Grief, Hospice, & Pregnancy: Weeks 16–18

Pregnancy Week 24: The Yellow Light to Run

Pregnancy week 24 brought plenty of ups and downs. My nausea has started creeping back in, especially when I’m not intentional about eating every few hours, so I’m sharing the easy snacks that have been helping me stay fueled when food does not sound particularly exciting. I’ve also been extra tired, sick, and navigating new information about my body. I had my labs checked this week and talk about why I believe iron status should be monitored more than once throughout pregnancy, especially for pregnant athletes. After weeks of resting my back, the aching has started to improve, and I finally got the results of my MRI. I have inflammation around my SI joints and within the bone, which means I need to be thoughtful about how I approach movement for the remainder of pregnancy. I have been given the yellow light to run, not a full green light. Now I’m working through what that means, reaching out to a physical therapist, and creating a plan that allows me to keep moving without ignoring what my body is telling me.   Tired of your clothes not fitting during prengancy? Try renting clothes from Nuuly, click here [https://share.nuuly.com/serena584] to get $30 off! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @runnergirldietitian [https://www.instagram.com/runnergirldietitian]

Pregnancy Week 23: The Fear of Resting and Running Out of Time

This week, I will finally get my MRI after taking a complete break from running and lifting. While I wait for answers, I’m walking and slowing down. I also had an emotional pelvic-floor moment when I peed myself after sneezing while holding something heavy. It had never happened before, and it immediately made me worry about what it meant for my pelvic floor and my future as a runner. The nausea is back, my stomach feels crowded, and almost nothing sounds good to eat. I talk about how I’m relying on cues beyond hunger to remind myself that my body and baby still need consistent nourishment, even when my appetite is nowhere to be found. I also reflect on my first postpartum experience, when I felt desperate to start moving again as quickly as possible. This time, I feel less pressure to rush postpartum, but I’m still confronting a deeper fear: that I’m running out of time to achieve my running goals. Resting right now has brought that fear straight to the surface. In this episode, I talk honestly about losing fitness, allowing recovery, and learning that slowing down does not mean my goals are disappearing.   Want to try Go Guarded [http://shrsl.com/29gn4-2ytg-1cz5w]? Use my code serena10 at checkout! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @runnergirldietitian [https://www.instagram.com/runnergirldietitian]

Week 21 & 22: Resting, Comparing, and Trying to Trust My Body

In this week’s pregnancy update, I’m combining weeks 21 and 22 and sharing what it has been like to navigate ongoing lower back and butt pain while pregnant. After dealing with this pain for about a year and seeing different PTs, I finally booked an appointment with sports medicine, where they brought up the possibility of a sacral stress fracture. Now I’m waiting to get an MRI approved so we can figure out what is actually going on. I talk about how hard it is to rest when you don’t have answers yet, especially when running is such a big part of how I feel like myself. It has been 17 days since my last run, and I’m processing the grief, frustration, and comparison that comes with that. During my first pregnancy, I ran until my due date, so this experience feels very different. In this episode, I also talk about comparing myself to other pregnant runners, ordering a belly band to hopefully help with possible SI pain, the excitement of our anatomy scan, ongoing lightning crotch and pelvic heaviness, feeling more tired, nausea creeping back in, and finding a little bit of sanity through deep breathing core exercises. This is your reminder that taking time off from running, resting, or changing your workouts does not mean you won’t come back. Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is listen, adapt, and let our body tell us what she needs.   If you are pregnant and trying to figure out how you can keep strength training safely while protecting your core and pelvic floor, check out the ANDA App [https://joinanda.com/]. You can get a 7 day free trial and 20% off with my code SERENA Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @runnergirldietitian [https://www.instagram.com/runnergirldietitian]

Week 20: Bumpin’, Slowing Down, and Dressing the Body I’m In

At 20 weeks pregnant, the bump is officially bumpin’ and I’m fully living in pregnancy clothes now. In this episode, I’m sharing how renting maternity clothes through Nuuly has helped my body image by making it easier to dress my changing body in clothes that actually fit and feel cute. I also talk about how training is going right now: running still feels good, but I am definitely slower. And even when you know slowing down during pregnancy is normal, it can still be mentally hard when your pace doesn’t match what you’re used to seeing. I also share an update on some mild back pain, what my pelvic floor PT said about it, and how my sugar cravings have improved since I started prioritizing high-protein snacks. This episode is for the pregnant runner who is navigating body changes, pace changes, craving changes, and trying to keep showing up for herself without expecting her pregnant body to perform like her pre-pregnancy body.   Click here [http://legionathletics.rfrl.co/j6yn5] to try Legion Protein Powder for yourself use my code RUNNERGIRL for buy one get one 50% off and free shipping on your first order! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @runnergirldietitian [https://www.instagram.com/runnergirldietitian]

Week 19: The Belly Popped, the Pace Dropped & the Sugar Cravings Entered the Chat

This week, the belly officially popped and I am feeling very pregnant in the cutest way. Running and workouts are still feeling good and comfortable, but I am definitely slowing down, which is a very normal part of training through pregnancy. I’m also talking about sugar cravings this week, not from nausea or food aversions this time, but from that very real “I could eat dessert for every meal” kind of vibe. And for pregnant athletes, cravings can sometimes be a helpful cue that we may not be eating enough overall. If you’re running, lifting, growing a human, and trying to get through your day, your energy needs are not exactly giving “light snack and vibes.” In this episode, I’m sharing why meal planning and prepping can be such a helpful tool for pregnant runners, especially when your appetite, schedule, and energy are all changing. We’ll talk about how to make sure you’re getting enough calories, carbs, protein, and nutrient-dense foods without making eating feel like another full-time job. I also went to pelvic floor physical therapy this week, so I’m sharing what we talked about, what I’m paying attention to, and why pelvic floor support can be such a game changer for pregnant athletes.   Tired of your clothes not fitting during prengancy? Try renting clothes from Nuuly, click here [https://share.nuuly.com/serena584] to get $30 off! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @runnergirldietitian [https://www.instagram.com/runnergirldietitian]