A VOCAL Experiment - See if you can follow

     Yoga has become an integral exercise now that I am pregnant.  It always was important for my golf game, but now it is one of the few exercises that the doctor has approved.  What I have decided to do for my podcast is describe a few yoga techniques which are a part of my routine to keep my body limber and flexible.  See if you can follow my voice and descriptions.  Later I will post the actual movements and you can judge to see how closely you were able to follow along.  Feel free to leave a comment so that I know if I need to work on my communication skills :) 

Workout/Exercise Appropriate Routines

     So since my last post was talking about routines, I figured I could talk about some other routines that have been changed in my life. As previously stated I am a varsity golfer and I have developed my own pre-season, seasonal, and post-season/off-season workout routines. These have been adjusted given the current situation. Below is a comparison of what I used to do to what is now suggested by the doctor:

Cardio - Old Routine included walking, jogging, elliptical, cross trainer, bike, swimming, yoga - all at high intensity 

           - New Routine includes walking, jogging, yoga, swimming at a low-moderate intensity 

Weights - Old Routine included body weight, free weights, and machines - as heavy as my body could handle

             - New Routine includes body weights and light free weights 

Muscle Groups - Old Routine included whole body workouts, specifically working on the core 

                        - New Routine includes arms with free weights, only squats and lunges for legs, and hip rotations but no hardcore core workouts - nothing strenuous or stressful is allowed 

     It was a hard adjustment not doing some of my old workouts, and I think not listening to the doctor from the start resulted in some of my early discomforts. That has scared me to stop working out, but now my body is feeling the need for it. So I think it time to step it up again, stay in shape, but just listen to my body. I mean many athletes have done it and their babies seem fine. Plus summer is just around the corner and my first golf game will be this weekend and my first golf tournament within the next couple months. I am sure that having my energy back, now that I am in the second trimester, will help me stay on track. 

     Note: every pregnancy is different so if you are thinking of using my new workout suggestions it would be recommended that you double check with your own OB/doctor before trying anything new. Otherwise keep fit and have fun!

Routine, Routine, Routine!

    

     So after the last appointment with my doctor, I came out with feeling that establishing a daily routine was extremely important - I mean she only mentioned it to me about 6 times throughout the 30 mins. I will say now that I finally get it, but establishing this is somewhat difficult for me - life happens I am always one that others can depend on.

    

     Sometimes I mess my priorities up and I am starting to feel the consequences. For example: I was starting to establish a routine where I finally got rid of any nausea or tired feelings and was able to sleep in (normally I was waking up at 3am but got to the point where I could sleep until 8:00am) - my day consisted of getting up around 10:00am (even if the last 3 hours was just lying there resting because apparently this is another instruction by the doctor); have breakfast and take my medications (Materna to be clear); shower and get ready for either class or work; walk to either work or class; make sure I ate something small every 2-3 hours; put in a full day at work or class; walk home; nap (another instruction which to be honest is rarely followed); eat dinner; study if possible; and then go to bed or just rest the body. All would be fine and dandy if life were as simple as this to continue it day in and day out - but that is not the reality of the student worker.

     Recently there has been some major disruptions to the 'routine'. Like work now starts at 8:00am on some days, food forgets to be consumed, sleep is not achieved, school work and group assignments are inconsistent - all of which I think may contribute to my entire Saturdays being spent sleeping (this is not a lie unfortunately - the entire day is a write-off!).

    

     However, I am back to working on my journey to establishing a clear, consistent routine. This may involve telling people "No, I can't do that." It seems hard and out of character, but I have to do what is safe and beneficial for me and the baby now. It is much easier having this information out in the open now as people tend to be more understanding.

     So I will continue to work on this and report my successes or failures - hopefully more success stories than the latter - lol.

Golf: The Only Sport That Doesn't Seem to Discriminate

    
     Lucky for me, golf seems to be the only sport that you can continue to play while pregnant that doesn't get much negative media exposure. Above are LPGA players Ursula Wikstrom (left) who is seven months pregnant and Pat Hurst (right) who is seven and a half months pregnant. Ursula happens to be playing in Dubai at that time, in which she finished that round with a +2. Not too shabby I would say considering the temperatures were reaching a scorching 110 degrees.

     Below is Ashley Crain, 26, from Toronto. She teed off and finished the Toronto Star Women's Amateur Golf Tournament at eight and a half months pregnant. She attributes her current success, for example her second place finish at the Michigan Mid-Amateur Tournament, to her expecting baby girl. She has commented that the changes she had to make to her putting style to accommodate her 'bump' has actually made her putting sharper.

