I’ve yet to officially announce on my blog that I’m seven months pregnant (yeah sorry about that!) and I’m doing great in case you were wondering. I know, I’m as shocked as you are if you didn’t know it already! I still don’t even really feel pregnant with the exception of all the kicking going on inside of me and the fact that I have to pee all the time. Andy keeps asking me to give him something like “some tears, a food craving, a complaint,” anything to prove that I’m really creating life but unfortunately, I’ve got nothing for him! My doctor says I’m not normal since I haven’t had any of the typical side effects like nausea and exhaustion etc etc. I like to think it’s all the yoga and the fact that I am always on the go. Everytime I go to an appointment and my doctor listens for the baby’s heartbeat she says, “this kid never stops moving” so I’m thinking he or she will be exactly like me!

I have a little entrepreneur inside of me already because since getting pregnant, I’ve started teaching prenatal yoga and Andy says I’m exploiting our baby to further my career! I find this hilarious and yes of course I’m going to use this pregnancy as a way to branch out and discover new avenues for teaching, I’d be stupid not to. My yoga practice has changed immensely in that I’m moving a lot slower and more intellgently to accommodate for my growing belly. Daily yoga practice is so rewarding because you can’t just mindlessly go through the motions; instead you have to focus closely on your body, your baby, your mind and you have to pay attention. Practicing yoga while pregnant is a great lesson in non-attachment and I’m enjoying the progress of finding strength within softness.

I’m teaching three upcoming prenatal yoga workshops so if you’re in the area and you’re a mama to be, a postpartum mama or someone who wants to become a mama, I encourage you to come. I’ve designed these workshops specifically and uniquely to help support women emotionally and physically. There’ll be an emphasis on breathing techniques, stamina, pelvic floor work, restorative poses, hip openers and core strength. These workshops are prefect for women who have had a strong practice in the past like Ashtanga or Vinyasa, who are looking to honor where their body is at today and for those who would like guidance on how to safely practice yoga through pregnancy. For more information click here.

I’ve been using my social media to chronicle my pregnancy journey 25 weeks and onward, so today I thought I’d share those excerpts with you in case you aren’t up to speed with how funny, humbling and unique this experience has been for me. Enjoy!

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Let the prenatal yoga pictures begin!

I’m 25 weeks today and ready to share my journey thus far with you! Thankfully, it’s been easy peasy; no morning sickness, nausea, constipation, fatigue or trouble sleeping and I’m grateful for that. But being pregnant has been the biggest lesson in non-attachment thus far, especially being as active as I am.

For almost 15 years I’ve had a daily ashtanga practice consisting of primary and intermediate series where I’ve watched myself grow stronger as my practice progresses day in and day out. Now, I’m having to cut certain poses out and work slower than I ever have before, being more aware and working with what I’ve got! I’m not striving to get anywhere in my practice these days, nor am I pushing myself into more advanced postures.

Now, it’s enough just to move energy and to practice! I’m learning that the practice is the practice- no matter what it looks like and I’m fine with it, really I am!

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When I found out I was pregnant I (as well as Andy) cried for 3 days. And not movie cry like “I’m so happy” more like ugly real life cry like “what the hell did we do?”, “what were we thinking?”, “can we really handle this?” When people say “congrats that’s so exciting!” all I hear is “congrats how terrifying!”

Honestly, I was also freaking out about all the weight gain and the things I would no longer be able to do in my daily day to day. I’ve always been a very weight/health conscious woman and being a yoga teacher makes you more aware of how you are perceived since you are always standing in front of an “audience” per say.

For the first trimester I was still doing my full primary and intermediate ashtanga yoga practice but when I hit about 18 weeks I knew I had to let the deep backbends go. I got this weird burning sensation in the lower abdominals and I was afraid I would separate the stomach muscles which is common in women who have a strong core I’ve read. And that was like losing a race to me since I’ve spent years working on poses like #urdhvadhanurasana, #dropbacks and #kapotasana just to name a few.

But like I said before, I’m not striving to get anywhere in my practice these days, nor am I pushing myself into more advanced postures. I practice because it is who I am, not what I do!

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My precious yoga room has now become a precious nursery, another lesson in non-attachment! I have spent countless hours in this room on my the mat and I’ll miss the solitude of having my own little space carved out just for me. Luckily, you can toss down a yoga mat just about anywhere so I’m not fretting too much and plus this room just looks so stinking cute I can’t even!

I should be laying my mat down in Mysore, India right now but that wasn’t in the cards for me this year I guess. I had my Visa and passport pictures all ready and then I found out I was pregnant and had to cancel my plans. “The self is the guru” totally applies in this case because I’m really teaching myself how to find strength in a softer practice these days. It’s not always easy but I’m not gonna give up.

