Aundrea Stoetzel

Pregnancy......is the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as an embryo or fetus, in a woman's uterus.

Now when looking at this definition, I think they left some very important words out so let me give you my definition of pregnancy:

A whirlwind of emotions raging from a high jubilant belly feeling, to a low psychotic episode filled with the thoughts of your body now being taken over by an alien invasion or more or less, a barnyard animal.

Now that sounds more like pregnancy to me J Ok now hold on hold on…before you start reading deeper into this and thinking how mean of a person/mom I am, lets not get things twisted.

If you are a mom, I know you have had some kind of crazy/raging thought throughout your pregnancy. Like I have said before, whoever said growing a mini version of something is all flowers and rainbows is LYING or they were on some good drugs at the time!

Yes pregnancy is full of raging hormones, crazy thoughts, and for some the feeling that you look like a cow, but with every negative comes a positive. That is what life is all about. Pregnancy is a miracle that us ladies get to experience. It’s definitely an empowering sacrifice with a huge reward at the end!

With that said, it absolutely took me some time to get past the negative of pregnancy, but once I hit certain mile markers, my whole outlook was transformed.

Join me along my pregnancy journey from start to finish where I will be sharing with you the mental, physical, and emotional ups and downs I went through. I will also be discussing my workouts, nutrition, and how I maintained a fit physique from month one till the day my lile mini me made her debut.

4 Weeks Pregnant — Starting Point

Aundrea Stoetzel

First Trimester…All about Highs & Lows:

For those of you that don’t read my blog and haven’t been following my pregnancy journey, I figure I should share with you how this crazy roller coaster of a ride went from start to finish in not so many words.

Coming off my PRO card win in Montreal in April of 2013, my husband and I decided it was time to start our lile family. In August we found out we were going to be parents!!! My first thought when looking at the test was, is this really happening and the first words out of my mouth were FU*K FU*K FU*K. Now don’t ask me why this was the first word that came out of my mouth. This is something we had been planning for the past 3 months, but I guess I just really didn’t think it would happen and so quick at that.

But hey there was a baby on the way now…woohoo!!! Ok now here is where we get into the niy griy of my mental state during the first trimester. First off, for anyone who has ever been pregnant, you know that it’s definitely a euphoric time in the beginning that is until the strong smells hit you, the raging hormones take affect, you start despising your husband, the gym becomes your enemy instead of your side kick, and you wonder what is going to happen to your life and body.

I would have to say my biggest complaints during the first trimester were my low energy level, my crazy ass mind set, and how much I hated the way my husband smelled.

The first thing that came to mind when finding out the great news was to call my coach, Doug Casebier of Total Body Advantage. I had to have a game plan set in order to keep my mind right. We discussed what the process would involve as far as nutrition and workouts go as well as what the plan would be once baby Stoeel had arrived. At least my mind was at ease for the time being.

Aundrea Stoetzel

Now I am an avid gym goer meaning 5 days a week with no slacking, but let me tell you, the first trimester was far from that. I would make it 2-3 times a week and felt like such a slacker. It was very difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that I was growing a lile person inside of me when I couldn’t actually see it. My stomach was still tight and flat, I hadn’t gained any weight, basically overall I looked the same, but the energy level just wasn’t there.

And OMG let me tell you, when walking up the stairs to the gym; I seriously thought I was going to pass out every darn time! This was not what I was used to…can I please go back to my normal un-alien infested body? Just kidding J

But whats even worse is when you top off being pissed and upset that you can’t go to the gym and keep up with your normal routine with the fact that you feel like you are a freaking lunatic. And by lunatic I mean I literally didn’t know if I was going to make it through these 12 weeks let alone the whole freaking 9 months…or 10 if you want to be exact.

Let me tell you, there were times during this first trimester where I really thought I was going crazy. I didn’t know if I would ever get back to the old me, which can be rather nuy at times, but this was on a whole other level! I would get annoyed rather easily. I didn’t find pleasure in anything and I mean sex, going out to eat, training clients, movies, etc. All the stuff I would previously love to do went out the door. Good-bye Aundrea…see you in 9 months if you make it. That’s exactly how I felt.

I was already seeing a therapist for my anxiety as I am not a pill popper and try and fix things on my own. This honestly was a lifesaver for me. She made me realize that I am normal believe it or not and all would be ok. I just needed to trust in the process and myself.

Now on to that freaking bloodhound nose that I had acquired. I usually am not one to complain much about my husband’s food or the way he smells (farts included). He is usually the most gorgeous, amazing, person I love to be around, BUT did that all change. I can remember him cooking his food with this raunchy ass smell that I just couldn’t put my finger on, and then it hit me…GARLIC!

Aundrea Stoetzel

Guess who is the one that got him started on this…yep yours truly J Now I needed to be the one to get him off it! There really was a love hate relationship between him and I for the first few weeks. I despised him because he would not give in and quit eating it, but after me complaining enough and driving him crazy, I won! He stopped using the seasoning…at least for the time being.

Now with every negative situation you have to look at the positive right? I will have to say that I was lucky and so blessed to not have goen hit with the morning sickness curse, the craving anything you feel you can eat syndrome, the acne that teenagers get, or the backed up plumbing that most women acquire during the first trimester. Overall, my body felt good.

