Confessions of a Hormonal Pregnant Woman: 4 Tips on Keeping it in Check!

Many of you know the roller coaster ride of emotions a pregnant woman goes through during her pregnancy. Whether you are the poor bystander who bears the brunt of this roller coaster or the one on the roller coaster---it's never a fun ride. Some women are less discreet about their emotional state while others do their best to put on a happy face. I choose to put on a happy face and pray hard. (Notice I said "choose" it is a choice!). 

So I will confess I had one of those days the other day. I was so emotional and cried a lot. 

It started with a cute little toddler waking up way earlier than he was supposed to. I decided to be a good wife and get up with him so James could sleep. This meant no run, so no happy endorphins for me. All was going well, until the little guy became a handful. I was starting to get frustrated at him but doing my best to keep it in. James had to run an errand, so that meant me alone with the booger. While James left, I was able to squeeze in some time to read my Bible and pray. I didn't want to take out my frustrations on James because he had done nothing wrong. It wasn't his fault we birthed a booger. So I gathered myself together, prayed and wrote him a nice note.

*Insert deep breath and a refreshed zeal for the day.

Then 15 minutes later...

I was being a typical girl and let my thoughts get the best of me. And then I became emotional again! We were now on our way to a church picnic and our drive was all of 15 minutes. I had 15 minutes to pull it all together again! Poor James had no idea why I was about to start crying and was doing his best to be supportive. Then the water works came and just flowed. I must admit it felt good to cry. Crying is not something I do often, nor do I usually enjoy it.

I was able to pull it together for the four hours we were at the picnic and all was well. I cried more later. James had been asking me what was wrong. But I knew if I answered him in my emotional state, I would regret it later. It would have been so easy for me to find something "wrong" with James or our marriage or whatever and take it out on him.

I believe at these moments Satan starts creeping lots of thoughts in our heads. He would like nothing more then for us to be at odds with each other. After all if he could get us wrapped up in ourselves, our focus would be off of what it needs to be, reaching others and being used of God.

I reminded myself of what was true and tried hard not respond or react off of my feelings. James truly had done nothing wrong, and it would be wrong of me to blame him or treat him like he had done something wrong. I knew it was my pregnancy hormones just getting the best of me and James did as well.

So later, after I had taken a nice long nap, he asked me what was wrong again. I began to cry again as I told him. I was able to sort out mentally and emotionally just why I was feeling so bad and not target my husband. We had a nice talk and I felt better by the end of it. I was thankful I hadn't exploded at him or blamed him for my emotional state.

I wish I could say I have mastered the art of controlling my emotions all the time, but I can't say that. But why is it so easy to target those closest to us? It's easy for us to put on a happy face for others, but we go all crazy on the ones we love. Why? Probably because we know (hope) they aren't going anywhere. What if we treated our spouses like a good friend rather than a punching bag or place to dump all our baggage on? Okay ladies, here are some simple steps to helping you keep it in check! Why? Because our husbands deserve it and the Bible commands us to respect our husbands no matter how we are feeling.

How to Keep it in Check when you Want to Jump out the Window:

1. Think on what is true not what you are feeling. 

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 We must think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, --anything that brings glory and honor to God. It's so easy to let our minds wander and think on everything that isn't perfect in our lives. But don't do it! Now is not the proper time to try and fix everything that is broken. Write it down, pray about it, and in a couple of days if it's worth mentioning then sit down and talk with your husband or whoever about it. 

2. Grab some quiet time if you can and pray. 5 minutes - anything and just pull yourself together. If possible, an espresso or latte. 

It helps if you look at yourself in the mirror for a minute...you'll see how others are seeing you and you'll want to change or at least smile. :) And just pray. Pray all day. It won't be a magic trick that will cure your emotional state but it will help you to think on the right things and hopefully not go crazy. 

3. Do something for someone else other than yourself. 

When you do something for someone else you are being selfless. Think of a way to encourage or show kindness to someone (for me I chose my spouse). It's hard to have a pity party for yourself when you are loving others. And don't expect anything in return. Just do it because you love them! 

4. Smile. 

They say fake it until you make it! Smile or find something or someone to laugh at. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine! Realize this emotional roller coaster will pass- you just have to get through it- hopefully with little to no damage to those around you! Tomorrow is just a day away! 

These are just some practical tips I try to do while I am not feeling myself and the hormones have me on a crazy roller coaster. Have I mastered this? Not at all. And I know it's easier said then done. I loathe my hormones when they make me feel so crazy. But soon I will have this little lady in my arms and my hormone levels will be back to normal. Well as normal as any woman can be! Ha! 

And to those innocent bystanders, this is the day to show extra love and grace. Unconditional love at it's finest! I'm so thankful I have an understanding husband who knew that it was just one of those days for me. 

And next time you have one of those days remember to try to keep it together. Although it's tempting, don't just use your hormones as an excuse to go crazy on those who love you or are just in the wrong place at the wrong time! :) 

Until next time! 

Running for Two- 5 Simple Tips

I began my journey into running while I was pregnant with our son Jacob. I waited until the second trimester to begin my moderate exercise. I figured I could power walk a mile, so why not? I didn't realize that first mile was going to be the first of many!

