31.5 weeks pregnant with Emma (left), and 34.5 weeks pregnant with Baby Boy (right). I am actually measuring smaller with him, but he is measuring bigger than Emma!

I hope you had a wonderful week! I am officially 34.5 weeks pregnant … 8.5 months along and in the homestretch! I delivered at 37 weeks with Emma, and would LOVE to deliver at 37 weeks with Baby Boy (fingers crossed).

Overall, I have enjoyed this pregnancy far more than my first one. Recently I have been sick with a bad cold and feeling rather puffy. Personally, I think my face looks swollen and my nose looks wider than usual. This happened at the very end of my pregnancy with Emma. I am trying to wear my hair slightly bigger than normal, wear cute clothes, put some lighter make-up down the middle of my nose, etc to compensate. Thankfully I have a very nice husband who has been trying to give me compliments whenever possible, and a few of my girlfriends who know I am very insecure about the puffiness have been extra sweet. I am also putting into practice the following tips to ensure that I do not retain too much water.

Here is my workout summary from this past week:

• Day 1: 3 hours of running and weight training with clients
• Day 2: 2 hours of cardio machines and track workout with clients
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: 3 hours of cardio machines and light weight training with clients
• Day 5: Rest and a few miles of walking with Emma
• Day 6: 2 hours of cardio machines and plyos with clients
• Day 7: 3 mile walk/run

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win this BMW Maclaren stroller!

So, onto the FUN stuff! BMW Maclaren has offered to send one of you (my lovely readers) a BMW Maclaren stroller like the one pictured here! This.Is.Huge! Emma has thoroughly enjoyed her BMW Maclaren stroller, and I feel soooo awesome pushing her around in a super nice stroller with the BWM logo (who wouldn’t?).

Read my blogs on the Top 5 Reasons to “Test-Drive” the BMW Maclaren Stroller, and BMW Maclaren Buggy — Riding in Style.

Please do one or more of the following to enter the giveaway. Each action is optional, but the more entries you have, the more likely you are to win. Leave a comment on this blog post for each action item that you complete. I will pick a winner on  Monday, May 27, 2013.

• Follow @MaclarenNA on Twitter
• Share the follow on Twitter: I’ve entered @fitparenting’s Maclaren #BMWbuggycomp. Enter the competition here http://wp.me/p1AVgY-uY.
• Answer the following question and comment on this post: “Which BMW Maclaren buggy color do you like best?” You can find the colors on the Maclaren Facebook page, website, or Facebook app.
• Follow Fit Pregnancy and Parenting on Instagram (@fitparenting)
• Follow Fit Pregnancy and Parenting on Facebook
• Follow @fitparenting on Twitter

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful mammas and mammas-to-be! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful day with your families reflecting on the blessings of life. My day started early with Baby Boy doing somersaults and reminding me of his presence from 3.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Emma woke up at 6.30 a.m. and ran into my room yelling, “Mommy snuggle?” She crawled up into the bed and under the covers after throwing a small gift bag at me. Needless to say, I’m very tired today, but thankful

Yesterday we were able to do a quick family and fit pregnancy photo shoot with Erin from Lasting Snapshots Photography. Here is a quick preview (see photo on right). Emma was in a really good mood, so I think Erin got some cute photos of Emma and Brandon! I have a cold this weekend and was feeling swollen/puffy and large at 33.5 weeks, but I’m excited to see how the photos turned out!

Birds and Bees Teas

Over the past several weeks, I have been taste-testing Birds and Bees Teas. I received the teas when I got back from my last vacation, and I am absolutely in love with the packaging and branding. Check out how cute these little tins are!

There is a different tea specific for each phase of pregnancy and postpartum recovery. The teas purposes range from boosting the immune system, to helping produce more milk after delivery.

I have taste-tested several of the teas so far, and they are all delicious. I am currently drinking the “Ripe and Ready” tea faithfully, and hoping it helps to speed up my delivery process! It has red raspberry leaves (which I took at the end of my pregnancy with Emma). I got a cold this week, so I will likely start drinking the family immunity tea again this week.

