Postpartum Reflection:

I have tried and tried to sit down and put into words my experience with my second pregnancy, but again and again I have found myself at a loss of words to describe. If anything I have come to realize just how fast time passes us by. I am already heading into my 7th week of postpartum with this new little human and almost 7 years with our first born. As I say 7 years, I literally get choked up inside. How could it possibly be that my son is almost 7? A true blink of an eye and life has passed me by.

DECEMBER 6, 2017 and then there was two!

I sit here and watch my daughter become her own little person and my hopes are that I will be as in tune with her years as I was and continue to be with my son. My hopes are that while in the midst of watching this new little person grow and develop, I will not miss the continued growth and development of my son. Having two children truly is different than just having one. Not in a bad way what so ever, just different. And maybe it feels so different because Nick and I waited some years in between having our second child, maybe it feels different because of gender, or maybe it is different because as time passes we all become different. Life is ever changing in so many ways and in those ways we decide who we are going to be or become. We make new decisions, different choices ever single day. Some of these decisions and choices effect the growth and development of each of us. Well actually all of these decisions and choices we make or are made for us, effect the growth and development of each of us. I no longer head upstairs to read my son a book goodnight for bedtime without first checking to make sure my daughter is calm and relaxed. If she is crying and needing my attention, the process of putting Whistler to bed isn't as smooth as it used to be. Sometimes I have to interrupt the bedtime routine to tend to the needs of Hutson. These choices may not seem like a big deal to some, but to me I like to keep things calm and routine. I don't want to create any form of chaos for Whistler during this time, I want to try and keep things as close to the norm as they can be.

Sibling Love

My favorite nurses Ever! Tonya on the left and Andra on the right.

I am not the same person I was when I was pregnant with my son and post pregnancy with my son, is not the same as it is with my daughter. I can already see the difference between the two personality wise. My son at 6 weeks would not allow anyone to hold him other than Nick and myself without creating a crying fest, whereas my daughter at 6 weeks allows almost everyone who wants to hold her, hold her. She is willing to explore the arms of others. My son was not willing.

I have to mention that the two of these humans resemble one another when you look at them. I would never have imagined that Hutson being female, weighing less than, and almost 7 years younger than her brother, would look so much like her brother. Their physical appearance is so similar, that more than once I have referred to my daughter as "he" or "little guy" and even "bubba boy". I cannot believe I am admitting this to be true, but I am. When I hold Hutson, many many many memories of my son appear in my mind. She looks so much like her brother it is almost too crazy to be true. Her eyes, her hair, her features, her smell all remind me so much of when I first met Whistler almost 7 years ago. Again it is way too crazy!

Okay so lets try and talk about my pregnancy. I was pretty much not feeling the best with lots and lots of headaches, heartburn from hell, and the smell of food sent me to the toilet more than I would have liked. I barely could eat anything good for me throughout most of the pregnancy. My love for broccoli went out the door within the first few weeks of knowing I was pregnant. Why is it that the body rejects certain foods during pregnancy? I eat broccoli ever single day unless I have run out or am eating out, but as soon as I got pregnant I could no longer stand the sight or the thought of broccoli. Now here I am post pregnancy and I am right back to eating broccoli every single day. I craved it while I was still in the hospital a matter of fact. Pregnancy can have strange effects on a woman. Hmm.

Aside from not feeling my best during pregnancy, I am happy to say that I never missed work. My goal was to maintain myself enough to continue teaching yoga, spin, and all my other fitness classes for as long as my body and baby would allow me too. Actually, I did quite well with teaching most classes up until just a few weeks before birth and teaching Gentle yoga right up to the night before I actually did give birth. That was fun for me! What was not fun, was giving Nick a much harder time during this pregnancy. Sorry honey! Nick was well beyond supportive and attentive to my needs during my pregnancy. He picked up the pieces where I was unable too and he kept things running as smooth as possible for all of us.
Again thank you Nick for everything you do!  Thank you for helping me create these two humans.

I seem to be bouncing back after having my daughter and I am easing my way back into fitness with the consent of my doctor. I will be heading back to teaching classes within the next couple of days. Bittersweet to be going back to work. On one hand I look so forward to teaching classes and seeing my students and on the other hand it means time is passing by once again all too quickly. My daughter will be in the great hands of her father while I be teaching, which gives me peace of mind. I consider her time with her father to be of great bonding with one another, which we know is beyond important developmentally. Both of my children will be taken care of and their normal routine wont have to be broken up as I go back to teaching.Very thankful.

