Could Your Man Handle Pregnancy?

Check out this video on what men think the worst thing about pregnancy is! Seems like they really don't know the half of it as most of them think that nausea is about as bad as it gets!

What about the guy who thinks it's his perfect life of eating whatever he wants, sleeping a lot and then tells his wife that her butt got fat?! LOL!

If only it were that simple huh?

Although I loved being pregnant, there were definitely some aspects that I didn't enjoy so much, like Round Ligament Pain, which I suffered badly with. The timing was rubbish too as it fell across my holiday to Ibiza for my friends wedding - I spent the whole two weeks in so much pain, I could hardly even walk!

My boyfriend thought I was making it up and got really fed up with me taking such a long time to walk anywhere! If only he could have spent 1 day in my body he would have realised how bad it actually was!

What about you?

What are you finding a struggle in your pregnancy and think your man couldn't handle?

Post your comments below and I promise to get you an answer to your problem!

Essential Abs for Pregnancy!

One of things that most expecting mums worry about is losing their figure and the struggle to get it back afterwards. Losing your waist to a huge bump can make you feel like a beached whale at times, but if you want to make sure that your pregnant figure is just as sexy as your pre-pregnant shape and if you want to guarantee your success at getting back into your skinny jeans within a couple of weeks, (it took me 10 days thanks to following my plan!), then you need to read on!

Now when you mention abs and pregnancy, most midwives, doctors or obstetricians would tut dissaprovingly and tell you that you shouldn't be "doing abs" in pregnancy. Well in a way they are right - there's absolutely no way you should be doing a traditional ab exercise like a crunch or a sit-up. These types of stomach exercises which follow the crunch movement work the Rectus Abdominus. This is the six pack muscle. If you think about how a six pack looks you'll see there are two distinct halves which are joined in the centre by a fascia called the linea alba.

In pregnancy the increasing bulk of the uterus pushes out against these two halves and stretches the rectus abdominus causing the two halves to become longer and to separate down the middle. Any additional pressure, i.e. from doing traditional sit-ups will increase the pressure and increase separation causing splitting of your abs. This is a major cause of pregnancy back pain. Although there are exercises to help repair the damage after you've had your baby this really is osmething you want to avoid.

So, the group of muscles we really want to concentrate on in pregnancy is called your core. These are your deep seated abdominal muscles plus the muscles that support your pelvis and back. In particular we want to focus on your Transverse Abdominus which is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and acts like a corset to support your torso. This is also the muscle you will use to push your baby out and the one responsible for giving you a flat stomach after the birth.



To find your TA lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, (if you are past 20 weeks do this sitting up against a wall with your back really tall and straight).

Place one hand on your belly below your belly button and one above.

Take a deep breath right into the pit of your belly so that you fill it with air.

Now as you exhale push all the sir out of your stomach and as you do so flatten your belly button back to your spine.

The muscle you are working is your transverse abdominus.

Now you need to train this mauscle daily throughout your pregnancy to achieve that flat stomach afterwards and also to make your labour a whole lot easier on yourself. In my pregnancy plan there are a whole range of exercises that we go through, but here's an easy one to get you started, (this is also a great stress reliever and perfect for relaxation before bed!).

Repeat the steps above to find your TA and activate it. Repeat for 5 breaths so that you drive oxygen to the muscle and warm it up, ready to work.

Now On your next exhalation hold your belly button flat against your spine for 30 seconds, breathing all the time (DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH!)

To release the muscle take a big breath in and fill your belly with air, allowing it to expand as much as possible.

Carry on for 10 repetitions.

This exercise is great for your circulation and increasing oxygen flow to your baby. It also stimulates the release of endorphins into your blood stream and clears toxins from your system. All of that as well as training your stomach for flat abs after you give birth, what more could you ask for?!

The big day - the story of my labour!

Carl and I had predicted he would arriive on Thursday - 2 days early, but Thursday came and went and although I knew he was close, by bedtime I was thinking he may go overdue.

I woke up Friday morining and turned over to cuddle Carl and POP! It was so loud! I was amazed that Carl hadn't heard it! My waters had broken.

I got out of bed and as I got up they started to gush properly. That may seem a little graphic to anyone reading this who is not pregnant, but it's important to know as some women only experience a little trickle, others go into labour with their waters still in tact and have to have them popped.

Well as I said, mine had definitely gone - big time! I called the delivery suite and they asked me to come in within the next hour so they could put a trace on the baby and check everything was OK with me and all was going as planned.

Everything was fine and so we left and stopped by the studio where I used to work to pick up a tens machine so I had some natural pain relief - I didn't want to have any drugs through labour.