Birds and Bees Teas has been kind enough to offer one of you a FREE tea of your choice!

Please do one or more of the following to enter the giveaway. Each action is optional, but the more entries you have, the more likely you are to win. Leave a comment on this blog post for each action item that you complete. I will pick a winner on  Monday, May 20, 2013.

• Like Birds and Bees Teas on Facebook
• Leave a comment about why you would like to win a Birds and Bees Tea
• Share this give-away on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest
• Follow Fit Pregnancy and Parenting on Pinterest
• Follow Fit Pregnancy and Parenting on Twitter
• Like Fit Pregnancy and Parenting on Facebook

Learn how to interpret the ways eye doctors measure your vision. From the chart used during an eye exam to what the letters on your prescription mean, you’ll get an idea of what goes into correcting your eyesight.

Eyeglasses Prescriptions Explained: Learn how Your Vision is Measured

Ever wonder what 20/20 vision means? Confused by the numbers and letters on your eyeglasses prescription? These may seem too complicated for the average person, but you don’t have to be an eye doctor to understand them. Read on to decipher the meanings behind how your eyesight is measured.

What does 20/20 vision mean?

The 20/20 scale measures a person’s visual acuity, or sharpness of their vision. This is based on the standard eye chart, known as the Snellen eye chart, which is widely used for eye exams in the United States. Developed in the 1860s by a Dutch eye doctor, the most common variation features a large capital letter E at the top followed by ten rows of various other capital letters that get progressively smaller as they go down.

To measure eyesight, this chart is placed twenty feet away from a person’s eyes, or mirrors are used to make it appear as though it is twenty feet away. Normal vision, or 20/20 vision, means that a person can read a letter at 20 feet – the distance it’s been deemed a person should be able to read it from. If a person has 20/50 vision, this means they can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision sees at 50 feet. Typically the fourth line of letters from the bottom denotes 20/20 vision, with the better-than-average 20/15, 20/10 and 20/5 below that.

What does my eyeglass prescription mean?

When you look at your prescription for eyeglasses, the first things you might notice are the two-letter abbreviations. These are abbreviations for Latin words.

• OS (oculus sinister): left eye
• OD (oculus dextrus): right eye
• OU (oculus uterque): both eyes

Additional abbreviations and terms included in eyeglasses prescriptions are:

• SPH = sphere: This indicates the prescription’s power and how strong the lenses need to be.
• CYL = cylinder: This denotes astigmatism and indicates how strong the lens needs to be to correct astigmatism.
• Axis: This describes the degree and direction of astigmatism.
• Add: This is an indicator of how much magnifying power is needed in a bifocal or progressive lens.
• Prism: This indicates the amount of prismatic power needed to correct eye alignment problems. Only a small percentage of eyeglasses wearers need this.

Generally, the further from zero the numbers on a prescription are, the worse the person’s eyesight is. A plus sign in front of the number indicates farsightedness and a minus sign means nearsightedness. The numbers represent diopters which is the unit used to measure the lens power necessary to correct vision.

Though a little complicated, the Latin abbreviations and numbers are used as a standardized format in an effort to make prescriptions universally readable worldwide. After your next eye exam, have your eye doctor walk you through the details of your prescription. You might surprise yourself by how much it makes sense now that you know the basics.

I have the privilege of partnering with both Under Armour and FitFluential in the “What’s Beautiful” campaign to redefine the female athlete. And I want YOU on my team! Are you up for the challenge?

What is the  Under Armour “What’s Beautiful” Campaign:

It’s an 8 week challenge to set a personal goal, partner up with other inspiring ladies on teams to motivate each other, and ultimately compete for Under Armour Swag and a trip to Costa Rica!

How do you sign up? 

Visit the following website and create a profile and set a goal for yourself. Then message me on Facebook (personal or Fit Pregnancy business page) to let me know that you’d like to be added to my Team — “Strong is the New Skinny” so we can motivate each other and keep one another accountable!

So, what goal are you considering for this 8 week campaign/challenge? Perhaps you want to commit to staying OFF the scale and only focusing on eating healthy and sticking to your workout plan. Or maybe you want to train for a specific event. My goal is to train hard through the end of my pregnancy and then train for a Tough Mudder with a couple of my clients after I deliver!

