Heather Dorak has been rocking the Pilates scene for 10 years and has helped many women stay fit and healthy throughout their pregnancies and beyond. Now it’s Heather’s turn, she’s pregnant for the first time and will be sharing her experiences with us! You can learn more about Heather, owner of Pilates Platinum at www.pilatesplatinum.com.
A huge congrats, to you and your partner, is definitely in order first and foremost. This is a very exciting time, but can also be a bit scary too! For me, being pregnant for the first time, I have no idea what to expect. It is a bit uncomfortable experiencing a sense of uncertainty, especially when it comes to another human being. Researching as much as possible is important, but at the same time, the internet can be a scary place. Even just googling, ‘my eye itches’ can quickly turn into you fearing that you will be blind tomorrow if you don’t have a doctor check out your eye stat. Have no fear, this is my first time {I am no expert - far from it} and these are a few things that helped me feel a lot more comfortable in the beginning of a new beautiful journey. These tips have helped quiet the inner voices asking an overwhelming amount of questions.
Curate a plan.
By all means I don’t mean come up with your plan for every step of the way, but it is important to start thinking about the next few steps. Aside from telling your partner and family, it is important to tell those you work with. Giving them a heads up helps tremendously in setting up the right plan for when it comes time for delivery and you away from your work. Or even those days that staying in bed is a better idea than toughing it out at work.
Seeking out your friends that are moms already.
I immediately reached out to some very important ladies in my life that have been pregnant before. It was nice to feel reassured that they felt the same emotions of uncertainty, happiness and being scared all at the same time. Sure there are handbooks and wonderful sites that help guide you, but always remember you are you and no one else like you. Your journey will be unique and special but not exactly like someone else’s - that thought right there encouraged me to find a doctor I liked ASAP.
Finding the right doctor.
Finding the right doctor that believes in how your process should go is important. Someone that can help educate you along the way, be open to your desires while also sharing with you the positive and negatives in all situations. Because when push comes to shove, during the delivery process, some quick decisions may need to be made and you’ll want to have the assurance that your doctor sides with you.
Create a system for 'me' time.
Yes, the babies arrival may seem like a far future, where it is close but still far enough to really not quite think about when the baby arrives. However, daycares I have quickly learned have waitlists for what seems like eternity. When the baby arrives, I am hearing more and more from other moms, the importance of being away from your baby from time to time, (cue in daycare take over). I hear that a lot of women feel guilty being away from their baby at the beginning, but in order to be there fully for the baby, you are going to need a break too. Setting up a system where someone else can watch your baby for a few hours a few days out of the week or even just a couple hours one day, can help you to restore yourself physically and mentally. Being ‘too’ attached to your baby can lead to a very unhealthy attachment to your child or your child being too attached to you as well.
Keep at your activities
And of course, since I am an entrepreneur in the fitness industry, one of the first questions that popped up in my head was the curiosity on if I could keep up with my fitness activities. Yes. Yes you can keep working out. If your body is used to it then no need to stop now. It is important to try and not strive for bigger goals, but keeping your workouts exactly where they are is great. You will be able to tell on your own when things start to feel a bit uncomfortable, when this happens you can stop that particular thing or cut back and seek advice from your doctor. I am very happy that my business of choice to own is also a workout that a lot of pregnant women enjoy during and after their pregnancy. It is almost like a part of my business is now reaching me full circle.
All in all, I am excited and scared all at the same time. This is the first time for me so I have no idea what to expect but I am trying to look at those thoughts as exciting thoughts. This is an awesome, exciting, beautiful and magical time and I hope to embrace it all. Technology is so advanced today, that it makes this process a bit easier, kudos to the veteran mom’s out there and what all you’ve gone through. And watch out, because I will be seeking out advice from you all!
