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#85 Dee Murphy: Navigating health and fitness before, during and after pregnancy
785 Plays1 year ago
In this episode of the Kate Hamilton Health podcast, I sit down with Denise Murphy, an online fitness coach and mother of two, to dive deep into the world of pre and postnatal fitness.
We explore the crucial role that staying active plays before and during pregnancy, and Denise shares her expert advice on what exercises are safe, and which ones to avoid.
How can expecting mothers navigate fitness routines and nutrition during pregnancy? Denise offers practical nutrition tips, including the importance of protein - especially for pescetarians and vegetarians - while also discussing her personal journey of weight loss and sustainable health practices.
Are you curious about postnatal recovery?
Denise provides valuable insights into regaining strength and maintaining a balanced diet after childbirth. We also cover the importance of women’s health physio and how to safely return to exercise postpartum.
Key Questions Discussed in This Episode:
- How can staying active impact your pregnancy and overall health?
- What are the do’s and don’ts of pre and postnatal fitness?
- How should you adapt your diet and nutrition during pregnancy, especially protein intake?
- What fitness myths about pregnancy need to be debunked?
- Why is women’s health physio so important during the postpartum period?
- How can you safely return to exercise after having a baby?
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with friends who might benefit. For more health tips and updates, follow me on Instagram and TikTok @katehamiltonhealth.
Music by LiQWYD Free download: hypeddit.com/link/xxtopb [http://hypeddit.com/link/xxtopb] Promoted by FreeMusicPromo [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbycji-eySnM3WD8mbxPUSQ] / @freemusicpromo1
**The content in this episode is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before changing your fitness or nutrition, especially during pregnancy or postpartum.**
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Transcript
Introduction and Overview of Pre and Postnatal Fitness
00:00:08
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Kate Hamilton health podcast. So in today's episode, I chat with Denise Murphy. So Denise is an online coach, a mum of two, and she specializes as well in pre and post natal fitness.
00:00:25
Speaker
So we have a really great conversation around pre and postnatal fitness. We talk a lot about the benefits of being active before you get pregnant. We talk about during pregnancy, what are the do's and don'ts in relation to fitness. We talk about eating and nutrition during pregnancy. We talk about postnatal. So what are the steps that we should take postnatally to get ourselves back?
00:00:48
Speaker
feeling good and feeling
Denise's Personal Fitness Journey
00:00:49
Speaker
strong. We then take a little tangent as well. We talk a little bit about protein and as someone who doesn't eat meat herself, she gives a little bit of advice about what she would eat to keep her protein high and how we talk a little bit how important protein is during pregnancy also. And the conversation actually started as well. Denise gave a lovely background to her own journey. As someone who went through their own weight loss journey, Denise shares what she did and what simple steps, simple steps, maybe not so simple, but small steps that she put in place to lose weight, to get healthier and essentially set her on this journey of health fitness and becoming a coach eventually. And 10 years on, she is still coaching and you can see
00:01:33
Speaker
and feel from this conversation how passionate she is about health and fitness and why she's stayed in the game so long and will be still here in the fitness industry in years to come because she cares ah about health and fitness, she gets it, she lives it, she's done it and I really hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. So without further ado here is Denise Murphy.
Balancing Motherhood and Fitness
00:01:59
Speaker
Denise, welcome to the podcast. Thank you very much for having me. Delighted to be on. I'm so grateful that you are willing to get up this early. We're recording this now at 6 AM, all children in bed and the best time. And let's but just see if I make any sense at this hour of the morning. But look, for anyone who doesn't know who you are, do you want to just share a little bit about you, your background and what you do? Yeah.
00:02:22
Speaker
Sure. Okay. So first of all, I'm a mommy. I have two small boys who are literally recently turned five and recently turned three. So life is busy. became a personal trainer nearly 10 years ago now. When I lived in Australia I really found a passion for health and fitness and I decided to take the leap and make it my day job. So it's been going here it's been well ever since and I really enjoy it. So I suppose over the years I'm upskilled, I'm a nutritional coach, I'm a postnatal
00:02:53
Speaker
coach as well. I've exercised women through pregnancy so I suppose a lot has changed over the last I guess was 10 years and so is my approach to training and then coaching as well and it's been ah it's been a journey but I suppose the the the one thing that I am passionate about like i I work with men and women now, it is predominantly women, but it's just showing people not only like the importance of being healthy and fit, but like how you can make it slot into your schedule and how it doesn't have to be what people perceive. You don't have to exercise every single day of the week, you don't have to
00:03:28
Speaker
eat rabbit food, to be healthy, like it's all about that balance and I suppose I'm really, really keen and passionate about showing people how it can easily start into your life and why it's so vital, particularly when I think when you have kids and your life is hectic and busy, being healthy and fit gives you so much, you know, and it's it's it's important to prioritise I think as well.
Denise's Career Transition and Passion for Fitness
00:03:51
Speaker
Yeah. And I love that you're not just telling people, you know, you're showing them that you have two small kids, you're managing your business, you're keeping fit, keeping healthy yourself, that it can be done. And like I do this to, you know, show everybody this just have to be all or nothing. It is just about doing what you can each day, I think. Exactly. And it's like the little things all add up. But I think anyone starting on a health and fitness journey, and like I was that person, like I it was when I first found fitness, like I was overweight at the time. I was very unhappy in myself in every way, in every sense. And I just felt really unhealthy, really unhappy. And when I found fitness, I suppose it gave me a new lease of life and it just made me feel like I had something to work towards. And I think when I saw the the results, like when I saw
00:04:40
Speaker
how healthier I was, not just in my body, but in my mind. It really kind of cemented home, like how important fitness is, you know? And I think from being on my own weight loss journey, that helps me to help others too because I get it. I know that losing weight is not the easiest thing that you'll ever do. I know that getting fit and healthy isn't the easiest thing that you'll ever do, but it is one of the most beneficial things that you can do for your life, you know, for life.
00:05:06
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Let's talk a little bit about your weight loss journey and fitness journey. So but did this start when you were in Australia? So prior to that, so like I started college and of course I loved the college life so much that I gained a lot of weight in college. I loved drinking. I loved my takeaways and like he totally lived it off. But of course I was very unhealthy, didn't really exercise, just totally embraced college life a little bit too much.
