Letter From America Part 6
As I reflect over the past seven months, I am aware that I am approaching my pregnancy in the same way I trained for my first marathon.
Over the years, I’ve kept a training log detailing my running progress. I was especially diligent about journaling when preparing for my first marathon. The diaries included dry factual material such as: mileage, diet, and weight. The most interesting journal entries recorded my emotions felt on especially tough or inspired runs. My training log was a source of pride and a way to tangibly measure my efforts. Each week I marveled at the slow and steady progress I was making towards 26.2 miles.
Journaling was incredibly practical and helpful. It made me more observant about how my sleep patterns and eating habits affected my performance. After a few back-to-back late nights out on the town, complete with poor food choices (heavy fat-laden meals) and several glasses of wine, my training log showed the deleterious consequences of my choices. I tried to learn from my lapses of dedication and stay the healthy course to ensure Iwould cross the finish line.
I’ve continued to be attentive to my writing during pregnancy. My pregnancy journal serves as a reminder to stay healthy and to celebrate this monumental life event. I’ve packed it full of sentimental items: ultrasound photos, cards and the dinner receipt from the night I told David we were going to be parents, yet also included practical observations such as the amazing growth of my belly (now 90 cm).
I hope by noting my lapses in judgment that I’ll once again learn from my mistakes. For example, over the weekend I added a bit of mileage to my run. I over trained and, yikes, are my hips sore. I took on too much and now I’m paying the price.
Just like when I was training for the marathon, I’ve taken care to adhere to a careful diet in my pregnancy training regimen. I write down foods that give me heartburn and foods that make me feel terrific. I’ve said goodbye to sushi, and other fish rich in mercury deposits*. I had to cut out Indian food for now due to the resulting acidic stomach I suffer after each spicy meal.
I’ve paid attention to my resting patterns. And similar to my marathon training habits, I notice I get cranky when my training patterns are broken. At least seven hours of sleep a night is optimal for me. Like an athlete preparing for a big race, I need to give my body time to recuperate and rest. I did a bit of research and discovered a Massachusetts study that followed 34 pregnant women and analyzed the quality of their sleep at three stages: four weeks before giving birth, three week spostpartum, and four months postpartum. The researchers discovered if the quality of a mother’s sleep plummeted during the final weeks of pregnancy, women were more likely to feel depressed after giving birth. So, banking sleeptime now is a great idea.
There’s eleven more weeks to go in motherhood training. I find my scribbles are helping me stay healthy and observant of my actions. I hope I can keep up with my efforts and finish strong!
*As a National Academy of Sciences panel definitively warned last year, exposure to mercury in the womb can cause learning deficits, delay the mental development of children, and cause other neurological problems. Mercury consumed by a pregnant woman through contaminated fish can cause her placenta to damage the brain of her baby.
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Filed Under: Running and Pregnancy