     I am looking forward to my adventures both on and off the course. Unfortunately, I do not make money playing golf, so while we are preparing for this little bundle of joy, my golf game will have to take the back burner to employment opportunities.

Mindful Mamas Yoga

     They say common symptoms of pregnancy are lack of energy, motivation, and forgetfulness, loss of short-term memory, concentration, headaches and backaches. - They were not kidding. This is not very comforting for me being that I am a student and am reliant upon all those things to be successful. Some think that it is still cute that I have sent three of the same emails because I forget that I sent one in the first place, or that I walk into my room to get something only to walk back out with nothing and have to go back once someone reminds me what I was looking for. I am sure my lack of sleep is a huge contributing factor. So what is one way to fix that? Exercise!

     After consultation with a few friends I was informed about mindful mamas yoga. I am hoping that adding this to my daily/weekly routines will help alleviate some of these pregnancy ills. Tonight is my first class..... Exciting! I will keep you all posted about the benefits that have resulted. Until then enjoy this YouTube video clip about Mindful Mamas and some of the positive testimonials.

TEE for Two

     The critical period is finally over.... I can now expose myself and show the excitement I am hiding inside.  I am pregnant :) 3 months now and while my sport may still be in the off season I still consider myself to be an athlete.  I will say though a more cautious athlete now.  I am not sure how the basketball athletes did it, but once the bump started growing it felt like my abs were being ripped apart. There was no accompanying pain, it's just the only way I can describe the feeling.  I have only a little baby bump now, but this little thing inside has already caused tremendous changes.  I am still excited to go forward.

     I am taking our adventure to the next level, tee for two.  We will be out as often as possible during the season, playing on the links.  I am sure modifications will be necessary, but I want to see how being pregnant affects a golf athlete.  I already have an idea about how things are going to change with my recent playing experience.

     We had a golf fundraiser not too long ago in which I was unsure about, so I did not register a team.  I did, however, get the chance to still swing the club for a few hits.  Playing with the irons was fine, actually quite normal, but the driver is what made me more cautious.  There was no real warm up which may have been a contributing factor, along with the fact that I just went up and tried to kill the ball.  After my first swing it felt like I ripped an internal lining away from my skin.  It was definitely weird and uncomfortable, but not as painful as it sounds.  The ball hit the side wall and I was slightly embarrassed, but I think it was more the feelings inside that threw me off.  Maybe I was trying too hard.  I attempted it again, hit my regular slice but still felt awkward.  Needless to say that was the last of my driver experience until after I consult with my doctor.  I have read other pregnant golfers stories, which are all positive, so I am sure once I get used to the situation and become more comfortable things will change.

     My doctor and I have already begun adjusting my workout routines.  Now that we are heading into the second trimester, I have a feeling that some of the excluded activities can now be added back.

     I am still anxious to go out with my friends and play some golf with a huge baby bump.  I find the image to be funny but the experience to be memorable.

     My blogging is now going to be more personal as I follow my adventure through this pregnancy and my desire to play golf and stay active.

The Male's Perspective - Does it really matter?

     I was curious about what the male's perspective was on athlete pregnancies.  It is more out of interest, because I don't think their opinions really matter.  I mean consider the differences - they are not the ones who have to watch their bodies change, they do not have to try extra hard to get their bodies back into shape nor do they have to prove their athletic abilities once more, they do not have to risk losing their college/university aspirations or risk their career - so why does their opinion really matter.  But now just imagine if males did get pregnant - like on the right, David Beckham.  Maybe we should care about their opinions.  So I talked with a few male athletes to get their perspective on the whole situation.  I was even ready put him in the scenarios of "what if" situations - like what if your girlfriend got pregnant in high school… in college… or during your professional career.  I was prepared to questions about equity and equality.  So if you would like to hear these males responses please listen to the attached audio file to get the male's perspective on female athlete pregnancy.

UPDATE: The male athletes chickened out - Sorry to all those readers who were interested in listening to this podcast - you weren't the only ones. I guess I was right when I said the first time, does the male's opinion really matter!

Are Pregnant Athletes Selfish or Are Policies of Equality Lacking?

    

     There has been a debate that pregnant athletes are being selfish for hiding or keeping secret their pregnancies while playing their sports well into the third trimester.  While some of their defining reasons for hiding it may be different, I think the end reasoning is the same – they just want to play as long as their rights allow them to. This wasn’t always the case, however, and I think this is the reason why some women are still cautious about when and to whom they reveal their pregnancies. Let’s look at two different groups of affected athletes: professional athletes and college/high school athletes.