At this time the contractions were fairly mild and coming every 45 minutes so we also stopped in Starbucks and had a coffee, (decaf obviously!). This, however, turned out to be a BIG mistake!! Although it was decaf that one coffee gave me intense diarrohea. Add the spasms of a cramping bowel to contractions and it was not comfortable AT ALL!!

Luckily it passed after a couple of hours, but it scared me enough that I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day, apart from some dry crackers and some fruit. Not ideal when going through the marathon of labour as you desperately need energy, but hey, it was what it was.

By about 3pm the contractions were coming every 10 minutes and both Carl and I thought it wouldn't be long, so he popped round the corner to the shop to grab some supplies. Although I had told him to go, I think I got scared and I phoned my friend Caroline to pass the time. I sat on the sofa and calmed myself down, but this worked so well that I actually stopped my contractions!

Carl returned and his mum came over and suggested that I get in the bath to speed things up again. It worked a treat and soon they were coming thick and fast. By 8pm I was ready to go so we got evwrything together and headed for the hospital. I arrived at 9pm and by 10:30pm I was fully dilated.

At this point I don't know what happened but my contractions, although strong were not strong enough for me to work with them and push. I had to have a drip with Oxytocin to start everything working again. This took a little while and it wasn't until 3:42am that River was finally born.

He is one of only 5% of babies that actually arrive on their due date - so I am extremely proud of his punctuality!

The one thing that I was truly grateful for after the birth was the preparation I put into my diet and training my body for labour. I didn't tear and had only a small graze high up on the right hand side which I barely felt. This meant my recovery was literally a few days and within 10 days of giving birth I was back to gentle exercise.

13 days later I was back to a full workout with light kettlebells and dumbells.

14 days later I am back in my size 8 (UK) pre-pregnancy skinny jeans and I feel strong and have a lot of energy considering I'm barely getting 5 hours sleep a day. Breast feeding is going really well and apart from the soreness, I love it as it is such great bonding time with my baby.

If proof is in the pudding then this is it. If you would liek to learn more about my pregnancy training system then please head on over to the 9 month club to find out more.

My Pregnancy Workout at 39 weeks + 3 days!

Just a quick one today to keep you all posted!

I think I had a show on Friday and then again yesterday, but I'm not entirely sure! Even though my pelvic floor is like steel, I still think it could have been partly leakage and maybe just increased discharge which is totally normal at this stage.

Sleeping this past few days has been a nightmare. Ever since Saturday when I didn't get more than 30 minutes in the whole night, I have felt out of sorts. I've been so exhausted that I haven't wanted to eat properly or train. Fortunately I have an amazing boyfriend who makes sure I'm fed and I have still managed to get in 2 training sessions since Friday, so not bad going for the last week of pregnancy!

This morning I kept it short and sweet with a quick 5 circuits:



15 deadlifts (12kg kettlebell)
10 resistance band rows
10 press ups (girl ones)
10 reverse flys (4.5kg dumbells)
10 curl and press (4.5kg dumbells)

2 minutes rest between circuits

It took me 20 mins to do the lot and I felt energised and only slightly out of breath at the end. Now if you are planning to give this a go, bear in mind that you may need to do this with lighter weights - or no weight, (I've been weight training for almost 10 years now so I'm pretty damn strong). Do as many circuits as you can in 20 minutes without pushing yourself past the point of working somewhat hard. You don't want to be out of breath or struggling at all to get the reps out. It should be manageable to the end and you should finish with room in the tank for 1 more circuit.

37 weeks + 3 days and 2 days off elimination

I AM SO HEAVY!!!!!

Well not heavy as in scales heavy - I'm still 10 stone and 2lbs. My pre-pregnancy weight was 8 stone 4 lbs so I've done really well and hit the target range of weight gain right at the bottom end. If you start your pregnancy at a "normal" or ideal weight for your frame then you should aim to put on between 25-35lbs. I'm slighlty under that at 22lbs but then I still have just under 3 weeks to go so I should be dead on.

Anyway, I digress. What I mean is, I FEEL so heavy. This little one is no longer little and has taken over my entire body...I can't breathe 'cos his feet are in my diaphragm, I can't lie on my side because I find myself resting on his back, I can't sit properly to eat my dinner 'cos his head is way down in my pelvis and I have to spread my legs so wide I can't sit comfortably and I ALWAYS get food down my front 'cos I can't lean forward over the table and I can't sleep 'cos it's bl*ody uncomfortable - AGGGGHHHH!

I've heard it so many times from relatives, friends and clients and not really understood quite how much of a drag it is. I always knew it was uncomfortable towards the end but I never realised just how much of your body is taken over!