I have been asked how can I run while pregnant. Well without trying to be sarcastic, I run the same as I did not being pregnant. The weight gradually comes on as I progress into my pregnancy, so my body gets used to that extra pound or two here and there. It's not 30 extra pounds all at once. And no, my belly doesn't plop up and down as I run, as a friend asked me the other day. :) However, only one of my running shirts is long enough to cover my belly. So I have an undershirt I wear that is long enough and helps keep it all in and allows me to wear the rest of my shirts! I don't wear a belly band while running because the undershirt does the trick for me. I would recommend the belly band if needed! Just some free advice for those wondering.

My objective while running for two is not to work on speed or run a marathon. It's to simply keep myself and the baby healthy in preparation for delivery (and then train for a marathon!). Although I may have been trying to work on speed earlier in the pregnancy, it's not a good idea now. Now I just read about fast runners and how to improve my time for after I give birth. 

A few simple tips for Running For Two:

1) First and foremost, listen to your body!
   
      I must admit this has been a humbling experience for me. As I have had to cut back on my miles and slow my pace down quite a bit. I don't like feeling like I "can't" do something. But I know it's what's best for me and the baby. I went through a period of time when I would limp with a sore leg from my runs. My sweet husband laughed at me as I would try to walk normal. A lot of stretching before and after my runs helped fix this issue. But let me tell you, it was awful! I would start off my run limping but get in a stride and be fine. But then afterwards I could barely walk. I took a few days off, and would stretch a lot and make sure I was taking my vitamins. I added Calcium and Magnesium supplements into my daily intake and made sure to eat enough iron as I was low on that also.

   I now take small walk breaks when I need to during my runs. If I push myself to run the whole thing or go further when my body is tired, I exert all my energy for the day and am useless to the world. I decided that having a great run wasn't worth losing all my energy for the day. So I settle for a good run and conserve my energy for the rest of the day. I say all that to say, listen to your body! The time will soon come when you can push yourself to great limits if that is your hearts desire!

2) Stay hydrated. 

    I always always always carry water with me on my runs. I have two fuel belts and one water back pack that I love! Water is crucial if you're going to be outside in the heat and doing distance. Even if it's just a mile or two I still bring a small water bottle with me. And of course as an active pregnant woman, you need more water.

3) Make sure you are getting the proper nutrients you need and stretch. 

     Along with my prenatal, I take a multi vitamin and calcium with magnesium vitamin to help replenish what baby is taking from me. Also your blood work will tell you if you are low in an area. For me my iron was low, so I've been eating more iron enriched foods. Your body goes through quite the change throughout your pregnancy. I had problems with my legs when I have never had any problems while running. So take it a day at a time and make sure you are getting the proper nutrients and stretching to avoid injury.

4) Make sure you have good shoes!

    If your shoes or worn out then you'll soon be punishing your whole body. It's important that you have the proper shoes especially when doing distance. It's worth the extra $50-$75 to buy a new pair of shoes that will keep you going for the next 400 miles then replace them again. It's recommended to replace your shoes every 300-500 miles. For me that's about every 3-4 months. Again if you do shorter distance, your shoes will last longer. Just keep track of your miles and the condition of your shoes...speaking of which I could really use a new pair!

5) Lastly, enjoy the run and make sure there's a bathroom close by! 

    I've learned to just enjoy my runs these past few weeks. Sure I may be going slow, but I'm still going! I've turned off my pace on my Nike+ app so now I don't get sad when I hear how slow I'm going. I just run and enjoy the great outdoors. Do what your body will allow you to do and enjoy it! Soon I will be pushing myself to do speed workouts and distance, and cross training. So for now, I will enjoy the easy run!

While in the 6th month of this pregnancy, I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up my running. I was determined to run the entire pregnancy but I was having signs of early labor. After my runs, I would get Braxton Hicks that wouldn't go away. So I slowed it down and took it easy. It's so important that you listen to your body.

The Braxton Hicks went away after a couple of weeks and I resumed my normal workout routine. At times during my runs, I would think how will I make it to the end of my pregnancy and still run?! But I would tell myself just to get through that run. Get to the end of that week. I look forward to my Saturday runs because that marks the beginning of a new pregnancy week for me. Last week, I entered my last and final month and did so buy finishing a 9 mile run. And now I'm in my 37th week of pregnancy with just 3 weeks left! The finish line is so close! I actually feel great this last month compared to a lot of my other months. Let's hope it continues!

Running just 1-2 miles a day with my last pregnancy really helped with labor and delivery. My entire labor was about 6 hours long. It went really quickly and smoothly- praise the Lord for that! I had a med free, pain free natural child birth. I'm praying for the same with this little princess. I will keep you posted on the outcome of this labor and delivery when the time comes! And I realize, everyone is different, every pregnancy is different and every labor and delivery is different. And I can't guarantee the same results for you as exercising had with me. But allow me to encourage you to not allow pregnancy to be an excuse to not exercise. Rather let it be a strong motivation to start or continue! Do it for that sweet little babe growing inside of you! You won't regret it!