00:05:34
Speaker
But I think back to that time, you I just can remember how like I had no confidence, like literally no confidence in myself. And I think I nearly used alcohol and food as an emotional crotch as a way to make myself feel better. And it takes so long to break that cycle. Like it really, really does. Like for me, do ever you ever just have like a breakthrough moment when you're just like, okay, no, something has to give here now. I can't continue like this. And being honest, what it was for me was I was at a nightclub and I saw a guy that I hadn't seen in a while.
00:06:03
Speaker
my door in Jack's room and I walked off he turned around for his friend and was like oh my god she's half putting on so much weight and I heard him who and I actually wanted the ground to swallow me up But you know something, I'm thankful because that was the kick in the arse that I needed to be like, okay. And I know that's a very physical aesthetic comment, but I like i think if if others are noticing how, I suppose, and I know i know it's focusing on the physical, but I have no confidence. like I had literally have no confidence. My confidence is through the floor.
00:06:35
Speaker
but I think I needed that shock factor. I think I needed someone to be like, okay, because I wasn't listening to anyone else. Like my parents had said to me, like, you're kind of like going down a bad path here. Like, you know, as in like, you're- They were probably saying it as a nice way, like, you know. Yeah, they were saying it nice, but like, this is completely blunt.
00:06:53
Speaker
Yeah I think it's okay to to sometimes to have it like especially initially to have a bit of a physical driver for it like I think that's okay and especially you know if you're college age the young people that age want to look good it's it's it is an important part. So yeah so that for me was literally the kick in the arse that I needed to be like okay If he thinks that, who else is thinking that? And I know it's a you know you shouldn't care what other people think. But the thing is, I wasn't happy in myself. I taught this about myself. I wasn't just, you know, but that was, as I said, that was the the driver that I needed. And it literally just started really, really small. This was towards the end of it of a term in college. I was, it was actually I went to Watford. So I was living in Watford for the summer, got a job down there for the summer. And it literally started with me walking to work. I had no car, I had to walk.
00:07:42
Speaker
it literally started with me walking to work and it was it was quite a long walk from my house it was half an hour walk there half an hour walk back so I was like okay and now this is coming from someone that detested exercise like I hated it never wouldn't have been like no just wasn't into exercise walking to me was like why would you walk it's just so boring whereas now I love my walks but I just started off with that, just going for a half an hour walk. So again, it was just really small steps. And I made a couple of tweaks to my nutrition, but nothing, you know, major, like at the time, probably liffyb like just looked at my portion sizes and reduced them slightly. But walking was the big one for me. And I lost weight. It took a while. It was a slow process as I knew it would be. But I remember going back into college that September, I'd probably lost maybe like a stone.
00:08:31
Speaker
And I was so happy. I was like thrilled because I had made exercise like part of my routine. It didn't feel like a chore at this stage. It felt like something that I enjoyed to do. So for me, it literally started off with walking. And then I got brave. And I was like, I'm going to join the gym. So geez, that's many, many years ago now. like And I literally just joined a local gym, got a program, offered an instructor,
00:08:56
Speaker
And I just really enjoyed it. And I love how you know the resistance training made me feel, it made me feel strong. That's literally how it started for me. And then I um obviously moved to Australia. I'm sure health and fitness is massive over there. Like there's literally a gym in every corner. Particularly back then, like they were straight ahead of us back then. Yeah, because this would have been like 20, when did I move there? 2014.
00:09:20
Speaker
it was like just before instagram was or just as instagram was started it was yeah and it's funny because i was getting married so like i we went over in 2014 so we said we'd go over and save a bit of money over there and enjoy life before we settle down to be married it was actually our wedding anniversary yesterday nine years it flies so we moved over there that was fine and and i started an instagram page and it was called d Do you think unhealthy eats because I was up obsessed with making food and sharing my food. So then I was like, right, I'm going to join the gym and I'm going to share the fitness side of my journey and, you know, getting fit and healthy for my wedding. This is this is what was the the page and like.
00:10:02
Speaker
I really enjoyed sharing to it. It was like a diary, and what was an accountability tool as well. So I got a personal trainer when I joined the gym, and I really enjoyed that. So then I thought to myself, do you know something? I was in a job I didn't like. I was a document controller, probably the most boring job that you can imagine. Not me at all. Stuck in an office, behind a laptop, all day long, not seeing anyone, not engaging with anyone. It just wasn't me.
00:10:28
Speaker
didn't suit my personality. And I had a degree in marketing. and So I was like, well, this can come in useful with what I want to do if I want to promote myself as a, as a personal trainer. And like online coach at this stage wasn't, wasn't really a thing like at all, you know? So I was like, right, I'm going to do a personal trainer course. And I did and really enjoyed it. And yeah, it just kind of started from there. Then I worked like in in a couple of places over there. I mainly focused on group.
00:10:57
Speaker
classes, group fitness classes. I worked with H, I think it's HPF. It was like the Australian Health, as like a kind of like a health and fitness kind of organization that organized fitness events and, you know, free kind of events for members, similar to like say BHI or, or Irish life here kind of a thing. And I did them, they were great. Like they were really, really good to like build up your confidence and work with large groups of people. And then ah when I moved back home, then I moved to Cork.
00:11:27
Speaker
because I'm frankly Kenny, like and dick Kenny at the time didn't really have that many gyms. And I knew I struggled to find work in a gym. So I kind of had to be flexible with where I e found work, basically. So I was like, right, let's move to Cork. So I moved to Cork for nearly a year, worked in a lovely gym down there with the nicest people.
00:11:48
Speaker
And I got more experience than with the what with one-on-one training, with personal training, you know, and really enjoyed that. Then I got to move back home to McKinney and got a job in a gym here and then worked there for a couple of years. And then I thought to myself, I really want my own thing going here now. I don't want to work for anyone else.
Fitness and Mental Health During Pregnancy
00:12:07
Speaker
I got pregnant with my first child. So we built a studio beside my house.
00:12:13
Speaker
And I started working from there then in 2019 and then COVID it in 2020. So wasn't ideal, but I love like my little studio is like my little haven. It's like my little, you know, I i love going out there. I'm like, I love training my clients. Like at the moment now I don't do a whole lot of face face training. I think i but I do about two or three hours a week because my business is predominantly online now.
