I Broke the “Rules”

I have read all sorts of weird rules for pregnancy and I believe I’ve broken most of them.  I’m here to shine some light on my reality (but please check with your doctor or HCP for advice and considerations specific to you).

1. Don’t get your heart rate over 140 bpm when exercising.  This actually was a recommendation once, but it was modified in 1982 to keeping exertion at a moderate level. Yes, 32+ years ago and people still believe this.  The key is to listen to your body.  You should be able to carry on a conversation but not be able to sing.
2. You should stop all moderate-level exercise in your third trimester.  I’m so sick of people shockingly asking me, “You’re still working out?!”  Um, yeah, why would I stop?!  And I’m still exercising 5 days/week for 30-60 minutes.  And even in my third trimester, I can still do push ups and modified burpees and squat jumps, etc.  This is what my body is used to.  Obviously there’s a ton of modifications and if there’s any discomfort I stop.  I’m a fairly educated woman when it comes to exercise and I can’t believe people are giving me this crazy advice to stop cold-turkey.
3. If you didn’t exercise before you were pregnant, it’s not safe to start now.  Doctors recommend exercising while pregnant, but obviously don’t think about starting “Insanity” if you’ve never worked out before.  This would be a great time to hire a trainer to get some advice and direction on exercises to avoid.
4. Lifting weights while pregnant is too stressful on your joints.  A friend of mine was recently told this by her doctor and she was even lifting weights prior to her pregnancy.   You might need to make a few modifications, that’s likely.  Make sure you’re not holding your breath, don’t exert yourself to fatigue, and avoid anything where you feel like you’re bearing down.  After the first trimester, doctors recommend to avoid laying flat on your back for prolonged periods of time; or switch to an incline bench.  But don’t stop lifting weights!
5. You should nix the fish and definitely no sushi.  I love sushi and ate it a number of times this pregnancy.  Look for anything deep fried or with shrimp because that’s always cooked.  Ask the waiter or sushi chef if you are unsure.  You might want to lay off the sashimi (pieces) and the sake though.
6. Limit your fish intake.  It is advised to steer clear of swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, and shark.  I don’t know about you guys, but those fish weren’t consumed regularly in my diet even before I was pregnant.  Pregnant women need to make sure to get 200 mg of DHA/day.  This is an omega-3 polyunsaturdated fat that is essential for your baby’s brain and eye development.  Our bodies don’t make it, so we need to get it from food.  It’s found mainly in fatty cold-water fish, like salmon, herring, tuna, trout, and oysters.  Unfortunately, most pregnant and breast-feeding women only get about 50 mg of DHA a day and low levels of DHA has been linked to postpartum depression, which affects 10–15% of mothers.  Yikes.
7. No more coffee. Not necessarily!  Most research today says that 1-2 cups of coffee/day is fine.  Granted, a cup is only 8 ounces; the smallest size at Starbucks, the tall, is 12 ounces, so keep that in mind.  Also, there is nothing wrong with decaf.
8. The worse the morning sickness, the more likely it is you’re having a girl.  I had zero morning sickness and I’m having a girl.  I’ve also had people come up to me and say, “You’re having a boy, aren’t you?”  Well you have a 50/50 chance of getting that right, but it doesn’t matter how you are carrying or if you have morning sickness.
9. No cold cut sandwiches or soft cheese because you can get Listeria.  Really?!  There are so few outbreaks of Listeria in the United States because everything is regulated so well.  But recently it’s caused quite the stir because the last outbreak a few weeks ago.  It was from a soft or semi-soft Hispanic-style cheese sold at a small Hispanic-style local food store chain in California.  Get your cheese and meats from a reputable deli.
10. No alcohol. Okay, okay, I know moderate to heavy drinking is a definite “no-no.  But I believe a drink every now and then is perfectly harmless.  Most doctors won’t say, “A little wine every now and then won’t harm the baby” because of legal issues.  A recent CDC study found that about one in eight pregnant women in the U.S. report drinking at least one alcoholic beverage per month.  Pregnant women in France, Italy, Germany, and other European countries are advised to simply limit consumption to no more than one drink per day.  I had a few glasses of wine this pregnancy and would often times sip on Dan’s beer.  I never once felt guilty.  But I do this in the comforts of my own home to avoid stares from the public…because they WILL stare.