There was a prey big obstacle I had to face during the first trimester that was honestly very trying on me emotionally. Now with that said, each and every person is different in what they see as being important to them when it comes to their every day life and pregnancy. So remember, this is my journey and some of this you might not relate to or agree with, but that’s what makes each of us unique and the experience your own.

At around 8 weeks, I had some bleeding and let me tell you, I didn’t know what the hell to think. I headed to the doctor and got checked out. All kinds of thoughts were running through my head. Would I be ok if I lost the baby? Would I rather lose the baby so I could go back to my normal life and not have these crazy hormones running through me? What emotions would I feel after? But most importantly…what is wrong and what is going on?

At this point in my pregnancy, it still didn’t seem too real that there was something growing inside of me. It was very hard for me to grasp the concept without being able to visually see it. I am one of those people that needs to actually experience something or see it before it seems real.

It turned out to be absolutely nothing and everything was fine J Whew…sigh of relief. Keep moving forward and push on.

Aundrea Stoetzel

Second Trimester: THERE IS A GOD!

Who would have known that there would be light at the end of the tunnel? I was told over and over that you are basically in the clear once you get past the first trimester and everything would finally level out. Do you think I believed a word that was coming out of these past preggo’s mouths...hell to the no!

I was ready to put myself into a mental institution for the next 28 weeks until this baby came. No questions asked. BUT fortunately they were right...who woulda thought? At around 12-14 weeks I started to feel like I was regaining my life back, well as much as I could at this point.

My appetite was geing back to normal, my energy level and workouts were starting to take a turn for the beer, and I didn’t despise my husband as much. Overall all the obstacles I was facing in the first trimester were starting to seem like distant memories if I want to look at it very positively!

And with the second trimester there comes great enjoyment of finding out whether your mini is going to be a version of you or your husband. This is something we went back and forth with for a while. Do we want to keep the suspense of will they say boy or girl the day of the big appearance or do we want to know in order to prepare for life afterwards? I won in the end and sucked my hubby into finding out at a gender reveal party J GO ME!

Now let me tell all you ladies who are planning on doing this and have a preference picked out before…this party could be devastating to say the least. My husband and I were set on seeing blue the day of the big reveal. We had talked boy names, colors, room ideas, etc. So there was no way pink was going to even be an option. Ha…well boy was I wrong!!! I should have peeked in the envelope and looked at the ultra sound so I would have been prepared. The minute I saw the hot pink cake peeking through the frosting, my heart sank. Now I know some of you out there are shaking your head and thinking, “Oh my god this

12 Weeks Pregnant

Aundrea Stoetzel

woman is crazy…she should just be happy to have a healthy baby.” Well ok…yes I never said I wasn’t happy to have a healthy baby, BUT I know that every parent usually has some sort of preference as far as gender goes. You can’t tell me you didn’t or won’t lean a certain way or another. It’s normal and I don’t feel bad saying I was leaning towards a boy. But hey…Baby Stoeel is a GIRL! Time to move along and get ready for another WBFF PRO Fitness Model in the house J

This mark during the second trimester was definitely a positive outcome in the end though. We got to see our lile smushie on the ultra sound, found out she was a girl, but most importantly, she was HEALTHY and all looked good J

Now you know I couldn’t have a squeaky clean second trimester. That would just be unheard of J

The main and rather irritating obstacle that I had to face came at around 16 weeks. And let me tell you, did I get some backlash for this blog post and how I was feeling, BUT I also received some amazing emails and comments from people who truly saw the genuine side of what I was writing about. I was raw in my wording and am not one to be fake and sugar coat how I felt during this time. This was about me, and nobody else. And the crazy thing is, so many women were reaching out to me saying they could relate, but it was almost like it was taboo to be writing what I did.

I had my check up and the doctor told me that my abs were starting to split. Now to me this is something I wasn’t really prepared to hear at this point. I knew that it was something that was most likely going to occur because of my stature, but I guess just hearing those words hit me prey hard.

20 Weeks Pregnant

Aundrea Stoetzel

In my profession as a WBFF PRO fitness model and coach, I hold myself to a very high standard and am always trying to take my body to the next level. So for all the hard work I have put in over the years, for this to happen was rather devastating to me. I had my first mental break down. But guess what…it was not going to get the best of me. I held my head high and it was time to move on, nothing I could do about it. Just made me want to push that much harder post baby. Show the world that YOU can do this!!!

Third Trimester: Is the world ready for Baby H.A.M

Well ladies, this is it! The final countdown before my life changes for the beer. This trimester definitely was a crazy whirlwind of emotions. There was the inevitable weight gain, the annoying as hell aches and pains, different tests being done, and the unknown of when this lile sweetie would make her appearance and how. Oh and did I mention…no more working out or training clients??!?!?! WTF!!!!

Yep…I experienced it all. Lets start from the beginning. So for all you preggos who have done this before, you know that the third trimester is when you will gain the most weight. Shoot that lile babe in there is packing on the pounds for the big debut! DUH…I knew this, but it was and can tend to be a shock when you have only gained 10lbs in 28 weeks and then all of a sudden you are gaining close to a pound a week.