00:12:35
Speaker
which suits me and my my schedule and being a mommy, it suits me really well, but I like having that face-to-face interaction. like I have girls coming to me for the last five years, they're like friends at this stage, and it's a great outlet for me and for them in the evening times. It's been it's been a journey, like but I'm grateful for every every every bit of it. It's it's been great. like like It's such an inspiring journey that literally you were like early on at at a young age was able to be like, I don't want to do this. I'm going straight into what I enjoy and just dive in head first. Yeah, that's amazing. At the very start, and you you know you were saying about you started by walking and eventually and ah added to the gym. you know That initial stone that you lost, were you looking at your nutrition as well or was it predominantly, I'm just walking more?
00:13:24
Speaker
Well, I did look at my nutrition as well and it was literally just reducing my portion sizes. Like, you know, I wasn't tracking calories or anything. It was literally portion control, reducing my portions, making better, better food choices, you know, where I could, you know, like when when I think back to the size of the dinner, so they used to have like, it's crazy.
00:13:44
Speaker
You know, so it was just literally just like, you know, making small changes to my meals. And you know something, it was having structure. That was something that I really lacked. So I was a grazer. I didn't really have set meals. It was more just like, oh yeah, I'll eat what I want when I want. And then that obviously led to me overeating because I was never satisfied. So I really, I structured my meals like basic breakfast, lunch, dinner, maybe a snack. Do you know, which is very, very simple in theory, but like when you're not in the habit of doing that, it's quite hard to do, do you know? But once I got into the habit of that, it was literally, as I said, structuring my meals, having set meal times and kind of linking that habit back. the
00:14:25
Speaker
I have my breakfast at X time. I have my lunch at X time. I have my dinner at X time. And that really helps because it helps reputation and it helps with adherence because you have you're you're building a habit there, which are which are meal times as well. Yes, everyone listening. Do you hear this?
00:14:41
Speaker
Very, very simple. There is proof. No, i this is literally what I preach all the time being like, you know, taking it one habit at a time. And even sometimes not even looking that far ahead, just waking up every morning and be like, what can I do today? So like I'm up now, or it's early. I'm like, okay, today, what can I do? I can... You know, drink lots of water, maybe get out for a walk, you know, whatever it is that you can manage. Yes, exactly. And like, I think it's, it's when you do have a bad day, it's really important to look at what went right on your day, as opposed to focusing like on the things that went wrong. So like, okay, you know, didn't get a walk in, but your food was good. Do you know? So there's a win. Do you know? And I think that's something that I really try and drive home to clients as well. You know, instead of focusing on the negative or what you perceive as a negative, it's really important to look at the things that went right on your day. You have to do that because otherwise if you continue to focus on the negative,
00:15:27
Speaker
you know your your your mindset is just not there. like it's not It's not where it needs to be. So it's really important to acknowledge the small wins on a daily basis to keep you motivated, to keep you going. Yeah. And then it's just easier to just pick yourself up and keep going. And it is the keep them going. So I think there's a mistake, like, I think people, a misconception sometimes when, you know, ah but like I talk a lot of about consistency, other coaches also talk a lot of about consistency that, like, that we're trying to say to be consistently perfect, but that's not what it is. It's consistently not giving up on yourself is really what it is, isn't it? Yeah, it is. Yeah. A hundred percent.
00:16:05
Speaker
Anyway, look, I want to kind of spend a good bit of time talking to you about pre and postnatal fitness, because this is your area of expertise. So I'd love to to hear what you have to say in relation to it. So I suppose first of all, for anyone listening who maybe is looking to get pregnant, is not pregnant yet, maybe doesn't want to be pregnant yet, but will be how'll hope to be in the future. How does being active beforehand impact? How can it, I know it's obviously it's not black and white, but how can it impact your experience of pregnancy or even, you know, can it even impact your ability to get pregnant? So I suppose from a like a benefits point of view of why you would exercise prior to conception or during pregnancy, I think a big thing is
00:16:54
Speaker
ah positive mental health like you know exercising throughout pregnancy is important not just for the physical but i think for the mental as well and particularly if you're quite an active person anyway it's really important to try and keep that up throughout pregnancy there's a lot of misconceptions regarding pregnancy and you know ex exercise being unsafe and like not to lift heavy but like at the end of the day you're going to be lifting a baby at the end of nine months so but i remember when when i got pregnant like when i i I was still a little bit unsure and a little bit, you know, because you obviously have that little, that level of like uncertainty about whether or not, you know, can I do this? And then I think it really comes down to your care provider and their knowledge as well, because like my care provider
00:17:37
Speaker
would would have told me to lie down and do nothing for nine months to know. Whereas obviously I'd done my research, I had done my my my postnatal and pre-natal exercise course, so I knew what I could and couldn't do. But still obviously like on your first child there's a level of nervous nervousness there.
00:17:53
Speaker
Resistance training is one of the most beneficial things that you can do to rate a pregnancy, like not only to stay strong and to retain your muscle mass throughout pregnancy, but that makes it easier on the flip side when when the baby is here that you have maintained a good level of health, a good level of fitness, so that it it makes it it more seamless for you to to go back to training or back to exercise after you've had your baby.
00:18:17
Speaker
When it comes to like trying to conceive and like how exercise can impact that, like generally, I think what like when you're trying to conceive, I would definitely recommend women to maybe, if they're doing a lot of HIIT training, and a lot of like high intensity, read high intensity training. and definitely reduce that down if you're trying to conceive. because this so Exactly. And it's just an extra stressor on the body that doesn't need to be there if you're trying to conceive. So that's but definitely the one piece of advice that I would give you if you are trying to conceive and you do a lot of high intensity, really like hard
00:18:51
Speaker
intensity train and it will be to kind of look at that and maybe just to reduce that down. Yeah. Maybe go down the route of like walking and lifting weights and kind of, you know, be consistent with it. Yeah. Because I suppose when you're looking to conceive, obviously that's more, I suppose a medical thing that, you know, there can be issues, you know, with, with hormones. Yeah.
00:19:12
Speaker
but When we're looking to, I suppose, be proactive and initially and do things ourselves, keeping stress levels. and If we can keep our cortisol under control, which is our stress hormone, it's going to help with all our other hormones to align and be and be in ah in a better position for things to happen.
00:19:28
Speaker
Exactly. And I suppose looking at the other benefits of exercise throughout pregnancy, like obviously, you know, it and it'll help to maintain your your cardio fitness, which is quite important. It'll reduce your risk of obviously gestational diabetes, which, you know, can happen throughout pregnancy. During pregnancy, sleep can be impacted. So like obviously, if you're exercising regularly, it can help to obviously improve your sleep as well.
00:19:50
Speaker
And as I said, like you know the benefits that it has to your mental health, tro like ah particularly if your pregnancy is quite tough, which it it it generally is, it's not a walk in the park. like you know Anything that can benefit or you know promote positive mental health, 100% do it. like And then obviously better self-esteem throughout pregnancy. like I think this is kind of like unspoken of. like And I've spoken about this so much in my own pregnancies.
00:20:16
Speaker
like It's okay not to be in love with your pregnant body, but it's okay. like and I think like you know women are nearly you're nearly like frowned upon if you if you say, like oh you know like i'm I'm worried about gaining weight during pregnancy, or if I'm not really loving how I'm looking right now in pregnancy. like That's okay. like It's okay to have those feelings. I think sometimes women are like, you can't have those feelings. You should just be grateful that you're pregnant and you you can't have any emotions regarding your body image.
00:20:44
Speaker
And this is why I think like eating well and exercise helps that. It really helps makes you makes you feel good in yourself. It makes you you know feel confident. It makes you feel strong. And it definitely helps to promote better self-esteem and better body image by you know doing the things that are going to help that. like you know Yeah, no, i I can totally relate to this like because it's funny. I have three kids, myself and my smallest. My baby is going to be seven now this this month, but before I got pregnant with him, I had just started my fitness journey kind of, I started my fitness journey kind of twenty late 2015. So I got pregnant with him in like January, 2017.
00:21:22
Speaker
and I remember being like, this is going to be my fit pregnancy. Cause like, like yourself was allergic to exercise before that, you know, didn't particularly lead a healthy lifestyle. I was like, this would be my fit pregnancy. It's going to be brilliant. And I don't know what happened, but very quickly it wasn't my fit pregnancy. There was nothing wrong with my pregnancy. I was just really tired and I think I didn't have the support and I was uncertain. So I didn't have the education. I didn't have.
00:21:49
Speaker
someone to ask advice to in relation to what exercise I can do. And people were telling me like, oh, you can't be lifting weights when when you're pregnant. and're like Oh, and then I don't know, so something flipped in me and I i was it was quite inactive in that pregnancy. Now the pregnancy was fine. I was particularly, like my sister will will slag me about this all the time, though I was particular particularly cranky and aggressive through this pregnancy.
00:22:15
Speaker
And by the end of it, like when I was overdue, I just didn't leave the house. Like my father-in-law used to bring the other kids to school and I used to just sit in front of the TV on my bouncy ball watching Narcos because I had to focus on it and read the subtitles. And it was just aggressive enough for me for my cranky ears. It was terrible. I was so cranky. So that just shows, doesn't it, like how it impacts your mental health? Like if 100% does. And then after I had him,
00:22:39
Speaker
I am ended up with an injury so I wasn't able to walk. So no, it was fine. I walked out of hospital and everything was fine know and I was okay for about a week or two and then ah ah one morning I went to get out of bed and like my i'd like just this unbearable pain in my like legs and pelvis but basically i had inflamed the joint in my pubic bone now i didn't even know we had a joint in our pubic bone but we do we do you know because i inflamed it and i was very very sore but i ended up having to do physio and i remember going for walks at this stage my friend used to come out and a walk we used to walk from my house around to the local secondary school and back now if i was to do it now
00:23:22
Speaker
Like it would take me, I'd get to the secondary school. I'd i'd be i'd be there and back in 15 minutes, but this was an hours walk. Like I was literally step by step. And I found to myself, I was like, I am never let, I was like, this is my starting point. This is my starting point. And that everything that i've ah that I've done since then has based on that moment. I remembered that walk with my friend being like, Oh my God.
00:23:47
Speaker
Now, I know, I, you know, that could have happened with, with me exercising through pregnancy as well. It might've just been, you know, he was quite a big baby, whatever. And I might've overdone it afterwards, but it was a real shocker being like, wow. Okay. I, I'm like, I lost all strength and I was starting from. you could see it then like it Like, yeah. And when it comes to exercise and pregnancy, it's about, it is about maintenance. It's not about like, you know, hitting PRs. It's literally about maintaining your level of fitness throughout your pregnancy. Do you know? And like, obviously the recommendations there are like to, you know, to do 150 minutes of exercise per week. And this could be like a 30 minute walk, five days a week. Like everything counts and that's important. Like, do you know? Like every bit of exercise that you, that you do counts no matter how small.
00:24:33
Speaker
And
Safe Exercise Practices and Nutrition for Pregnant Women
00:24:34
Speaker
that's where I found my love of walking was throughout my pregnancy. like Because as I said to you at the start of the pod, like I was allergic exercise <unk>gic to I was allergic to walking, really. like I was allergic to walking. And I just didn't see the point of it. I said, why would you walk for it? What do you get from walking? And then, obviously, you as I was pregnant, and like like and I wouldn't have been a mad runner either, but I would have enjoyed running.
00:24:57
Speaker
And I didn't feel comfortable running when I was pregnant. So I just found walking and it's stuck. Like I love my walks now. And again, it's simple things, you know, like walking, you know, a quick little session with weight. It's like, it's whatever you can fit in and at all it all, it will benefit you in the long run. That's, it's really important to remember that it's not about.
00:25:19
Speaker
you know training seven days a week or as hard as you can it's literally like small things the small efforts make it make a ah big difference. And is it true that they say that you know whatever you do before pregnancy is okay to keep up in relation to exercise?
00:25:37
Speaker
Yeah, like it out look it's very dependent on the person. like If your healthcare provider tells you not to do something, you know generally listen to them. But like obviously, by trimester, there are certain exercises that maybe may need to be adjusted, certain movements. Because obviously, as your bump gets bigger and your pregnancy you know develops, there are certain exercises that just aren't suitable and aren't going to benefit you.
00:25:58
Speaker
So like generally in in like trimester one, this is obviously dependent on how you're feeling and and that because trimester one is generally tough. You can have morning in sickness, you might have the energy levels there. So it's, you know, it's really important to kind of to listen to your body in that sense and just go what you feel like doing. But exercise wise, not a whole lot needs to change in trimester one. You know, if you're feeling feeling healthy and well, continue to do what you're doing in trimester one.