Plus, I couldn’t go and leave my husband behind denying him of the opportunity to be pregnant “together” if you will. He goes to every doctors appointment with me, kisses and talks to my belly daily and he obsesses over what I eat after I was told I wasn’t gaining enough weight. Go figure.

When we had the 20 week ultrasound, I noticed he started carrying the pictures of the baby everywhere, taking them out of his back pocket to show the world we made a human. He will be the most doting father, I’m sure of this. And I will try my best to be a patient mom… because more patience is something I always strive for! Don’t try to rush things that need time to grow, right?!

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I have taught several women over the years and the minute they find out they’re pregnant, they quit doing ashtanga yoga. I don’t understand this mentality at all.. I mean you’re pregnant NOT dead!!

I understand it’s a vigorous practice, and you have to work around the twists, jump throughs and jump backs and maybe omit some minor transitions but you can always find a modification to tailor to your growing belly. The practice is like an old friend; your relationship may change but it doesn’t mean it has to ever end. You should practice as many postures and as much as you can in order to make an impact within your self.

I bend so I don’t break. When I don’t practice my mood is different, I feel my body stiffen up and the energy becoming blocked. I have no fear of “never getting my practice back” and I’m not afraid of having to start from the very beginning again. Yoga is a life long journey and all you can do is be present and begin again step by step, breath by breath.

In my experience, most people begin a yoga practice with either flexibility or strength; I came with the latter. I cannot tell you how many years/practices it took me to be able to bind in Marichyasana C and D. Years of playing competitive tennis gave me tight shoulders and I rejoiced when I was finally able to get into the pose myself. I think I cried and laughed at the same time I was so proud of myself. And even though I can’t do those two poses right now, I work around them and I move my body in the opposite direction to give my belly space. Doesn’t mean I have to quit my practice, it just means I have to practice more intelligently.

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Wowza, there are so many things no one tells you to expect when you get pregnant…like that your nips will be larger than silver dollars and the color of dark chocolate or that your vag will smell different and your bike seat will hurt from all the blood flow down there or that your ribs will be sore from all the kicking! Oh and EXCUSE ME but what is with all the belly touching???

I went to a function last weekend and people I have never met kept coming up to me and putting their hands on my belly. Like, I don’t even know you so back off! I think it’s extremely rude to touch without asking. And it’s flu season!! That should be a no-brainer unless you’re a close friend or family member and I give you the ok first. Jez! I kept asking my husband, “who was that?” and he was like “I don’t know I thought you knew them!” Makes me want to wear a post-it note on my stomach that says “look, don’t touch” like you see in fancy expensive stores.
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Up until about 3 weeks ago I didn’t have a bump and I didn’t even feel pregnant. Every time I went to the doctor I thought she was gonna say “psych you’re not pregnant” because I’ve had no symptoms at all. But now that my belly is sticking out and I am feeling lots of activity like kicks and punches, shit is getting real, real fast!

The moral of the story is ask before you touch! What if I wasn’t pregnant and had just been overloading on burritos and beer??!!!! Then you would have really felt silly and embarrassed!

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If I had a quarter for every time someone asks me how I’m feeling, I wouldn’t have to worry about feeding the meter in downtown SLO anymore! People look so perplexed when I tell them I’m feeling great and everything is fine! Like I’m suppose to feel like crap or something and not go out just because I’m pregnant!

They ask, “you’re not sick?”, “you don’t have headaches?”, “you’re sleeping ok?” and “you don’t feel exhausted all the time?” To which I reply, no, no, no, no and NO! But thanks for asking! I think staying active and keeping to my routine of ashtanga yoga, spin, bar method and strength training has really made all the difference during this pregnancy. The more I move, the better I feel! It’s funny because the minute I slow down or take shavasana for instance, the baby starts kicking up a storm like he/she is telling me to keep it up and to not stop!

Inverting feels amazing because I’m able to shift the weight and change my perspective at the same time. Andy gets so nervous when he sees me upside down and it makes me laugh to see him so concerned! “Are you sure you should be doing that?” he asks every time!

Honestly, if my body has the intelligence to create this life growing inside of me, then surely I hold the intuition to know what is working for the both of us. Thanks for the concern though hunny… if this kid is anything like me, he/she will be a mover and a shaker from the start!

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BABYMOON (and 3rd trimester) in full effect! It’s funny how people keep telling me I’m gonna be a great mom. Like, what does that even mean and how do they know that? What if I leave the house and put the baby in a dog crate with Paddington and tell Sugar she’s in charge? Kidding kidding!

