When I look at that belly, all I can think is: no way does that belly have six weeks left.
I hate to admit it, but I sort of agree with the lady at the grocery store who wouldn’t believe me when I told her I wasn’t having twins.
“Are you sure there aren’t two in there?” she asked.
“Yes, yes, I’m sure.”
“I don’t know, you might be surprised,” she said, walking away with her eyebrows raised like she knew better than me.
That doesn’t happen anymore, right? Surprise twins. Not in 2013, right?
I’m 34 weeks today, and on the scale of “how pregnant women feel,” I’m feeling pretty good.
But, last weekend I made a decision: I’ve officially stopped running.
Since probably 30 weeks (right around the time I posted this) I felt some cramping about a mile into my runs, so I switched to run/walks. Then, I walked the Monument Ave. 10k at 32 weeks. The walk felt good, but after it I felt tired, but I think you should feel tired if you walk 6.2 miles after spending a week getting your house up to cleanliness standards that my mom would approve of.
But then the back pain started.
I never had back pain with David. My main pregnancy symptoms with David were 1) eating salt and vinegar potato chips 2) grumpiness. I never had swelling or back pain or sore feet or anything like that.
This time is different. On Thursday I went for a walk in the morning and a run in the afternoon and by Friday morning my back hurt so much I was limping from the couch to the cabinet for my salt and vinegar chips.
I’d had back pain before during this pregnancy. My back always hurt after a long day with David, and then running, but after David’s bedtime I’d put my feet up and it always felt better by the next morning.
This time it didn’t feel better the next morning, or the morning after that, or the morning after that.
I saw my doctor a few days later and he said it was probably an alignment problem, and relaxin (the most literally named hormone in existence) was probably to blame. He didn’t tell me I needed to stop running, but I decided it was time.
My running in pregnancy philosophy is: run as long as it feels good, then stop. First cramping, then back pain…it’s not feeling good anymore. It’s not making my pregnancy enjoyable, or helping me feel healthy.
There’s a part of me that feels defeated, but only a tiny part of me. I ran until I was 37 weeks pregnant with David, and at that point watching me run was uncomfortable. That time quitting seemed logical and obvious. But this time I wonder if I still have some run left in me, especially since running in my first and second trimesters was actually easier this time around.
David was a week late, so maybe if that happens again I might try running to move things along. KIDDING, MOM [sort of].
In the meantime, I’m walking, doing yoga to help with the back pain, and trying to motivate myself to get to the gym and go swimming. I’m also doing a lot of putting my feet up and eating salt and vinegar chips. After all, I only have six more weeks before I can blame that sort of behavior on pregnancy.
You know that NO ONE shy of Tom and your family members loves you more than I do. So keep that in mind. I say this with all the love in the world…SIT YOUR BUTT DOWN. Relax, eat your chips and act like a pregnant woman for goodness sake. While you’re at it, grab some ice cream and a good twelve hours worth of Redbox movies.
I agree with Jenny.. trust me you will be able to run when the second little Krieger comes along!
What Jenny said! You should have stopped back at 30 weeks! Keep doing the yoga, though I had back pain that made me limp and unable to take a full breath. Doing yoga made a world of difference for me.
I think you look great in this picture. Is this taken near your house?
I have carried so much in the belly with both of mine, I always got that. And even now when people find out I am only 14 weeks with this one they already say “are you sure there is only one?!?” I keep thinking what are people going to say when I am 30 weeks, 4 or 5 babies?
You look so great- and are so, so close!! Cutting out the running at this point sounds very wise. Enjoy the final weeks, and you’ll be out there again before you know it!
[…] time has been different. My back, my hips, my face hurts. I stopped running three weeks earlier, and I spend more evenings on the […]