00:26:23
Speaker
So, trimester two he certain exercises might may need to be adjusted. Like exercises that like, you know, that really direct the core like sit ups or like, you know, elbows to knees or exercises like that. Yeah, Like would need to be adjusted because obviously you're you're starting to to develop further on into your pregnancy. Some women don't feel comfortable lying on their back from trimester tree onwards. This is very dependent on the person. And this is kind of like, I'm not going to say it's a gray area, like some healthcare providers will say, don't lie in your back at all. for That's what I was told. Now saying that my kids are a bit older and now, so it changes. So the thing I've got, my oldest is 14, my youngest is seven, and my middle child is 11. And for every pregnancy, the rules have changed. Yeah. So like lying flat on your back is completely okay if you feel okay doing it. So like, if you feel lightheaded, if you feel dizzy, obviously don't lie on your flat on your back. But that's one thing that I was really unsure of in my first pregnancy. Can I, can I lie flat on my back?
00:27:21
Speaker
But you can. And I think another thing as well that women need to be mindful of is like when they are lying down flat on their back. And this, this is something that I made sure that I did in my own pregnancy. And it's something that I always tell pregnant women as well, is if you're lying down, so if you're in bed or you're if you're, if you're doing an exc exercise on the floor where you're lying down, really, really important to like roll to the side to stand off da rather than and off trying to sit up. Yeah. So really important to kind of like initiate that roll to the side.
00:27:50
Speaker
and then stand up because again, by getting straight up, yourre it's putting direct pressure on your core that doesn't need to be there. so And the muscles are separated, aren't they? So they're not there to support you. Yeah, so yeah that's something very, very simple that you can do that would definitely benefit you because obviously women throughout pregnancy, 90% or even more will have abdominal separation like at the end of their pregnancy, like there will be abdominal separation there as your stomach muscles stretch outwards. So that's a simple exercise that you can do that can help minimize the level of abdominal separation that you have. It's funny, I used to do that by accident, you know, you go to get out of bed, it's like you nearly forget for a minute, you go to get over, you're like, oh god, yeah, no, I can't do that me anymore. Yeah, go to get to the light.
00:28:38
Speaker
yeah your body kind of doesn't work the same way that it did before and yeah it's interesting but yeah though that those tips are really great and so but like in general with trimester one like you can like everything can stay the same as long as you're healthy you're healthy protecting the first semester because you know the first semester it's it's all very new and you know i think some people have the worry that by continuing to exercise, you know, is it going to increase your risk of miscarriage? I think there's a lot, you know, but like research has shown that it does not increase the risk of miscarriage. Like there is research out there that has shown that. So that shouldn't be a reason not to to exercise. You know, unless your healthcare care provider has told you to stop exercising for various reasons, then there's no reason why you can't continue to train or continue to ex exercise in semester one.
00:29:29
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's amazing to hear. In relation to nutrition during pregnancy, like I know, like the the basics apply. Do you know what I'm interested in talking about? What you can and can't have, because it's so funny, like different friends or colleagues, you know, that have been pregnant over this, my sister more recently saying, Oh, I can't have that. I can't have that. And I'm like, Jesus, I had that when I was pregnant. What are we supposed to and not supposed to be having in pregnancy?
00:29:55
Speaker
I suppose what came to my mind there was when I went out when I was pregnant, I loved, like, I love feta, I love feta cheese. And I thought I couldn't have that. So I cut it out completely. But it's only if the feta is unpasteurized that you can't have it. And most feta that you buy in a shop or get in a restaurant is pasteurized. So you can't have it. And I'm actually just trying to think off the top of my head now, like. Yeah, you know my stuff, like, like they say, don't like eat from a deli.
00:30:24
Speaker
Yeah, like, I think it it really comes down to, like, you know, at the deli of Asaji, it's more to do with food poisoning as much. Exactly, it is. It's more to do with food poisoning, you know, cross-contamination of foods and things like that. So it really comes down, like, you know, if you're buying food from a deli where it's clean, like, it's, you know, then it should be completely fine. I suppose use your initiative to to know whether or not, like, you know, this place looks clean.
00:30:54
Speaker
or it doesn't look clean. Don't always, like air in a slate of cotton. Yeah. And most foods you want it to be pasteurized. So like when we're talking pieces or cream cheeses and things like that, it's just making sure it's pasteurized and then you're you're fairly good to go. Because I think it's gotten very extreme in recent years with that a lot of that kind of try the avoidance of food poisoning. It's particularly important, isn't it, in the first trimath trimester, where you're more at risk yeah if you were to have food poisoning, basically. Yes. That's that's correct. Yeah.
00:31:22
Speaker
But there are some foods, aren't there, that are are really a no-no that can actually be dangerous during pregnancy. Like you're talking, isn't it like pate? And it's to do with the... end all Yeah, like it's it's into it' like greg raw like raw food as such, like raw fish. I know sushi is another food that they don't advise to have. So I think like it's... any food that's cooked is good. Yeah. Just make sure it's cooked well. Yes, absolutely. But then in general, I suppose, look with nutrition. Like, in my opinion, I would be saying, like, healthy, balanced diet. A healthy, balanced diet, yeah. And like when you think about it, like, when you're pregnant, like, it's not just yourself you're eating for. it You're eating for your baby. So, like, your food choices matter and your calorie intake matters because, obviously, when you're trying to grow a little human, but you need to make sure that you're fueling your body properly.
00:32:14
Speaker
So I suppose if we look at trimester by trimester, like in the first trimester, you don't generally need any extra calories. You're at your maintenance kind of baseline of calories. And that's important as well. like you know like So say for example, if you were in a fat loss phase and then you became pregnant, it's really important that you do move to a maintenance level of calories. So you don't try to stay in deaths of calories when you're pregnant. Like your body needs fuel, it needs food. In that first trimester,
00:32:38
Speaker
nothing changes in terms of calories except obviously if you're in a fat loss phase or whatever that you move to a maintenance phase you move move to your baseline of calories and have that. Yeah and listen to your body and yes and stop tracking calories don't track calories when you're pregnant would be my my advice and listen to your body eat enough. Yeah exactly like you know if you're going to track anything throughout your pregnancy it's you know making sure you're getting enough protein enough fiber that you're staying hydrated But generally speaking, like in trimester two, generally you would need about an extra 340 calories over your maintenance. So this could be something like, you know, two slices of toast, peanut butter and banana. Or, so you know, it could be an extra snack that you put in there because obviously as you, as your pregnancy progresses,
00:33:21
Speaker
You know, your energy needs change as well. Obviously, you you know, you do gain way to a true pregnancy. that's So obviously, naturally enough, you will need more food. And obviously, because you're growing a little baby, it's important that you are eating enough. In trimester 3, then, you'll be looking at generally an extra 450 calories over your maintenance.
