Finding a Rhythm

Oh, goodness. I have been exhausted. I always told myself that I would be the kind of pregnant woman that put working out as a priority so that I ended up with a healthier pregnancy and less weight to deal with in the end.  I was doing a decent job until a couple of weeks ago.  But, it's been a struggle to find that rhythm of work, sleep, and self-care.  It's okay to be tired and sleep a lot, because I'm growing a person inside my body!  How neat!  But, I also don't want to get to 40 weeks with  buncha shoulda, coulda, woulda's hanging over me.

Our society is built on treating symptoms, but not finding the route cause of our aches, pains, and illnesses. My knee was aching last night. The American response is that if the body hurts, we shouldn't push it farther by exercising, and that we should take pain medication to stave off the hurt.  But, that really depends on why it hurts. My knee was aching because I haven't been exercising. I haven't been doing yoga in the living room.  I haven't been walking. I haven't been getting to the gym. I also ate potatoes twice yesterday.  Potatoes are a nightshade vegetable, which is connected to arthritis, and I have noticed that when I eat less potatoes, my joints are less achy.

And, baby daddy does the same thing.  We believe that so much of basic human self-care is directly related to the food we eat and making sure to exercise...that so many aches and pains commonly associated with and accepted as a part of aging are directly related to what we eat and how active we are. His first response when his tummy hurts is that he didn't eat something that his system could process well.  He is very aware of what various foods do to his system.  Some foods make him feel old and achy.  Some foods make him gassy.  Some foods make him feel as if he's not getting any nutrition from them.  So, he eliminates them.  When his stomach is upset, he eliminates what he thinks the cause is until his digestive system is balanced.

Anyhow, I haven't had the energy to keep up with my preventative care routine of working out.  I'm hoping that being in the 2nd trimester with more energy (and post major non-profit fundraiser) will have me feeling revived and relaxed.  I was reading in Wise Woman's Herbal for the Childbearing Years about ways to get more energy.  One of the suggestions was to squeeze fresh lemon just into water.  The ironic thing is that I will have more energy when I step back into my workout routine.  But, that isn't helping me get out of bed in the morning...