26 Weeks Pregnant

28 Weeks Pregnant — Side

Aundrea Stoetzel

But luckily I didn’t have a breakdown and was prepared. This was by far one of the minor obstacles during my third trimester. Luckily I was still eating healthy, working out 4-5 times a week, and staying on track. I was blessed to be able to do this up until week 34. That’s when things started to take a minor change for what I could look at as the worst or the beer. I am going to take it as the beer J

I would say at around week 32-33 I started to feel rather uncomfortable. My stomach was taking on a new and bigger shape, I absolutely couldn’t sleep and would keep my husband up all night reading my Kindle, walking started to take on a new look of it’s own called the waddle, and everything was just starting to shift and change. Oh…and where did my ass go? Last time I checked there was one back there, but now it was basically tucked under and looked flat. And forget about shaving, this includes everywhere! Thank god for waxing!

28 Weeks Pregnant — Front

32 Weeks Pregnant

Aundrea Stoetzel

But the most annoying was the Braxton hicks contractions I would get as well as the pressure that was pushing down on my hoo-hah as well as my am I allowed to say this…booty hole. It was the weirdest and most uncomfortable thing by the end of the night.

At week 34 I went in for my check up and found out that my blood pressure was geing prey high. It was 140/88. Now my range during pregnancy has usually been between 100/60-116/70. So for it to jump this drastically was cause for concern. I had a non stress test ran on the baby which came back perfect, some lab work done to check my liver and kidney function which also came back perfect, so now it was time to check the urine for protein.

I did a 24-hour urine test to establish how much protein was being spilled out of my kidneys in order to determine when this lile diva was going to make her debut. Wait for it…all in good time you will find out when she arrived J keep reading down a bit…

For those of you new to pregnancy or those that have never experienced it before, when you develop high blood pressure and have urine in your protein, this can mean the start of or has already turned into preeclampsia. And unfortunately the only way to alleviate the problem is to deliver the baby. Now was I ready for this…hell to the effing NO!

As far as I was concerned, I had been watching my nutrition, working out, and doing everything right in order to keep my pregnancy the healthiest it could be. No way did I ever think that this was going to happen. I was DEPRESSED!!!! And not because I was told I needed to rest and couldn’t workout anymore (well maybe a lile), but because of the effect it could have on my body as well as my lile mini’s.

Come to find out, this situation was out of my control. Yes I had maintained a healthy weight and body fat throughout my pregnancy. Yes I had fueled our bodies with nutritious and not crap food. And yes I worked out as much as I could to keep healthy, BUT this was something that is hereditary and there is nothing I could do about it. My mother had me at 37 weeks because she had developed preeclampsia so I guess like mother like daughter right?!

Aundrea Stoetzel

BUT guess what…God was looking out for my mini and me. The outcome of my 24-hour urine test came back perfect just like all the other tests! Showed no signs of preeclampsia and my blood pressure went back down to 118/76. SOOOOO what does this mean…keep pushing forward.

I started having weekly check ups at 35 weeks to make sure my blood pressure was staying under control, which it typically was. It was usually high towards the beginning of the appointment because of my crazy annoying anxiety, but then would level off at the end.

But this wasn’t the first shock that came at this 34-week appointment, My doctor told me that I was basically no longer allowed to workout nor work. WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY????!!!! That’s basically how my reaction was…dumbfounded. Me not workout! Shoot I had been working out all the way up till now, so why stop? Well here is why…for the safety of myself and my mini…that’s why.

There goes my plan of working out until the day I went into labor. So my mentality and will power was going to be put to the test over these next 5 weeks. Would I be able to just sit on my bum all day and watch it wither away into a pancake? All I could do was make sure to eat right and as best as I could in order to maintain what I have accomplished up until now. There was no room for slacking at this point. So for those of you that can’t workout during pregnancy, I do feel ya! I have been in your shoes mama J

This last blow I was prepared for and figured it might happen, but it just basically confirmed it WOULD happen. This lile munchkin has been stuck in the same position since the very first time I laid my eyes upon her at 20 weeks…yep you guessed it…BREECH!

36 Weeks Pregnant—Final Pic Before Birth

Aundrea Stoetzel

She was frank breech from week 20 or earlier on. This meaning the baby's boom comes first, and her legs are flexed at the hip and extended at the knees. Basically her feet were up by her head. But what can I say; she is flexible and has great mobility like her mommy and daddy. Just practicing a lile yoga in there for a few months

This lile munchkin would be coming into the world via C-section. Hey why not make a big entrance right? Honestly my heart was set on having her vaginally or at least trying, I mean come on what mom doesn’t want to experience a watermelon coming out of their vagina, but you know what, in the end, I will take her any way I can get her. And that’s how it was going to have to be.

Now you ask…when is this lile mini coming. Well, her scheduled C-section date was set for April 21, 2014, but she decided to make her appearance on April 2nd,2014!

36 Weeks Pregnant—Final Pic Before Birth

Aundrea Stoetzel

Mentality is KEY to staying sane during pregnancy:

So now that you have goen the shortened unedited version of what my journey through 9 months of joy was like, it’s time for me to hit on some of the topics that I discussed more in depth.

First off, I am going to discuss the mental aspect of pregnancy.

When first finding out that you are going to be a mother, there are so many emotions that run through your head, and each and every person is different in how they are going to take the news. As you read earlier on, mine was filled with cuss words including FU*K, and definitely some anxiety about whether or not I could and would be willing to go through the emotional and physical changes my body was about to endure. Yes my husband and I were trying to get pregnant, but I guess I wasn’t as prepared for how I would actually feel once the time came. It’s one of those things where I have to experience it first in order to grasp the concept.

And don’t get me wrong, I had to swallow my pride and look to my therapist for help, but this was one of the best choices I could have made in the beginning Yes, I could talk to my friends and clients about pregnancy and their experiences, but of course they are going to be a bit bias coming from what they went through and might not understand where I am coming from. My therapist helped me to realize that because I was already concerned about if I would be a good mother or not, that this was proof that I indeed would be, otherwise I wouldn’t give it a second though or care. Without her I probably would have been a freakin mess!

The gym was also a big test for me mentally. Being an avid gym goer, leing my negative thoughts about my body and what I was or was not doing in the gym sometimes tried to get the best of me. In the beginning, since your energy levels are much lower than usual, there were definitely weeks where I only made it 2-3 times and it was a half ass workout. I couldn’t breathe and plain and simple, I was afraid. I had never gone through this experience, so what my body could and couldn’t do was a new test to me.

Aundrea Stoetzel

I had to keep reminding myself that this was only temporary. It was a sacrifice that my husband and I decided on and now I needed to be the best I could be during this short period of time. And that’s just what I did J I went to the gym when I felt I could, I repeatedly reminded myself that I COULD do this, and it would all be worth it in the end. I tried as best as possible to not get down on myself if I skipped a day or two. I mean come on now, some people aren’t even as fortunate enough to be able to workout during their pregnancy, so I needed to take what I was given and be happy and run with it.

So for those of you pregnant ladies out there who are gym freaks like myself, my best advice is to not worry and stress about not geing in the same amount of physical activity as you were previously or at the same intensity. Yes it can be frustrating and make you feel like a fat cow, but guess what…after this is all said and done, you will have the rest of your life to get back into crazy hot shape! At least that’s what my plan is J

Luckily I didn’t really start to show too much till about the third trimester, but let me tell you what did. These things in the front that I usually have a small amount of started to grow early on, and yeah not my thing! I like being a part of the iy biy tiy club, so to all of a sudden have these boobs was definitely another challenge I was trying to wrap my head around. I don’t mind having them, BUT when my sports bras start to get tight, or I can feel them on my stomach when I sit, yeah that kind of creeps me out! I like having an athletic looking frame which means small and tight everywhere.

Now I know they are there for a purpose, but really already? And when my husband starts geing in my head, you know it’s bad. He is usually great at telling me how good I look, likes to squeeze on me and give me lovin, etc, BUT I will say, he is not a fan of the ever growing body. And I mean it growing everywhere. There were a few times where I let my mentality get the best of me and was having a piy party because I thought he didn’t find me aractive anymore. I would cry, get mad at him, and basically hate life. But guess what, this is where mental strength and toughness comes in.

Aundrea Stoetzel

Ladies you are beautiful and strong! I had to remind myself this over and over. Even though you might not feel the best during these 9 months, remember back to how you felt before. You will be there again, and this is only temporary. Just because you see yourself one way doesn’t mean that everyone else does. Most of the population thinks pregnancy is beautiful and loves seeing and unfortunately touching baby bellies (I HATE THIS). Just because you don’t feel hot and sexy, doesn’t mean other people don’t see you in that light. Don’t let your mind get the best of you.

Excuses and Lies:

Ok lets play a game. What are a few of the main statements that pregnant women like to make or statement that other people like to make about pregnant women?

ü I am eating for twoü This is the time to indulge in anything and everythingü Cravings are the best during pregnancy because you have an excuse to eat what

you wantü I wasn’t working out before I got pregnant, so I shouldn’t start now and it might

hurt the babyü y weight keeps going up and I don’t know why

So there you have it, a rough version of what comes out of most pregnant women’s mouths at some point during their pregnancy.

Now before you start reading into this section, I am going to make it VERY clear that I am going to be blunt and not hold back on how I feel about all of these above statements. You can take them how you want, but know these are my personal opinions and what I have experienced during my 9 months.

BULL SHIT EXCUSES! Now before you get all mad and stop reading, let me please explain. Lets start with the first and second one being the two most people like to use.

Aundrea Stoetzel

Yes you are eating for two, but not in the way you are thinking where every meal needs to be for you and your baby. During pregnancy your body only needs an extra 3-400 calories a day. Did you see that…a day, not a meal. This is where this excuse gets over used and can tend to lead to higher weight gain, body fat, and other issues that may arise with the pregnancy such as gestational diabetes.

