop in to the gorgeous café to see if we could grab a hot drink. Well that escalated quickly when we saw just how many cakes they had on  display. We quickly upgraded our drinks to something a little more elaborate.

Kyle went for a sausage roll and slice of lemon drizzle, whereas I went for a warmed cheese scone followed by a Bakewell tart slice.

Oh wow it was fantastic! We did have to sit in our cars to eat it though due to the COVID rules but this was quite fun. We’ll definitely be going back again!

On Saturday I had the pleasure of Kyle joining me again for a long run. This time I managed to persuade him to join me for a bit longer. I was grateful for his company because along the Southsea promenade the wind was really quite relentless against us.

Kyle was great at keeping me going and motivating. In my mind I was just aiming to get to the public loo the other side of Southsea (just over 3 miles from my last loo visit – so kind of perfect). I’m definitely slowing down. Things are getting harder. But it’s still enjoyable and comfortable (not perfect but small aches here and there rather than any major discomfort or pain thankfully). I am finding though that I’m ready to stop running around 11-12 miles. I get tired, hungry and my hips are aching enough for me to know my body is done.

Easter itself was good. We saw my parents and some of Kyle’s family which was lovely. I also caught up with my sister who I hadn’t seen in over a year. Her work schedule clashes with mine and she lives in Southampton so it makes it tricky to meet up regular (and COVID, obviously). It was lovely to see her and for her to see my expanding bump.

Kyle and I also ate obscene amounts of chocolate in the form of eggs, brownies and Colin the Caterpillar (it’s my mum’s life mission to get us every new Colin – and for that I am ever grateful).

A lovely gift from Kyle’s mum (made by Kyle’s sister who has a side hustle baking business – find her HERE)

I do have moments of deep panic where I wonder if I’m eating too much chocolate and cake. But considering my weight gain has been steady and within the normal guidelines – and I have no other risk factors, I think I’m OK. Plus my diet hasn’t changed from before I was pregnant. I was just as greedy before.

These are just adorable and so tasty!

For my sanity though I am going to check with my midwife about gestational diabetes because when I’m halfway through an Easter egg these things can haunt me!

So a fairly quiet Easter really. I would have loved to have gone out for Sunday lunch or seen more of our family but hey ho – soon! I can’t wait for next year’s Easter where we can celebrate with the little man and make new traditions and memories. Very exciting!

How did you spend your Easter?

Do you enjoy Easter egg chocolate?

Sweet or savoury scone? I love them both!

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26 weeks pregnant

Another week pregnant and I’m expanding!

It’s incredible how quickly my body is getting bigger. My tummy is just fully out there now and I love it! I’m finally at that point when I walk down the road I look pregnant. I’ve always wanted to look pregnant so this is very exciting for me. I know that’s a little weird.

I didn’t always know if I wanted to have children but I did always want to know what pregnancy was like and to look pregnant. My body has always looked a certain way for all my life so for it to change so dramatically is just mental to me. I look down and there’s my bump!

Happily I haven’t really had to buy any maternity clothes (apart from buying bigger bras and sports bras) as of yet. I’m waiting until the shops open and for the weather to get warmer. That way I can just prioritise on some essential summer tops and dresses. As well as being able to actually try them on as honestly my body is getting so different I have no idea what things will fit or not! I’ve already bought a second hand pair of shorts on Depop so I’m ready to go on that front at least.

In terms of other updates for my pregnancy, I generally still feel very good. One huge positive is feeling the little guy move throughout the day. It feels so incredible. It began a few weeks ago as little flutters – or more like bubbles bursting to me. But now it’s like proper movement going across my tummy. I can see the movements from the outside and they can be fairly strong!

Kyle has felt him move several times too which is lovely. We had a funny moment one evening where we were both singing (badly) different songs to see if he’d move in response and it was clear his favourite genre was 90s pop (we both had a good memory for those lyrics haha).

One negative is waking up quite consistently throughout the night – or early morning. It’s like 4am and bam I’m awake. I guess because the light starts to come in through the gaps in the curtains and then I spend an hour or so just struggling to get back to sleep. It’s frustrating as I’m trying to bank (or just enjoy) as much sleep as possible before the baby arrives as I know later I’ll be looking back in envy at this time.

As a back sleeper it’s hard to be fully comfortable on my side, despite the pregnancy pillow so a lot of tossing and turning happens as well. And my hips feeling creaky because of the position. Sleeping on your back is bad for the baby’s health (due to a large vein running down your back and potentially getting cut off due to the weight) and it’s not comfortable anyway right now (it feels very weird) so it’s a bit of a lose-lose situation sadly.

