By
in
… continued
September – November 2014 (third trimester)
The final stretch of my pregnancy!
At the gym, the gym manager was asking me when I was going to stop exercising every time I set foot. I was still clocking about 5 hours a week of cardio, light weights and Yin Yoga at the gym, while practicing Pilates and Percussive Breath. I only suspended the gym membership at 38th week of the pregnancy.
Nathan was growing faster and gaining weight from the 7th month.
Bought belly support which I tried on only to remove it after a few hours. It felt uncomfortable. Jerry’s constant reminder to ‘hug the baby in’ during the exhalation phase of the Percussive Breath worked better than those belly supports.
I was really experiencing acid reflux at this time and leg cramps during sleep. Lower back ache started to creep in during the last leg, from 37 weeks.
My total weight gain was 8 kg.
14th November 2014
The doctor says the amniotic fluid surrounding Nathan was less then 2cm and it wasn’t the optimal situation for the baby so we decided to induce the birth 2 days shy of 40 weeks – on 14th November 2014.
From the time I started pushing till Nathan came, it was all of 5 minutes.
I know. 5 minutes. That’s all I took.
I was doing Percussive Breathing. Its a breathing technique I use primarily when I practice and teach Pilates.
14th – 30th November 2014
Nathan at 1 week old:
As a new mother, my top concerns were to:
(i) Heal as quickly as possible so that I can enjoy Nathan and take care of him.
(ii) Regain my pre-pregnancy weight! Yes! To fit into those pre-pregnancy clothes as soon as possible.
I continued with Percussive Breathing and Pelvic Floor exercises immediately after giving birth to Nathan. I know this helped in the fast healing of diastasis recti. I also felt confident resuming my Pilates classes by the end of the same month.
Jamu Massage with binding or not? I asked my gynaecologist for her opinion. She said that massages feel great and they will be a good hour away and resting time that a new mother will need. However, binding may not help tone the abs because the muscles are not actively working. In order to regain my muscle tone, I will need to work those muscles.
After much consideration, I decided to put the practice of Pilates to the test and didn’t go for Jamu massages and binding. I practiced Percussive Breathing whenever I remember and was back at the gym for a ShBam class just 2.5 weeks after Nathan was born. I was back at Pilates Body Tree within the month. My first Pilates class after delivery was the Pilates Mat on a Saturday morning.
It wasn’t easy!
Slimming package? Well, I did sign up for a slimming package way before Nathan was born. But I never used it. I regained my pre-pregnancy weight just 1.5 weeks after the delivery. But my tummy was like… Jelly ..
Attending the PBS Matwork Teacher Training was one of my best decisions and the best slimming package for me – going through the course helped me regain the tone of my abs!
Click here to read Part I of my story.
