My Fitness Journey Through 5 Pregnancies

Yes, you heard right…5 pregnancies! Although I only had 4 full-term pregnancies, I’ve learned a lot about nutrition and fitness in the past 9 years.

I wanted to share some pregnancy photos with y’all, so that you have a better idea of where I started from, and hopefully encourage you to be healthy in your pregnancy.

My second pregnancy was actually my first full term pregnancy (be sure to watch out for my post about My Miscarriage).

Enter pregnancy #2…

This is me only at 6 months along! I gained so much weight right off the bat! I had no idea that I needed to be active and eat nutritious food for the health of my baby and me. People told me, “you need to eat for two!”. I believed them.

I had gained so much weight with his pregnancy, that after I had him, I wasn’t able to lose weight. At that point, I was about 25 pounds over my healthy weight, and I didn’t know any better! While I was nursing, I was always hungry, and because everyone told me that I needed eat a bunch of carbs to be able to make milk for him…I ate a bunch of carbs! Not healthy carbs either!

6 months after I gave birth to my first, I got pregnant!!! I know right?!?!?

I had no idea that you could get pregnant while you were nursing!

But, alas…I was pregnant!!!

Pregnancy #3…

I had no idea what I was doing, and I sure as heck did not understand nutrition during pregnancy. This was my heaviest of all pregnancies. I had gained almost 50 pounds (for my 5′ 4″ self, that’s a lot!)!

Then there was pregnancy #4…

About 6 months along with #3 baby

Although this picture doesn’t do me (or that hideous swimsuit), any justice….I actually was smaller during this pregnancy. This is where I began to understand that I needed to be active and eat nutritious food for health. I started to read articles about how staying fit during pregnancy was very important, and began implementing some of things I learned.

Let me just tell you…I barely made it to the hospital with this guy! This was not only the easiest pregnancy, by far, but the easiest labor too! I barely made it to the hospital in time to deliver! I arrived at the hospital, and then 7 minutes later…he was born!

I attribute the ease of this pregnancy to the implementation of nutrition and health (although not perfect at the time).

Pregnancy #4…

By this pregnancy….I began to understand the importance of nutrition and exercise. I was exercising regularly and eating fairly nutritious at that point, and feeling a lot better.

Enter THM (Trim Healthy Mama). This lifestyle of eating really changed my husbands and my health in so many ways! We both felt better, had more energy and were over-all, looking thinner and more trim.

For the first time ever, we were able to eat decadently and not feel guilty or “nasty” afterwards. We began seeing so many benefits that we couldn’t deny.

We love THM, and will be lifetime “THM’rs”.

Fortunately, this pregnancy and labor went pretty easy as well.

Pregnancy #5…

Now pu-lease tell me you see the difference! I was like 16 weeks along here, and was ripped! After 4 pregnancies…I finally got the point of how important physical fitness was to a pregnancy! I was actually still lifting weights and doing quite a bit of cardio for all of the pregnancy. This was by far, my most healthy pregnancy.

Here is me about 6 months along with #5, and with pregnancy #2. Same amount of months-completly different figures!

See the difference?!?!

So…I definitely am a big advocate for fitness during pregnancy. It is beneficial, not only in the way you feel and look, but in the ease of labor! My labors were so easy after I began exercise during pregnancy!

Note: I didn’t use any pain meds or epidural’s in any of my labors! Maybe it is because of my phobia of needles, or just the fact that my pregnancies were healthy, and I really didn’t need them. Regardless, I didn’t use any, and I believe that most women are stronger than they think. If you’re thinking about going “all natural”….DO IT! You’ll be happy you did!

Now that I am done with babies (God-willing haha), I am still on my journey to be healthy, and to be the example of what health looks like to my kids.

I am not perfect…FAR FROM IT. I still have stretch marks, skin that is not as “elastic” as I would wish, wrinkles, grey hairs, and many other imperfections,  but I strive to be as healthy and active as I can be.

So, here is encouragement to all you mamas out there…Don’t give up!

Keep up being active, and especially eating nutritious foods! If you haven’t hear of THM…I highly suggest you toking into it! It’s an amazing lifestyle!

You can do it! I believe in you!

God Bless!

-Z