Has anyone ever developed a rash after giving birth? Never have I ever had or heard of a rash like the one I developed towards the end of my pregnancy. Towards the end of pregnancy I noticed some reddened tissue under my breasts. I thought is was sensitivity from the growth of my breast during pregnancy (they got so much larger than I remember getting when I was pregnant with my son.) Three days after giving birth to my daughter I noticed the redness began to spread and became very itchy. It only seemed to progress with each day. It eventually got so bad, I went to my Ob and asked her for her opinion. She ruled out it being related to Thrush and instead thought it looked more like an allergy to something. She told me to try taking Benedryl (after taking it for 3 days and absolutely NO change in the rash, I quit taking it.) A couple of days later the rash was so severe to the point I literally wanted to tear my skin apart. I woke Nick up one Saturday afternoon from his nap and asked him to please take me to the Urgent Care. This doctor, well this doctor at the Urgent Care responded when he first looked at me with the thoughts that I had Scarlet Fever. WHAT THE.................. my thoughts exactly! He ruled out Scarlet Fever because there was no signs or symptoms of me having Strep. So he told me to start taking Vitamin D3, probiotics, and drinking Kefir. He also prescribed me amoxicillin just in case I over the next couple of days did indeed develop Strep, than I could go get the prescription, but only if I did develop Step. I never did! Good thing I never did because my Ob said not to take amoxicillin. Another couple of days went by and I thought just maybe the vitamins and probiotics were helping until I noticed the itching got again worse. I ran into a wonderful friend in Target who had similar rash under her breasts and she used this type of dandruff shampoo which she recommended to me. I tried it too! It was feeling better for another couple of days until it was no longer feeling better. To my doctor I went ( he told me it was a yeast overgrowth/ fungus and long story short prescribed me to topical creams: one antifungul and the other a steroid cream.) Do you think it worked?
It did for a little bit of time, it helped relieve the itching, but the downfall was it had potentially harmful effects to children. F*ck!!!!!! So here I am nursing my newborn daughter, but if she touched these creams that I had to rub all over my breasts (except the nipple/aureola area) it could possibly stunt her growth. It seemed like every time I applied the creams, she would begin to cry for a feeding. I was beyond frustrated and would have to jump into the shower over an over again to rinse the cream. Do you think I continued using the cream. Nope!

After all of this I finally calmed myself down and stopped taking anything given to me for these diagnosis given to me. The rash sucked!! I finally just quit with everything and went back to using my normal soaps and lotions. I stopped worrying about the rash and accepted it as if it were going to be there for the rest of time. I couldn't use my nursing pads, so I leaked boob milk everyday though my shirts. I couldn't wear a bra of any kind, I was naked around the house as often as I could be. Again long story short, I am doing so so so so so so much better and if you were to look at all the spots where the rash spread ( my breasts, my ribs, my stomach, my eye, my back, under the arms, and near my underwear line) you wouldn't see anything. It finally faded and barely itches anymore. I can wear comfortable clothing again, but not the nursing pads because it creates too much warmth. Thank Goodness I am finally feeling normal!!!!!!!
And I never did take pictures of the rash, but I should have because unless you actually saw it you probably wouldn't believe me on how horrible it really was.

Only hours after my second c-section surgery. This is the real deal!

My incision is healing (looks much better than the picture above.) It seemed to be doing as well as expected. I think my first c-section healed a bit quicker than my second however. This time around I seemed to be a bit more sore than and irritated by it. That was another thing that we thought my rash could have been due to was the incision. I read that a couple of women had developed a rash due to an allergy from the glue the doctors use to mend the incision for the c-section. My area around the incision never seemed to appear as though there were any signs of infection or irritation of that kind. I am beginning to wear my normal clothing and even buttoning my shorts now, well most of my shorts!! lol!



I look forward to the rest of my healing to take place and my adventures back into fitness with running too. I cannot wait to run with Hutson in the same Chariot we used with Whistler. I am excited to see if Hutson will be interested in practicing yoga with me or go biking instead with her dad and brother. Many many things to look forward to as a family of four...............

If My Vagina Could Talk!

But seriously...... If my vagina could talk, I have a pretty good feeling this is what it might say:

"What? You want me to do what? Ooohhh, Hell No. No baby is coming out of me like that. No thank you, I will not be ripped or split wide open like that. I'd like to remain tight!!! No banana lips for me please and shit flying on the floor"


Okay, with all joking aside, you've asked and I'm going to answer your big question: Why am I choosing a C-Section vs. a Vaginal Birth???


In 2010 when I went in to deliver my son, my body was basically doing nothing on its own. I had dilated 3cm and was told to get to the hospital to check in and I was on my way to having this baby. I was beyond excited to meet this new life that I had been carrying inside of me for months. I was also, in so much pain at that time, I was in so much back pain (which is referred to as back labor) on my right side that I opted for a little help to calm things down. I was given an epidural and finally some of that pain started to reside. Within what felt like only an hour, I could once again feel the pain in my back and everywhere else for that matter. I was given a second epidural (shame on me according to some of you women who have expressed your feelings in regards to medication) and then I believe I finally fell asleep for a little bit and was able to get some rest.

When I woke up, the doctor came in to check on me and check my dilation. I guess my body was no longer dilating. At 6cm dilated my body chose to stop. I remember that my on call doctor that day even had to break my water. Still nothing was happening. 
As we moved into the evening, my babies heart rate was getting too high and considered at risk. "AT RISK"
My son was no longer safe, so the doctor prepped me for a c-section. It was what both myself and the doctor felt was the safest option for baby and baby being safe was my priority. I can remember actually listening to the doctors that Thursday evening who were performing the c-section discuss the difficulty they were experiencing with getting my son's head out of the incision. They mentioned that the size of his head may have caused some challenges for a vaginal birth anyways. In that moment, I knew we were doing what was right for all of us. It didn't matter that they were cutting through my lower abdomen and my uterus to get my baby out safely. It didn't matter that I might have to take a little longer to recover than a vaginal delivery. None of this seemed important or scary, it seemed necessary for myself and my baby's situation. 
I don't have an answer as to why my body didn't want to continue the process for a vaginal birth or actually never even send me into  "Real Labor" because I never got to experience contractions or pushing. It may have been my bodies way of knowing that I was not meant to have a vaginal birth and in its own way it was protecting the safety or both of us (Mother & Child.)

