31 Weeks Pregnant Chalkboard + Pregnancy Shortness of Breath
By Kate Horney
How far along? 31 Weeks, 2 Days
Maternity clothes? I’m still wearing my regular shorts w/ a hair tie around the button and/or the bella band. And of course, I love yoga pants because they just fold down over my belly.
Best moment this week: This weekend I got to fly to Minneapolis for an amazing photo shoot with STRONG Fitness Magazine Founder, Paul Buceta. It was so much fun to capture the baby bump and to be PROUD of the little life inside. So many women cover up their bumps, but to me- it’s something amazing to show the world!
Miss Anything? I’m starting to notice that my stomach feels like it’s in my chest and my lungs feel like… hmmm… they don’t even feel like they’re there anymore. Lol Shortness of breath during workouts (and every day life) is common, but I’m still doing what I can and keeping up with my training.
Movement: As I mentioned, we’re definitely staring to get a little crammed up in here… but I’m still enjoying the punches and kicks (even if they’re in the ribs).
Food cravings: We had some great food while out of town this past weekend- so aside from the usuals, I enjoyed some fondue, and 4 mornings worth (seriously) of the BEST chicken, spinach and onion omelets from a local breakfast place. (Yay for not hating chicken anymore!)
Looking forward to: Seeing how my boys interact and play together. We had so much fun on our trip spending time with Jackson and watching him explore… I can’t wait until he has a little sidekick for all of his adventures!
Biggest Struggle This Week: Shortness of Breath!
Baby H #2 is definitely pushing all the internal organs that used to be there somewhere else, crowding my lungs and making it more difficult for them to expand fully… (yes, this is totally normal). I’m fully prepared to be a little short of breath until he drops near the end of pregnancy in preparation for birth.
It’s all part of being a bodybuilder! 🙂
I don’t worry about the little guy, because I know he oxygen from the placenta, and the truth is that the shortness of breath really isn’t a concern for me either- other than being slightly uncomfortable.
Solution: 3 Tips for Pregnancy Shortness of Breath
- Watch your posture! Be sure to stand as straight as you can to avoid any extra pressure on the rib cage and lungs and give yourself at least a little bit more room to breathe. (Note: this also does wonders for helping lower back pain caused by pregnancy!)
- Sleep elevated! Sleeping propped up or on your side ensures that your lungs have more space to… well, breathe. 😉 The snoogle is great for this, as I’ve said before. (See also: 5 steps to better sleep)
- Don’t skip exercise! It may be temping to stop working out when you feel like you’re constantly out of breath, but I’ve found that staying consistent with exercise actually helps. Take plenty of rests and make sure to pace yourself, but there’s no reason that you can’t continue with your normal workout routine even into the 3rd trimester! (In fact, exercise actually helps make some of the “bad” stuff better!)
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P.S. Want More Fit Pregnancy Tips?
Your baby is a REASON to make a healthy choices priority… not an excuse for why you can’t!
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