I am usually quite an open and honest person so I found it quite challenging. I definitely think looking forward that I’d love to help try and create more awareness for support of women in the first trimester. I think for some women that can be the hardest time and they are reluctant to ask for help. 3. How did you stay fit and healthy during pregnancy, any tips? Trying to stay fit and healthy during pregnancy ended up being so different to how I had envisioned it. I thought I would do tonnes of yoga, eat all organic food and go to the markets all the time. In reality, the only thing I could stomach was maybe a can of soup. At one stage, I remember getting chicken nuggets from McDonalds - I just needed something as bland as possible. My second trimester, I went back to doing yoga three times a week and I surfed until I was about 17 weeks. I love being active so the minute I stopped vomiting I was thrilled to be out and about and moving again. For me, it was really great to keep my body strong throughout pregnancy because it gave me confidence leading up to the birth that my body could handle it. I think it is nice to know that you are strong enough physically to make the experience a bit easier. Also, look after your feet. My feet were just so painful by the end of the third trimester from carrying around the extra weight. It is a very short period of time to put on 17 to 20 kilos and I had a big baby so I really, really felt it. 4. What did you think would be challenging about pregnancy but wasn’t? And what didn’t you think would be challenging but was? I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie and I love doing extreme sports and activities. I have skydived and I have done crazy things but nothing compared to the excitement and the adrenaline of having a baby. In that moment, when you are in the hospital and you know that it’s about to happen, that was just the biggest rush of my life and that is something I hadn’t expected. I knew I would be happy and thrilled and scared but I just didn’t expect it to be such an adrenaline rush and such a thrilling moment. I will never forget the sound of my husband’s voice when he said ‘it’s a boy’. Hearing those words, nothing compares. The other thing that caught me off guard is just how physically hard breastfeeding can be. I am quite an active person so I didn’t prepare myself to feel like I have run a marathon every day just from producing breast milk. I have been lucky in that Kit is great at breastfeeding and latching and I produce plenty of milk but it is just so physically draining. I thought I would have enough energy to be going for jogs but I wake up pretty exhausted every morning. LIZ BEATING THE HEAT AT FAVOURITE SPOT TALLEBUDGERA CREEK AND CLIMBING THE CLIFFS AT NOOSA WHILE PREGNANT. Pindara Magazine 60
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Ten
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