ashleyd /

Baby Diamond – Weeks 18 and 19

Happy Tuesday friends! Am I the only one who feels like it must be Thursday already? Even though this week has a been a great one, I still feel like I’ve put in four days worth of work in the past two days. This weekend I’m off to Des Moines, Iowa for a fun girls weekend with three of my sorority sisters. It’s been years since we were all together so I look forward to a weekend full of laughter and endless conversations.

Tonight I’m sharing my recap and thoughts from weeks 18 and 19 of pregnancy.

week 18

Baby Size: Bell Pepper (week 18) and heirloom tomato (week 19)

Weight Gained: I don’t have a scale at home but I feel as though I haven’t gained more weight, so about ten pounds in total.

Workouts: On average, I am working out five days per week. Each of these two weeks my workouts included: 1 Orange Theory workout, 1 XTendBarre class, 2 runs and Prenatal Pilates.

xtend barre

Cravings: I continue to be hungry non-stop especially on days I workout. In order to ensure that I’m fueling my body for healthy growth, I am increasing my protein and fiber intake, especially at breakfast and lunch. I also am never without healthy snacks. This week I fell in love with Siggi’s Icelandic Yogurt topped with berries.  In the evenings, I continue to crave Italian, Greek and Mexican which means that I’ve pinned lots of recipes and discovered some great new ones such as this healthy burrito bowl.

Food Aversions: I’m happy to report that all food aversions have gone away. While I don’t crave cooked vegetables, I am able to eat them again – even brussels sprouts.

Symptoms: My skin continues to be drier than I’ve ever experienced, especially my stomach. I lather on moisturizer and cocoa butter multiple times throughout the day but pregnancy growth and the cold, dry winter air aren’t doing my skin any favors. I started using two new products during this period, that really seemed to help with the dry skin and itchiness – Belli Elasticity Oil for Stretch Marks followed by Belli All Day Moisture Body Lotion. I also find that this brand absorbs better than what I was using previously, meaning that I don’t feel sticky all day. My only other symptom was continued breast tenderness.

Sleep: Even though I’ve been sleeping with my Snoogle every night, I inevitably wake up around 3:30 AM sleeping on my back. For the first few days this worried me, for fear I was hurting the baby, but my doctor confirmed that as long as I am spending more time on my left side than my back she should be fine.

Wearing: I continue to live in my AG Maternity Jeans, turtleneck and a flowy vest.

Other random things from the week: I’m not sure if it’s nesting mode or what but I’ve started deep cleaning the kitchen every night after we cook and eat dinner. I don’t think our kitchen has ever been cleaner. I also started switching our kitchen cleaning products to more natural items, especially our counter top cleaner.

Your turn: Any questions? Anything that you loved during your second trimester or any tips?

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Weekly Workout Recap – December 12th – 18th

pre-work-miles

Happy Tuesday!  I’m working my way through my work to do list today as I only have a few more hours before I put up my out of office message for two weeks! I am so ready for two weeks of rest and relaxation. We are spending half the time down in Savannah before heading back up to New York City to enjoy a staycation.

In terms of workouts, last week I initially filled my schedule with way too many workouts due to my new-found energy. I was excited to feel human again and was craving workouts. But, luckily my work schedule included three nights of dinners and client meetings which naturally caused me to change my workout schedule. A blessing in disguise, this helped ensure that I didn’t overdo it last week. My goal is to balance my workouts as I know that I can easily get too excited and pack my schedule with multiple workouts especially after missing those sweaty endorphins during the first trimester.

  • Monday December 12th – I started the week with the 6:15 morning
    class at my neighborhood Pilates studio, A-Line Pilates. These tower classes are helping me engage my core and begin training the muscles that will be key during labor and delivery. Since the studio is only a five minute walk from my house, I have no excuses!
  • Tuesday December 13th –  My friend Elizabeth, who is three weeks ahead of me in pregnancy, suggested a pre-work jog. Even though it was frigid outside, we had a blast catching up while we walked and jogged around the neighborhood.
  • Wednesday December 14th – Rest Day
  • Thursday December 15th  – Rest Day
  • Friday December 16th –  I ended the work week with another great 6:15 morning Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates.
  • Saturday December 17th – As part of a blogger partnership, I had the opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Heights Orange Theory location with Bo. We took the 11:30-12:30 signature Orange 60 class, led by instructor Corey Harbison. I will share more thoughts in an upcoming post but needless to say Bo and I both thoroughly enjoyed class. It left me sore for two days as I haven’t done much strength training over the past few weeks nor hill intervals but thanks to the heart rate monitor and great instructor, I felt safe the entire time.
  • Sunday December 18th –  Before church, Bo and I spent an hour working out at the YMCA. While he swam I did a 45 minute spin class followed by 15 minutes of foam rolling and core work.
Share Button
Follow: