Fair warning that this post will not be about swim/bike/running but about some real things that are happening in my life. If you are interested in hearing the nitty-gritty of pregnancy (I don’t blame you) then feel free to skip this one we will be back to endurance sports soon!

I am going to share what has really gone on with my pregnancy, I want to keep it real for how this experience has gone for me. Overall my pregnancy has been harder than I thought it would be but in the end not that bad.

I am going to take this moment to document how the first half of my pregnancy has gone now that I am squarely in my 21^st week.

Baby is now the size of: We went from a poppy seed to now a 10.5 in carrot, a lot of growth in the last 20 weeks! Now the baby is growing very quickly and I fear so will I!

Sleep: While there has been a lot more sleep than usual it isn’t be best sleep. I toss and turn a lot trying to get comfortable and making runs to the bathroom. My first trimester I slept a ton and I was still always tired. I came very close to napping under my desk at work many times.

Maternity clothes / preferred attire: I have definitely graduated to maternity clothing in most things. I have a few lose tops, baggy pants or generous dresses that I can still wear but each week my available wardrobe is shrinking. Most of my athletic clothing still works but I am stretching their limit so I am not sure how much longer that will last. The thing about ladies clothing is that it is cut to go in at the waist and I currently go out!

Symptoms: The first trimester was hard, I started out ok but a little tired. By week 6 I was exhausted ALL THE TIME and then the morning sickness started. I also had strong food aversions, all the “healthy” food I was used to eating was not going to get anywhere near me for a time. I think there was about 5 days that I lived on plain bagels and swiss cheese. I cringe at what that must have done to me nutrition wise but anything more flavorful had me running away. Luckily that passed and by my second trimester I am back to being able to eat most foods and feel ok. I do still suffer from a lot of acid reflux and basically need to have tums with me 24/7 but I feel much better and can eat vegetables without wanting to cringe.

Cravings and favorite foods: I haven’t had too many crazy pregnant lady cravings. I have to be careful to not wait too long between meals/snacks or I will get nauseas but I also have to watch eating too much at one time.

I’m not usually a Jamba Juice person but the baby made me do it! #20weekspregnant #ithasbeets

Food aversions: Nothing much right now but from weeks 6-12 I hated almost everything. My husband was a real champ trying to figure out what I could eat every evening.

Exercise: This is where things got difficult for me. At first my pregnancy was moving along and I was enjoying the break from high pressure training. Then I was diagnosed with Placenta Previa. Placenta Previa is a condition where the placenta attached very low in the uterus and covers the cervix. This can cause some complications but it is very common and in most cases the placenta moves up as the uterus and baby grow and there are no long term issues. Many women have this condition and don’t even realize it as it corrects itself before there are any symptoms.

For me I found out that I had it because I was attempting to continue to be active and that could have been an issue. Once my doctor diagnosed my condition I was put on modified rest. This is nothing as bad as bed rest but I wasn’t allowed to exercise above a casual walk and was even restricted to how much normal activity I was supposed to do in a day. This was mentally very hard for me. Being an endurance athlete is part of my personal identity, so losing all of that even for a short time was really hard. Even though my doctor told me it was the best thing to do, I felt like a slug and I worried about how healthy it was for me and my baby.  Also I worried about the placenta not moving up. In some cases it doesn’t and women have to stay on modified rest, go on bed rest and sometimes have to have C-sections.

Luckily at my 20 week appointment the ultrasound showed that the placenta had moved up just as it should and I was taken off all restrictions (well all but the general preggo lady ones). It was an awesome moment knowing that I could go back to running and we wouldn’t have to have a C-section for this issue at least.

Dr finally cleared me to run after 14 weeks of not being able to do anything active above casual walks ( more details to come on the blog soon). It was a little hard on the ego but so good to back out there #20weekspregnant #run #happyplace

Mood: All over the place! At first we were nothing but ecstatic, things were going well and getting pregnant was easier than we expected. Then I started feeling really sick and was put on rest, to be honest I was pretty down in the dumps. I was still really grateful to be having this baby but I had to let go of the plans I had to run a half marathon in the first trimester and share thoughts on a “fit pregnancy”. I feel much happier now that I am feeling better and able to move my body again.

The biggest thing that I learned is to not make plans on how your pregnancy is going to go. You are not in control, you have to do the best you can and accept what comes.

Missing: Training for events, this one is hard as I am wishing I could join in all the training and racing fun….next year!

My normal clothes, my favorite running jacket won’t zip and my go to running capris are getting tight.

Lastly alcohol….just a bit. I am normally not a drinker but there are times that a glass of wine, champagne or a cold beer sound mighty good.

Best moments: There have been a lot but seeing the faintest double line on the pregnancy test was pretty great. I didn’t really believe it until I took a few more test over the next couple of days. Telling my parents was pretty fun too. This will be their first grandchild and they are one of the last of their friends to become grandparents so they are THRILLED.

Finding out the baby is a BOY! Honestly we would have been thrilled with either sex but the longer that we know he’s a boy the longer that seems perfect =)

It’s a boy!!!!! ❤️

And getting to see the baby during ultrasounds, he is constantly kicking and moving his legs, I am convinced he is going to be a runner.

Worst moments: This was easily the couple times I had bleeding before being diagnosed with placenta previa, it was very scary not knowing what was wrong and if the baby was ok. While I may complain about the modified rest I am so grateful it wasn’t something much worse.

Buying: A few things here and there as we find them, the most exciting purchase was a BOB jogging stroller! We do need to get serious about getting the essentials now that we are getting closer.

I am starting a #HappyStreak in honor of my intention to chase the light this year. Day 1 is finding a used B.O.B for a great deal. Winston and Humphry approve.

Dreaming About: Meeting our little boy and getting to introduce him to the world…I really can’t wait!