My father actually used this statement this week before I came over to his house for dinner. He asked me how much I would be eating of what he was cooking. I proceeded to tell him the normal amount and he tried to use the “you are eating for two” card. Don’t get me wrong, I love him to death and he is only looking out for his granddaughter, and myself BUT I had to put him in his place and let him know what was up. This above excuse likes to go along with the statement of now is the time to indulge in anything and everything because you can and have a reason. Well actually, no I don’t have a reason. Just because I have a baby growing inside of me doesn’t give me the right to shove crap into my body or hers. What I am puing into my body as fuel is also going to her. Would I want her eating fast food all the time because now I think I can and it’s ok?

One of my husband’s friends tried to tell me this early on in my pregnancy and I actually got offended. We were at my 30th birthday party and he said I should indulge and eat more because now is the time I can. I once again had to shut him down and tell him that’s not what my plan was during these 9 months. And of course he didn’t get it, but do you really expect someone who never has to go through this to really understand? Probably not….he is a guy J

I guess the reason these two above statements offend me the most is because being in the profession I am in, I see so many people let themselves go during pregnancy and then look to us fitness professionals to help them get back into shape. Now don’t get me wrong, I applaud and give them the utmost credit for wanting to get into shape, BUT if you hadn’t used these excuses during those long 9 months, maybe the process would be that much easier.

Aundrea Stoetzel

It’s so heart wrenching to see women day in and day out come to me and say I want my pre-baby body back. I now feel for them because I do get it. It’s not an easy road, and won’t be, but how you prepare your mind and body during the process is going to determine how much easier it’s going to be in the end.

This all goes along with mentality. Are you going to let your mind win over what you really want? Who really wants to gain an obscene amount of weight during pregnancy? Most people don’t set out thinking or doing this, but then let the excuses start to creep in and get the best of them. Then before you know it, the 9 months is up and you are feeling like crap wishing you hadn’t done this.

Ah now on to one of my favorites…cravings! Ok so let me tell you, at the beginning of this journey, I was kind of excited to see what all this craving talk was about. I had heard so much about it and was very interested to see what kind of whack ass crazy foods I would be divulging in. Well guess what, I was in for a big let down.

Do I think cravings exist…maybe and maybe not! Now I know every person and pregnancy is different, but not once during this 9-10 month ride have I ever thought to myself, “Oh my God I really need this certain food and I need it NOW!” Nor have I made my husband go out and get me something to eat right then and there.

Don’t get me wrong, there were times where I thought something kind of bizarre such as Chinese sounded good because I normally wouldn’t eat that, BUT did I have to have it, NO. I would put my mind to beer use thinking of something else, and guess what…wala! The thought would disappear and I would move on.

Honestly cravings in my opinion are all a mind game and your hormones messing with your body. You either give in to what you think your brain is telling you that you want and need and go for the excuse that this is a craving, I am pregnant and can eat what I want, OR you make the conscience decision to put your mind to beer use and it does go away just like anything else.

Like I have said before, each and every pregnancy is different. Just because I think cravings are a bogus excuse, doesn’t mean that they didn’t visit someone else during their pregnancy.

Aundrea Stoetzel

This next one hits really close to home since I am a coach/personal trainer. Going into my pregnancy I was lucky enough to have been working out for years previously so this was not a shock to my body whatsoever. My body was prepared to handle the stress and exertion that I was going to put it through all while building a lile mini me.

Of course, with the permission from my doctor as well as the help of my wonderful coach Doug Casebier of Total Body Advantage, we designed what my program would look like over the next 9 months and what was safe for my body month by month. Keep reading…I will unveil my 9-month Strong & Sexy System at the end J

Working out during pregnancy in my opinion if able to (always consult with your doctor first), should be something every woman does. Not only does it make you feel beer about yourself emotionally, it’s great for your body physically as well as for the baby. A healthy mom means a healthy baby. Now is not the time to use this as an excuse. Even if you aren’t in the gym doing resistance training, walking, swimming, yoga, whatever it may be, all are great ways to stay healthy and fit during this period.

Now if you are new to working out, this is definitely not something you want to jump head first into. You will need to take it slow and make sure what you are doing is safe for you and the baby. As long as you don’t have a pre-existing medical condition, miscarriage, or are high risk, if your doctor gives you the go ahead…I say get to moving yo ass ladies!

My last statement I am going to bitch and moan about is weight gain and the people who like to bitch and moan about it. I am not going to sugar coat this area what so ever so beware! Yes I have been one to rant to my husband about what the scale says, but only because I have never seen these numbers before, NOT because I am gaining weight. There is a difference.

Going into this, the one thing I did know was that I was going to gain weight. Hello…it’s inevitable. I am growing a baby! BUT to hear these ladies complain and complain about how much weight they have gained yet they can’t seem to figure out why blows my mind. There are two reasons…you choose. Either it’s all baby-meaning placenta, baby, fluid, etc OR it’s fat weight.

Aundrea Stoetzel

For me, I decided to take the route with the assistance of my coach to put on a healthy amount of weight with most of it being for the good of baby. Meaning continue to eat healthy, incorporate some foods I normally wouldn’t in order to increase my daily caloric intake (dairy, higher fats such as nuts, etc), and let my body do what it’s going to do. I tracked my weight and body fat throughout the entire process to ensure and prove that just because you are growing a person and are gaining weight, does not mean you have to put on an obscene amount of body fat. The weight is good because it means the lile one is growing, and so is body fat as you will need it for breastfeeding etc, but it can all be controlled and doesn’t have to get out of hand.