So I thought with just a few weeks to go I'd relax and take a week off Elimination, go out for a last dinner with my friends and then get back on it for the last two weeks of pregnancy.

In the words of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman,


"Big Mistake, BIG, HUGE"

I had two days of eating non-elimination food -

Sunday: 1 chocolate truffle, 1 foam banana candy, 1 mocha
Monday: 1 decaf caramel latte, 1 magnum ice-cream

And I felt like dog poo! I was really nauseous, had terrible heartburn, really tired and lethargic and on top of that I felt quite down emotionally.

So that was enough, I am back on it with a vengeance and not coming off until the baby is born!

Please take my advice and don't do what I did and quit your elimination before the time is up! It's just not worth it - you don't want to spend your last weeks feeling rotten because you've let up on your nutrition!

Elimination Day 7 and baby is still breech!

Well today is day 7 of elimination and it's going really well! It's not been difficult at all - oh apart from my mum buying me a gluten free cherry and sultana loaf cake yesterday. Luckily, being gluten free it will keep for about 3 months in it's packaging so it's in the cupboard for the end of elimination, when the baby is born!

My gorgeous man made me some gluten free bread at the weekend so this time round I'm not desperate for carbs in the morning. I found it quite tough last time around as I can't have oats and porridge made with millet and rice is disgusting without milk. It literally looks and tastes like cardboard, or gruel (and I'm no Oliver Twist!).

Generally for lunch I have fried eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, or an omlette, or leftovers from the night before. Dinner has been the same as usual as we always cook from scratch, so last night was lamb chops, mashed potato, broccoli, mushrooms peas and parsnips. Tonight is roast chicken with loads of veggies and mashed potato leftover from last night (we cooked way too much!).

I've been piling up on berries and live greek yoghurt for my snacks and I love it!

Went to the gym this morning and started to add in lots of hip rotator exercises to encourage my boy to turn round. I did lots of downdogs, figure 8's on the swiss ball and pelvic tilts, but he still refuses to budge!!

I'll keep you posted!

5 1/2 weeks to go and I'm back on Elimination!

Well first I have to apologise for not blogging for the past couple of weeks. Things have been a stressful to say the least. Carl was made redundant a couple of weeks ago and the job market is obviously not very healthy in the midst of this huge recession. In fact every time I turn on the TV it seems to get worse. Yesterday was the collapse of Iceland's national bank. Anyway I try not to dwell on it too much. What will be, will be.

I am very nearly there now and feeling very heavy! All of a sudden in the last two weeks I seem to be waddling more and my bump is getting huge! When I sit down on the toilet, I have to pull my trousers all the way down to my ankles instead of just my knees, to allow my knees to open and let my bump sit in between them!!


The midwife

This morning, I got a new midwife, (thank God!). My previous midwife was lovely, but she never gave me any information on anything I needed to know! She would check my urine, blood and the baby's heartbeat and that was it! No advice ever!

Anyway my new midwife is fantastic. I saw her this morning and I have to say, thank goodness I moved house and had to get a new midwife. I have an ongoing condition which means that I should have been under the care of a consultant obstetrician since the beginning of my pregnancy. Unfortunately, although my previous midwife was fully aware of this condition, she never even mentioned any other care I would need for it! Ridiculous huh? Well thankfully all is sorted and I'm seeing my obstetrician next week. I think I'll also get a scan at the same time as my boy is still in breech and the midwife said they may need to palpate him to turn him round if he doesn't turn by himself in the next few days.


Dax Moy's Elimination diet

Elimination Day 3

No caffeine
No alcohol
No processed foods (i.e. anything on a label that you can't pronounce or has a number in it and is not recognised as a natural food)
No wheat
No processed dairy (pasteurised and homogenised milk, cheese, cream etc)
No sugar

So the big day is looming and I'm back on elimination to detox my body, get rid of any excess water that I may be holding and get my body into peak performance ready for the big day. I want all my pelvic tissues to be totally toxin free so that they are working at optimal levels and also to make sure that I don't have any signs of pelvic odema, (fluid in the tissues which causing swelling), which can play a major role in slowing down the birth and causing complications.

I must say it's been surprisingly easy this time around. Granted today is only day three, but as I haven't really had caffeine since I learnt I was pregnant, (maybe 3 cups the whole time), I've not been drinking much alcohol, I can't have wheat as I'm celiac and we always cook from scratch, the only thing that I'm missing is dairy. I would love to have cheese if I could but for the sake of having an easy labour and getting by body back quickly, it's really not worth it!

I don't think I'm going to have any detox symptoms at all this time but I'll let you know tommorow!

