Preparing to Conceive: Athleticism
How should I prepare my physical body for pregnancy? How can I make it the healthiest I possibly can? What does health look like in terms of fertility? Why aren’t we given a manual when we decide to switch from “definitely don’t knock me up” to “please put a baby in me” so we know how to make our bodies the best little baby incubators we can?? What part do workouts play in this?
These are all questions I have had before I conceived my first baby, while nursing before conceiving again, and right now, after weaning my youngest before I conceive again. I know I’m not alone in wondering if how I exercise my body has an effect in how easily my body conceives a baby.
I definitely think there is value in being healthy and fit physically before and after conception, but I’m sure there are different thoughts on what that looks like. I mean, even defining “health” is hard and can be subjective. Is health just the absence of disease, or are there more layers than that? As a Crossfit coach as well as a Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach, I am familiar with Crossfit’s four models of fitness. Each demonstrates a different, measurable way to quantify fitness and these measurable quantifications all complement and coexist with each other.
Image from Crossfit’s “What is Fitness and Who is Fit” article written by Greg Glassman
https://journal.crossfit.com/article/what-is-fitness
Crossfit’s fourth model of fitness describes a sickness, wellness, fitness continuum. Markers for health such as blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol, etc, can be placed on an arc with wellness being in the middle, fitness on one side and sickness on the other. High blood pressure would take you closer to the “sickness” side of the arc but having an optimal body weight and not being obese would take you closer to the “fitness” side of the arc. I am not a medical professional by any means, but this makes sense in my brain. If you chart aspects on this arc that aren’t necessarily related to fertility, I would assume that the closer to the fitness side of the arc you fall, the more your fertility looks optimal. The ole “survival of the fittest” thing and what not.
What does this look like for me right now, as a mother of two toddlers preparing to conceive a third baby? It looks like me trying to exercise daily for sure. Not necessarily a “balls to the walls,” knock ‘em dead, make you want to puke workout, though once in a while I sure do love those. I go to Crossfit a few times a week, take a walk with my kids often, get on my spin bike on days I don’t head into the gym, work outside in my flower beds, etc. Sometimes it just looks like me walking through Target with one kid in full stiff-body-surfboard meltdown mode under my arm and the other kid trying to climb out of the cart while I push it looking for items off a list I forgot while my mask sort of slowly suffocates me and my sweat trickles down my spine, but hey we train for those moments too don’t we mama? I know you feel me here. Those moments of motherhood that feel like a workout, I count as preparing me for conceiving again! The takeaway here being, move your body! Get sweaty. Maybe get a little sore. If you can physically handle exercise, your body is going to feel good and be good, and you’ll be in a good place to physically make a baby.
Image by Tyler Crancer
Image taken during the Crossfit Open 2021
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how I am preparing my core and pelvic floor for pregnancy too. In the past I have struggled with urinary incontinence and pelvic pain during pregnancy, including Symphsis Pubic Dysfunction (SPD). I also have a small degree of pelvic organ prolapse, which I noticed after the birth of my last child. I really want to prepare my pelvis and pelvic floor to meet the demands of pregnancy this time, to the best of my ability. I know that many of these issues are relatively unavoidable because of the demands of pregnancy, but there are things we can do to protect and prepare our bodies too. I’ve focused on properly engaging my pelvic floor, properly releasing my pelvic floor, moving with purpose (so I don’t stress my pelvis!), and utlizing my breath.
For me this also includes a check in with my pelvic floor physical therapist. She knows my history and has walked me through it. I’m looking forward to assessing how my pelvic organ prolapse looks with her professional point of view, knowing that right now it is asymptomatic. I did feel a lot of heaviness and discomfort in the months following my last birth so I’m excited to see if she has any “prehab” for me before pregnancy this time.
In my immediate postpartums I also always focus on my abs and healing my naturally occuring diastasis recti. I avoid movements like sit ups that could potentially make that abdominal separation worse while it’s still recovering. As of late, I have been incorporating these typical “abdominal stressors'' like sit ups, toes to bar, planks, and even pull ups into my exercise routines because they feel good, I can perform them without signs that my internal pressure is mismanaged (like coning or doming), and I like doing them. I also feel that being strong in abdominal flexion is important and contributes to overall health and fitness. The crunch has gotten a really bad reputation in recent years because of the awareness of diastasis recti, but with the proper approach to them they can be awesome! Doing the not so fun exercises and rehab work in the immediate postpartum period has made these exercises appropriate for me now as I’m preparing to conceive again. And as soon as I know I’m pregnant, I will likely take them out of my repertoire again.
Photo stolen from UnCharted Crossfit’s instagram from “Murph” workout 2021
Asking these questions is important, and finding the answers can certainly ease our minds as our bodies go through the immense changes and stress that is trying to conceive, pregnancy, and postpartum. I say all this with the note that of course I’m not a midwife, an OBGYN, or even a physical therapist, so while I am answering some of these questions for myselfeverything you do should be discussed with your individual health care provider and a fitness coach that knows you and your story the best. I’m just telling you part of my own story! Of course if you have questions about what I’m doing, or would like further resources please reach out. I love to discuss this stuff and I am with you! Walking with you as you prepare to conceive or while you navigate fitness during or after pregnancy would be such an honor and I hope that my perspective as I navigate it myself helps you to know you’re not alone.
