Shaping Up

We went to our first Bradley Method class on Monday evening. Thankfully, it was pretty much what Ruggs and I both expected! There are only 5 couples (including us) total, so we have a small class and get lots of attention from the instructor. The instructor is experienced and down to earth and we both like her. Most of the other couples in the class are about my age (or younger) and are due sometime between Sept - Nov. It's fun to be around other pregnant women and see how their belles compare to mine!

The instructor, Debbie, did some introductions and then passed around a few rubber baby replicas from different weeks in pregnancy. She had 7, 15, 20, 28 and 40 week replicas. It was amazing to hold the 28 week replica (big enough for both hands) and see/feel how substantial baby J.T. is! I reminded myself that he is even a week bigger than the doll. It was pretty neat!

Debbie then showed us some exercises we are to do daily for the remainder of our pregnancy:

• Tailor sitting (or sitting cross legged) for 20 minutes
• Squatting for up to 2 minutes a few times a day
• Pelvic Rocking (on all fours or standing) 10x
• Hula 10x (I was doing it well so got to demonstrate for the class - kind of embarrassing!)
• (Coach Assisted) Butterfly 10x
• Kegels (start small and work our way up)
• Side Relaxation (with massage!) She showed the Coaches (or Dads) how to massage the moms. She demonstrated on me and she knew exactly where to go! She obviously knows her stuff!

We were both very active in the class and had a pretty good night. We are looking forward to next week! 10 more weeks of classes and pregnancy doesn't seem like enough time, but it's shaping up to be a very informative and exciting 10 weeks.

I also attended my first Prenatal Aqua Aerobics class on Tuesday morning at the local Rec Center. I was unaware of how out of shape I am until I'd been swimming for about 20 minutes! I should have been doing this all along! I thought this would be an easy class to alleviate some back pain, but it really worked my arms and abs. It's a smaller class as well and the warm water feels amazing even if it is a little work. I'm excited about this new class too and am committing to Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-10am until baby comes.

Hopefully between my daily exercises, weekly Bradley classes and Aqua Aerobics classes I'll be in better shape and Dad and I will be better prepared for the big day!

Weeks 29-32 (Month 7): Squash

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.