So with that being said, with this upcoming birth I have chosen a planned c-section to delivery my daughter. Many women have questioned why, but I myself have not questioned why. In my heart, I feel this is the best option for my baby and myself. I know VBAC is an option, but I have opted against it. My doctor has opted against it. I may not be the best candidate for a VBAC due to the situation that occurred with my son and the possible effects that a car accident years ago had on my pelvis. I had broken my pelvis in 5 places. No certainty there, but no need to take chances either.

I have had multiple women tell me that a delivery by c-section is not considered a "Real Birth."
Well we are all entitled to our opinions & my opinion is this: Yes it is! 
Birth is birth and in the end I would like to think all mother's just want the best for our babies. We hope for a safe, healthy, and happy baby. A safe delivery. C-section or Vaginal birth, it is still a beautiful and miraculous part of life. Each experience will be different and every woman is different. To those women who have delivered your babies vaginally, no medications, at home or in the water, I am amazed by you. You are Inspiring for all women.

In my situation, my son was in need of help getting out & my body was in need of help getting baby out. I was in no place to react, to fight, or question at that time. My heart felt a complete sense of ease and I was ready for a c-section birth. My heart again, years later, feels at ease with the decision to plan what will be my second c-section. I don't feel the need to take a "Risk or Chance" at a vaginal birth so I can be a part of this populated group of women who deliver vaginally. I am 100% satisfied with a planned c-section with baby #2. I am 100% satisfied without feeling the effects of a vaginal birth. And I am 100% satisfied with maybe taking extra time to recover post c-section, undergoing what is considered a major surgery, and feeling that slight tension that I have always felt from my previous c-section. 

At the end of the day, I have one very healthy and happy little boy and hope for a very healthy and happy little girl to come.

Now I know I didn't have to answer your questions, nor do I need to find a reason to explain myself, but I have chosen to respond. I don't mind sharing my experiences with you. I am confident in my choice to have another c-section December 6, 2016 to deliver my daughter. By sharing my response to your question that many of you have asked me, I hope you will respect my decision whether or not you agree or disagree. 


With love,

Brooke

Mizuno Wave Rider 20th Edition: My Review

34 Weeks Pregnant and still trying to keep up with what running I can.

WHOOT WHOOT!!! It's here. The New Mizuno Wave Rider 20th edition and I am happy to share my Review!

When it comes to running, a good pair of shoes is not just for showing off to all of your friends, it's a necessity. I'm not sure how I used to run months & months, which turned into years in the same pair of shoes back in the days, college days. The things you learn overtime or with age! The things you learn from other runners, experienced runners.

A good pair of shoes isn't always easy to come by either, but when you slip into that one pair that takes your breath away, you know it's a keeper. This is exactly what Mizuno Running Shoes have done for me over the past couple of years. I have come quite familiar with running in the Mizuno Wave Sayonara's and the  Mizuno Wave Rider's. BUT... The New Platinum 20 are by far one of my most supportive and most comfortable pair of running shoes I've yet to try.

And.................Just a to sidetrack for a moment, what do you think about the color? I'm digging the grey and pink color too! And they do have an awesome shade of blue if that's more your style. But anyways, you will have to check out the Mizuno Website to see all they have to offer.

For those of you who don't know me, let me tell you that I'm about 4 weeks from having my second baby. Being pregnant has put somewhat of a damper on my full time running and comfort of my feet, but with the New Wave Rider 20's redesigned technology & cloudwave coverage, this pair of shoes really does offer a smoother, softer ride....I've also noticed that this new edition to the Wave Rider provides more support, a little more snug to my ankle's and the foot as a overall whole. With every strike, I can feel an extra amount of cushion underneath my heel. It doesn't create too much cushion though, so don't worry about that. This shoe does not feel heavy. To my surprise, the amount of support this shoe has to offer, I would have thought it to feel more bulky & heavy, but it doesn't. It is in my opinion a great comfort shoe (especially being pregnant) and that's why I am looking forward to running longer miles in a pair. When Mizuno says the "New Wave Rider 20th edition is the smoothest, softest, most responsive Wave Rider yet," I would have to agree.

My feet were beginning to feel very tired and very sore from pregnancy (NOT THE SHOES), but as soon as I slipped into the Wave Rider 20th edition, it was almost instantly that - that tired and sore feeling went away. (They took me back to one of my longest training run days when I was out on the highway wearing the Mizuno Wave Rider's for a solid 35 miles that day and NO PAIN!)
This again proved to me how much I, as a runner, support Mizuno Running Shoes and they in return support their runners. I may be biased, but I truly love every pair of Mizuno's I have had. Why do you think I continue to wear them, buy multiple pairs at once? BECAUSE I TRUST THEM. Mizuno makes quality shoes that runners can count on for all kinds of training days. My running shoes take me all kinds of crazy places out here in Hawaii and they have not failed me yet. You would think the lava rock would eat these shoes up in a second, but it doesn't. I can across the lava and still maintain that smooth, comfortable feeling all because of the shoes that are protecting my soles.

