Cradle Your Prenatal: My Photo How To

After my doctor told me I needed a prenatal cradle if I wanted to keep running, I scoured the internet for options. It was whoa to say the least. Determined to be a good little pregnant patient, I purchased one. It's amazing. Ugly as hell, but super effective. Since I heart my loyal readers, you're right, I owe you all pictures. Without further adieu, my Cradle How To:

Step 1: Admire your apparatus

This thing is a giant nest of nude fabric, elastic, and serious velcro. (There's also those strap things that I have no idea how to use.) Doesn't it just look sexy?

Step 1a: Establish your base layer

I don't like it rubbing on my skin, so the shorty shorts and beater are required. Underneath. There's a time and place for shorty shorts and beaters, and six months pregnant with twins running along the street ain't it.

Step 2: Strap yourself in

Be sure this is the last thing you do before leaving. Trying to tie your shoes while wearing the cradle will not happen. Trust me.

Step 3: Pose awkwardly like your inspiration lady

(I wanted to tease out my hair and properly accessorize, but I'm trying to help decorate a nursery today too. You'll have to use your imagination because that's really one of the best parts.)

Step 4: Apply top layer and enjoy!

(6 months)

Despite the serious weight up front, the actual running continues to go really well. Hopefully it lasts for another month or so.

Four miles, 3-4 days a week is about my limit with at least 30 minutes built in afterwards for water, food, and left-side-laying. Scheduling a run takes me about a hour and a half from start to finish. Crazy how times have changed, but I'm thrilled to still be running and loving it.

Have a great week!

Anchor for hire

Do you find yourself constantly running too fast and just hating it?

Do you find yourself running all the way up hills and wishing you were walking instead?

Fear not. Have I got a solution for you: Pregnant Lady Running Buddy!

Each year my work has a meeting in Denver right in M2M's neck of the woods. As I mentioned last year, she and I go way back. We've been friends for years, and it's a true testament to her kindness that she accepted my invitation to meet up for a run date today.

Thankfully she's got a marathon right around the corner, so I justified our inevitably very slow run as a taper for her. When she rocks that race next month, I'm taking some of the credit. So thoughtful, right? Don't you wish you could be my friend too? Anyway, we met very bright and early to catch up on life and kick out 4 miles of beautiful Colorado sunrise. Man, it's pretty here.

I made her do most of the talking while I huffed, puffed, smiled, and nodded. I also implemented my "it's safer to walk through the intersections, and oh by the way, it's probably safer to walk up hills too" philosophy a few times.

My support belt continues to hold up great (fine fine, pictures of the super sexy prenatal cradle this weekend), and the ninos handled the altitude just fine. She told me she went 4 more miles afterwards, so I felt quite a bit better that my anchor run wasn't her only workout after getting up that early.

Old friend are great, but old friends who will run, chat, and go along no matter what the pace are pretty damn hard to beat. Good times for sure.

Ugly as hell... but worth every penny

When last we left, I was in the market for a prenatal cradle. Also known as The Most Scary Thing Ever Sold. After swallowing my fashion pride (I'm vain and all, but I'm not that vain), I knew it really was a good idea to get one.

I was able to find the mega-velcro belt version at a maternity store at a steal of a deal. Sans lacey nutcup part. There's a few extra straps that I don't know where they go, but they probably aren't important, right? Like all the extra pieces leftover when you're assembling furniture from Ikea? Anyway, it's ultra sexy flesh-toned (sorry, there will be no pictures), but it makes a world of difference when I run. The few braxton hicks contractions I'd been having have stopped, and my abs were much less sore the next day.

But the biggest difference has been the relief on my legs. Running with an extra twen--muffle muffle-- pounds up front has been surprisingly brutal to my calves, ankles, shins and more. I know my gait is different to compensate for the new balance, and my legs were not pleased. Which meant I was not pleased. Never did I think that would be the piece of my body that forced me to walk up hills while running at almost six months pregnant with twins. Not my lungs, not my stomach, not my back. Damn legs. Very annoying.

Enter, the prenatal cradle! Wearing it keeps my gait more natural, my stride lighter, and almost all the aches and pains in my calves have disappeared. Money very well spent.

There is, however, a slight downside:

Bending Over To Try To Tie Your Shoes When You Forget You're Wearing A Prenatal Cradle.

Holy crap. That's a mistake you only make once.

Nino A's little foot- 1.
My right lung- 0.

A very different kind of cradle

I had a doctor appointment today, and things are still going super with both boys and me. The scale had me a bit nervous since I'm fairly obsessed with cake recently, and would steal it from a child without blinking, but the gain was right on track. Success!

She was very pleased with my health/activity level and suggested I look into getting a support belt to wear while I run. She specifically mentioned a "prenatal cradle", and I giggled because I'm easily amused by things that rhyme.

Then I got back to work and started googling. (FYI: Never, ever google when you're pregnant. Anything. No good comes of it.)

Behold, the Prenatal Cradle:

It gives you very bad hair, terrible taste in clothing, and what I anticipate to be some jacked up boobs, but I can see how it would be effective.

Wait, let's take a peek at the back before we think it's an official good idea:

Whoa. It's like a full-body jockstrap! How the hell is THAT comfortable when you run? Or move? Or sit?! (Not to mention the perma-VPL. Tisk tisk.)

Maybe the full-body contraption is a bad idea. How about something for just my stomach?

Oooh, at least she doesn't have the massive bangs, but she also doesn't look the least bit pregnant. Points deducted for credibility, prenatal cradle sellers.

The crotch part still concerns me though. Let's take a closer look at the nutcup part:Oh shit, is that LACE?! It's like lingerie sold at the medical supply store between the canes and plastic reading glasses. Seeeex-ay!

Okay, how about just a belt?

I give up.

If you managed to get yourself knocked up before your senior pictures in 1993, there's no shame in hiding it. Tease that hair, accessorize that black body suit, pose awkwardly, and SUPPORT THAT BELLY!

I'm so easily distracted

One of my Monday To Do's was to research cribs and strollers. Somehow at the end of the day, I know nothing more about where these babies will sleep, but THIS will be delivered to my door in 3-5 business days!
Don't bother submitting your own Mother of the Year nomination. Clearly, I have it all locked up. I only hope I'm alone the first time I pass a clearance rack of North Face running apparel. Because apparently I'm a threat to forget the stroller by the elevator and wonder toward anything 50% off.

No worries though. I did manage to register us for a Caring For Your Baby class today. I don't think anyone will argue that's a good investment at this point.

Anyway, I'm getting a bicycle trainer! It wasn't very expensive or high quality, but it'll work to tide me over in the last couple months of pregnancy when I'm too giant to run. Plus, I can do some riding while they nap once they get here. (Assuming we can assemble the thing. Expect that to be a fairly epic post coming soon.)

On the running front, things continue to go great. I've settled into a comfortable Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday routine of about 18-20 miles a week. Easter was the perfect spring day, and after an awesome weekend of family and food, I loved every step of my five mile run.

Non-pregnant I would have gone for miles and miles, but I'll have many more springs for that. For now, hopefully life just continues to be this wonderful.