00:33:40
Speaker
And these are guidelines and obviously it depends, it all comes down to your own needs and how you're feeling. But I suppose it's just to put it out there that don't be afraid to eat throughout your pregnancy. Don't be afraid to feel your body. It needs food. It needs food. So like if we're looking at an extra 450 calories, this could be two extra small snacks throughout the day. Do you know what I get? and really really important and I think like protein needs are higher during pregnancy for the baby's growth and development and obviously to help you to retain muscle mass throughout your pregnancy as well so protein is a really really important one and obviously your healthy fats your essential fatty acids your omega-3 are crucial for baby's development and for your own hormonal health as well. Can you take protein powder or when you're pregnant?
00:34:30
Speaker
Yes, and this is something that I am asked all the time. Something I am asked all the time. Of course, like protein powder is safe to take while it's pregnant. Now, obviously, I would advise to go for a good quality protein powder. And eat loads of whole foods as well, like don't just eat meat. Oh yeah, like don't just depend on protein powder for your protein requirements, but like to be fair most protein powders that are on the market these days they are of decent quality but like you know definitely look at the protein at the brand before you purchase get advice as in if you know someone that's using a protein powder see what they use but obviously having a balanced approach to nutrition is really really important and like protein powder is great like it's fantastic but a lot of people can really depend on
00:35:15
Speaker
protein products to get their protein in, like protein bars, protein yogurts, protein powder. And they're, they're grand, but you're much, it's much more beneficial to get your protein from actual food sources. Oh my God, the amount of times I get asked, how do I increase my protein? I don't want to take protein powder. How do I increase my protein? I can't eat those protein yogurts. I'm like, have a little bit more chicken. You know what protein is in chicken? So people are having the tiniest amount of chicken in their sandwich at lunch.
00:35:43
Speaker
I like throw the whole pack in. Like, you know, I know it's expensive, but cook your own chicken fillets if you want, but lash it on. You want loads of it in there and with your dinner, don't just stick to the hundred grams. If you have 150 grams of protein or chicken instead of a hundred grams of chicken, you're going to get like half again, the amount of protein in. That's it. Like, and people don't realize like, you know, like protein helps to keep you fuller for longer as well. So like, you know, use your calories on protein. It's worth the investment. It's worth the investment because you will feel fuller for longer. As I said, I would have protein powder every day. I don't eat meat though, so I would have a scoop of protein powder every day. But outside of that, any other protein source is like, it's not yogurts. It's not bars. It's actual food. Like, you know, it comes from actual food. On a little tangent, just, you know, because that's another question I get a lot. As someone who doesn't eat meat, what whole food sources do you rely on to hit your protein?
00:36:40
Speaker
I would be a fan of like meat treatments and foods like that. Obviously they are like I suppose it was like a processed source of protein but I enjoy them and they do help me to hit hit my protein. Tofu is another food that I really like that I would have quite regularly. I do eat fish so I would eat a lot of fish. I love tuna.
00:36:59
Speaker
Tuna has to be the handiest, handiest food for hitting your protein. Oh my gosh. Yeah, it's so handy. It's literally so handy. And I would have tuna most days of the week with my lunch. The likes of like, like lentils and beans are great as well for trying in to dishes because obviously they're kind of like a double whammy of. Yeah, they add a little extra. Yeah.
00:37:21
Speaker
And then obviously like Greek yogurt, syrup and Greek yogurt. Oh, I'm like the Greek yogurt queen. Like I literally they have it with breakfast and lunch, like every day. andy yeah And like, you know, cheeses as well. Like cheeses are are great. They can be high in protein too. I love my eggs as well. But like, I think when it comes to hitting protein needs, like.
00:37:41
Speaker
And I always say this to my to my clients like because the majority of people when they start but with me, their protein intake is weighed out. like It's not generally where it needs to be. And when it comes to hitting your protein, there's no way you would hit your protein if you're just trying to wing it on the day and you're just kind of logging on the fly or whatever. like It makes it really hard to hit your protein. So like I think spending the time to like you know prepare in advance or plan out. Back ahead, yeah. Back ahead, because you won't hit it. I'm blue in the face saying this. Nads, you will not hit a protein or hit any of your targets if you're literally just waking up, that like just entering it in as you go, because at the end of the day, you won't you won't hit them, particularly if you're unsure of what's high in protein or low in protein, or you're unsure of what foods to to include that are going to help you to hit your nutritional targets.
Postnatal Recovery and Fitness Classes
00:38:30
Speaker
Yeah, it definitely, definitely takes a bit of effort and I'm like a broken record with, I'm like, set an alarm on your phone that goes off at about 9 PM whenever you're sitting down in the evening. yeah When that alarm goes off, drop everything you're doing and track your calories for the next day. A hundred percent, a hundred percent. You take away the alarm when it becomes a habit, but where we often forget to track it and we're like, oh, I was about to track my calories last night. And I, if anyone's like me, they want to have time in the morning.
00:38:53
Speaker
and like I don't have time to be tracking my calories in the morning so if i'm if I'm tracking my calories it needs to be done the night before and when you track so it's not just your calorie intake you're looking at go down the bottom of my fitness pal click the nutrition button and then look at your protein intake now and I think as well but in relation to protein we will tie this back into pregnancy now in a second but when it comes to protein as well quite often people are confused about how much to aim for and I think sometimes people are trying to aim too high like Obviously it depends on the person, the height, the weight, the age, the activity levels and tolerances and things like that. But in general, what I would say to my ladies is just get it up over a hundred. exactly That's exactly what I would say to mine too. It's over a hundred grams of protein per day. You don't need to be hitting 160, 170. If you start going to the high hundreds, you're probably going to end up constipated.