I've done about a handful plus walk/runs in my New Wave Rider 20's since I received them to try out and review. I have not experienced any negative side effects. My feet, my ankles, my calves, my legs actually feel quite renewed and reinvigorated from the comfort and support I have received from wearing the 20's. Definitely more to offer in the 20th edition of the Wave Rider.

I cannot wait to get back into full time running, full time training. Wearing new shoes always gets me SUPER excited. Does it you??? So being offered the opportunity to try out the New Wave Rider 20th edition shoe, got that love for running nerve kicked into full gear. Oh Man, I cannot wait to put some true miles in these babies. I've already signed up for my first postpartum Run (well it's a triathlon relay team I will be a part of (I get to run a 10k.))

Let's take a moment to send our Congrats to Mizuno. Congratulations Mizuno on nearly two decades of refinement, The Wave Rider certainly does exceed all expectations I had!!!!

To learn more about the Newly Refined Wave Rider 20, check out http://www.fyitrack.com/?1C13389E
for the specific details...

If you have any questions specifically for me, please feel to leave a comment and I will do my best to answer to you quickly. If you are interested in reading more about the Mizuno Wave Rider 20th edition, check out the reviews online from runners of all kinds...





Thanks so much,

Brooke Myers

FRIDAY FIVE! #AwareWithPink

The SweatPink community Care's and We know you do too!!!

I'm excited to share with you my first edition of FRIDAY FIVES! In honor of "Breast Cancer Awareness" during the month of October, myself and the rest of the SWEATPINK community will be coming together to show our support. The SweatPink community is about more than just sweating, running, walking, or fitness. Sure it makes up a large part of who we are, but we also care about real life situations. As we know, Breast Cancer is a real life situation that no one should have to face alone. The SweatPink community and
AfterShokz will be doing our best to show as much support and spread awareness for those who have been effected by Breast Cancer. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, AfterShokz has launched their Brightly colored PINK - Trekz Titanium Pink headphones. (For every unit sold through October 31st, 2016 on aftershokz.com, AfterShokz will donate 25% of proceeds to Bright Pink – a non profit that focuses on breast and ovarian cancer awareness and education.) Please check out their website for more details!


The SweatPink Community will not only be sweating PINK in our fancy PINK laces & apparel, we will be getting #AwareWithPink. So all of our posts, hash-tagging, Insta-gramming, social media sharing during the month of October is for raising awareness and we want all of you to join in with us!!!
((Every Wednesday & Friday in October, SweatPink will be posting two daily prompts on the Fit Approach Instagram channel. Please Join in! Go get yourself sweaty, snap a picture (which all know we do anyways) and be sure to tag @FitApproach @myaftershokz #sweatpink, #AwareWithPink, and help raise awareness!))




Today I will share with you my FRIDAY FIVES: The FIVE things that make me feel Aware & Empowered.

1.) Lets talk about Self-Care: For years I neglected the importance of caring about myself. Yes - I took showers and took care of myself in that sort of way, but I didn't believe I was important enough to spend time on worrying about in other ways. Long story short I ended up with a long battle with Bulimia. Fast forward to where I am now in 2016, more than ever I believe in Self-Care. One of the largest attributes to taking care of myself, is my yoga practice. Yoga is more than just a physical practice for me. It is about healing my mind set and learning to appreciate exactly who I am moment to moment. As a yoga teacher, I hope to share with each of my students the importance of taking care of the self. I always say that each time a student steps onto his or her mat, is a time to practice being completely selfish in the most beautiful way. If you show up to practice then be committed to your own happiness, healing, and let go of the outside factors you no longer have control over. Everyone should be an advocate for Self-Care. Not doing so can lead to burnout, high levels of stress, and loss of passion. Now I know I have experienced burnout firsthand and if I ask you if you have too, I am sure some of you are saying to yourself right now "yup I have too." 
Well I have heard this termed as (“compassion fatigue”) for the work we do. I know that if I don't take care of myself the best I know how mentally, I will no longer be able to care for others in such a way that will be beneficial to them both mentally & physically.We have to remind ourselves that Self-Care is not just the physical aspects, but the Mental aspects as well. We should not be afraid to touch ourselves, learn about our bodies, learn about our minds. Part of the whole #BCA is about getting to know yourself. Women do not be afraid to give yourself a general breast exam ( ask your doctor what you should be looking for) from time to time. Touchy feely is a form of Self-Care.... Yoga has taught me it's okay to be touchy feely with myself both mentally & physically. It's about self-love and acceptance.....

2.) Friends Who Inspire: This little person I am going to mention is more than just a friend to me, he is my almost 7 year old son Whistler. He has played a HUGE role in my life in many ways. I could go on and on for days about this little boy. Being a mom to him requires mental and physical strength, health and happiness, love and support, knowledge and guidance. All in which I want to be able to share with him. My son INSPIRES me to work hard to achieve each of these. When I feel like a trigger might set me back into my old habits, my son comes to my mind immediately and I know in that second I need to keep going forwards. We have such a strong connection as mother and son and I wouldn't change it for the world. I will continue to thank my son for motivating me & Inspiring me to get up in the morning, help him with his homework, play Lego's, go to the park with him, go on little dates together to the coffee shop & shell collecting,put him to sleep at night after reading books, and all the other little and big things we do. I know if my son wasn't a part of my life as he is, I would lack the amount of Inspiration I have in order to live in this life. He is my INSPIRATION! He INSPIRES ME! MY SON INSPIRES ME TO LIVE!!!

3.) Giving Back: How do you give back? How do I give back?? I believe I give back through yoga. On the daily, I believe I am Giving Back through my Yoga Teaching and Fitness Instructing. I put myself out there in this community and share all I know about health & fitness & yoga & running in any way I can. Anyone who is willing to learn from me or take the time to come practice or workout with me, shows me they care enough about themselves to live a better lifestyle. And in return I care enough and am willing to teach and share my passion with each of those individuals in order for them to live a better lifestyle. Sometimes being a Yoga Teacher or Fitness Instructor requires a lot of mental and physical strength. If we are not feeling our best, how can we expect to give our best... But Giving Back is always more important to me - seeing my students/clients achieve their goals makes it all worth it every single day. I would much rather see the accomplishments of others than only see them in myself.

4.) Inspiring Threads: A huge part of my teachings have come from my yoga teachers, meditations leaders, workshop leaders, and the community in which I live. All of these threads have all contributed to the weaving of the Yoga Teacher I have become today. Just to name a few that I have not had the opportunity to meet in person with, but try and learn from as much as I can through social media threads and reading books would be: Kathryn Budig, Paul Grilley, Shiva Rea, Amy Ippoliti and well really there are so many more, I hate to leave them out, but I could again go on and on and on.... In regards to apparel (which has to feel comfortable and lightweight), I would have to say some of my absolute favorites while practicing yoga or out in the hot sun training for a Marathon are: With Love From Paradise, Alo Yoga, Prana, Affirmats & Liforme yoga mat, Mizuno Running Shoes, Zoot tri shorts and of course I have to have my Garmin for those long training runs! And yes a nice pair of Aftershokz would be helpful while I am spinning on the bike or HIIT training in the gym where no one else wants to hear my music.. LOL...

5.) Music To My Ear - Tunes that Inspire: Music I know, plays like one of the biggest roles in working out. It does play a huge part of mine when it comes to teaching or yet taking another teachers SPIN, BUTI, and/or HIIT class. I want music that just feels really good to get my body moving. The kind of music that strikes just the right nerve to get my body moving and grooving in all the right ways. I know so many people that will not workout without music. I can understand that... Music is freaking Awesome!!!

But...................To be 100% honest, when it comes to me and "Running" the only music I listen to is the sound of my own breath and feet hitting the pavement. Running takes me deep within myself and withing that depth, I want to be able to pay attention to and understand my breathing. Music tends to be more of a distraction when I am running unfortunately. But let me reassure you, all other fitness activities better have some tunes playing, PLAYING LOUDLY!!!!!

With that said - Some of my favorite tunes that have been buzzing in my ears are: ((And if you are interested in sharing music or in need of something new or different be sure to check me out and follow me on Spotify)) Brooke Myers https://open.spotify.com/user/brooke-myers

1. Capsize - Emily Warren, FRENSHIP
2. Music by Fetty Wap
3. Till Ya Legs Hurt - 99 Percent
4. Funk Sweat Dope - Bobo Norco, Mississippi 
5. Sisters - A Tribe Called Red, Northern Voice
6. Hym For The Weekend - Coldplay, Seeb
7.  Side to Side - Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj 
8. Work - Burns' Late Night Rollin Remix (Rihanna, Drake)
9. Talking Body - The Young Professionals Remix (Tove Lo)
10. Music by Major Lazer

I know I am leaving out some of my favs right now - just check out my Spotify for the others....





***Again we SweatPink 'ers hope all of you will Please join us during the Month of October and Show your support as we Raise Awareness for Brest Cancer. #SweatPink #MyAfterShokz #BCA #AwareWithPink No one should have to go through this fight alone!

So much Love and Support,

Brooke

The Bump is Ever Growing.

Happy Friday Friends!
The Bump is Ever Growing and I am flowing right along with it as it does. It has not been an easy pregnancy by any means in comparison to my first. But the Ups & Downs of this pregnancy are a part of the journey. And as we know, the journey does not stop here!

We (baby and myself) made it safely into our second trimester and out of the first. I thought there for a while I was going to find myself lying in my own mess for the remainder of this pregnancy, but odds are no longer against us. I seem to be getting around a bit more, working a whole lot more, and eating more. I wish I could say this has been one heck of a healthy pregnancy (food wise) but it hasn't been in my opinion. I started off eating eggs, broccoli, greens, grains and the fruits, but that quickly took a turn around the 6 week mark. I couldn't stand the sight of or smell of anything remotely healthy. I went through this emotional episode of feeling horrible in my mind for the choices of food I was eating, but at the same time I was just grateful to be eating something, anything!