For easy Elimination recipes that are ready in minutes take a look at the elimination cookbook

Overcoming pregnancy fears

I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experiences behind him.

- Eleanor Roosevelt, human rights advocate

I borrowed this quote from a "healthy reflection email that landed in my inbox this morning.

It's particularly relevant for me right now as I am anxious about work right now. I only have 7 weeks left until my due date and I still have a lot of work to do on my complete pregnancy support system. It's taking me a lot longer than expected as obtsacles keep falling in my path. Like yesterday - I spent the whole day editing videos in movie maker. They ran perfectly in the preview screen but as soon as I published the movies, for some reason the software decided to trim the videos at random points. I tried a few methods to solve it but to no avail. As you can imagine I was highly frustrated at a wasted days work and the fact that I still have a problem with movie maker!

But I will not give up. I have put so much work into this so far and I will get it all done on time - it's just a bit stressful going. The reason behind most failures is because success is never attempted. The obstacle seems too big to overcome. However, each small victory along the way builds confidence and spurs you on, to overcome the next fear. Very soon you are seeing and feeling the success and well on target for the big picture.

Thomas Eddison said, " I found 10,000 ways to make a light bulb, but only one way to make it work."

If you just take that one small step to overcome your fear today, you are one step closer to success. If you fall down, just remember you've found one more way that it doesn't work - it's one less pothole for you to worry about.

How do I keep my perspective?

Well up till now I think I've done really well this year. It's been one hell of a journey. To update those of you who are newer to the site and remind those who have seen me through thick and thin (you know who you are...), this year has been a marathon!

It all started with a career move to London, UK, to work with my friend, mentor and shoulder to cry on, Dax Moy. I had known Dax for a few months by this time and when he offered me the opportunity to work in his studio as one of his elite team of health and fitnesss coaches, I naturally jumped at the chance. However, I made some big sacrifices to do so.

I closed my personal training business in Bristol, took a big loan to set up my new business in London, temporarily left my boyfriend and our lovely home behind and set off into the unknown to start from scratch on this new career path.

Two months later I discovered I was pregnant. I was working 60 hour weeks trying to build and establish a new client base and at the time was earning practically zero as the credit crunch had hit the fitness industry big time, and it truly was the worst 1st quarter I have ever witnessed!

Financial stress, emotional worries and troubles at home with awful housemates took their toll and after a series of bleeds I had a massive haemmorrhage and almost miscarried. I was all alone with no immediate friends, family or support, other than Dax, his wife and a work colleague who is now a very good friend.

Thankfully I have a little fighter in my belly and he survived. A few months later, Carl and I decided enough was enough and it was time for me to move back home. But the journey wasn't over yet. We had rented out our flat and there were tenants in there for the next few months. Carl was working away and I only got to see him every 2-3 weeks as he was working on a big project that required 21 day shifts, so I moved back home to my dad's. Lovely as it was to be home, it's a bit strange moving back in with your dad when you're pregnant and 31! He's great though and I really have loved being back at the family home.

Finally this weekend Carl and I moved back into our flat together! It's the first time we've lived together, or even spent a whole week together since last December and I'm now 32 weeks pregnant! Up until now I have managed to hold it all together, not let things get me down and I haven't had any emotional breakdowns at all, (one or two tearful moments but nothing major). But last week everything seemed to get on top of me.

Moving back into the flat has meant that we have had to really tighten up our belts as money is tight. On top of that I'm working on a complete pregnancy support system to help expectant mothers through every single day of the 9 month journey. This as you can imagine is a hell of a lot of work and it has to be finished in 8 weeks time as that's when I'm due. I also have yet to do my tax return for the last year and everything seems to be happening so quick! Oh and did I mention that I give birth in just 8 short weeks?

My usual calm temperement went out the window. I was really tearful - on the edge of tears for about two days. Then Carl asked me what was wrong and the floodgates opened! I was caught "in the thick of thin things" and couldn't see the wood for the trees. He managed to calm me down and we talked it all through and I realised that focussing on the little things had made me lose sight of the bigger picture. I was so pre-occupied with my anxieties that they became my world and I temporarily lost sight of my ability to face them down with a smile.

That smile gave me clarity and I realised that I was worrying instead of doing. So I stopped fretting and started to deal with my anxieties head on. I put them back in their place and started crossing things off my to-do list.

So today I feel much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm still worried about things, but I'm trying to keep my perspective by doing.

Unconditional Love

"Before you were conceived I wanted you.

Before you were born I loved you.

Before you were here an hour I would die for you.

