54. Pregnancy Fitness Setbacks: Navigating Pain and Shifting Expectations

Let’s be real — pregnancy workouts don’t always go as planned. You might start off strong, but then nausea hits, fatigue takes over, or pelvic pain makes your favorite lifts feel impossible. If you’ve ever felt frustrated or discouraged by setbacks during pregnancy, this episode is for you.

In this raw and relatable conversation, we’re sharing the real side of working out during pregnancy — including our own stories and client experiences with adjusting workouts, lowering weights, skipping sessions, and shifting goals. As a pregnancy personal trainer and a perinatal nutritionist, we’ve seen firsthand how common these shifts are — and how powerful mindset support can be.

We’ll walk you through how to reframe fitness wins beyond aesthetics, honor your changing body, and lean into functional goals that actually support your pregnancy and birth. Whether you're in your first trimester or nearing your due date, you’ll walk away with encouragement, permission, and perspective.

What we cover in this episode:
✔️ The most common reasons people feel disappointed about pregnancy workouts
✔️ Real talk on nausea, exhaustion, pelvic pain, and modifying movement
✔️ Why expectations vs. reality in fitness hit differently during pregnancy
✔️ How a prenatal fitness coach can help shift your mindset and create sustainable movement routines
✔️ What it means to focus on function over perfection in your pregnancy fitness program

To learn more about working with Meg in your pregnancy, click HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only and not to diagnose or treat any conditions. Before beginning any type of fitness or nutrition program, it is your responsibility to consult with a medical professional.

Connect with us! 

• Instagram @vibrantlyyoupodcast
• Meg's Instagram @vibrantmamawellness
• Caitlin's Instagram @wholesomehuntressnutrition

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the Vibrantly You podcast. We're your hosts Megan Martnow and Caitlin Cipriano.

SPEAKER_00 0:06

In this podcast, we talk about fitness and nutrition on your motherhood journey. Whether you are trying to conceive, pregnant, best part of, or beyond, you are welcome here.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Nothing is off limits, and our goal is to support you in this important season of life so that you can feel vibrantly you. As a reminder, this information is not medical advice. Please see the show notes for more details.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Welcome back to the Vibrantly You podcast. Today, Meg and I are going to be talking about those expectations versus reality in pregnancy. Pregnancy is such a time where I think we do go into it with this experience that we have in our mind, whether it be from our own desires or things we see like friends or family value, or maybe even on social media. And so we want to kind of talk about how our own experience, but also what we've experienced as coaches in the space, can kind of help bridge some of that gap between what you might anticipate or not anticipate, and maybe bringing in some more like tools for your toolbox in terms of what things might come up for you during your pregnancy. So we'll dive right in.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Yeah, this is something that has been coming up a lot for my clients currently, just like what they thought their pregnancy was going to look like, even from you know a general standpoint, but specifically related to exercise and working out, like what they thought that was gonna look like versus like what's actually happening. And it can be really discouraging sometimes when you're like, I thought I was gonna, you know, have an active pregnancy, I was gonna be walking, I was gonna do all these things, and then you feel like trash and you just can't muster up the energy or the motivation to do much of anything. Then you're looking on social media and you're seeing all these clips of people, you know, running marathons when they're pregnant or like doing CrossFit competitions, and you're like, oh my gosh, she can do it. Why can't I? Like, and just all those negative feelings coming up. So since I've been having this conversation so frequently, I was like, we need to do a podcast episode on this. Um, I feel like for my personal experience, um I would say in my first pregnancy with my son, I feel like I experienced this quite a bit. And I do feel like this is common too for first pregnancies, right? Because you've never experienced this before. You don't know what to expect going in, other than what you've seen other people talk about, right? And I know I've talked about this experience multiple times on the podcast, but again, I thought I was gonna go into it, like having a pretty active pregnancy, like I don't know. I don't know that I had like huge expectations, um, but I just was not expecting pelvic pain to the point where I couldn't walk, or like having a breech baby, you know, and my birth plan looking so differently. Um and I do think, especially the part about the pelvic pain, that was really tough for me because I felt physically capable enough, you know, like I was motivated to do some exercise. I was generally feeling well. I only had minimal nausea with him, and that was gone by like 10 weeks. So I was very lucky for that because that was not my experience in my second pregnancy. Um but yeah, I feel like especially when it comes to like that pain and discomfort that so many people feel during pregnancy, that feels so what's the word I'm looking for? It feels so I guess just like out of control, right? Because you really can't control that coming on. And I know I talk about different aches and pains in pregnancy and things that we can do to reduce that and feel more comfortable, but at the end of the day, you can't control whether or not that's gonna happen to you. And I think with pregnancy in general, like there's just so many things that happen to you, right? Like they're just things that you can't control, and I think that's just really hard to deal with sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Yeah, I think that is hard to deal with, and I think depending on how you're coming into your pregnancy, like what your previous sort of like relationship to movement and to your body play a big role because there are so many of those uncontrollable factors, it almost like highlights or like heightens some of those aspects that you may not have like anticipated. Like if you've had a relationship with movement that has been maybe very like aesthetics driven or weight loss driven in the past, having things like weight gain and pain, discomfort, it just like amp amplifies and can bring on like emotions that you probably didn't anticipate happening. And I think that that is a really big um reality for a lot of people that they don't expect to have happen.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

Yeah, I do find that comes up quite frequently with my clients too. Like many of them, their previous workout goals were more aesthetic-based or weight loss-based, or putting on muscle hypertrophy, right? And not that we can't do that in pregnancy, but you're not gonna like always see those physical results, right? Of muscle growth in pregnancy. Um, and so that mindset shift can be really challenging of like I'm not exercising in a way to essentially make my body smaller, right? That's something that a lot of us have been conditioned over the years. That's the purpose of exercise, to make our body smaller. And or, I mean, also like hitting PRs, lifting heavier weight, because that's also something you're not really doing during pregnancy. And so trying to shift that mindset away from either making your body smaller or hitting PRs to like exercise as a tool to help me feel more comfortable, to reduce these aches and pains, to prepare for birth, to lay that foundation postpartum. It changes from that aesthetic to more of a functionality. And I even find for a lot of people, this makes sense in their head, right? Like they're telling themselves this and they're like, this makes sense. Like I know this is good for me, but like that doesn't mean that you're not still gonna probably struggle with it. And it's like an ongoing thing because at the same time, you're also watching your body get bigger, you're watching your body or you're feeling your body slowing down some exercises that were maybe once effortless for you. