Saturday Session - Yeah bring it on!!

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, Me and bubba boy go and Bodyattack on a Saturday morning its my old class that someone has now taken on covering for me until I've had bubba boy.
I love this poster...........













Then I will teach my Bodybalance to lengthen and strengthen and to seal the workout.
Have a great Saturday morning all, Shar x

24 Weeks and Weekly Health and Fitness Update

24 Weeks Today
What they say - Baby Stuff - He still has little body fat and his skin is thin and fragile, he's now well-proportioned. His brain is growing rapidly, and he is starting to fill the space in your uterus. From crown to heel he could measure 30 centimetres.

What I say - I am feeling great at the moment, sleeping well, with pillow for belly and leg support now though! I am easily getting up in the mornings, I an exercising regularly, eating with control from a full range of organic and free range products for health and wellness. No complaints, I love being preggers and I love baby boy growing strong, he is soooo active and there is no other feeling quite like it when he is kicking, punching etc.

Weekly Health & Fitness report - actually my health and fitness preggers so far.................

I haven't really updated in relation to my health and fitness, which is what I started this whole blogging journey was originally for (back in 2005!!!) so decided I might just throw in so updates each week alongside my preggy updates.

So as my blog is about being a mum on a mission, that I am!

I have to admit I went through a spell back in the first stages where i was sick for about 7 weeks (weeks 7 - 14) i nibbled on not so healthy food to find my way out of sickness as nothing seemed to help, I couldn't face sitting up without the nausea getting worse, let alone exercising and basically got a bit down on myself mentally. A 'few' :) excess kilos crept on and I definitely laid down those fat stores early on, not good, I'm all for the body doing what its gotta do to support the pregnancy but excess is just that and not required.

Then the belly growth sprouted, earlier in this preggers, (3rd bub and all may have something to do with it??) and I ended up not feeling so good. If i'm honest I ended up in a place where I was starting to return to binging habits, the oh well I'll do this now and deal with it later etc, when all I really deep down wanted was to just embrace pregnancy, allow my body to do all these wonderful things and sod everything else. I put alot of thought into how the past has been, what behaviours I have, what has caused them, the list is endless, but I spent a good few weeks just in thought.

I considered stepping away from Group Fitness, meaning giving up my Les Mill Presenter / Trainer position which is my dream and that I have worked bloody hard for and continue to do so, giving up all classes, leaving my GFM job sooner rather than later, all because I was blaming 'the industry' for the pressure to look good all the time. This was one of many 'solutions' I came up with to solve everything.

Of course nothing was just going to magically solve itself, I was feeling very hormonal and doing my whole 'I want this sorted now' 'all or nothing' 'I want answers' thing. I was over trying to solve 'the problem', I was over 'fighting' the same thing over and over.

Luckily my common sense and reality hit...........there is nothing to blame, there is no-one to blame, I am me, I am Shar, I have the power, strength and knowledge to live a happy, loving, wonderful, healthy life. If I do "MY' best, no-one else best, for 'ME' and my family, not for anyone else, everyday what more can you possibly want or need???? If I can lay in bed each night in the knowledge I have taken good care of me and my family, both mentally and physically what more could i possibly do.

This is just another journey, a very special one, one that cannot be taken for granted, not enjoyed, not nurtured.

I'm happy to say that as though a switch was flicked I have been living exactly that way ever since, doing what I can each day, making the most of what I have, the most of what I can bring to me and my family each day, enjoying my classes, exercising for health, eating for wellness and healing.

It has been a good couple of months now, consistency in both mind and the physical have me sat in a great place. It feels so cool, it feels right and feels like this is what I have been searching for for quite some time. Don't get me wrong I still have days where I have to work extra hard, where my energy is stretch, to be able keep the mind on an even keel, to feel great about me, to give all I can give to my family, but I'm damn sure I'd rather be doing that than killing myself with self criticism, self doubt and abusing my body with negative emotion and dead food.

I have found a way that works for me. I couldn't have done it without my rock, Paul. My beautiful children, that I only have to think about and my soul is nourished and at peace...... and of course just feel a kick from the 3rd precious gift I am looking after right now.

So from a quick update on bubs and my weekly Health and Fitness to a long post about other stuff!!! I'll have to come back later and update the week that was as we have school to get to!!!!

Thanks for listening, have the best day 'YOU' can have!! Shar x

Loving this book!

I'm reading a really great book right now and even if your not pregnant if you are

a Personal Trainer it would make interesting Reading for you or even as a recommendation for any clients that are pregnant that just want more info than -' don't take your heart rate over 140', 'don't do any impact', 'just swim, walk and do yoga', 'don't start exercising during pregnancy if you weren't' etc etc.


Exercising Through Your Pregnancy - James F.Clapp III. M.D.

I am Pre and Post Natal qualified but I know how much the guidelines have changed since I did my qually and how much they continue to change.

As this is an area I want to move into more professionally and for obvious personal reasons I have been doing lots of research on the WWW but still had some questions, every site I can across (apart from the Medical ones, which still took a stand back stance really!) were just sticking to the old 'yes exercise is good, but keep it to swimming, yoga and walking' 'keep your heart rate here.....' etc etc and yes these are great guidelines for the general population but for those who were regularly active before its not really applicable or what we want to hear.