This is the miracle of life. "

- Maureen Hawkins

This made me cry when I read it, (but that's not unusual - everything makes me cry right now!), it says it all about a mother's connection with her unborn child. Carrying a child changes your perspective on everything. You are no longer focussed on "you", but instead every single action you take now considers the little life inside of you first and foremost.

As mothers to be we are so fortunate to have a supernatural connection with our babies, that their fathers will never have the chance to experience. Make the most of this magical time and talk to your baby every day. Send them love and let them know they are cherished. Your baby will feed off your good vibes and grow strong, happy and healthy from your love.

Working your transverse for an easy labour

Now we've all heard about Kegels, the pelvic floor exercises designed by Dr Arnold Kegel, to support the pelvic structures and prevent urinary incontinence. But how many prenatal care professionals will tell you about the importance of working your transverse abdominus?

My guess is I could probably count the number on one hand...without the thumb. The importance of the transverse abdominus in labour is massively overlooked by care professionals but it is one of the major muscles you will need to use to ensure an easy labour.



As you can see from the diagram the TA is a deep seated abdominal muscle that attaches to the bottm six ribs at the front and the pelvis in back. It runs across our sides and inserts into the linea alba at the front (the middle of your abdomen). It is also connected to the diaphragm which helps us breathe.

It looks like and acts like a corset, pulling you in and helps stabilise your torso and pelvis. This little beauty is the muscle that, if trained correctly will give you a flat stomach.

It is also the muscle that will help you push your baby out during labour.

Transverse Exercises

1. Now to work the transverse you need to breathe. Start by taking a big belly breath into the pit of your stomach. If you put your hands on your belly the in breath should expand your belly making it rise and grow outwards. As you exhale imagine pulling your bElly button right back to your spine. Now hold it there for a count of 10 second before releasing with another belly breath. Repeat this exercise for a minimum of 10 holds.

As you get stronger you can increase the hold count to 30. Always count out loud so that you are not holding your breath as this is a dangerous movement called the valsava manoeuver which can send your blood pressure sky high.

2. Next imagine your belly button is like an elevator. When you take in a belly breath this is ground floor, as you exhale and draw the belly button back to the spine, imagine you are passing through 5 floors.

Pull all the way back to floor 5 on the first exhale.
Then as you inhale release your belly button to floor 4.
Exhale and pull back to floor 5.
Release to floor 3.
Pull back to floor 5
Exhale to floor 2
Pull back to floor 5
Exhale to floor 3
Pull back to floor 5
Exhale to floor 2
Pull back to floor 5
Exhale to floor 4
Pull back to floor 5
Inhale with a big belly breath to floor 1
Pull back to floor 5
Inhale all the way to ground floor

Do 3 sets of these exercises 5 times a day. You can do your Kegels in between sets as your rest.

Now when it comes to the big day your TA is going to act like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube to push your baby out. However, YOU MUST BREATHE! Unfortunately the majority of delivery room staff will try and get you to hold your breath whilst pushing. Not only is this ineffective, it's also dangerous.

*When you hold your breath and work a muscle (or push) your blood pressure will go mental, first rocketing upwards, then going down rapidly before shooting up to an even higher level than before. Many women have burst blood vessels in their eyes and increase their risk of stroke after labour because of this.

*Your transverse muscle will move forwards instead of back and push against your weakened rectus abdominus, (the six pack), pushing the muscle apart and giving you a diastasis - leaving your back weakened an unsupported.

*You will fatigue quickly - research shows that holding your breath whilst bearing down for more than 5 seconds is uneccessarily tiring. Labour requires stamina so you don't want to be tiring yourself out before you've finished the race!

So instruct your birthing partner to be firm with the delivery room staff. Keep breathing as your contractions come. Take a big belly breath in at the start and then exhale long and hard as you pull your transverse back to squeeze your baby out.

So long as you have been practising your transverse exercises daily throughout your pregnancy you will find you have great stamina and strength and labour should become a much easier process.

What is it with pregnant women and fluffy animals?

Well this was a very different bank holiday weekend than last year. I used to be a full on party girl and bank holidays meant Sunday night clubbing cos there was no work on Monday. How times have changed!

This year instead of clubbing till the early hours of Monday morning we went to Avon Valley Country Park. There's something about reaching the third trimester that has sent my soppy side into overdrive. Instead of wanting to go out for lunch / shopping, I asked Carl if we could go to the country park down the road so I could play with the bunnies and the other fluffy things that they have at the park.

It's a great park because you can go into all the animal areas apart from the bigger stuff like the bulls, llamas and wallabies, so we spent the day petting bunnies, goats and shetland ponies.

It was a fantastic day out and the rain managed to hold off too, so that was a bonus!