As a fitness instructor and lover of fitness, I felt guilty for these habits I had acquired. I felt as though I was neglecting my daughter and what her needs were as far as growing & developing properly. Then to hear I had lost weight during pregnancy. What? Really?
I had never anticipated losing weight, nor would I even attempt to try, unless the Doctor had recommended it. They say, no two pregnancies are alike. Isn't that the down right truth!!!

Oddly enough, I can't even remember what week I am right now. Why was it so easy to remember every stage of my first pregnancy with Whistler, and with my second I am having such a difficult time remembering almost anything. I know I passed though week 25, I think I am almost out of week 26, so I must be headed towards week 27 of my pregnancy. I'll have to ask my Doctor when I see her next week, just to be sure! Anyone else feel like they can't keep track of their pregnancy???

I can feel baby girl moving around in there more than I could a couple of weeks ago. I truly enjoy the feels of her flutters and the push of strengths against me. We were able to get her to give her daddy and her brother a sweet little kick or maybe it was an upper cut to their cheeks. That was fun for Whistler to experience. We try and talk with her every single day in hopes that she will get to know us a little before she arrives. We don't want to scare her away from our family, so a gradual introduction should help her ease into the Nelson/Myers family. LOL...

As I mentioned, I am working a whole lot more during this pregnancy, I just received a sub-request to cover two upcoming yoga classes during September. Ha! I'll cover and teach as long as baby and I are feeling good enough to keep going. This week I have already taught my own weekly classes plus the addition of two extra days (4 classes). Let me just say, September you are not slowing down for me this month, oh no you are keeping me one busy pregnancy mommy. I do love what I get to do, so I want to continue teaching classes as long as I can before the arrival of little one. (As most of you know I have already given up running for the most part, if any running occurs these days its short and super sweet or super short and somewhat sweet! Running just hasn't felt comfortable with the amount of headaches I get and slightly uncomfortable to the belly too.) Please know I am being safe and listening to my body and my baby the best I know how.

I have had many of you who follow or know me, ask me, when I am going to go on maternity and how long will I take after baby is born. Well, I don't have the exact answers to these two questions. I can say, as I have been saying all along, that I will continue to keep doing what I am doing until I cannot do it anymore safely. I obviously want to keep the interest of my babies health first priority and if she continues to be growing & developing without any complications, then I will continue my fitness journey right along with her. And as we all know, anything can change along the way... I still have a ways to go. We still have to early December before the arrival.

And so with Whistler, I had to have a cesarean delivery (also know as a c-section) and with Hutson (our daughter to be) we will again be having a c-section. My Doctor mentioned that this time around it will be planned so we will talk about a due date in the weeks coming and make plans from there. I will know more once we have this conversation in regards to exactly when she will be here. If you are wondering why I had a c-section the first time pregnancy, here is why: ( I did not dilate past 6cm, my water never broke, I was having severe back labor and eventually Whistler's heart rate was getting to high, so the Doctor at that time called for a cesarean. I should also mention Whistler had a pretty good size head, so a vaginal delivery could have caused for some extra complications.) Now I have heard about a VBAC (a vaginal birth after a cesarean), but I strongly choose not to go that direction. If I did choose that path, I would have to find myself a new Doctor and make a trip to Oahu where they perform VBAC's. I will stay here on the Big Island and deliver at Kona Community Hospital where I have two lovely labor nurse/friends/yoga students/run partner who will hopefully be working the same night I deliver and we can all share the arrival of Hutson together. You two know who you are:)

Where did we come up with the name Hutson Leone-Lynne Nelson??? Hutson is a family name on Nick's side (it was his grandma Sivia's last name) Leone-Lynn is a combination of Nick's mothers middle name (Leone) and my mothers middle name (Lynn) and Nelson well of course belongs to Nick! No need for Myers to be a part of our children's name (that's a story in itself, for another day another time.)

I am truly enjoying the ups & downs of this pregnancy. It is a beautiful journey that I love to share with all of you. I am happily taking on more the ups these days and eating a bit more healthy too, which makes my mental state more secure. I am just looking forward to meeting Hutson. I love how much I already love her and I haven't even met her yet. Motherhood is more than I could have ever ever ever imagined or dreamed of. Oh the wonders of being a mommy of two!!!





Here is a little bit of Name Fun - Nick found for me about our children's names:

What Does Name "Whistler" Mean

To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success.You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.

What Does Name "Hutson" Mean

You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance.Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.



 Thank you Readers for sharing my journey with me....If you have any questions feel free to ask!

Love Always,
Brooke

@Breathebrooke via Instagram & Twitter
 

That's a wrap & it's time to go back!

Let me introduce you to my 6 year old son, Whistler. He's adorable and I love him with all of my heart, but.....
This kiddo will not sleep a night through in his own bed....

 Yes, summer break has officially ended here on the Big Island. Kids are back to school, full swing into their 3rd week (Well at least my son is into his 3rd week already.) Waiting in long lines to pick up while your car sits in idle or parking almost a mile away to walk to pick up (it's quite a circus show at the elementary school to be quite honest.) Not that I didn't miss that, I didn't, but it sure is nice to have Whistler back in school
(where the teachers are smiling, making jokes, and most of all teaching our children (that part I always appreciate.))