If you sign up for the campaign, be sure you use the #whatsbeautiful and #IWILL hashtags on Instagram and Twitter.

I hope you will join me in this awesome campaign! Let me know if you have any questions and how I can inspire you to reach your goals!

Running strong at mile 9 with Mallory! I treated Baby Boy to a donut after the race was over

This weekend I had the privilege of running the Cincinnati Flying Pig half-marathon with three of my gym clients (and friends). It was such a fun weekend, and completing the whole half-marathon was a huge accomplishment for each of us. Read below about some important lessons I learned running at 32.5 weeks pregnant.

On Saturday we left my house around noon so we could spend a good bit of time at the expo. Along for the trip were three of my female clients/friends (Mallory Susan, and Hannah), and Brandon, my hubs. I went to the expo last year as well (but deferred the race registration due to the heat and an injury). The expo this year was 10000 times better than last year! I had so much fun shopping around and getting TONS of free samples. We purchased a few items and then headed to our hotel in Cinci.

After the expo, we ate a Jeff Ruby’s Precinct. A-mazing!

After relaxing for an hour or so, we got ready to go to Jeff Ruby’s Precinct. This was BY FAR the nicest restaurant I have ever been to! I mean … NICE! The food was a-mazing. We had delicious sour dough bread, yummy crab cake, healthy salads, savory steak and lobster, and some molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream to top it all off. Talk about delish! I can’t wait to go back to the restaurant for a special occasion.

The Sunday morning start time came early. We had to be at the start line by 6 a.m. It was still dark when we were walking through the city. The race itself was sooooo fun! Mallory and I planned to stay together, and Hannah and Susan planned to keep the same pace. I kept my cell with me so we could text progress updates, and I ended up using it a lot to text Brandon and even post on Facebook and Twitter.

We finished the 13.1 miles strong!

Here are some important lessons that I learned about running a half-marathon while 32.5 weeks pregnant.

• If you are going to run a half-marathon in your third trimester — don’t pick the hilliest one in the state. Cinci is HILLY! We went up some hills that were about a mile long! Thankfully, after mile 10, it was mostly downhill, but that actually killed my knees and pelvis since it added even more pressure. Add the loosening effects of the relaxin hormone, plus a steep downhill grade — not pleasant!
• Definitely run with Mallory if you are going to do a half-marathon in your 32nd week of pregnancy. Mallory is a nurse and has delivered babies … just made me feel much more comfortable all around.
• Stay hydrated. Believe it or not, I don’t usually drink water during races. However, this time, I drank at EVERY water station. Sometimes two cups of water! Staying hydrated cuts down on Braxton Hicks and is especially important during pregnancy. I was probably drinking every 10 minutes or so.

The race crew!

• Find some potty break areas! Mallory and I ran straight until mile 9, and then at the end of a mile-long hill, I took a quick pit stop. Emptying your bladder will also cut down on Braxton Hicks.
• Tape your ankles and knees! This is something that I didn’t do, and I regretted by mile 10.
• Wear compression clothing. I wore a compression belly band and it was GREAT! SO glad I had it for added support.

Today I had an OB checkup scheduled and an ultrasound. My doctor was fully aware that I was planning to run the half-marathon, and the first question she asked me when she walked in the door was, “How did your half-marathon go, and how did your clients do?” So sweet! I had a great ultrasound and it turns out Baby Boy is measuring big … he’s already 4.5 pounds and in position!

32 weeks! Enjoying some great workouts in my third trimester of pregnancy!

Is it safe to exercise in the third trimester of pregnancy? What workouts are appropriate? These are questions that I get often from my clients. And I’m here to tell you — it’s absolutely safe to exercise in your third trimester of pregnancy. Here is a break down of my workouts this past week (I am currently 32 weeks pregnant). Please keep in mind that I am in exceptional shape and maintained a very vigorous workout schedule pre-pregnancy.