GO TEAM GB!!

Today's post is not really related to anything pregnancy but I just had to say a big congratulations to Team GB after an amazing weekend at the Olympics. In just one weekend we saw our place in the rankings rise from somewhere around 10th last Thursday to 3rd this morning.

Our gold medal count was boosted majorly by our swimmers, rowers, sailors and cyclists. 8 GOLDS IN ONE WEEKEND!! Plus 3 Silvers and 3 Bronze medals! In the midst of an atrocious British summer, the credit crunch and an approaching reccession it's great to have something to smile about on Monday morning and be proud to be British!

"I see the bad moon arising"

...."I see trouble on the way"

Well not quite on the way, more past actually. Turns out that there was a full moon last night, which would explain my tearfulness and sugar cravings of the last week.

No I'm not some weird breed of half woman half wolf, but I am regular as clockwork with the lunar phases. Before I fell preggers I could time my periods by the moon and ALWAYS 1 week before I would crave sugar and get all emotional. Seems like old habits die hard, my body is still in tune with the lunar tide.

Well good news after taking Tuesday and all day yesterday off to rest I went swimming last night and felt so much better. I left the pool feeling much more like myself and woke up at 6:30 am this morning. (The fact that it was sunny helped, yesterday we had rain all day and gale force winds - it was like November!). My alarm was set for 6:45 so I switched it off and woke up leisurely and had breakfast. I had the urge to go to the gym but held it back as I'm teaching Pilates at 1pm and don't want to tire myself out again, I'll save it for tommorow.

It feels good to be back. I was actually quite scared that the tiredness was to do with reaching the 6month mark of my pregnancy. Think I'd go stir crazy if I felt too tired to train every day!

Round Ligament Pain

I thought it was my abs splitting but turns out my abs are fine, (thank god!). What I was experiencing was round ligament pain.

Why midwives never tell you these things is beyond me. I saw my midwife for my 24 week checkup and mentioned I was feeling some pain in my lower abs and groin. Her advice was that I shouldn't be engaging my tummy muscles at all. Ever. WTF? Can you imagine what a mess my core would be in if I never engaged my muscles? Apart from the fact that I teach pilates and Body Balance weekly and I train at least 3 days on top of that, how on earth would I be able to support my own weight without engaging my core?

Anyway, I just agreed with and did my own research.

Round Ligament pain occurs around the 2nd trimester and can carry on all the way through the third trimester too. The round ligament is the ligament that attaches to your hip bone to hold the uterus in place. The ligaments must stretch and grow to support the weight of the baby, (you can't build a house on matchsticks!), and can grow from around 2 inches to 12inches.

This stretching can be accompanied by sharp pains or twinges in the groin. Once I'd ruled out my abs splitting I thought I'd strained my abs with too much training, but then I realised that I could still train and do most things without any pain at all. The pains would occur with getting up out of bed, getting in the car and if I was trying to do a lunge or any exercise where I would need to stretch the groin area. It wouldn't last long, just a few seconds but it was sharp but not unbearable and went away pretty quickly. Still I didn't want to have this my whole pregnancy so I took some steps to remedy it.

First off I took 2 days off of training, to allow any additional strain on the muscle tissue to repair. This worked well and I reduced the pain by about 70% just from that.

Secondly when I went back to training I focussed on getting my glutes fired up to support my pelvis. Bridges would take the weight off the ligaments so I designed a workout around these and some other glute firing exercises.

Third, I went swiming. I found the water really helped as it supported my bump and took pressure off the ligaments whilst I worked out. Breast stroke worked the gluteus medius which stabilises the pelvis and helped stretch out my groin, gently, without pressure. It also allowed me to focus on my posterior chain which is essential in supporting a pregnant posture.

These things reduced the pain to around 5% of what it was originally. Lastly I learned to roll onto my side to get up and to sit down sideways in the car seat before swinging my legs in together, to avoid loading the ligaments in an already stretched position.

Another pregnancy lesson learnt the hard way! But I'm glad I could share it in case you suffer the same thing!

Bump bands, ab supports and why you should avoid them

At first I thought my abs were splitting as the linea negre has made a recent appearance, but I did the test and I'm pretty sure they're ok for now. However, they are bl*ody sore! I think coming back into a full weeks training after a week of doing nothing was a bit ambitious.

Now normally, I'd get away with it. Saying that, I don't think I've ever been away on holiday and not trained at least a couple of times whilst I've been away, but Ibiza was a complete break for me. I felt a lot worse because of it and I was dying to get back in the gym before I'd even boarded the plane!