To be honest, I was never dying to be a mom just like I was never convinced I would ever get married. I was never the little girl you read about who was planning her dream wedding and the names of her babies at the age of 10. I was shocked when Andy purposed to be on our seventh anniversary together (while swimming in deep ocean water in Jamaica!) and even more shocked when I found out I was pregnant!

And don’t believe the people who say “there’s never a good time to have children” because that’s total BS in my book. There’s no way I could have raised or would have wanted to raise a child in my 20s.. I was too busy traveling the world, spending money on stupid stuff and falling in love… for that grownup nonsense! Now I feel ready for a variety of reasons like that we have a house with a spare bedroom and a savings account… Oh and that we’re more mature… that’s important too I guess!!!

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Pregnancy cravings? I haven’t had any and I’m disappointed to say that! I was hoping I’d have my Anna Nicole Smith moment when all I wanted was pickles and I was yelling at Andy to get me the dill kind!

Honestly though, I’m not the type of person who denies myself anything. Like if I want a donut, I’m gonna go get one and if I feel like pizza for dinner, I’m gonna make one. Why spend countless hours doing yoga/working out etc just to only eat the same food day in and day out? Not me. It might be my Italian genes, who knows.

I think I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been these past seven months. I mean I’m not out guzzling wine at vineyards every weekend with my friends like before and I don’t have the late night munchies because of it!! Now I drink Blood Orange Italian soda when I’m craving a big glass of Sauvignon Blanc and I put it in a fancy glass to trick my senses!

“Eating healthy” hasn’t been hard for me while being pregnant because I’ve never been one to eat like crap. You are what you eat, as the saying goes and I’m married to a chef so I have no reason to hit up the local fast food restaurants. I did find out that I am anemic, probably because I’m not a huge meat eater and now I’m taking an iron supplement and eating a ton of spinach and protein to make up for that. Maybe this third trimester will bring out some interesting and colorful cravings for me, who knows?! (Not pictured: The two donuts I wolfed down after that one courtesy of @slodoco)

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From babymoons and push gifts to sip and sees and gender reveals, I’d like to thank whoever comes up with these modern pregnancy-isms… they make me laugh! My hubby planned a relaxing four days away where all we did was sleep late, walk the beach with our fur babies, eat well, watch the sunset from our balcony, took many bubble baths and watched countless episodes of Law and Order from bed!

The next couple of months before baby arrives are packed filled with child birthing and breast feeding classes, baby CPR, baby showers, me teaching prenatal yoga and the opening of Andy’s restaurant. I’m tired already!

Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy my sleep now because once the baby comes I won’t be getting any…. as if this were a new revelation or something! I was six when my brother was born and we shared a room so I’m well aware of what I’m in for! Not to mention there’s 5-8 dogs in my house at all times and they keep me from having a sound sleep as it is. One of them is always scratching, or licking, or having to go outside and then there’s the noise from their collars and the fact they like to randomly jump on my bed to see if I’ll catch them! Oh… And on top of that I have a husband who snores so loud he wakes the dogs up lol! So not to worry, I think I’ll be ok!

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I just LOVE all the unsolicited advice you get when people find out you’re pregnant! (NOT!) Especially the people who say “I don’t want to tell you what to do but…” You might as will just start the sentence with “No offense but…”!!!!

Like when I’m at the gym people come up to me and say “you’re awfully skinny for a pregnant woman don’t you think you should eat more?“ Or “do you think you should be riding the elliptical while reading your book because I think you really should be using your hands!“ Or “should you still be taking spin class and working that hard?“

My neighbors will come up to me when I’m pulling the garbage cans out to the curb and say “shouldn’t your husband be doing that for you?“ or if I’m out getting some some sun they’ll say “don’t cook the baby!”

And how about the randoms who tell me “you’re definitely having a boy/girl because…” Or “you should really find out what you’re having because…” The best though is from the people who don’t even have kids! Clip it please!!!

All kidding aside, I would love your advice on what essentials I should register for! Like this Bob stroller is a must have in my area so I can do trail runs and beach walks with baby and dogs in tow! Paddington sure looks cozy eh?! Thanks to my sweet friend Jenn for gifting me this hand me down… I know I’m gonna get a ton of use out of it in the years to come!

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Well that’s all for today. Next Tuesday, I hit 30 weeks of pregnancy so I’ll be sure to share some more stories with you as they happen to me! I’ll also be back with some new recipes and book recommendations. And feel free to comment below and share some stories of your own, I’d love to hear your experience too!

Na-MAMA-ste!

 

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