Old Mind - Meet New Body

 That precious little creature turned 7 months today...

I've noticed time moving faster for the last 5 or so years....but nobody told me that it would move at absolute warp-speed when you have a baby. WOW.

Honestly, having a child is full of a lot of things that you weren't prepared for (and there really isn't a way to prepare!) One of which, I want to address today....

I went bikini shopping yesterday.
I didn't plan to - I had a doctor's appointment in the big city that morning, so I decided to make a "Mommy Day" of it. I got my nails done and went shopping. First stop was, of course, the shimmering pot of gold that is Target.

In case you haven't been in a Target lately, the bathing suits are out. FRONT AND CENTER, as soon as you walk through the doors.

"Well, I'll just see if anything strikes my fancy."

And something did - a super cute red bikini, and the bottom had navy polka dots! Cute, sassy, love it.

I was realistic. I snatched up a XL top for my bosoms and hesitated with the M, so went for a L for the bottom. Off to the dressing room I went!

My thoughts as I put the suit on:

"Ugh, I need some color. Everything looks better with a little sun."

"Lemme do the ol' lift and tuck on these puppies (boobs). There. Hmm, can I wear this now that I'm a mom? Too much cleave?"

"Ok, there we go."

When I was all strapped in and faced the mirror front-on, that's where things got squirrelly.

"Why does my upper body have to be so damn fluffy?"
"I wish my boobs were a little smaller; they make me look big."
"Ugh, my f**king waist is SO WIDE. When did it become so wide?!?"
"Stand bo-legged, thigh gap!"
"My stretchmarks on my inner thighs are getting darker. What the actual f**k?"
"I really need to do leg day twice a week; my entire lower body is FOR SH*T!"

I bought the bikini. Checking out I calculated how long I had until Memorial Day weekend. Obviously, I workout 6-7 days a week and I try to eat healthfully 80% of the time, and while I really try hard not to fat shame myself or anyone else, that's essentially what I had just done.

Healthy living fail.

Being the self-aware trained therapist I am, driving home, I tried to do some damage control. I focused on the fact that it was only 7 months since I gave birth..

"Getting your body back takes time, Lindsay."
"Even Jamie Eason looked considerably different 7 months postpartum in her Instagram pics"

That helped, but here's what made it click for me...old mind, meet new body:

This lower body helped me to carry a baby to 40 weeks, 5 days and continue working out up until the day I gave birth. Hell, I was doing laps on the stairs with Tim and my doula after my water broke.

This waist and its widened-self is a reminder of what my sweet baby boy once called his home. It's where I kept him safe for 10 months while he grew.

The fluffiness is that layer of fat I have over strong muscles. These muscles are what gave me the strength to naturally deliver Everett. I'll never forget how it felt to reach down and use those "fluffy arms" to pull that boy onto my "big boobs".

My entire life has permanently changed since the moment I became a mother, and maybe parts of my body have too. And that's okay.

Will I still continue leading a healthy lifestyle? Yes.
Will I continue to make goals for myself and my body? Yes.
Will I do a better job of practicing self-love and recognizing my body's achievements? Yes.

In Health,

Lindsay

Where Time and Energy Are....

Wow - our blog post about our birth story was written when Baby E was just a few weeks old! Sorry for being MIA -  he is now 10 weeks old and has SO MUCH PERSONALITY! He loves to smile, stand up, and is a total chatterbox! He started sleeping in his crib at 6 weeks and began sleeping through the night (most nights, lol) shortly there after. He started daycare at 8.5 weeks and contracted his first cold shortly there after :) He eats 4-5 oz every 2 hours (and is just like his mom and gets HANGRY) and weighs 14 pounds (big boy!!). He still is not a fan of the car seat and refuses to sleep on his back. He is spending more time in the Bumbo seat, which we affectionately call "The Poop Chair" because a dirty diaper is sure to follow after 5 minutes or less in the Bumbo, lol! Of course, like all babies, he has his fussy moments, but honest to God, he's a really really good, happy baby!! We are blessed!

He is so strong!!

Working out :)

This is when he discovered his tongue

Loves to smile :)

 Lindsay resumed working out right at 4 weeks postpartum. All the pregnancy weight (30 pounds) was lost, but body shape and texture (?) had definitely changed and were going to require some work :) She started a Body After Baby/Hot Mom 90-day Challenge at 5 weeks postpartum. This is a Fit with Farrar sponsored challenge where 30-some other moms committed to working out and eating healthfully with her, and one frequent comment from the other moms was "Where on Earth do you find the time and the energy?!?!"