• Day 1: 6 miles of running with clients, cardio machines, free weights, and pilates
• Day 2: 3.25 miles of running/walking
• Day 3: 3 hours of cardio machines, running, and pilates with clients
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: 1 hour of plyos with a client
• Day 6: 6 hours of running, cardio machines, and lifting with clients
• Day 7: Rest

Resting today so I am fresh for my half-marathon this weekend!

This weekend I am running the Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon with three of my gym clients. I am SO excited! I certainly won’t be breaking any records, but I plan to finish the 13.1 miles with style (we might purchase some pig noses and tails for the race). I even thought about turning my preggy belly into a little pig face and seeing how many stares I get. HA, just kidding.

Here are some important items to note as you continue working out through your third trimester or pregnancy:

• Consult with your doctor about working out in the third trimester of pregnancy. My doctor is very supportive of my workouts and intensity level and has not given me any restrictions. She is fully aware that I am running a half marathon this weekend and is really excited to see me for my prenatal appointment on Monday and hear how it went.
• Listen to your body: If you experience any red flags (cramping, bleeding, shortness of breath, etc) … immediately stop your workout and consult your doctor if necessary. 
• You will almost definitely have to scale back the intensity of your workouts. I am still working out for the same amount of time as pre-pregnancy, but I have definitely decreased the intensity of my workouts in this trimester.
• Every pregnancy and every woman is different. Do not compare yourself with me, your pregnant friend, or yourself in a previous third trimester of pregnancy. I am able to do things this pregnancy that I was not able to do when I was pregnant with Emma, but I have also had to scale back a few exercises even more than I did with her. (Ex: I am able to run more than I did with her since Baby Boy is sitting higher, but I have had to stop doing lunges as often because it makes my pelvis very sore).

If you have any questions about working out in the third trimester of pregnancy, please let me know! I would be more than happy to give you advice based on my experience and research.

Top 5 reasons we love our BMW Maclaren Stroller

I am officially half-way through my 31st week of pregnancy! Unfortunately, I got a bad stomach virus early this week, and was sicker than I’ve ever been in my life. I found out the hard way that the only thing worse than the having the flu, is having the flu while pregnant. I’ll write a post later on how to survive a stomach virus while pregnant. Thankfully I am feeling 100% back to normal and I have enjoyed a few days in a row of great workouts. I ran 6 miles with my gym clients yesterday, did some lifting late this week, and just got back from a 3.25 mile recovery run.

The BMW Maclaren stroller and accessories (see diaper bag pictured here) are stylish.

Now onto a more exciting topic … our new stroller! Before we had Emma, I tried my best to research good stroller companies. But, like many of you, I was overwhelmed by an overabundance of marketing and information, and left frustrated and confused. Let me make this easy for you and tell you about a new stroller that we are “test-driving” — the BMW Maclaren.

“A collaboration of form and functionality, the Maclaren BMW Buggy combines luxury, elegance, and sporty styling.”

Over the past few weeks, Brandon, Emma, and I have been using the BMW Maclaren stroller. I honestly cannot say enough about this stroller series. All three of us are in love with the BMW buggy and looking forward to many more adventures. While my compliments of the stroller are endless, here are some highlights.

The stroller is comfortable … both to push and for Emma to ride in.

1. The BMW Maclaren stroller is stylish: Hello … anything with the BMW logo is automatically stylish, but this stroller is sleek, elegant, and sporty. I absolutely love heading to the outdoor mall or park with our BMW Maclaren and always secretly hope that people notice the logo. We also have the BMW diaper bag and absolutely LOVE it! It is spacious and gives me the ability to store diapers, toys, wipes, and even my computer!

This buggy is lightweight and easy to transport.

2. The stroller is comfortable for Emma. When she turned 6 months old, we purchased a stroller to take her to the park, mall, or on one of our many vacations. Unfortunately, the stroller was not comfortable for Emma. It hit her legs in a weird place and did not provide much cushion, so she did not like to spend much time in the stroller. However, The BMW Maclaren is so comfy for her. She gets sooo excited when we get the stroller ready for a ride and enjoys sitting in it for longer periods of time.

3. The BMW Maclaren is lightweight and easy to transport. No longer will we I be struggling to lift a heavy stroller into the car trunk or having a hard time folding up the stroller for easy transport.

