The aftermath

Hey!

I decided to write a quick aftermath about hooping while pregnant and postpartum!

In the beginning of the pregnancy I was really concerned what is going to happen to my hooping and to my abs. Will I be able to hoop after baby is born or do I have to learn it again (because of the abs are not what they used to be). Well:

Overall I have to say this pregnancy was pretty easy for me when it comes to physical health. I was really lucky to stay healthy and active during the whole pregnancy. I even did 5 km long walk on my due date. And hooped two days before the due date!

 My precious baby boy was born exactly on his due date 8th of August. Don't know how much hooping and exercise helped, but even the birth was really quick and easy. Pushing lasted only 8 minutes and I didn't get any tears or cuts. I just felt really good and happy right after he was born.

One week after pregnancy I gently started hooping again. First with one hoop and then adding more hoops to my routine. Three weeks postpartum I was able to hoop the way I used to before I got pregnant.

One month after pregnancy I was back performing with multihoops in our Glow Show!

So my conclusion is: Hooping while pregnant is a fun and safe way to stay in shape! And it's also an easy start to get back exercising postpartum!

For now this blog closes. If you wish, you can follow me at my other blog, instagram or trough facebook!

Just keep hooping!
With love
Katra

Third trimester

I haven't blogged here in a while. It's been almost 9 weeks since my last update. The summer has just flown by and autumn is knocking on my door... and means that the little lion boy is here soon. Only 1 week to my due date!

So what's new?

I have to say nothing. I feel really grateful that I have been able to stay active and hoop every day until this far in my pregnancy. Of course the hoop planes are little bit off due to the big belly, but I'm still able to do every move I did before pregnancy. I don't feel myself clumsy or unbalanced. Only my mind is playing tricks on me, since I haven't performed during the whole summer.

Like I said so many times, it's hard to stay next to the stage and watch the others perform. 

Here are some short hoop instagram video clips from this Summer 

Week 32 - 4 hoop split

Week 33 - 4 hoop hand split 

Week 33 - hooping

Week 37 - 4 hoop split

Week 38 - The Box 

Our showteam's summercamp

Headstand week 36

Only one week left!...

Week 30-31

I'm so exited. The due date is getting closer every day. Only 1, 5 months left! I'm really anxious to meet the little one - and also waiting eagerly getting back to my normal hooping & exercise routines.

I did my my (final) last show on 28th of May. Compared to what I normally do during our show, this was about 3 % of the work. No hoop solos, fire, led... Just pixel poi spinning. A little bit boring, if you ask me. Especially since I still felt I could the choreos, but I understand that now I should take it easy(ish). Any case the show was awesome and I'm really proud of our whole team!

Week 30 

After the show I flew to Cyprus. This was just a normal holiday. Can't even remember when was the last holiday under the sun (without gig). Well, the others were performing in Brazil at the same time...So in Cyprus I tried to find my inner zen (once again) and just keep spinning, just keep spinning...

Pregnancy week 31 (8 months pregnant)

I'm still a little bit blown away of how little pregnancy have affected me physically. I feel my balance is good, I don't feel clumsy, my back doesn't hurt and when it comes to hooping...everything is still doable. Only in 4 hoop on-body-split I have to cheat a little bit. Instead of hooping on my waist the hoop spins a little bit higher, near my rib cage. Also I'm  not that fast anymore and the planes are little bit off, but that's easy to correct afterwards. 

So, here's a little video from Cyprus.

Cheers

Katra

Pregnancy weeks 25-27

The pregnancy is now getting closer to the third trimester and I have to say that no huge changes hoop wise. Everything is still doable, even 5 hoops on-body-split, which actually feels really good... it's like a massage to my hips and back! Overall I believe that hooping is good exercise during pregnancy. It's low impact cardio and gentle to joints and ligaments... It also offers some movement to back and hips, which tend to get stiff when belly grows. I found a nice  article about pregnancy hooping here.

My pregnancy weeks 24-26 I spent mostly taking it easy and resting, because I caught a cold and was really ill for over two weeks. During my flu "episode", I did my last show before maternity leave. It was a little bit of unpleasant, because of the runny nose and fatigue, but I didn't want to miss it in any case. As I said before... performing is a huge part of me and it's been really tough to sell "no". That's why I really really wanted to do the last show!

Last glow show for me during this pregnancy

As I said... everything is still doable, but the costumes are not that wearable... anymore. The belly is getting bigger!

Pregnant week 25

Here is a small, quickly edited clip from that show!

Best Spring greetings!

Wishes the lady and the bump (week27)

Pregnant weeks 22- 23 - Training & pregnancy

Weeks just fly by. Especially weeks 22-23 when I had my hand full of rehearsals for Parsifal. I have to admit that my energy levels are not quite what they used to be. The rehearsal and show days were really long (around 12 h), but I made it alive. 