So after a days rest, (I was exhausted after flying back in), I got back on it with vigour. I started swimming lessons on Wednesday night, gym on Thursday and Friday, taught my class on Saturday and had a rest day Sunday. Monday I was in the gym again. By Tuesday morning I was finding it difficult to walk at a normal pace because my lower abs were so sore, so I just did some gentle tai-chi and yoga at home.

On top of all this I was learning the choreography for the new Body Balance release and the core abs and back tracks are killers. Actually, I forgot about that till now! Now that I think of it, it was probably the balance that pushed my abs too hard! Today my lower abs still hurt!

Anyway, as I was in Mamas and Papas the other day I did, for the first time, have a look at the bump bands. I've always been totally anti-support bands for a very good reason. Most people are severly lacking in core strength as it is. By providing even more external support in the form of a bump band, (or in bodybuilding and powerlifting - a weight belt), you are reducing the capacity that your own muscles have to work, in order to support your own postural structure. By relying on an external crutch to do the work for you, you are telling your muscles that it's OK to switch off and stop working as there's always something else to rely on. It makes far more sense then to train your own muscles to do their job properly through core strengthening exercises, rather than rely on a crutch which won't be there in a few months time. By that time your muscles will have weakened so much that it will be a real uphill struggle to get them back into shape.

Regardless, I was in pain and I wanted something light to help me until my abs healed, so that I could carry on training in the meantime. I had no intention of using a band for long term use, just for the next couple of days and ONLY when running, as that was when I needed the extra support.

The bump bands which are marketed as a support band for your belly were nothing more than a thin layer of jersey to wear around your bump. There was no more support in them than if I were to tie a cotton scarf round my belly...

(What they were very good for is wearing over the top of low rise jeans so that when you sit down you don't flash your bottom to the world! I swear that Pepe are the only jeans brand that know how to do low rise properly, so they're low at the front but high on the bits that matter! Unfortunately they don't do maternity - I've looked fanatically!)

... So I wound up doing what I should have done in the first place. Taking a days rest to give my abs time to heal. It's what I would advise a client to do and I know that, what with learning the new choreography for my class on top of my normal training programme, I was pushing it a little bit. Unfortunatley work is work amd if I'm not doing it, I'm not getting paid.

So hopefully by tommorow my abs will be feeling somewhat normal again and it'll be back to the gym.

Antenatal / Prenatal class

I don't know whether it's me or the NHS but I have to say that the information I've been given by my midwife during my pregnancy is minimal or next to nothing. It is only thanks to the wonders of the net, magazines, articles and the library of books I've collected that I know as much as I do. Fortunately I'm a bookworm, and seeing as I'm passionate about my field of work and the science of the human body, it has been a rather pleasant and relatively easy learning experience.

So very recently, (like last week when I returned from holiday and realised that, at 23 weeks, I was already over halfway through), it dawned on me that I was suppposed to enrol in antenatal classes in the not too distant future. Now I had thought that this was something the midwife informed you about when the time came and assumed I didn't need to worry about it yet.

Not so.

In my scan of antenatal classes in Bristol I was alarmed to see the first class listing on Google was already full up. I carried on to the National Childbirth Trust. The course that was the most suitable for my due date was also full up. I filled in the online enquiry form for it anyway but to be on the safe side I also emailed the local course administrator directly to see what my options were. She emailed me back almost straight away with a place on a course that was located a little further away but still had places and urged me to respond as quickly as possible as the places were filling up fast. I emailed back immediately to book my place.

So my advice to those of you who haven't booked your classes yet and are already around 22/23 weeks, like me, is get on to your clinic/hospital/childbirth agency and get your place reserved! Otherwise you may have to settle for a course that is not the most convenient for you!

Sun, sand and surf! Holiday tips for pregnancy

I've just returned from a very relaxing week on holiday with Carl. During your second trimester it's a good idea to book a holiday. You are safe to fly up until 28 weeks, at which time you'll need a doctor's note. As the second trimester should see you feeling more vibrant, healthy and energetic, it's the perfect time to take a break and really enjoy it without the drag of fatigue or morning sickness. Also you're not too big at this stage so you should still feel quite comfortable in the heat.

I would advise getting to check in as early as possible so you can ask for a seat near the toilet and with extra legroom. If you're peeing often, (who isn't at this stage!), it might be an idea to get an aisle seat so you don't have to disturb anyone if you're getting up frequently.

Carl and I were in Ibiza for a friends wedding which was beautiful. Yours truly was bridesmaid and the ceremony, setting, food and company was amazing. The bride cried and my bottom lip started to tremble but I managed to hold it in!