Running however is continuing to go well which, I know I keep saying, I’m so grateful for. It’s not always perfectly smooth and comfortable though, don’t get me wrong. Sometimes my hips ache a lot, I constantly need a wee, sometimes the baby is in a low position which feels really awkward, and I’m a lot slower. But I always enjoy the run and feeling like an absolute warrior human running along whilst knowing I’m also growing a baby.

On Saturday I was pleasantly surprised to have Kyle join me for three miles of my long run which was just so lovely. He hasn’t been running a huge amount since we moved to Portsmouth. He’s running around once or twice a week for 3-5 miles but he likes to go later in the day and likes to really blast the speed. Whereas I’m enjoying far more slow and slightly longer runs in the morning. So we’re a bit out of sync!

But anyway he wanted to do a bit further a run so he joined me for three, and then ran back home again for another three. My plan was for around 12 miles and it was lovely to have him join me for the first bit rather than just listen to podcasts the entire way. I felt a little bad as just before three miles is where my first wee stop and he kindly waited for me before us carrying on for a few more minutes and then saying goodbye.

It was nice for him to see me run as I’m now so much further along in my pregnancy. I think the last time we ran together was early in my first trimester! I’m hoping he might join me for a little bit further this Saturday, but we’ll see 😉

Food-wise things are still good. Though apples, crisps and hot chocolate are still not back on the menu which blows my mind. Cake, chocolate and salads are good so there’s a happy balance, eh? I’ve also been branching out and trying new things. One of those being more vegetarian meals from Hello Fresh (we really love a lentil meal!) as well as testing out and really enjoying this vegan healthy ready meal from Tweakd.

Tweakd are a company that make home delivered pre-prepared frozen meals which are designed for athletic goals. The company was founded by an elite sports chef, Omar Meziane, and a top sports nutritionist, Mike Naylor – so people who know their stuff! Your goals can be immune health, building muscle, endurance, and/or recovery (the different meals can cover several of these goals). So definitely athletes in mind.

I picked the butternut squash and lentil lasagne, a vegan meal aiming to help recovery, endurance and muscle building. It sounded delicious and I’m definitely not adverse to trying something vegan once in a while. It was really tasty and the portion size was pretty good, though for a greedy person like me it was more of a lunch meal than a dinner meal.

Thinking about it, this would be ideal just after we have the baby – healthy ready meals with zero fuss and supporting us during a tough hectic time!

I was clearly too hungry to take a photo of it actually cooked though, apologies!

Do you ever eat pre-prepared meals?

Do you try and eat more veggie or vegan from time to time?

**Full disclaimer: I was sent the Tweakd meal for free in exchange for a review. All opionions are my own honest ones.**

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25 weeks pregnant

I’m 25 weeks pregnant!

I will definitely say that I’m feeling pretty good and happy. I have few complaints and know I am still so lucky to still be so active with my running, strength workouts and general walking. What I have noticed however is my recovery is a lot longer and harder.

For example, I ran 13.1 miles at the weekend and while it was tougher than what I’d have found pre-pregnancy and slower (of course) I found it OK and was happy to reach that distance. However afterwards was a different story. Instead of jumping into the day as normal with good energy levels, I found I was drained. I was definitely impacted by the distance on the day of and the day after. I felt sapped. It’s such a crazy (though understandable) change.

I’m the girl who would run 18 miles on a Sunday and then be up 5.30am at the gym the next day feeling fine. A hard marathon would make me feel this way, but not a gentle half. It’s a real adjustment to my brain. I took a rest day afterwards and napped, which really helped. It’s just about accepting that I have a certain level of energy and if I use it up on a run I have to pay for that later.

That said, I loved the run and I was happy to take it easier afterwards. I’m proud of my body and it’s capabilities. I just need to reset expectations and allow these adjustments to happen.

And I take each run as it comes. I fully expect at some point to be lowering the miles or stopping so every successful problem-free run is a gift. So far I’ve dropped my Sunday runs so instead of running around 30ish miles a week I now run 24-27 miles a week, depending how long my Saturday run is.

I love my mid-week runs. I run the same 7 mile route each time and honestly I just thoroughly enjoy it. I have a perfect pit stop at 3 miles for a lovely clean public loo, and then I’m into Old Portsmouth and running along Southsea seafront and I just adore it. Being so close to the sea (despite being very much a land creature!) is just so refreshing and invigorating.

Yes sometimes the weather can be awful right by the coast – you really are open to the elements – but when you can see the waves and smell the sea air it really does make up for it. I love it. It will make me very sad to cut back these runs as it take about 3 miles to get to the seafront so realistically I wouldn’t be able to head down there.

We can get to the east coastal area from our house in just over a mile so that’s good but it’s not a route I particularly enjoy as much. I have no idea why really as it’s a lovely route and you can get onto some trails quite quickly. I think I just really have a good association with my 7 miler as it’s the route I’ve been using since being pregnant and it just has happy vibes.

And it’s funny because I’ve been passing a building with big windows for ages and, as narcissistic as this sound, I often use it as a mirror to see myself. My changing body is just incredible for me to see, especially when I’m running, so I often look into it as I run just to see what I look like.

Anyway, inside the building they’ve been doing some work. I had no idea what for until they put a big logo and their branding on the window and funnily enough it’s called “Window into the Womb”. It’s a private scanning facility! The irony of me looking into the window to see my pregnant body and it turns out to be a pregnancy scanning facility is quite amusing.

On a non-running note, the other thing I’ve noticed is a dull period-like ache around my lower tummy. I believe this is round ligament pain – though for me it’s not painful, just achy. It makes me feel like I have a bad period. Some people apparently feel sharp pains and others more a dull ache. I just pop a hot water bottle on the area and that helps.

It’s annoying because I feel like I’ve overcome some hip pains with strength training (all about those squats, bridges and clams!) and now I have this, which I don’t believe any strength training will help as it’s all internal and to do with my uterus expanding. Though certain yoga moves do tend to ease it a bit.

To be honest, it’s not that bad and certainly manageable during the day but it’s when it wakes my up in the night and I’m lying there feeling sorry for myself then it gets annoying. But paracetamol dulls it down a bit thankfully.

Speaking of sleep, getting comfortable is tricky. I have my pregnancy pillow which is great but as a back sleeper it’s just not the same. I can drift off OK but when I wake up in the night I really struggle to get comfortable again. Very frustrating considering I want to be getting lots of sleep while I can!

But other than that, I honestly can’t complain! I’m thankful for my body and how it’s doing – it seems to be just getting on with it all. It’samazing how much my body is very much in control, rather than my mind. Previously I could get over things with some talking to’s and mind-over-matter mentality, but now it’s like “if thebody says no it means no”. And I’m OK with that 🙂

Do you have particular routes you just really enjoy and do all the time?

Do you do any yoga or stretching when you get aches and pains?

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How to Get More From Your Workouts

As you know I’m a huge fan of working out and found that over the years I’ve really found a love for the gym and strength training (rather than it being an utter chore) . Though now that’s it’s changed a bit with COVID and I’m fully embracing and loving home workouts – something I never thought I’d ever be into. But whether it’s home workouts or the gym you’re into it or wanting to get started on, I thought this post might be helpful for anyone needing some good tips for working out, enjoy!

Image Pexels CC0 License

If you are new to working out, hitting the gym can seem a little daunting. Seeing all the equipment can feel overwhelming, and you may be wondering how even to get started and if you can remember anything from your induction. Well, the good news is that the fact that you are ready to get started and work on your fitness means you have conquered half the battle. Deciding to start working out can have so many benefits throughout your life, even outside the gym. So, if you are ready to get started, here are some of the ways you can get more from your workouts and begin to see the benefits of your hard work sooner:

Know What You Want to Achieve

Everyone has different goals for their fitness. Knowing what you want to achieve from your workouts will make it much easier for you to measure your results and keep your motivation levels high.

For some people, the reason they workout is purely aesthetic; they want to achieve their perfect body image and create a muscular, toned physique by focusing on bulking up certain areas of the body. For other people, the desire to be at an optimum level of fitness and make their bodies as strong as possible drives them. Whether you work out to make your body look a certain way, make it stronger, or improve your mental well-being, knowing why you want to do it will help you see the results and stay on track.

Nourish Your Body

Trying to work out when you have been feasting on junk food all day will make you feel pretty yucky. No matter how much you work out, it cannot completely counteract an unhealthy diet. But, nourishing your body with the correct fuel is sure to make you feel great and to see more benefits from your workout. Eating the correct amount of protein and following a balanced diet will help you to feel at your best while working out and afterwards. Don’t forget that staying hydrated is super important too, so ensure that you replace the fluids you lose.

Supplementing your diet can also help make your workouts easier and your results better by providing the body with the correct fuel it needs to perform at its best. Many people find that creatine powder is beneficial for their workouts as it helps the muscles to produce energy while you are training. 

Stay Motivated

Some days, you may look out of the window, see that it is raining, and decide to stay in bed rather than visit the gym. Everyone has days where their motivation starts to fade, but finding ways to keep yourself as motivated as possible will ensure that you don’t give up on your fitness goals. To stay motivated, it is helpful to find a workout routine that fits easily around your schedule. Having set days when you work out should help keep your motivation levels high and make it easier to visit the gym.

How do you stay motivated to workout?

Do you use any supplements?