The BMW Maclaren is appropriate for all weather.

4. The stroller is appropriate for all weather. We live in Ohio. Ohio has a hard time making it’s mind up about the weather. One minute it could be gorgeous, and the next raining. Thankfully, the BMW Maclaren has a large, water-resistant hood with mesh viewing windows and UPF 50+ sun protection to shield Emma from the elements.

5. This stroller is safe. It has a 5 point harness buckle that is easy for me to secure, but not possible for Emma to escape out of. It also has rear reflectors in case we are out when it’s dark.

I hope you will check out the BMW Maclaren site to read more and purchase today!

Look for a post later this week about some great pregnancy teas that I am taste-testing. Also, please pray for me since my half-marathon is NEXT weekend. I am excited, but also nervous. I most certainly won’t be breaking any records, but it will be a lot of fun!

Special thanks to Holly and Steve Neal, and Lindsay and Chris Beals, for supplying our “family vehicles” and helping with our fun photo shoot.

Do you know if you type the letters ‘L’ and ‘O’ into Google the first search comes up with ‘Lose belly fat’? Belly fat is a big problem for new mummies and well, women, in general around the world.

The spare tyre, that muffin top, whatever you want to call it is often the final stage of losing your baby weight after pregnancy. Interestingly, abdominal fat bears the blame for many health problems because it resides within striking distance of your heart, liver, and other organs–pressing on them, feeding them poisons, and messing with their daily function. 

A study of more than 8,000 people found that over 13 years, the people with the weakest abdominal muscles had a death rate more than twice as high as those with the strongest midsections. Such research upholds the notion that flat stomachs do more than turn heads at the beach. In fact, your abdominal muscles control more of your body than you may even realize–and have just as much substance as show.

A defined midsection, in many ways, says defined fitness. But it also defines something else: A flat stomach is the hallmark of people in control of their bodies and, as such, in control of their health. And losing the baby weight is all about getting our bodies back, being in control of our bodies once again.

Although we know it is healthier to have a flat and defined stomach, most of us just want it to look good in our skinny jeans, slinky dress or in a bikini. And that is OK too. So how do we get there.

Did you know that belly fat loss is 70% diet and 30% exercise?

This was a shock to me. Firstly, I thought it was more exercise, namely crunches or running or both. I have worked out for 4 days a week, I have trained for and run a marathon and I have done hundreds of crunches. All the while, I still kept hold of my muffin top, my spare tyre, that stubborn belly fat. I have always been envious of those mummies who easily returned back into their pre-baby shape with taught, flat stomachs. How did they do it?

Now, in the past 3 years I have been studying health and nutrition and it was only in the last 6 months that I finally figured out why I was never able to obtain the elusive flat stomach. Firstly, our body shapes play an important part in where we store fat and also what types of eaters we are and lastly, what we eat is more important that how much we eat.

In fact, we can eat as much as we like of the right food so we need never follow a ‘diet’.

Apple shape women (those that carry weight around their middles) find it harder to lose the last of their weight and stubborn belly fa and also women who are sugar cravers- snackers who choose sweets, chocolate, jellies, ice cream as their nibble of choice.

There are foods you need to avoid if you are an ‘apple sugar lover’. Avoiding sugary things is an obvious thing to say but I also recommend to my clients in this category to avoid wheat, fruit and some dairy products. In fact, replacing these items with naturally lower sugar wholefood nutritional items will result in long-term health and maintaining that weight. Apples who are salt cravers (i.e. they prefer savoury things when they snack such as crisps, chips or takeaways) it is usually about replacing bad fats with good fats. Fat is not bad, it is essential to your diet and eating good fats and proteins will not only improve your health (as well as your skin, nails, hair and energy) but it will mean you lose fat in the right places and get the shape you want.

At Mummy Shape School, we realize that each person is different and needs a personalized plan and we can give you that individual attention so that you can lose that stubborn belly fat, the fast, safe and healthy way!

Purchase my DVD or schedule a fitness and nutrition consultation and have a direct line to ask me any fitness or nutrition questions!

Wouldn’t it be great to have the direct line to a fitness professional who could answer your exercise and nutrition questions? If your answer is YES, then keep reading!

For a limited time, I am offering to be the “Personal Trainer in Your Back Pocket” if you purchase my Fitness DVD ($14.99) or schedule a one-time Fitness and Nutrition Consultation (I conduct most consults via FaceTime, Skype, or Phone). Also for a limited time, a portion of the proceeds will go to a charity benefiting the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy this past week.

Check out a sneak peek of my Fitness DVD.

One of the best parts about my job is getting the opportunity to meet new clients! I enclosed my business cards in the DVD pre-orders, and I have gotten several great questions via email from ladies that I have never met. So far, they have some great questions about both exercise and nutrition, and they have really appreciated hearing answers back from me almost immediately.

I have also been enjoying some fun one-time fitness and nutrition consults. Most women come to me after doing a good bit of research on their own, and often, they have been frustrated or confused by misinformation or generic answers that they find on the web. The important thing to remember is this: every woman is different. There is no one-size-fits-all nutrition or fitness plan. I am able to tailor a fitness and/or nutrition plan per individual after an hour-long consult and food intake analysis. In most cases, I keep in touch with these women and are able to answer questions down the line as well as they transition into different life stages. SO GREAT!

I would absolutely LOVE to meet you and help you reach your fitness goals! Let me know if you have any questions at all!

Request a fitness and/or nutrition consultation or purchase my Fit Pregnancy Total Body Workout now.

Second, shout-out to my assistant, Tasha, for finding this charity and for working super hard to send out all of my DVDs last week. She mailed all of the pre-orders out before I even got home from vacation, AND she left me a bouquet of flowers and Bolthouse smoothie as a congrats on selling out. She is the sweetest!

My assistant left me a bouquet of flowers as a congrats on selling out of the Fit Pregnancy DVD. She is the sweetest!

I am in the final countdown! And as much as I absolutely hate to admit it … in the “final slow-down” as well. Here is what I am counting down:

• 9 more business days until I am officially 100% self-employed. Mental note for next time that I quit my full-time job … give in a 2 week notice versus a 6 week notice. This final 9 days is going to be incredibly grueling. I have about 3 months of work to do in 9 days. I am simply going to do what I can physically accomplish and then pass the baton. And this craziness at work is making me even more eager to be self-employed and have more time at home with Miss Emma!
• 17 more days until the Cincinnati half-marathon. I have a sore ankle that has been bothering me for about a week. I am praying that it feels back to 100% soon so I can start running again.
• 6-10 more weeks until Baby Boy comes. I delivered 21 days ”early” with Miss Emma, and my doctor has asked me to make it to at last 36 weeks. I am seriously ready to meet this baby, and am already getting very impatient, but I know it’s extremely important to keep cooking him for several more weeks.
• 4 more weeks until my big fitness and nutrition exams for continuing education. I am renewing some certs and have been studying for a nutrition exam as well. YIKES! Prayers appreciated.

I am also in the final slow-down. I do NOT like to admit to having to slow down, but at 30 weeks pregnant, it’s very clear that my energy level is now what it used to be! I have been going to bed earlier, and even after several hours of sleep, feeling exhausted throughout the day. Part of my issue is that Baby Boy is SUPER active at night, and it makes it hard to sleep. The other night I was up for 2 hours while he was doing cartwheels inside my uterus. HA. Needless to say, I needed a nap at lunch-time to get through my 13 hour work day.

In addition to getting more sleep at night and taking the occasional nap, I have also had to slow down my workouts. I mentioned earlier that my ankle is sore … I am also finding that it is harder to keep up with my plyo workouts. I actually did my Fit Pregnancy DVD on my lunch break today, and I had to use all of the modified moves. When I filmed the workout, I was definitely capable of working out through the entire DVD without the modifications, and I could have likely even done it twice or three times in a row. Today I was struggling after just one round. Ha … talk about kicking my own butt — kinda humbling.

Did you have to slow down quite a bit at the end of your pregnancy? How did you improve your energy level (especially if/when you had a toddler to chase around)?