I made a short video clip from my Parsifal hoop performance. 

I love the feeling, when I move my body and feel that it is strong and capable.
Whether it is headstands or sprinting from sofa to kitchen. I had a vision before I got pregnant that I want to stay in shape as long as I can and I would take care of my muscle condition and overall health. I've been lucky, because I could make this vision into reality during my pregnancy time (minus feeling ill during first trimester).

Staying active helps me tremendously with my back pain, but above all it is the best "drug" for my pregnancy mood swings. After running,gym, hooping etc, I feel like myself again. Of course I have to make small changes to my sport routines all the time because the belly grows, but I don't try to make any personal time or weight records anymore and I try to listen to my body really carefully.

After pregnancy week 20 I made few alterations to the routines during gym and group exercise classes.  For example: The doctors suggest to leave all the abdominal crunches to others, because training abs(crunches) during pregnancy, may lead to a condition called diactasis recti, which means that after the birth the gap between your abs doesn't recover and the gap stays.

 So I left the crunches gladly to other and started doing bird dog exercise instead. It is really good move for your back and your deep muscles. Also all the high jumps I skipped from my routines.

Bird dog exercise

I have really enjoyed Les Mills Body Vive classes during this pregnancy. The class is 55 minutes. First 30 minutes cardio, then 30 minutes full body-strength and core exercises.  Before I got pregnant I used to go to this class. It made me sweat just enough and I got to move my muscles. Sometimes it was a nice change for the high intense classes. 

The other group exercise class I think is good during pregnancy, is Body Pump - one hour whole body workout with barbell weights. One can choose the intensity level by choosing the right weights for each muscle group.

My normal pregnancy sport routine is hooping + morning & evening yoga every day. Then walking 3- 5 km, home exercises, group exercises and gym few times in week. I try to do something every day to keep myself active and muscles in a good condition. It just makes me feel happy in my own skin.

Have a nice spring week!

Wishes the lady and the Bump

Pregnancy week 21 - it's a boy!

It's been a really busy week... Fire shows, glow shows, Parsifal-production rehearsals, music video shootings, hooping at the energy expo, my best friends baby shower etc. Normally I love action and busy schedule, but now I feel like the pregnancy is sucking all energy out of me. I feel a lot more tired than usually. But the best thing during this week was the ultra sound. We got to see our little one and it's a little boy!

After the glow show on last Friday

Hooping at the energy expo on Wednesday & Thursday 

Our precious boy!

www.parsifal.fi. Run troughs for Parsifal on Sunday

Before the Fire show on last Saturday

The mental roller coaster ride is getting a little bit easier. I have finally found my inner zen, peace or what ever. Well, I feel fine most of the time! But when I put on my show costumes and look in the mirror, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I think it should look like this: 

When it actually looks like this... 

Gotta love these mama-pants

Oh, they say that pregnancy increases your flexibility. I have had trouble with my back flexibility after I quit gymnastics. The injuries and scoliosis made my back really stiff, but now I finally found my toes again! Yippii!

I am really amazed that I can still hoop without ANY problems! People can already see my baby bump and they ask all the time doesn't it bother my hooping. But not at all! Weird! Only sometimes the little one kicks in the middle of spinning, but that just feels funny and lights my day =)!

I made a video from last week's gigs. Didn't have that much time to edit it, but here comes the
video hooping from pregnancy weeks 20-21.

Have a nice spring!!

Pregnancy week 19 - Roller coaster ride

Pregnancy week 19.
The baby is a size of a mango (and my brain is squashed banana smoothie.) Last week has been one long mental roller coaster ride. I thought it would be easier. At least I thought I was prepared getting bigger and ready to say no to performing. Well, it seems, it's not easy... Not for me. Honestly it's really really hard.

I've tried to keep myself fit during these years. Physically it's easier to do the shows and,well, standing in front of an audience wearing only shorts and small top feels more comfortable when the core is tight. So, I've pumped this image in my head (and in my core) during these years and now it's just not as easy to let go as I thought. I just have to try to  suck it up and find my inner zen. The baby is now the number one... And when the little one kicks, I instantly feel better.

Saying no has always been hard for me, especially when it comes to performing. Doing shows is not just about getting my income, it's my passion. The way I see and define myself. I was suppose start my maternity leave in the end of may. Now it seems, I should step aside in the end of April. It's just so hard to say no to shows I've waited for so long to happen. Where is my inner zen? Oooommm... error, dysfunction....

Well, I try to enjoy these shows I still have ahead of me and then embrace the maternity leave...

Oh, since I'm in the middle of pregnancy, I took few rehearsal video clips for comparison. The other one is recorded in October (before pregnancy) and the other one is recorded yesterday (4,5 months pregnant).

Just before pregnancy

19 weeks pregnant (4,5 months)

Cheers!