Pregnancy, pilates and prolapsing*: The bump diaries

*Disclaimer….not really prolapsing!

So the Stocks are pregnant again. With Cecily turning two (going on thirteen attitude-wise) in October, we know that things are going to be pretty hectic!

We had always planned on another but things happened before we were going to start planning! Anyhow…Baby Stock #2 is due on Christmas Day…of course, the big push is not going to happen then! Oh no no no. For starters: nobody spoils my Christmas dinner…after all, isn’t that what the big day is about?!

And also: I went 13 days over with Cecily. Friends were starting to wonder if there actually was a baby in there and it wasn’t just a build up of wind, so I know it is doubtful that I’ll have my legs akimbo on the 25th December. Thank God!

Pregnancy pain in the ass!

I found out I was up the duff at 6 weeks. So far I’ve had the usual nausea and tiredness (which I have combated with a little help from my product stash – more on that in future posts!) But at week 11 WHAM!…my bloody pubic bone started to twinge! Dear God, I don’t know if any of you have had pelvic girdle pain but it is a damn nuisance!

In my last pregnancy it got so bad that I was reduced to holding my downstairs region and whimpering in the bathroom. I found it difficult to walk, couldn’t climb stairs, Kris had to put my knickers and trousers on because it hurt to bend down or stand on one leg for any (short) length of time. Grim. So imagine my horror when it started again…and earlier into the pregnancy!

To make matters worse…this time I have an ‘extra’ in the form of a constant feeling of prolapsing (really selling pregnancy here!) Now, obviously I am not ACTUALLY prolapsing (well, I hope not) but it feels like my lady part is being dragged towards the floor when I stand for any length of time. Very glamorous!

Discovering pilates

It’s not like I can walk around cupping my pubic bone to offer extra support because I think that kind of thing is frowned upon in public…so I decided to book myself into an antenatal Pilates group after getting advice from an ergonomist.

I had my first one to one session a few weeks ago now at the Reformer Academy in Warrington. It was amazing! I was buzzing afterwards because I could see light at the end of the tunnel and was assured that if I kept up with the exercises then I would be able to manage the discomfort.

Pilates is a system of exercises using special apparatus (I use a sort of table on springs) to help with physical strength, flexibility and posture. Now, I am WEAK! I have really strong ankles but my pelvis and knees are crap. I literally wobbled throughout that session because my body could not take the pressure.

It was quite worrying! My posture was bad, possibly due to years of ballet training when I was younger as I hyperextended my knees which is not correct posture so this is what I am actively working on!!!

Plus…who knew that you had to engage your abdominal muscles when pregnant?!?! I didn’t! I was letting the bump hang out…now I am using them daily as part of my pelvic floor exercises and I don’t actually think I look that pregnant…and I’m over 20 weeks into my second pregnancy!

Pelvic floors

Talking about pelvic floor exercises….do them! I don’t care if you are pregnant or not. I did them regularly throughout my last pregnancy but failed to continue with them afterwards. I’m not wetting myself yet by any means, but I was told that if I continued to forget about them then in ten years time I would have issues. Good God!

Joking aside, there is no way that I want to have to deal with that! So I am regularly doing them again and will continue to do them post pregnancy too and beyond!

Anyway enough of the grim tales…I hope you’ll enjoy reading about my pregnancy journey with toddler in tow trying to get through the terrible two’s without tearing my hair out!

x