the strength of a woman

every woman's journey is different- i love all the stories i hear every day professionally and personally. i love women and respect our strength- i feel like we all posess this amazing underlying strength. the strength that comes from dealing with all the issues we have to deal with every day, the strength that comes from getting through the most terrifying pain of childbirth, the strength that comes from being a mother, and a friend, and a sister, and a daughter, and a wife. until i gave birth, i didn't know what me, what my body, was capable of. i didn't realize what i could get through and come out the other side- physically and emotionally. i think carrying and having children proves that to us every day. i have always loved to push myself physically. but after having children, i feel like i have never been stronger, and i now know what i'm capable of- ANYTHING! so for me, being a mother has brought me more confidence in my own strength. when i am pregnant, i feel like i am keeping myself healthy and strong for my baby. the stronger i am, the stronger my baby will be. of course, there are different parameters pregnant women have to follow- especially if you have a difficult pregnancy. i have had both- i've had 3 miscarriages, and 1 really difficult pregnancy- i had placenta previa and was on pelvic rest after month 2 until the end- and bed rest on and off with lots of heavy bleeding in between. i also had to take progesterone during 2 of my pregnancies b/c my levels were very low, and with a history of miscarriage, we wanted to be on the safe side. with all of that, i also had 3 relatively good pregancies. i worked out the entire time and felt great about that. i truly believe it helped me and my babies. the research shows that if you and your baby are healthy, exercise is best during pregnancy! of course, a great side effect can be keeping your weight gain in check. but like i've said before, weight should not always be the focus! if you've never worked out, you can begin during pregnancy- but you will certainly need more guidance than those who already do. i would strongly recommend a trainer during pregnancy- this is the time to know your parameters. and to be honest, why not leave the boring research to those of us who do it anyways?!! leave the boring stuff to us, and just enjoy your pregnancy and the strength you can find within yourself and let your body do the most amazing thing it will ever do :)