So here's the big secret. Lindsay has found the secret location where both time and energy are hidden from busy, stressed out moms.....



 YOUR MIND.



Yep, it's all in your head. While we never want to undermine how difficult it is to be a mom, energy is a decision. If you tell yourself you have energy, your body will react accordingly. If all you do is think about how tired and exhausted you are, your body also acts accordingly. And with time....time is also a decision. Nobody, mom or not, HAS the time to workout...you have to MAKE the time. Everyone has at least 10-15 minutes a day. Don't think you do? Talk to us about your schedule - I guarantee you we'll find you 10-15 minutes.

Here's the schedule we've been able to develop. DISCLAIMER: Sh*t Happens. Some days do not work like this, but most do. And yeah, milestones (like teething) are probably going to throw a wrench into this, but while we are flexible, we are also committed. This is our lifestyle - we choose it, we will make it work!

4am - Mom and Dad wake; if Baby isn't already awake, we wake for a change and feeding

4:30am - Baby goes back down in crib

5am - Mom works out at home while Dad heads to work for a workout before his day begins

6:30am - Mom wakes up Baby (if not already awake) for another change and feeding, then load up in the car!

7:15am - Mom drops Baby off at daycare and heads to work

7:30am - 5pm - Mom and Dad at work (boooo) and Baby at daycare (double booooo).

5:10pm - Mom picks up Baby from daycare and Dad is on his way home.

5:45pm - 7:30pm - playtime and dinner with Baby!! Also pack all the prepped meals and snacks for the next day.

7:30pm - nighttime ritual begins: bath, bottle, & rocking chair. Baby is usually asleep in crib by 8pm. We watch TV/chat in bed for an hour and then go to sleep ourselves. Then we wake up at 4am and do it all over again....

This schedule is what works for us; it might not work for you and your specific situation, but that's not the point. The point is that if you want to lead a healthy lifestyle, you have to make the time. It seems like a chore in the beginning, but eventually, it just becomes a part of your everyday life. If you need some help figuring out how to make things work for you, just email us (fitwithfarrar at gmail) or message us on Facebook!

In Health,

Tim and Lindsay

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
YOUTUBE
INSTAGRAM: @fitwithfarrar

Our Birth Story

Disclaimer: Although the title should be enough of a warning, if you aren't into hearing about labor, delivery, babies, or all that is beautiful in general, you should skip this post :)

Sunday, August 4th - 4 days post due date.

      The last week or two of my pregnancy was where I finally started to feel it. I would have days that I was feeling good and could move and go and workout as usual....then I had days where it took all my energy just to go to work and sit at my desk! At my OB visits, my blood pressure was starting to creep up...not pre-eclampisa high, just high for me (I'm usually low, and was especially low in pregnancy). On Sunday, I had spent most of the morning just lying in bed, watching TV. Timothy would check my BP periodically and we were still getting high readings. At the recommendation of our Doula, we called our OB and she recommended we go to the hospital to get evaluated.

     We arrive at the hospital in the early evening, they monitor my blood pressure and take some blood for labs. BP was still kind of high, but what they were most concerned with were my liver enzymes in the blood work. We decided that we would stay overnight at the hospital in the Antepartum Unit and then have our OB break my water in the morning. One of the doctors offered to sweep my membranes, and since I knew my water was going to be broken in the morning, I thought why not!

     It's like when you're a child and it's Christmas Eve - you have trouble sleeping because of the excitement....that's how we were on the Antepartum Unit that night. We even slept in the tiny little hospital bed together to try and soothe the energy. Come 7am - we'd be taken back down to Labor & Delivery and our journey would begin! Obviously, we had some concerns about how my body would respond to having my water broken. We had natural birth preferences, and would've much preferred to go into labor on my own, but that wasn't an option now. I think it's safe to say we were both concerned how it would impact our ability to have a natural birth. Still hopeful and dedicated, but concerned.

Monday, August 5th - the day.

     We made it down to L&D around 7:30am. Shortly after, our Doula arrived! Because of my positive Group B Strep diagnosis (something I carry that doesn't harm me, but can make newborns sick), I was given my first of two rounds of antibiotics while we waited for the OB to come in and break my water. Around 8am, they broke my water. That was strange - I wasn't sure what it would feel like, but it literally is more uncomfortable to have a pap smear, haha! Super quick and easy. Oh, right before the water breaking, our nurse (who was absolutely FABULOUS) offered to sweep my membranes again, and we said sure, it couldn't hurt. After all that was done, Timothy, our Doula, and I hit the stairs. I was 3-4 cm dilated and 75% effaced, and now that my water was broken, we wanted to get in as much activity as possible to encourage the baby getting into position. We did the stairs for about 15 minutes, having to stop during contractions and get on all fours while our Doula or Timothy rubbed my lower back - the people in the stairwell looked at us like we were crazy, which made us all laugh. :) Afterwards, we walked outside very briefly (it was a gorgeous day!) and then I wanted to head back to L&D.

