20 Weeks and Counting!

A lot has changed since my last post! First off, I'm getting bigger! The tiny human can officially be felt externally when it kicks. It also REALLY likes to punch/kick my bladder. We've had some serious discussions about how Mommy doesn't appreciate those particular movements. Secondly, I visited a neurologist who said I no longer need to do heparin injections. The neurologist did a complete exam (along with some bloodwork), stating that if he didn't know my history, he never would have guessed that I had a stroke 3 years ago. Score! He also noted that I do not need a scheduled c-section due to increased risk for having another stroke. This little lady is super pumped! 

20 Week Belly

So now I get to "enjoy" the rest of my pregnancy. Today was my 20 week appointment, which means I had my anatomy scan ultrasound. Mike and I decided to wait until d-day to learn the gender of the baby, but it was still fun seeing it on the screen! My tiny human is already pretty stubborn. It refused to slip over so the ultrasound tech could get a good view of the spine. At one point, the tech pushed the probe on my belly to get it to move… and we watched the little stinker use both legs to forcefully kick where she was poking. "Bug off, lady!" is totally what it was saying! I can already see our stubborn personalities colliding one day… 

The doctor did mention that everything looks great. The tiny human is weighing in at 11oz, and is in the 61% grouping for size. Average is 50%, so it's a little bigger than average. With parents like Mike and me, I wouldn't expect any less! There's no way this kid is going to be small! Since everything with the tiny human (and me) looks so good, along with the neurologist taking me off heparin/stating I don't need a scheduled c-section, I officially got moved from a high-risk pregnancy status to low-risk! I even watched him mark it on the paper!! Super fabulous news :)

Tiny Human

My growing belly is still leading to some body image issues. I know, I know… it's suppose to be growing (especially with it being 11 oz!!). Now that I'm starting to look a little more pregnant it's getting better, but I still hate wearing anything other than my scrubs or sweatpants. Plus, maternity pants just aren't that comfortable! 

I've also started discovering how difficult it's getting to move around while working. Bending and twisting in to weird positions to restrain animals isn't as fun as it was a few months ago! I also get out of breath walking from one side of the clinic to the other. It's nuts!

Toes!

Since I've noticed some problems with my breathing, I've started exercising more. While I do have to modify some, I'm amazed at how well I can usually keep up! Thirty minutes a day is totally doable, especially when my cravings tend to get the best of me regarding my diet. I'm also trying to encourage others to join in with me. As a Beachbody coach, I'm always trying to get others on track with their health and fitness, but this month is a little different.

One of my fellow coaches was recently diagnosed with stage four Hodgkins Lymphoma. She is an awesome coach, mom, teacher, and overall person, so I'm going to do anything I can to help. That's why, for the month of March, I am helping raise money to help contribute to her charity of choice (the Mario Lemieux Foundation). Whenever someone signs up with to participate in one of my challenge groups with the purchase of a challenge pack (an exercise program + 30days worth of Shakeology), I am donating some of my commission in her honor. 

A couple other coaches and myself are hosting a challenge group that starts March 24th. I'm really excited about this group, as I want to get TONS of people involved so I have more to donate in her honor! So you might be wondering what exactly a challenge group entails. Well, it's a 60 day group that takes place from the comfort of your own home. You will be added to a closed Facebook group (meaning only the folks in the group can see what you post) where you are given daily assignments that will keep you motivated and on track during the challenge. We focus on balancing daily life, fitness, nutrition… all while making it as fun as possible! I love these groups because they give you a place to go for support, motivation, and accountability.  If you're interested in learning more about joining the March 24th group, please e-mail me at k.pivowar@gmail.com  

Great cause for a great gal!

Pregnancy Thus Far (14 weeks)

Many of you reading this may already know that my husband and I are expecting a new addition to our family in early August 2014. This will be our first two-legged child! So now I'm going to go in to how pregnancy has been treating me...

I found this shirt, which is very similar to to the Insanity shirt I earned upon completing that program, to announce our new addition. This was a perfect way considering how invested I have become with Beachbody and my job as a coach!

Unfortunately, I have to give myself twice daily heparin injections. This is a blood thinner that I have been placed on due to my stroke history. I bruise very easily the way it is, but putting me on a blood thinner makes it worse! Luckily, the bruising is minimal, but still… this ain't pretty! Along with this, I am unable to drink my Shakeology, as the vitamin K content is too high for my doctor's liking. As much as I would like to go against doctor's orders (I miss my Shakeo!!!), I realized I can't put my wants first anymore. Along with this, you'll notice my fabulous blanket. We have become best friends, as I nap SO much! Partially blaming pregnancy, the other is due to the heparin.

 Nausea hit me VERY hard around 7-8 weeks along. I had to take generic Zofran every 4 hours just to be able to function. I was fortunate in that I never physically got sick, but sometimes I wish I would have! I am very lucky in that one of my coworkers makes phenomenal ginger snap cookies, of which I purchased a package to use for medicinal purposes :)

I have been having some pretty strange cravings since day 1. Unfortunately, my tiny human isn't a huge fan of the food I typically ate pre-pregnancy. By that, I mean it hates vegetables and chicken… which is what I LIVED off of! Since eating vegetables wasn't an option, I drank a lot of V8 Fusion fruit/vegetable juice to get my daily intake. I have slowly been able to start adding vegetables in my diet (baby carrots are a great snack right now), however unless it is covered in bbq or hot sauces, I still can't do chicken! Some of the things I have been craving include: chips and queso, Fruity Pebbles (or any cereal really), Skittles, milk, root beer, oranges and orange juice, and pizza. Now I am to the point where nothing sounds good until I start eating it. The husband really hates that… makes prepping for dinner VERY difficult!

My skin has become super sensitive, more specifically the tops of my hands. I wash my hands too many times a day to count, and the soap at work did this to me. It turns very red and raw, followed by dry and cracking/bleeding. I had to purchase a calming soap to take to work, which has helped a little. Before bed, I coat the tops of my hands and fingers with triple antibiotic ointment, which has been a miracle! Luckily, the rest of my skin (minus a few facial outbreaks) has tolerated pregnancy pretty well!

A friend of mine allowed me to borrow a bunch of her maternity clothes. She is much smaller than me naturally, however she was nearing the end of her pregnancy in the summer/fall last year, making the clothes perfect for me right now. Mike and I are going south Florida in a few weeks for a friend's wedding, so I need warm weather clothes! These are some maternity capris that are BEYOND comfortable! However, as I was trying on the clothes, I had a moment of panic. I have always carried my extra weight around my midsection - this is what I worked so hard to lose (most of anyway) prior to the tiny human. Upon trying on these pants, it was a mental tug-of-war between knowing that my tummy is suppose to be getting bigger vs. my normal mentality of keeping that area hidden. Mike came in the room, saw me like this, and stated with a smile on his face, "Look at the belly!" I instantly started crying so hard that I hyperventilated. Luckily, he was sweet and talked me off the ledge, but it's a mental hurdle that will take me a while to overcome. My hopes are that when I start to look pregnant to people who don't already know I'm pregnant, I'll be ok. It is so hard being at that point where it could go either way between extra fluff and pregnancy. One friend told me if I felt self conscious, keep my hand on my belly, as that's a sure sign that you're making a tiny human. Note taken!!