This is rightly so according to this book.

Chapter 1 starts with - CLARIFYING THE DEBATE OVER EXERCISE AND PREGNANCY, Dr Clapp received a call back in 1970 that was an inquiry about the effects of Mountain Climbing on a woman and her fetus during early pregnancy, the questions were such things as - would the decreased oxygen in the air induce malformations in the fetus? would the intense effort on climbing reduce blood flow to the womb and cause a miscarriage?

He states he had no answers, so went to the library and found nothing there!

Only finding that that pregnancy was a time for moderation, and women should not introduce new activity or attempt anything physically challenging.

This was clearly showing the traditional approach - if the risk is unknown just avoid it.


He was shocked by the lack of information and so in 1976 he embarked on his quest to answer any related questions to exercising in pregnancy and the effects on both t he mother and baby.

Then book then details all studies, tests and experiments with results, looking at benefits of exercising on different body systems, how it benefits mother and baby, exercise effects on placentae growth, labour, breastfeeding etc.

They studied two groups of women, an EXERCISE GROUP and a CONTROL GROUP. To be part of the exercise group the women had to maintain her exercise regimen above 50% of her pre-pregnancy level, secondly her level of exercise had to remain above that required to maintain basic fitness (3 x per week, 20 minutes at a mod to hard level).

Some of the EXERCISE GROUP exercised vigorously to within a week of delivery. The CONTROL GROUP was made up of women that rarely engaged in sustained exercise but occasionally played tennis, went for a walk or did the gardening and so on.

Then he shows in graphs and charts the result of areas studied of these two groups, the results are really interesting (to me anyway!). They cover week of delivery, effects of regular exercise on fetal growth, birth stats of the bubs, placentae growth, maternal weight gain of each group, skinfolds to show fat deposition, effects on labour - including pain relief, intervention, C-sec outcome, length of labour, I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the idea.

I am very focused on another natural birth, free of drugs and intervention, this time it will be even more so than Maddi was, as I am hoping to be accepted to the Family Birth centre and change from the hospital.

From reading and researching, knowing my body and how I feel, exercising at a mod to hard level from the outset and hopefully until the end will/has given myself and bubs the best opportunity to have the pregnancy, labour and delivery that is best for both of us.

I am actually looking forward to labour!!!!!!! a bit stunned by that myself :)

Over Halfway!!

I'm just over 23 weeks preggers now and the time is flying!!

Feeling great apart from a little lull in energy in the afternoon, but I used to get that anyway!! :)

Baby now weighs a little over 500 grams and measures about 29 centimetres from crown to heel. WOW, nearly as long as a ruler!!

He can hear me so I am singing a sequence of three songs/rhymes daily. I used to sing to the first two kids which used to settle them at sleep time or any time they were upset, also good as Paul and the kids can do that too.

Having a few thoughts about names, a bit stuck, only one has grabbed me and I'm finding I'm a little reserved on using it for a few reasons. I like unusual or not common but not to out there. So got any you like and your done with your kids, throw me a comment and I can run it past the jury! :)

Got some other stuff to update on will try and get back soon, Shar x

Out of the mouths of babes........

Classic..........................

My dad took Maddi and Bryce out for a milkshake after school today, they stop at a junction and Maddi looks at this road sign.................

then asks my dad......... ''Pops, does that mean no boomerangs''

:)

HEADING TOWARDS A CHANGE

Obviously I have lots of change on the horizon, becoming a mum of 3 not 2 is a major change, but alongside that is the change to my career/job/work situation.

My new career is that I will become a FULL TIME MUMMA!!! I have always wanted this to be the case with my first two but due to money, migrating to Australia etc I didn't have that opportunity. NOW I DO and I feel very blessed.

Jan 31st see's me finish up as Group Fitness Manager, I have chosen to take my 12 months unpaid maternity instead of just resign, this gives me scope should there be any unplanned financial change in our situation or maybe just maybe at a year old and Paul and I can work it I may (not likely!) want to return.

So in a little under 16 weeks I will be on my new journey, a couple of weeks at Christmeas thats quiet, a couple of weeks holiday will help this figure reduce a little!! YES I AM COUNTING!

I have changed my blog to show this change, I'm a mum on a mission, a mission of living a fit and healthy lifestyle and being the best I can be for myself and my precious family.

Do you..................

Believe in your heart that something wonderful is about to happen.
Love your life.
Believe in your own powers, and your own potential, and in your own innate goodness.
Wake every morning with the awe of just being alive.
Discover each day the magnificent, awesome beauty in the world.
Explore and embrace life in yourself and in everyone you see each day.
Reach within to find your own specialness.
Amaze yourself and rouse those around you to the potential of each new day.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect; this is the essence of your humanity.
Let those who love you help you.
Trust enough to be able to take.
Look with hope to the horizon of today, for today is all we truly have.
Live this day well.
Let a little sun out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to all your possibilities; all possibilities and Miracles.
Always believe in Miracles.

Have a great day xx