     Contractions steadily increased throughout the morning, both in frequency and in intensity. It was clear I was going to be one of those women with back labor. I felt all the pain of a contraction right in my lower back! We tried multiple positions (standing, on all fours, draped over the yoga ball, head down/butt up, lying on my side, etc.) but what felt the best was sitting backwards on the toilet, holding the grip bar and just rocking back and forth.

     I made it to 8-9 cm dilated and 100% effaced quickly, but was starting to feel stuck. Turns out, Baby E was OP (Occiput Posterior position) with his head turned toward my right hip....that definitely explained the lower back pain! Our nurse, Karen, said that another nurse on the unit, Martha, was excellent at manipulating babies and we could bring her in and see what she could do....we said absolutely! In the mean time, our nurse called the OB to say "Go ahead and see your next appointment, then you should head this way." Martha did about 20 minutes worth of manipulating (and I'll spare you the details, but whoa that is intense!!!) and then she gives a look at our nurse Karen, and Karen calls our OB and says "Umm, you need to get up here now!" With the manipulating, he dropped into position immediately and it was pushing time!!

     45 minutes....pushed 12-15 times, and then they say "Reach down and get your baby!" I reach down and pull out my beautiful baby boy onto my chest. He is wide-eyed and quiet, just looking up at his mom and dad!! August 5, 2013 at 2:50pm, Everett was born weighing 8 lbs, 13 oz and 21 inches long.

So we did it!! Despite having to have my water broken for me, we had our natural birth! No pain medication, no epidurals, no episiotomy/surgical interventions....it was amazing! Less than 7 hours, only having to push a dozen or so times....I don't think we could've asked for better! And the staff were so freaking awesome. Of course, our OB and our Doula were well-familiar with our natural birth preferences, but our nurses that day were totally on point with everything and we never had to ask. Pain medication wasn't offered, warm compresses/stretching techniques done to avoid tearing, letting me move whenever I wanted, keeping the room quiet and dark, etc, etc. Their support, without questioning, was huge for us. Although our Doula was more than capable of advocating if we needed, we didn't because the nursing staff was already game with everything. AWESOME.

Our little man is now 2 weeks old. He is so strong (holding his head up on his own at 2 days old), and a total boys-boy with his grown man farts and burps! :) We are in love with him and found a new love in each other. Labor and delivery was just as awesome an experience as my pregnancy was....I couldn't have asked for better!

In Health,

Lindsay

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram: fitwithfarrar

Last Baby Farrar Update Before Delivery!

Hi guys - Lindsay here!

While we try to keep the focus of our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube pages (dang, that's a lot of social media!) on healthy living - we can't help but sneak in pregnancy updates from time to time. Quite simply, it is our life right now, but if you don't like the baby stuff, you can keep it moving :)

For our last blog update, we were at 6 months. Now, we are quickly approaching 9 months - we are currently 33 weeks pregnant! The last couple of months have gone well - nothing really changed too drastically from the last update. Just more OB appointments (aka get weighed, pee in a cup, vitals taken, measure the belly, listen to the heartbeat, see you next time), more growing in the belly/lots and lots of baby movement, more accumulating the necessities (car seats, stroller, glider, etc.).

I passed the gestational diabetes test - which I was overly-worked up about, mostly due to getting some flack from my OB/nurse about my weight gain. It's not outrageous at all, and in their words, they "didn't know where I was putting it" because the belly and baby measure right on target and I look great, but the fact that it was seemingly an issue to them always upset me. I don't know why - I've always been a girl who weighed way more than people would've thought (Yes, you can be a size 2 and weigh 145-150 pounds) - but because they would push the "you don't want to have a big baby" button on me, I would get so emotional. Here lately, since I am so close to the end, I've tried to be more intentional about letting the weight comments roll off me. So long as he continues to measure on track, my blood pressure continues to be perfect (usually 110/70), SO WHAT!!!!

We were able to get a 3D/4D ultrasound done - and that was amazing!! Both the technician and myself thought Baby had Timothy's cheeks, nose, and chin! He was a smilely little thing too - and when he would smile, he'd scrunch up his nose - now that's a trait from me!! :) Oh, and he was very clearly still a boy, lol.