     Concerns and fears still do not disappear for professional athletes. For WNBA players, basketball is their career.  A league veteran, Allison Feaster was still nervous when she got pregnant: "I was really concerned about just announcing my pregnancy and how it would affect my ability to stay in my job. I'd say put the pressure on the lawmakers to do their part so that we are protected." Other stars like DeMya Walker and Marie Ferdinand are also pregnant realities of the WNBA and other women's professional leagues. Seeing athletes play out their postpartum weight loss on national TV offers an up-close view of what it takes to get back into game shape. Houston Comets star Sheryl Swoopes is proof it can be done. She has been named MVP a record three times since having her son Jordan 10 years ago. The athletes of the WNBA are the best of the best, and their league has a supportive pregnancy policy. Not every athlete is so lucky.

     The choices collegiate athletes confront have been complicated by both the lack of university policies addressing the issue and by universities’ discriminatory practices, such as the withdrawal of athletic scholarships from athletes who become pregnant. In 2003, a Sacred Heart University basketball player alleged that she was asked to leave the team after her pregnancy became known. According to the player, the coach told her that the pregnancy would be a “distraction” to the team. After the university denied the player’s request for “medical redshirt” status, typically given to injured athletes to enable them to retain their athletic scholarships, she met with the university’s athletic director and its Title IX compliance officer. These officials promised to reinstate her scholarship and allow her to resume participation on the team after having she gave birth. Nonetheless, the coach continued to shun her when she returned from maternity leave and excluded her from participating in team activities. The player subsequently left the university and filed a Title IX suit alleging pregnancy discrimination. The case eventually settled out of court with no reported decision and on undisclosed terms. These stories and more can be found in the article by Deborah Brake, The Invisible Pregnant Athlete and the Promise of Title IX, retrieved from http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jlg/vol312/323-366.pdf



USC's Brynn Cameron

    
     Decisions also affect high school athletes just as hard, if not harder. Making the decision to keep the child can affect their future more than it should. Take the example of Darnellia Russell, a high school student from Seattle. Darnellia had hoped, through an athletic scholarship, to fulfill her dream of becoming the first in her family to go to college. Her high school coach saw her true potential when she was just a junior. She had letters of interest from a number of schools before she got pregnant. After the baby the interest pretty much disappeared, and with it, Darnellia's dreams of a college education and maybe even the WNBA. Darnellia would love the opportunity to show a school that she has come back from her pregnancy. She is waiting for the phone to ring with a college coach giving her that chance.

     With many more stories like these, students may feel compelled to make decisions that are beyond their true desires because they are not given a fair chance.  So are pregnant athletes selfish? I think not. It seems all they want is to continue to live healthy lifestyles and to stay in their profession as long as other pregnant business women do. If they are taking care and control of the best interest of the baby than I say all the more power to them. We are all strong and resilient and should be given the opportunities to prove ourselves again, no matter what level of participation.   

A TEEny Tiny Start

Hello and welcome to my school blogging project.  The purpose of the project is to blog about a sport of interest.  My topic goes a little beyond just sports to incorporate fitness as well.  Sports and fitness have always been a part of my life.  Growing up I participated in jazz, tap, dance, ballet, gymnastics, t-ball, softball, baseball, swimming, skating, volleyball, basketball, track and field, weightlifting, football, rugby, and most recently golf.  Having this plethora of experiences has contributed to a natural sporting ability and my belief that sport and physical fitness will always be a part of my life.  When it comes to sports I prefer to play and not watch.  I do not follow players or specific teams to the extent that most sports enthusiast do, therefore deciding upon a topic provided a real challenge for me.  I decided to make this blog a little more personal.

I am a varsity golfer.  While I only recently picked up this sport, unlike the other sports I have played, golf is a sport that can be played through any life stage and/or age.  I can play as an amateur, professional, and even join the senior’s tour.  This is beneficial for me, as I am not the youngest senior in University.  I am 28 years old and in a long-term relationship, about ready to move on to the next stages.  One of these stages includes starting a family.  This is where the spark was lit for my blogging topic: a journey through pregnancy and sport.  I will look at topics which include how female/male athletes deal with pregnancy, how average mothers continue to be active throughout pregnancy and discuss current and past issues that relate to pregnancies and sport, such as the recent story about the mother who gave birth after running the Chicago marathon.

I hope that my blogs will inform, educate, and inspire active females and mothers throughout their journey of becoming a parent.