Summer break was awesome & Whistler had the privilege of attending art camp for 5 weeks over summer. Something that was far out of our budget, but thankfully a scholarship made it possible for him to attend. It was by far one of the most rewarding experiences he has had opportunity to experience and appreciate himself.

Now it's time to sit down and get back into the school year habit. Staying up late is over kiddo!!! That's right, it's back to bed early!

Parents, here's where you come in: how do I get my 6 year old to sleep in his bed through the night? Something our son has never been very good at...
At times I've let it go and allowed him to come sleep in our bed, but being pregnant, I cannot take it anymore. It's enough I've got long arms that pretty much need a bed for themselves, but to add to it a little one in between us every single night. Come on already, just sleep in your own bed please!

I feel I've tried option after option, sometimes I start strong & strict, but that eventually fails and we are right back to "monkey in the middle."

I was chatting with my friend on the phone the other afternoon, asking for advice on how she got her kiddos to sleep through the night. "Sleep Chart" Fantastic Idea, I am going to give that a try. Right after I hung up, I googled &  checked out pinterest. There were all kinds of ideas that I thought possibly would interest my son. He's a Lego fanatic, so I eventually found a Lego Chart at www.rewardcharts4kids.com. I printed out  two different charts I thought Whistler (my son) would be interested in and collected my thoughts on how to bring this up to my 6 year old son. I've always been the mom that has " Real" talks with him, so I went with the straightforward approach. Or maybe I used the approach recommended - start with a 10 day chart, for each night your child sleeps in a row, child gets a sticker. 10 stickers is equal to one Lego Kit. After the 10 day chart is complete we move into a 20 day chart, which the reward increases. If the child breaks at any point, you start back at day one. It is pretty straight forward and easy to follow. I was concerned about whether or not my son was going to take it serious or not act interested altogether.

Here's what we have experienced:

Day1: Whistler (my son) slept in his bed until what I thought was the morning when my alarm went off. It was 5:49 am and I headed up stairs to check on him, only to find his daddy sleeping with him. At first I smiled, but then shook my head in slight disappointment. Daddy claims he wasn't in there all night and Whistler claims he had no idea. Hmm!

Day 2: Whistler slept in his bed until 4:30-4:45am in the morning. I heard him using the restroom and could see his light was turned on. I to my surprise was shocked to see it was almost 5am. He then went back into his room (not to sleep) to play toys. I went upstairs and at that point said he could come snuggle with us for another hour before he needed to get up for school. Needless to say, I am happy with day 2.

Day 3: It's 5: 30am and Whistler is still asleep in his bed. Yippy for day 3!!!And mommy got some extra rest too! Now it's time to wake him up and get ready for another school day.

Day 4: Slept in his own bed through the entire night! Score!!

Day 5: Again, slept through the entire night!

Day 6: Whistler woke up about 12 midnight for a drink of water (I forgot to leave him a cup full in his bathroom for him) and then went back upstairs by himself to sleep. No fuss! He woke up at 5:30 again and from that point I heard him in the living room and asked if he wanted to come snuggle a bit with us. Sunday Morning Snuggles it was.

Whistler has completed 6 straight nights in his own bed, in his own room! I think it's working!!

I am learning that consistency is the key. I had to be strict if I thought perhaps this sticker rewards chart could be of any help at all. So far I would say it has! In the beginning I wasn't necessarily sure it would play out with Whistler, but his love for Lego's must be enough to convince himself to sleep in his own bed through the night.My child loves Lego's and has been saving his own money to buy the Volcano Lego Set, but now we can help him as a reward for his sleeping success.

A few more days left with our first real attempt at sleeping through the night, I am feeling very confident that our son will achieve the 10 days and begin our 20 day sticker reward chart as to follow. I will keep you all posted on how the rest of this experience goes. If you have any suggestions or comments in regards to your experiences with your children and sleeping in their own beds through the night, I would love to hear. I am always open to different ideas, different parenting approaches.

Thanks so much,

Brooke

Let's Talk Inversions: During Pregnancy.

Okay okay, I know you're ready and raring to be the first to give your input ( opinion ), but please keep it fresh & friendly!

Inversions are often taken so serious for a number of different reasons. I guess just looking at a single body with its legs up in the air is enough to catch the eye.

I often go eyes wide like a "deer in the headlights" when I see someone upside down. It gets my heart pumping full of adrenaline. I become "inversion struck" you could say...

I'm not going to try and tell you how to invert or what inversions you should or should not being doing.

I'm not going to give you research by the latest OB/GYN, OBG, O&G or Obs & Gynae. 
No, you can go Google or YouTube or whatever in your own time. I'm simply going to give you my " I'm Not A Doctor" thoughts or opinion in regards to inverting during pregnancy.

Here I go:
•Do it already!
•Get upside down & get your legs up over your head! Just like that!
•Hold it as long as you can and don't come down until you are red in the face and numb in your toes!
•Don't Breathe.
•Get into the most uncomfortable inversion for the very first time. Yes practice something new.
•And be sure to not to fart!!! Passing wind during pregnancy is dangerous for both you and the baby... 