Momma Aundrea’s Strong & Sexy Pregnancy Tips:

Throughout this process there definitely would be a few areas of my journey that I would change, but also some that I commend myself on and would love to share with you in order to help make yours the best it can be.

As stated above in the mindset section, my thoughts and emotions during my pregnancy was by far the hardest part to keep under control from all angles ranging from fitness to my overall well-being and happiness.

I struggled to take a compliment for the life of me. I was by far way too hard on myself. There were times I felt I didn’t deserve them, especially while in the gym. The nice gym addicts who would see me in there day in and day out would stop and chat, proceed to be kind and tell me they were proud of me or that I looked great, but WHOA wait hold on a second…no way did I look great! They have got to be kidding me!

I was not lifting near the weight I was before, had a saggy nonexistent ass, and plain and simple looked like death sometimes. My mind was geing the best of me, but guess what…once I took accountability for my thoughts, decided to change my mind set and look at the positive, these compliments got easier and easier to take. I started to appreciate them and the people who were stopping to notice.

Aundrea Stoetzel

Pregnancy tip #1- even though you might not feel YOUR best, the way people see you is absolutely not the way you see yourself most of the time. Take a compliment and love it! You are beautiful!

Pregnancy tip #2- I struggled with this one as well and know most pregnant women do sometime during this journey. It goes along with tip #1, but a lile more in depth. Ladies, you need to embrace this ever-growing body that you have been blessed with. You might not think it’s a miracle or anything spectacular in the beginning kind of like myself, but once you get past the stupid raging “I hate life” hormone phase, you just might look at in a different light. Like I stated in the beginning, I honestly didn’t know if I was going to make it through this process because of my forever growing tatas, the 6 pack that was going to split and disappear, and the ass that instead of growing more into a badonk a donk turned into nothing. Well guess what, you can either be negative the whole time and not enjoy a moment of what’s going on, or you can look at that barn yard infested body of yours ( I like to think of mine as a mini pig whereas some people like to call themselves cows) and think of what beautiful miracle is going to come out in just 9 short months. It’s all temporaryJ

Pregnancy tip #3- DO NOT focus on the scale number. It’s just a number for god sake right?! We see numbers all day long and don’t pay aention to them, so why stress and fret about this one? This tip goes along with one of the excuses that I talked about earlier. Let me make this clear one more time, your weight is going to go up, it’s inevitable and part of the process, but if you want to make sure it’s only going up for the right reasons, that’s all in your hands. Guess what…you control that to an extent.

Eat healthy, maintain a fit lifestyle if capable, and just enjoy the ride. Your body is doing what it was built to do during this process so don’t stress the number. If your doctor starts worrying, that’s when you should. Other than that, you are in control of your body and what goes into it and what the outcome is. No beer time than now to be that healthy fit mom for your child.

Pregnancy tip #4- What you put into your body as fuel during these 9 months is going to determine what damage you have to take care of after baby comes. This is an area of my pregnancy I commend myself on. Yes I am proud of this and will boast about it J

Aundrea Stoetzel

I am not going to sit here and say that I wasn’t already eating healthy and working out before and that it didn’t aid in this process, but honestly it doesn’t maer when you start eating healthy, as long as you do it now! With every goal in life, there is always a plan that needs to be set in motion. The main goal being to have a healthy baby, SO with that being said, what you put into your body during this process is not only going to affect the baby and yourself, but the outcome at the end and what you need to do in order to get back to pre-baby hotness. I mean come on now…who wants to actually work harder than they have to especially while taking care of a new lile smushie? Talk about being drained and tired!Pregnancy tip #5- As annoying and repetitious as it may start to sound once you hear it fifty times…stay hydrated and drink water! There were numerous times during my pregnancy where I would have Braxton Hicks like crazy, would get cramps, and the response I would always get from the nurse would be to drink more water. Let me tell you, hearing this over and over can get old and very annoying.

There were numerous times where me and a few of my fellow preggo sisters would make jokes and fun of the drink water statement. You start to feel like you can self diagnose yourself and already know what the paid professional is going to tell you, but in all honesty, it works!!!! Suck it up, listen to them, and drink those fluids.

Bodyfat, weight, & the number game:

All right ladies the time has come for me to share with you all my secrets to staying Strong & Sexy during your pregnancy.

My starting weight going into this 9-month journey (gosh why do I sugar coat it…it’s 10 freakin months) was 118lbs and my bodyfat being 17% and my final ending weight is 139lbs and bodyfat 24%.

I gained a total of 21lbs and 7% bodyfat. My doctors recommendation was to gain between 25-30lbs so I got prey close and did what I was supposed to J I gained 10lbs total during the first and second trimester and 11 during the third, so basically a pound a week at the end. And my bodyfat started jumping a bit higher after week 20. That’s when baby is packing on the pounds.

