I feel like I need some sense talked into me

[madamimadaminchrist]

I’m really struggling with the idea of slowing down/resting more. Pre-pregnancy, I lifted 6 days a week and got 10k steps minimum, usually more. Since being pregnant, I’ve been able to keep lifting 6 days, though some days o cut some of my volume if I’m not feeling it. Step count has been down the whole time. I hit 10k maybe 4-5 times a week and rarely go over.

I’ll be 33 weeks tomorrow and for some reason, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus today. Just extreme fatigue. I know the obvious thing to do is to rest today, but my body dysmorphia is really messing with my head telling me I ate poorly all weekend, Monday is never my rest day, etc.

I feel like I’m really struggling to give myself permission to slow down and I’m looking for… encouragement? I’m not even sure.

 

[rattikin]

@madamimadaminchrist Think of giving birth as a marathon. You have now entered your tapering phase - you need to rest up!

 

[tanner1991]

@rattikin Love this analogy!

 

[crice]

@madamimadaminchrist SLOW DOWN

Give yourself a break! You are literally creating another human being! Listen to whatever your body is telling you to do and do it. If it's sleep more, sleep! Eat more, eat! Move more, move!

 

[katrina2017]

@madamimadaminchrist Here is a different perspective - if you don’t slow down, you will tax your pelvic floor making recovery after delivery harder. Which means you cannot go back to working out as quickly as you would want to. Sure, you are creating a new human and all that - but that logic never worked on me. I detested being tired. The only thing that kept me from feeling guilty was the potential for irreversible harm I will inadvertently do to my pelvic floor.

 

[madamimadaminchrist]

@katrina2017 Tbh, this is probably the best approach for me as well. Thank you.

 

[crystalturquoise]

@madamimadaminchrist 33 weeks is when i suddenly felt so insanely pregnant and like I needed to rest way more than I had since the beginning. It’s a really normal time to feel the need to slow down and gather your strength for the growing baby is doing in those last 7ish weeks and for your delivery. Focus on preparing your body for the work it’s about to do and not pushing through your fatigue. Yoga is a great option now, walks, all those “prepare for labor” stretches. It’s better for you and the baby to listen to those feelings rather than push it.

 

[kd1616]

@madamimadaminchrist That happened to me around the same time and I stopped running. A week later I was admitted to the hospital for preterm labor (not saying this will happen to anyone else!). But seriously you are nearing the end and you will slow down. Post birth you will need to continue to do less. Everything goes back to normal eventually after giving birth so try not to stress. You’re taking care of yourself and your baby by resting.