Now Ibiza is probably the last place you would associate with a quiet relaxing holiday but I booked us into a resort called Santa Eulalia. No clubs, just a gorgeouus marina with million pound yachts moored up, lots of nice restaurants and a beach. We hired a car for the week and made the most of it, visiting a different beach on the island every day. My favourite beach was Ses Aigues Blancos, literal translation, clear waters. It was a local beach with all spanish and a couple of nudists on it, (no that is not why it was my favourite!). The water was amazingly clear and as I love the sea I spent most of the day happily splashing around in the sea while Carl sunbathed.

We also visited the famous hippy market which is one of my favourite places on the island. It was just as good as I remembered it and I bought a beautiful silk dress for the bargain price of 33 Euros.

We spent our last night having tapas at a Spanish street cafe in Ibiza town. We wandered round the shops and night stalls, (the best time to go shopping in Ibiza is around 8pm when everything comes alive), and all too soon it was over. I was particularly sad as I knew this was the last holiday we would have as a couple. Not that I'm not excited to be having my little boy - on the contrary, I can't wait, but still, it was the end of an era of doing exactly as we pleased, without having to put someone elses needs above our own constantly.

We flew back into a grey Bristol on Monday afternoon and spent the evening doing washing ready for Carl to go back to work at 530am on Tuesday morning.

After a wonderful week in the sun and eating ice-creams every day, it's now time to get back on my healthy eating plan and back in the gym! Goodbye indulgence, hello sexy pregnant mama. Luckily I didn't gain a thing on holiday - must've been all the swimming and walking we did. Plus it was so hot I didn't want to eat much anyway. The first day back I was so tired I mostly slept but then it was back to routine. Wednesday night I went for my first swimming lesson, Thursday was legs day at the gym and today, Friday was upper body. Tommorow I'm teaching classes and Sunday I plan to go practise my swimming. My body feels better for it and I know I was feeling a little out of synch on holiday for the lack of structured exercise. So I guess in a way it's good to be back. Just a shame I couldn't bring the beaches and the sunshine with me!

I hate bad customer service!!!

For the past 7 weeks or so I have been trying to book adult swimming lessons at my local leisure centre. Now this is a brand new complex who should be doing everything they can to bring in new business, but after 5 phone calls and two visits in person, I am STILL waiting for someone to call me back. Apparently the problem is that ONLY the swim co-ordinator can book you in for lessons. This seems ludicrous, seeing as she manages several different pools in the area and is never in one place long enough for you to contact her or for her to get back to. After leaving 7 or so messages, I finally got through to her yesterday. She was completely unhelpful and gave no apology whatsoever for the lack of communication or the difficulty I had experienced in trying to book a place on one of her courses.

I'm so frustrated but the only pools near me, (there's 3), are all under the same swim co-ordinator, otherwise I would have gone somewhere else a long time ago!

The thing is, I'm doing my resistance workouts at the gym but find the cardio machines so very boring. It's great if it's sunny outside as I can just do my interval training outdoors, but unfortunately, this is England! It doesn't always work like that. Plus as I'm getting bigger I think swimming is going to be a much more comfortable option for me.

Anyway at this point I'm getting nowhere but frustrated! It's such a shame as I'm on holiday next week and would have loved to do my intervals in the pool or the sea. I guess that's still feasible as I can swim, just means that there'll be a lot of splashing going on! Ibiza, you have been warned!

Pregnant does not mean getting fat!

Yippee, yippee! We're going on holiday on Monday! Just 4 days before we'll be jetting off to sunny Ibiza for my friends wedding!

We had a bit of a palava with the bridesmaid dress as my friend bought it at Christmas before I'd fallen pregnant. I tried telling her that it wouldn't fit, even though it was a bit big when she bought it, but she seemed to think her friends mum, a seamstress, would be able to make it bigger somehow??

Anyway went to try it on a couple of weeks ago and guesss what - it wouldn't do up! So Becky promptly got on the internet and ordered a maternity bridesmaid dress - in a size large! DOH! I didn't realise what she'd done until I got a text saying she'd ordered a large and could I come try it on - with one week to go. Not wanting to burst her bubble on the text I dutifully drove round and tried the dress on.

Now Becky's husband is a body builder and is ripped and huge. He could have got the dress on and done it up it was that big! I gently told her that although you get a bump and bigger boobs, you don't get bigger all over and thanks to my training and nutrition plan I was still a size 8 (UK, not sure what that is in US). After all, it's not like your shoulders get bigger, or your arms or back, imagine! So with one week to go, back the dress went and a small was ordered. Fingers crossed!

Thankfully the small arrived and was a perfect fit. So I won't look like a pink beach ball walking down the aisle after all!