Here are a few other perks for running while pregnant!

1) You never have to guess which direction to go because your belly button will always point you in the right direction. 

2) Whenever an older person or any human passes you, just grab your belly and pretend you're in labor but then walk it off and give them the ole' head nod as they run by. 

3) That sudden urge to go potty is a great excuse to stop and visit friends and family along the way. And don't forget to always carry tissue just in case nature calls before you reach your friends house. 

4) Talk to your baby along the way. Sure they may think your crazy talking to yourself, but your baby will remember these times. So go ahead, cherish these moments. 

Until Next Time! Happy Trails!

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Safe in the arms of Jesus...

A year ago today, James and I lost our first baby. I wasn't very far along, so we kept the loss pretty private and to those close friends and family who knew we were expecting. The Lord has laid it on my heart to write a little about it and share my experience.

Miscarriage is very common and happens to a lot of women. They say one in every three pregnancies ends in miscarriage. I was surprised to learn of how common it was after I had miscarried. My miscarriage was between the 5th-6th week and I can only imagine how much harder it would be to lose a baby later in pregnancy. I can't offer any words of wisdom regarding how to go through the loss of a baby; but I can share with you how the Lord brought me through it and share what I learned. I must admit I am a little nervous writing this because it is so personal. However, I hope and pray my post can be a blessing and an encouragement to you.

We were shocked to find out we were expecting a baby and he or she was due in May. It only took what seemed like a moment to go from shocked to super excited. The instant love a mother feels for her baby is unexplainable. And James and I were both so excited to become parents! I had already begun thinking of who the baby would look like, would it be a boy or girl? Would he have daddy's ears or mommy's nose? I couldn't help but smile as I day dreamed about the little life growing inside of me.

Around the end of the fifth week I noticed some spotting. I was determined to not be an overly worried pregnant woman, so I thought it was probably okay. I had read that that was normal and could be implantation bleeding. The next day, I asked my doctor in our church and he calmed my nerves by telling me that it was probably implantation bleeding and to not worry! But the bleeding continued throughout the week. I had come to accept that I was probably losing the baby. I waited until our scheduled doctors appointment on Friday to find out for sure. I still had such high hopes that just maybe everything would be okay with the baby.

As the nurse did the ultrasound, she didn't say anything and was very quiet. This time she didn't print out a photo of our little sack baby and give it to me. Instead she told us to wait in a specific room and the doctor would be in soon. It wasn't a room where we went last time but more of a private sitting room area. I thought this couldn't be good. James and I just sat in silence not wanting to say what was on our minds. I still clung to a little bit of hope that baby was okay. Then reality hit when the doctor confirmed my worst fear, that we had lost our baby.

It was so exciting to tell our friends and family that we were expecting. And it was one of the hardest things to tell them we had lost the baby. I have to admit, I questioned why. Why would the Lord surprise us with this baby and then take the baby home. I had such hope and faith that it was going to be okay. I prayed for my baby to be healthy and safe. Why would the Lord allow us to go through this loss?

To be honest, I don't know why bad things happen or why tragedies come into our lives. I do believe the Lord allows His children to go through difficult times, so we can only look to the God of hope and peace for our strength. As a result, we grow closer to Christ and learn He truly is all we need.

The Lord gave me this verse the day we lost our baby. "...the Lord gave; and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21 "Blessed be the name of the Lord" kept playing over and over in my head. God is good when times are easy and God is still good when times are hard. Everything good comes from the Lord. He is the giver of life eternal and life physical. Who was I to question my Lord and Savior? He alone knows what is best for my life and I needed to trust Him at this uncertain time.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. " Isaiah 26:3,4

The Lord gave me these verses that I clung to. In the Lord, I could have peace and everlasting strength. This was the first time I experienced God's grace in a mighty way. He gave me a peace that passeth understanding. And I had to just keep my mind focused on God and His promises. I am so thankful for a loving heavenly Father who promises to always carry us through the storms of life.

To those of you who have gone through a miscarriage, it's okay to be sad and to mourn. I was surprised at the times when I thought I was "okay" that I began to cry and be sad. I remember going to Walmart and tearing up as I passed the baby section. Or months later it would just hit me out of nowhere as I was driving. At these moments, I simply prayed for God's strength and comfort. I couldn't turn to my husband for comfort because he didn't know what I was going through. He could pray with me and be sympathetic but he couldn't take the hurt away. I am so thankful he was by my side each step of the way. But God alone knew my heartache and He alone could give me the comfort and strength I needed. May I encourage you to find your comfort and strength in Christ.

And now a year later, I feel so blessed to be 33 weeks and four days pregnant. God has truly blessed me with a wonderful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Having gone through the loss of a baby, I believe I am even more thankful for this little life growing inside of me. How can I complain when I feel a little sick or tired?! I am thankful for the sickness and fatigue because it means theres a baby on his way! I can't wait to hold him in my arms and see his sweet face and cover it with kisses! I think it's so special the Lord would bless us with this baby. I am so undeserving of such a gift. " Blessed be the name of the Lord!"