Aundrea Stoetzel

Now the point of tracking my bodyfat and weight is not to boast and say, “Na na na look at me”, but more or less to prove that you CAN gain the alloed amount of weight that the doctors want you to gain all while keeping your bodyfat low to moderate. This goes along with not worrying about what the scale says and the number game it plays with your head. Just because my weight was going up steadily during the third trimester doesn’t mean my body fat was. This helped to ease my mind that I wasn’t packing on unwanted pounds and fat, but baby weight and all that goes along with my mini. I had to do this for my own sanity and well to prove a point J

Each and every pregnancy is going to be different in how much weight and bodyfat you gain as well as how your body holds it. Some of my close preggo friends have gained close to the same amount as me, but hold their weight differently lets say in their BUM! I am so jealous of them, whereas mine is in the front…did I mention I love being a part of the iy biy tiy club?!

Be the best version of YOU there is! Ok so now you are asking what the heck the secret is to not packing on the unwanted pounds during pregnancy besides not stuffing your face with cheese curls, bon bons, and fried pickles…well here it is, all laid out for you! Now remember, this is what my coach had me eating based on my bodyfat, weight, and needs. This can be followed by most, but might need to be tailored a bit to meet your caloric needs during this process as every person is different.

Aundrea Stoetzel

Bodyfat, weight, & the number game:

Aundrea Stoetzel

Ins & Outs of Strong & Sexy:

So before we start, I want to make a few things known. This system is primarily geared for those who have already been working out prior to pregnancy, BUT by all means can be tailored and regressed for those who are just starting and looking to stay healthy and fit during the 9-month push!

The first three phases of the system are programmed to have you lifting at a moderate to heavy weight hence the set & rep scheme. At this time during your pregnancy you should be able to perform workouts at a prey steady pace without too much trouble. Yes being winded might give you some grief, but your strength and stamina should still be there. Well I take that back…it might be a lile lower at the beginning of the first trimester, but will return I promise J

The fourth and final phase is geared more towards keeping yo ass moving until the end! The goal to the high rep scheme is to keep those muscles as full as possible, without over stressing you and baby. During the third trimester of pregnancy, your body has produced a large amount of the hormone relaxin, which will help in aiding in labor. Your joints are now way more “relaxed” if you want to call it, so heavy weighted motions are now out of the question. Bodyweight and lightweight say 5-10lbs is the safest route at this point.

As far as cardio goes, this is going to be based all on what you were previously doing. I myself am not a huge cardio queen, so my routine consisted of maybe 10-15 minutes on the stairmill or jumping rope. I absolutely love plyometrics so that was a huge piece in my normal exercise routine. Well guess what…once I found out I was having this lile smushie, I dropped all jumping in order to be safe. This was my own personal restraint on myself, but as I stated above earlier, I had some bleeding early on around week 8 and I had found myself to be doing squat jumps earlier that day. So, this in my mind turned into a huge NO NO!

Aundrea Stoetzel

Contrary to what some say, if you have already been running prior to pregnancy, keep it up lady! If you have been swimming, biking, whatever it may be, it’s usually safe as long as you aren’t going H. A. M! What I ended up doing for cardio is what is prescribed on the meal plan, which is 30 minutes, a day walking at an incline with my heart rate between 135-145 bpm. Now before you start giving me a big round of applause for geing 30 minutes in a day, I can’t lie to you and say I did it all the time. There were some days where I did 10 minutes. Just go with what feels right to you that day. You know your body best and what it’s capable of.

When you see a 1A followed by a 1B and 1C, this means these exercises are going to be performed together back to back. Meaning you perform the alloed reps, move onto the next exercise immediately, followed by the last set of exercises. REST for as much time as needed considering you are now going to be way more winded than usual. And then start back over with those same three exercises until you have completed it for the alloed amount of sets.

Phase I: Month 1 & 2

Day 1:

1. 6 x MAXPull Ups2. T-Bar Rows 6 x 83. 6 x 8Close Grip Cable Pulldown4. Serratus Pull over 6 x 125. Seated Calf Raise 6 x 126. Standing Calf Raise 6 x 12

Day 2:

1. 6 x 8Seated Shoulder Press2. Straight Bar Upright Row 6 x 83. 6 x 8Lateral Raise4. 6 x 8Front Raise5. 6 x 8Rear Deltoid Fly

Day 3:

1A. Incline Chest Press 6 x 121B. Leg Press 6 x 122A. Flat Bench Press 6 x 122B. Squats 6 x 123A. Decline Bench Press 6 x 123B. Leg Extension 6 x 124. Hanging Leg Lifts 6 x 20

Day 4:

1. Preacher Curls 6 x 102. 6 x 8/ eachHammer Curls Run the Rack3. Concentration Curls 6 x 104. 6 x 12Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension5. Dips 6 x 20

Aundrea Stoetzel

Phase II: Month 3 & 4

Day 1:

1. Dumbell Deadlift 5 x 122A. Leg Press Feet High & Wide (4 sets of 10)2B. Squats (4 sets of 10)2C. Side Lunge with or without weight (4 sets of 20/side)3A. Reverse Lunge (4 sets of 10)3B. Leg Extension (Slow) (4 sets of 10)3C. Sissy Squats (4 sets of 20)4A. Standing Calf Raises (Slow) 15 reps, rest 10, 15 reps, rest 10, 15 reps

Day 2:

