Hi everyone 🙂
My name is Karyn and I’m very excited Suzie has asked me to share some of my experiences with trying to stay healthy while pregnant on her website!

I’m 27 weeks pregnant with my second baby. I had my beautiful daughter three and a half years ago when I was 26 and that was a much easier pregnancy; I was able to stay fairly fit throughout it. I had plenty of time to go for walks and do aqua-natal classes (like aqua aerobics). I didn’t suffer many pregnancy symptoms at all. This time round though – where do I begin! I had morning sickness that lasted all day until I was about 17 weeks. Then, just as that was disappearing, I got sciatica (where the sciatic nerve in the back pinches, sending pain down the back, bottom and leg) ouch! I have so many varicose veins that I look and feel as though my legs have been run over by a truck! And I’ve put on probably double the amount of weight as I did in my first pregnancy.

However, I have found something that has been helping me so much – pre-natal yoga / meditation. I was doing a yoga DVD a couple of times a week early on in my pregnancy, but once the sciatica set in it was way too painful. So I basically stopped all types of exercise for about 6 weeks and I think that’s when the weight began to pile on a bit. After a visit to my obstetrician, he assured me I wouldn’t continue to have sciatica the entire pregnancy and it should begin to subside at around 21 or 22 weeks. I was going to physio once a week and this helped a little. But at 22 weeks when it got worse instead of better, I decided to stop complaining and do something about it. I called the Hills Yoga Centre and booked in for their pre-natal yoga classes. I can’t even begin to explain what a help these classes have been. The poses stretch out every sore muscle in my body and leave me feeling energised. My sciatica has gone completely (which may also be a result of progressing in the pregnancy and my ligaments settling down – but I’m sure the yoga has helped as well).  Each hour session finishes with 10 minutes of deep breathing and meditation practice which leaves me feeling as though I am floating on clouds. My varicose veins, although still painful, have improved a little as well.

Honestly, 6 weeks ago I told my husband that if he wanted anymore children we would have to adopt because I didn’t want to ever be pregnant again – now though, I am feeling so good and enjoying lots of kicks from baby – I think I could do it again!!