OMG I AM COMPLETELY KIDDING.. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS RIDICULOUS NONSENSE... I AM TRYING TO BE FUNNY!!!

My personal feelings ( truthfully ) in regards to inversions during pregnancy has to do with listening to your body. Yes, Listen To YOUR body... As with all yoga, fitness, exercise you have to learn to listen to your own personal needs. Your bodies needs. You newly growing babies needs. I believe your baby is smart enough to let your body know whether or not a typical or non typical inversion is right for you.

I always talk to my baby & my body. I listen when my body feels tired or down right exhausted. In cases of feeling exhausted, I may choose not to invert for not only my babies safety, but my very own. During the first few months of pregnancy, I was often nauseous & headaches galore, so inverting wasn't always an option for me or only lasted 30 seconds at the most.

Now that I'm in my second trimester inversions feel quite wonderful to be honest. Well most of the time.Handstands tend to be my go to inversions during this pregnancy (which doesn't surprise me considering the amount of hand standing I practiced pre-pregnancy.)

Which brings me to the topic of: Do not be a fool and try something brand new to your practice during pregnancy. That's just common sense... Carrying a baby is more work for your body. Your body is working harder, don't forget that like I have!

I'd like to think I have a fairly adequate inversion practice. Therefore, I continue to invert during pregnancy. I practice anything from headstand with lotus legs, pincha mayurasana, handstand that meets scorpion, and on occasion the plow pose often modified into candlestick variation. Sometimes I like to just get my head below my heart with legs up the wall or uttanasana (standing forward fold.) It's a mood thing for me; what is my body feeling like practicing in the moment, what is my mood?

Candlestick Pose

pincha mayurasana / forearm stand

Handstand with a slight touch of 1/2 scorpion

Shoulder Stand

I do go through a series of warming up (that is the best for my body) before practicing inversions. I've noticed during this pregnancy my body is often more sore and needs a little more ground time stretching it out, so I stretch it out.

And you might notice my photos are using my good friend the Wall. Don't be afraid to use the Wall during your inversion practice. I don't necessarily need the Wall support, but in some situations I just want it. Yup! I just want it!! It's fun to change the shape of your inversions and relax a little longer when using the wall... Try it some time if you haven't already.

Now I've seen pregnant women at every stage of pregnancy inverting. I most recently came across a 9 month  pregnant woman practicing scorpion. I'm not sure my back will allow my body to practice such an amazingly intense back bend at 9 months, let alone 6 or 7, since I'm only at 5 months. Just the other week I was able to fully control my body from a press handstand into a gentle scorpion connection. I didn't feel the need to hold the posture for minutes, nope just a few moments was all my body needed. It felt great!!!

We are all different, each pregnancy is different ( I'm beginning to fully recognize) and really for myself I'll take it one practice at a time, one breath at a time... and I recommend you do the same. Remember what another pregnant woman can do, doesn't necessarily mean you can do.

You have to dig deep within yourself, respect yourself enough to know when enough is enough and most of all LISTEN. Listen to your body, listen to your baby. Listen to you and what feels good or right in the moment. How are you feeling? How does it feel on my body in this particular inversions? Take a moment to ask yourself questions in regards to how you feel.

Remember Not to Be So SERIOUS!!!
Have fun with your Pregnancy!!

If you still do not trust yourself with inversions during pregnancy, then go
do the research for yourself. Take the time to ask questions, read, and study. You will eventually come across something that strikes a nerve with you, resonates with you. 

I did the research, I still do. I read. I try and take time watching other pregnant yogi's via social media and in person when I can. If I don't like what I read or see, then I continue to research some more. Everyone will have an opinion. That is just the truth of it. Some individuals will even try and pass their opinions off as facts, but there will be no supporting evidence to back it up. 
Since this pregnancy, I have been told directly by a prenatal teacher that I should no longer practice inversions at 7 months pregnant. It kind of seems to be the common piece of advice given by prenatal teachers, if you will. I have heard from other pregnant yogi's, they too have been told this very same thing. Why? For there is a possibility of the baby rotating within the womb. Do you want to know what I am thinking??? I think I am more concerned with practicing the Goddess Pose or Malasana later in pregnancy due to the possible push of my baby out of my vagina. I had to have a c-section with my first pregnancy and will be having another c-section with my second pregnancy, so a baby coming out of my vagina in such poses as the two mentioned above, FREAK me out more than the idea of my baby flipping at 7 months. 

Let me just say, I love inversions and will listen to my body. I can assure you of this! I will not intentionally place my baby in harm, nor will I pretend to be the "KNOW IT ALL" of pregnancy, let alone, inversions. I am simply leaving you with my OPINION. For those of you who been asking how long I will be practicing inversions & yoga in general during this pregnancy: I say I would love to continue to practice all the way up to the moment I give birth. I can not give you an exact time frame, just my thoughts of what I hope to accomplish, what I hope my body can accomplish. I promise you this: I WILL LISTEN TO MY BODY ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS PREGNANCY and there after, just as I tend to do.

So yeah, Invert Already!! LOL

Much love & Respect to all of you and your (Opinions too!)

- Brooke