00:39:38
Speaker
um really We're ridiculously hydrated and built of fiber as well, which, but in general, like it's not needed. We're not bodybuilders. We're not looking to build massive amounts of muscle. We just need enough to, you know, help keep, like keep the muscle we have built maybe built in a little bit of muscle over time and just helping our muscles, you know, repair and like that be full, stabilize our blood sugar levels and all of that. And just keeping it over a hundred. Some people will hit like 140 grams, no bother. And that's great.
00:40:08
Speaker
I say like definitely you don't need to be going over 150, but just get it over 100. Just get it over 100 exactly what I, use what I say to my clients as well. Try your name for a hundred grams on the daily. But yeah, as I said, I plan ahead is definitely key. Particularly if you're struggling to hit your protein, it needs to be planned out. And I think something as well.
00:40:26
Speaker
that I say to everyone is, the you know, the 10 minutes that you spend mindlessly scrolling on social media, use those 10 minutes to plan out your food the next day. Yeah. You can go back scrolling once it's done. So like talking about when your alarm goes off on your phone, you're probably going to be on your phone. So you'll have to like, you know, stop it, go to that and then get back to it. But for anyone as well who's not actually tracking. So if you're not dieting and you're just looking to be healthy.
00:40:49
Speaker
And because we shouldn't be tracking calories per our whole lives, you know? Yeah, forever. My advice would be within relation to protein would be to have one to two palm size portions of protein per meal. So like, for example, if there's any men listening, like you're probably going to need two palms size. So that's the palm of your hand. No, it's going to be able to see me. I'm holding it up here. A palm of your hand size portion. So most men are going to need two palm size portions per day, if not a little bit more.
00:41:16
Speaker
women one to two so it depends on your size like this is where you're listening to your body especially if you're at maintenance but like a palm-sized portion being chicken fillet, two eggs, 100 grams of protein or 100 grams of Greek yogurt, scoop of protein powder, a salmon fillet that kind of thing you know that's like a palm-sized portion yeah 100% but anyway look that was a bit of a tangent but I just thought we were down that path that we'd kind of go a little bit further into it but just a tie of nutrition with pregnancy Whether you' you're you're worried about under eating during pregnancy or whether you're worried about overeating during pregnancy, my opinion would be you shouldn't be tracking your calories during pregnancy unless your healthcare provider has told you to. Has asked you to, yeah. Has asked you to, but focusing on food quality. Exactly. Focusing on your macronutrients. Have you got, as you said, protein, fat and carbs in every meal. Are yeah are you eating slowly and mindfully? Are you feeling full? And or is the stuff that you're eating actually good quality?
00:42:14
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. And like fiber is a massive thing as well, particularly during pregnancy because women can tend to become constipated throughout pregnancy. So this is where fiber and hydration are really, really important. So that's another thing that I would be looking at is, you know, are you getting enough fiber in your meals along with the protein, ensuring that you are.
00:42:33
Speaker
Hating your fiber, aiming for at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. And obviously, option for the whole meal, whole grain kind of options, plenty of fruit and veggies to bring up that fiber intake. But yeah, fiber is one that can be quite like overlooked, not just in pregnancy, but in general, I feel as well. Obviously, fiber helps to keep your brows regular, which if you are, if you're finding the constipation is a side effect in pregnancy, this is going to obviously benefit. And ensuring that you're drinking enough water that you're staying hydrated, you know, you eat like ideally like aiming for 40 mils of water per kg of body weight is a good kind of benchmark or standard to aim for. yeahsy Yeah. no So true. So then I suppose in relation to postnatal fitness, after you have the baby, how soon can you get back to things? What kind of things should you be getting back to? I know this is a very general question to ask and it depends person to person, but in general kind of rule of thumb, what are the rules or what are the recommendations?
00:43:29
Speaker
So ah first of all, it depends obviously on your delivery type. That will obviously dictate how soon you can get back to training like generally. And I think this is something that I feel women are in such a rush to get back to training.
00:43:44
Speaker
Whereas slow is fast with postpartum recovery, you're better off to take it nice and slowly than running straight back into it. The one thing that every woman, every single woman has such a pity that our country doesn't have this as a you know as a standard for women that are postnatal, go see a women's health physio. No matter how easy your pregnancy was or your labour was or whatever, go see a women's health physio because I've gone on both my boys. I have clients that I referred on and not one of them has ever said, but that was a waste of time. Like it's such a beneficial appointment. You have no idea that how new this information is to me. I interviewed Emma Dowling a few weeks ago and she was like every woman and she was saying it's never too late to go to. It's never too late. 100%. Because I am that mother that cannot get on the trampoline anymore because I literally, I'd have to wear a pad.
00:44:40
Speaker
couple yeah For example, in France, like, oh my God, they have it. It's amazing that the system that they have in place for postpartum women, your women's health physio appointments are included, like, you know, postnatally, like, there should be, like, it's it's just a pity that we don't have that in place in Ireland. Like, unfortunately, you do have to pay for a women's health physio appointment.
00:45:02
Speaker
But it's such a beneficial appointment. like They will perform what's called a a Mummy MOT, where they will literally check you out from head to toe and obviously look at things like your accessory posture, because obviously like you know your centre of gravity changes throughout pregnancy because of your bump, and your posture can change. And I suppose it makes sense when you think about it, when you've got a large bump in front of you. What will you tend, what way will you tend to stand? You'll tend to stand back, but like just to lean back. So obviously like when that bump goes and that bump isn't there anymore, your posture can obviously be affected because you're kind of almost in that mentality. Oh, my bump is still there. So it's just even just looking at postural analysis and like, you know, assessing your posture, abdominal separation, looking at what degree of abdominal separation you have currently.
00:45:48
Speaker
and giving you specific exercises to do to help strengthen your core and get the Linea Alba back intact and then obviously depending on delivery type if you had a vaginal delivery then assessing the pelvic floor and its current strength and this is something that I feel like women don't pay enough attention to. Obviously, your pelvic floor is a you know very strong muscle, but you know when you have delivered a seven, eight, nine pound baby or whatever, like obviously that is going to impact the strength of your pelvic floor is going to be weaker after a vaginal delivery.
00:46:23
Speaker
So it's important for a women's health physio to assess that and to see where it is currently because obviously if your pelvic floor is very very weak it is going to I suppose delay or impact your readiness to return to high impact movement and this is why I suppose it's not just a blanket advice like ah for for women in the sense that oh yeah you can get back to exercise after six weeks.