Cute scrunched up nose when smiling!!

We finished our 12-week Bradley Method birth class - and while going to and from Richmond so late on Sunday nights was a pain, we really did learn SO much. I think both of us feel prepared and confident with regard to labor and are dedicated to doing all that we can to bring Baby into this world naturally. Being that we are giving birth in a hospital with an OB, we decided to hire a Doula. While my OB has agreed to all my birth preferences, there is no guarantee that she will be the one in the practice to actually deliver me when it is time, so a Doula will be one consistent figure and advocate in the process, no matter what.

It's funny - once I hit 32 weeks, I finally began to feel pregnant. Took long enough, huh?  :) Don't get me wrong, I am by no means uncomfortable or dying to get this over with, but I am starting to notice certain changes that make me go "Yep, I really am pregnant". For example, it now takes me 1-2 days to recover between workouts. I'll do TurboFire or P90X or a longer Crossfit WOD and feel great, but then I'll need at least 1 day of rest before working out at that intensity again. That being said - yes, I'm still doing intense workouts because it feels good to me. I've tried prenatal Pilates and other more gentle workouts, and they just don't do it for me. What feels good to me and what works for my body is my usual workouts, just modified as needed! (Disclaimer: Always work with your OB to find what's appropriate for you)

Sleeping is still pretty good, eating is always good (lol). Baby is head-down and I have Braxton Hicks contractions daily, lasting about 40 seconds, several times throughout the day. Mine are not painful, rather my belly just tightens up and gets rock hard on all sides. I've had a few folks tell me they don't think I'll go all the way to 40 weeks. Timothy is betting I'll go in early July, and a couple co-workers have bet that I'll go mid-July. My due date is July 31st - what do you think???

Some preggers selfies :)

You'll remember, it took us a long time to get here, so we are just blissfully happy and excited!! The next Baby blog post will be after he's arrived!!! Stay tuned!

In Health,

Lindsay

Reader's Request: Fitness & Pregnancy

Pregnancy - don't think anyone would argue that it is anything other than the most amazing thing. EVER. Think about it...growing a human inside your body and then bringing it into the world - WOW! If you are trying to conceive, are currently pregnant, or recently gave birth, we hope you find this little bit of insight helpful.

With exercising while trying to conceive, the jury's still out, kinda. There was a recent study that suggested regular moderate exercise is excellent for women trying to conceive, but that those who do higher intensity workouts/are really lean bodyfat-wise had a lesser chance of conceiving. On the flip-side, there are those from the mindset that whatever your body is accustomed to workout-wise is just fine to continue while trying to get preggers (Lindsay's OB included, for what it's worth).

During the first trimester, staying active is important. It will help alleviate some of the negative side-effects of pregnancy hormones you might be experiencing (nausea, fatigue, etc.). But no one says you have to keep up with your 6-day-a-week workouts seshs.....if you need to bump it down a notch, DO SO! You're growing a baby, for goodness sake! :)

Once you get into the second and third trimesters, you might have slowed down (especially if you were super active girl before getting pregnant), but don't stop completely! Remaining active isn't just good for you, it's good for that little critter in your belly too! Avoid high-risk/contact exercise, working out in extreme temperatures, and also avoid exercises that have you on your back (like Pilates), because when lying on your back, your expanding uterus presses against your spinal cord, which in turn limits blood flow.

In general, stop exercising and call your OB immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Vaginal bleeding
• Dizziness or feeling faint
• Increased shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Headache
• Uterine contractions
• Decreased fetal movement
• Fluid leaking from the vagina

Once you get through the greatest workout of your life (BIRTH!!), ease back into your fitness routine. Once you get the all-clear from the Doc, start slow - like going for a walk every day. Work your way up - don't get discouraged, if you were fit before, you'll get right back there, it just takes some time!!

Some things to keep in mind throughout the process:

• The importance of nutrition, not only for you but for your little nugget!!
• A lot will depend on your starting point: were you working out regularly before getting pregnant? 
• Don't just zero-in on one type of fitness: have your cardio, but also do strength training and lots of stretching!

Let's Chat: What role do you think fitness has during pregnancy? Any first-hand experience to share??Post below!!


In Health,

Lindsay & Timothy
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
YOUTUBE

DISCLAIMER: Neither Timothy nor Lindsay are experts in pre-natal or post-natal exercise. This post is just based on the research we've done ourselves and information we've accumulated from consulting with professionals. Please consult with YOUR physician before engaging in an exercise program.