What I Eat & How I Train in My Second Trimester
And somehow just like that, it’s past the 20 week mark and halfway through my last pregnancy. I’ve come to expect that first half to feel much faster for me than the second half, so I’m trying to keep that in mind knowing things start to drag a bit towards the end when I’m less comfortable and just so ready to meet our baby!
How I’ve Been Eating:
MORE! My appetite has picked up in the second trimester and savory comfort foods have been calling my name. I’ve been using the Moves Plus recipe library to curate my weekly plan to include more red meat and fiber options (idk if this is TMI but I’m always a little less regular when pregnant so I try to drink water and prioritize fiber). Some of my favorites have been: Lemon Chicken Orzo, Maple Dijon Chicken Sheetpan, High Protein Lasagna Soup, Open-Faced Meatball Subs, Steak & Goodles with broccoli, etc. Trying hard to get iron rich foods into my diet knowing that it’s easy to be deficient here and that postpartum will need a strategic emphasis on healing post surgery (I’ll be having my 4th C-section delivery). My preferences have leaned more savory, but if we’re sharing some sweet treats I’m loving it's Brownie Heavenly Hunks and these No Bake Cookie Dough Bars from the Fall Move Together Challenge.
Maybe this is just what I feel, but it seems to me that online depictions of pregnancy seem extreme: either you’ll feel absolutely miserable and cannot wait for it to end or it’s picture-perfect nutrition and “gentle” workouts and long list of prenatal specific supplements, appointments and classes, etc. I don’t land anywhere close to either, personally and I think that’s also ok! My workouts change as needed, but I cling to what sets me up for an easier postpartum and that’s STRENGTH training. I eat what sounds good at times and try really hard to combine it with what my nutrient levels NEED for steady energy and muscle preservation. I take the same creatine I did pre-pregnancy and a prenatal I trust (I'll get to that in just a second), but that’s it! Minimal, repeatable, implementable and NOT wildly expensive is the approach that keeps my head screwed on and not overwhelmed.
Personalization & Simplicity
These are the two most valuable gifts I think anyone can give themselves during pregnancy and why I’m such a proponent of the Moves Plus recipes. Knowing how much your body needs, what foods will fuel those ratios and having ACTUAL recipes with the nutrient profiles we need as pregnant women is such an unlock day to day. It doesn’t mean that cravings won’t hit and we need to avoid them all, but it does give structure to what you’re doing MOST of the time, and the law of averages always wins! I find that encouraging in a time where so much change happens so quickly,
Supplements
This is in no way medical advice and consulting your doctor before starting anything new in pregnancy is recommended
Perelel Prenatal: Each pregnancy I’ve gotten a little bit pickier about a prenatal knowing my diet might be deficient and I’m older and more realistic about how much pregnancy impacts my body. Anything I can do to set it up for success feels worth it and Perelel’s Trimester Support and easy multi packs have made that something I don’t have to think about. I know it’s working for me behind the scenes.
Promix Creatine: This is a personal decision I’m comfortable with, but I have continued taking creatine daily since I was 4 months postpartum with my last baby and have no plans to stop. That doesn’t mean I’m saying there is enough available research to make blanket statements for others, so talking with YOUR OB is my recommendation. For me, this wasn’t really a decision to start taking a new pregnancy supplement. It was more: 'Is there a reason I need to stop taking something that’s already been part of my routine for years?' And I didn’t feel that there was.
Maintaining Muscle
Maintaining muscle and strength during pregnancy is really important to me. I’ve strength trained for years, and I want to maintain as much of that strength as I reasonably can through pregnancy and into postpartum. One of the biggest disservices marketed towards women is that pregnancy is a time that has to be made extra fragile and ends up being 9 months that deconditions them for postpartum when we NEED strength and connection the most. And it truly doesn’t take many sessions a week when they’re structured well to maintain strength in pregnancy which allows us to honor the ebbs and flows of energy as they come.
My goal is about maintaining strength, supporting my changing body, and staying active in a way that feels good, not necessarily chasing PR’s.
And then there’s the brain side of creatine, which honestly might be what interests me most right now. Research has looked at creatine for brain health and cognitive function, including during times when we’re not getting enough sleep. The research isn’t conclusive, but there have been some promising findings for things like memory, attention, and processing speed. Considering I’m pregnant, working full-time, keeping up with 3 little kids, and not always getting the sleep I’d love…. I’m taking 5g a day and will continue.
If you got all the way here and are thinking: "great, I really just need this laid out in a way that takes the small decisions off my mind and plate week by week", you’re in the right place:
- Madeline