00:46:46
Speaker
of course there's guidelines in place like you know generally vaginal delivery no issues you know return to exercise after six weeks but this is very dependent on the person like someone someone could have had a vaginal delivery no issues at all same shooter pregnancy trained shooter pregnancy and they might be find to gradually return to exercise after six weeks. But someone else might have had a vaginal delivery, really tough labor, tough pregnancy, you know, pelvic floor is weak. They're not going to be ready to return to next exercise in six weeks. So this is why it's very individualistic. And this is why I think a Mummy MOT is so beneficial to everyone because it looks at you as the individual. It's not just taking a blanket piece of advice, you know, and that's really, really, really important. Like you are an individual. Your pregnancy and labor can be completely different to someone else's.
00:47:35
Speaker
Generally, like with obviously C-section delivery, C-section is major abdominal surgery. like It really is. they They're quoting through seven layers of of tissue. you know and and ah So obviously, your return to exercise is going to be that little bit slower. But that's OK, because you will get back there. And I think, as I said, like women are in such a rush to get back to training. and And it's one thing that I have to say, like, obviously, on both my pregnancies at the boys, I wasn't in any rush to to return out to my gym and and start training. You know, because I was like, I want to let my body heal and do its thing, return when it's ready. But obviously, like, you know, what there's there's exercises that you can be doing.
00:48:14
Speaker
in those weeks before you return to exercise. you know Once you're you're feeling good, you can go for light walks, you can do light bodyweight movements. you know like and it's It's all about progressively building your strength up in those initial weeks and then following a progressive program you know once you've given you been given the all clear.
00:48:33
Speaker
A lot of gyms will do these baby and mom classes. Like I know my local theme of the road is fantastic. They have like a babies in barbells class. And so you think like there's no playpen and all the little babies go into the playpen and the moms like start lifting weights again. And it's really cool. It is, it's brilliant. The only thing I would say about these classes is making sure that the person is teaching these classes.
00:48:54
Speaker
is actually postnatally trained because you see a lot of these classes and they have women doing burpees and jumping jacks and they're literally only half track after having a baby. You know so just be like I think they're great they allow in in the sense that they allow women to to train and exercise with their baby because let's be honest it can be really hard with a small newborn to get outside the house So to have the the facility where you can bring your baby witches train is amazing. And I completely, I'm an advocate for that. But be mindful of where you're going and what qualifications the person teaching the class has. You know, if you go into a class that's seven or eight weeks postpartum and you can see you see they have you doing burpees in the class, walk out with the class.
00:49:37
Speaker
But also I feel like that's not the kind of exercise you need. Like, so the class that I'm talking about is fantastic and the coach that does it is a fantastic postnatal coach and a lot of kind of connection breaths, a lot of the postnatal kind of work that needs to be done. And then starting to introduce like resistance training. There's no jumping around the place. This is, yeah, building back up your strength gradually and like going through like a six or six week block or whatever you know so yeah and so there are really fantastic classes out there but yet you're so right do your research because some of the like and this is kind of a more small local gym where where this coach is you know is very well qualified sometimes the bigger gyms the classes yeah just just check out check them out see who's exactly
00:50:21
Speaker
Yeah, do hos
Conclusion and Audience Engagement
00:50:22
Speaker
doing them. Yeah, absolutely. Oh my God. I had so many more things that I was going to ask you about and we have literally like run out of time. But you know what? Thank you so much. Like this has been so beneficial and it was, it was great to center this conversation around pregnancy. Cause I don't think it's a conversation that I've really had yet for the whole kind of body of the podcast that this has been really, really beneficial. One question for you before we finish up, yeah what does the, what does the word health mean to you?
00:50:48
Speaker
So health means to me, like it means body and mind and being like, I suppose health is about, I think like freedom in the sense that, you know, you have the freedom and ability to enjoy life and to embrace life. Like health means to me being fit and healthy for my kids, for my family.
00:51:14
Speaker
Health means that I am not pouring from an empty cup that I'm prioritising my needs and I think that's really important as a parent and as a mother. I think sometimes we feel like our needs go down the pecking order but whereas like If you're, if, when you're fit and healthy, you're you're, you're serving yourself, but you're serving others as well. And that's really, really, really important. And health means that you have balance. Health for me means balance as well in every aspect of the word that you've balanced in your life, you know, that you can enjoy the foods that you want to enjoy, but that you are fueling your body correctly and efficiently, and that you have a really balanced approach to both.
00:51:59
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's so true. i You could have said it better. And I love the bit you said as well about freedom. Like, I think that for me, like, if that's what it is, it's, it's freedom. You know, you don't want to become a prisoner of your own body really. And you know, we can't control everything, but we can definitely, you know, try and give ourselves as much freedom as possible for as long as we can.
00:52:19
Speaker
Yeah, a hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah. Do you thank you so much. This has been such an amazing conversation for anyone who wants to check you out and where is the best place to find you? So Instagram, dmurphycoachin that you'll find me there on my page. I would love to have you, but look, it's been great. I haven't done a podcast in a while and I just forgot how much I love talking.
00:52:39
Speaker
But it's been great, it's been great. I love the podcast. Mainly just, it is connecting with. Yeah, it is. But I'm having conversations. Yeah. It is. And people are getting a sense of you, I think is important and what you're about to. So I really enjoyed it, Kate. Thanks for having me.
00:52:57
Speaker
I just want to say thank you so much for listening to the podcast. It really means so much to me that there are people out there actually listening to what I have to say and to the conversations that I'm having with others. So thank you so much. If you are enjoying the podcast, could you please make sure that you are subscribed? And if not, if you could hit that subscribe button, it really does make that much of a difference. Also, if you would like to leave a review on any of the episodes that you listen to that you particularly enjoy. I would love to hear what you have to say. And also, if there's an episode that you've enjoyed, please do share it on your social media, in your WhatsApp groups, with your friends. If you're sharing it on your stories, please tag myself in it. And whoever I'm interviewing, this it would be greatly appreciated.
00:53:39
Speaker
Also, if you're interested in working with me and my wonderful team, please do you contact me about applying for coaching. So you can contact me at KateHamiltonHealth at gmail dot.com or on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, all Kate Hamilton Health, and you will be able to apply for coaching. We can organize to have a chat and see if it's a good fit for you and get you moving towards your goals.