1. Lateral Raise 1 Arm at a time 3 x 152. Barbell Push Press 3 x 203. Seated shoulder Press 4 x 104. Seated Dumbbell upright row 1 Arm at a time 4 x 10/side5. Front Plate Raise 4 x 106. Shoulder Rotation 4 x 20

Day 3:

1. Seated Hammer Curl 4 x 82. One Leg Deadlift 4 x 15/side3. Kelebell Swing 4 x 154. X-Step Ups 4 x 15/side5. DB or Kelebell Side Bend 4 x 20

Day 4:

1. Pull Ups Assisted 4 x 122. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press 4 x 123. 1 Arm Dumbbell Row, 10 Push Ups, Other Side Row, 10 Push Ups4. Push Ups 4 x 155. Military Bar Curl 4 x 106. Incline Hammer Curl (Slow) 4 x 87. Preacher Curl 4 x 8

Day 5:

1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press 5 x 82. Lateral Raise Seated 5 x 83. Dumbbell Front Raise 4 x 104. Seated Rear Dealt Fly 5 x 85. Dips 2 x 206. 1 Arm Dumbbell Kick Back 5 x 107. Rope Cable Tricep Press Down (Slow) 5 x 8

Aundrea Stoetzel

Phase III: Month 5 & 6

Day 1:

1A. Leg Extension 6 x 101B. Dumbbell Squats 6 x 101C. Bulgarian Split Squat 6 x 10/Leg2. Leg Press 1 Leg at a time 4 x 10/Leg3A. Power Dumbbell Front Raise 4 x 103B. Power Dumbbell Front Press 4 x 104. Lateral Raise 1 Arm at a time 4 x 10/ Side5. Dumbbell Clean to Press One Arm at a time 4 x 10/ Side

Day 2:

1. Wide Grip Assisted Pull Ups 4 x 102. Chin Ups Assisted 4 x 103A. 1 Arm Dumbbell Row (Left Arm) 4 x 103B. Seated Cable Row 4 x 154A. 1 Arm Dumbbell Row (Right Arm) 4 x 104B. Underhand Lat Pull Down 4 x 155. Barbell Bench Press 4 x 106. Incline Dumbbell Chest Fly 4 x 107. Bench or Smith Machine Push Ups 4 x MAX

Day 3:

1A. Dumbbell Curls 2 x 201B. Dips 2 x 202A. Bicep Curls 21’s 4 x 212B. Cable Tricep Extension 4 x 102C. Overhead Tricep Extension 4 x 103A. Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curls

4 x 10/Side3B. Dips 4 x 204A. Dumbbell or Kelebell Side Bend 4 x 20/Side

Day 4:

1A. Decline Bench Step Up 4 x 15/Leg1B. Kelebell Sumo Squat 4 x 202. Leg Press feet high and wide (push through heels) 4 x 103. Cable one leg Deadlift 4 x 20/Leg4. One Leg Bu up on Bench 4 x 10/Leg5. Seated Calf Raise 4 x 20

Day 5:

1A. Dumbbell Push Press 2 x 201B. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise 2 x 202. Shoulder Press Up & Out 4 x 10-23. Lying front Deltoid Press 4 x 104. Rear Cable Deltoid Fly 1 Arm At A Time 4 x 12/Side

Aundrea Stoetzel

Phase IV: Third Trimester(Month 7, 8, & 9)

Day 1:

1. Walking LungesWith Hands Behind Your Yead 4 x 20

2. 90 Degree Sumo Squat 4 x 203. 90 Degree Sumo Toe Squats 4 x 204. Standing 1 leg Calf Raise 4 x 205. Kick Back 4 x 206. Glute Circles 4 x 20

Day 2:

1. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press4 x 20

2. Seated Lateral Raise 4 x 203. Seated Front Raise 4 x 204. Standing Cable Row 8 x 205. Lat Pulldowns On Knees 8 x 20

Day 3:

1. SB Hamstring Roll In 6 x 202. Seated Hamstring Curls 6 x 203. Incline Chest Press 6 x 204. Tricep Kick Back 6 x 20/Side5. Bicep Curls 6 x 20

Day 4:

1. Front Raise- Squat 6 x 202. Lateral Raise- Squat 6 x 203. Shoulder Press- Squat 6 x 204. Walking Lunges

With Hands Behind Head 6 x 20

Aundrea Stoetzel

FAQ’s:

Q. What do I do if there is no video to an exercise and I am unsure as to what it means?

A. Since you invested in the Strong & Sexy Pregnancy System you will get complete access to me via email and the exclusive facebook forum. If you have any questions about what an exercise is or how it should be performed, I will get a video clip to you asap.

Q. What if I can’t perform the prescribed exercise?

A. No worries, there is always a way to progress or regress an exercise. Email me with the exercise and I can give you an example of what to do in place of it.

Q. On the meal plan, where do I add in the extra calories per day if needed?

A. As far as the meal plan goes, I incorporated extra calories into my diet through adding in dairy daily. I usually don’t consume dairy, but when pregnant it’s very important to get enough calcium for that growing baby. I would consume a yogurt as well as 6-8oz of chocolate milk a day. This helped to give me the extra 300 calories a day I needed plus the added calcium.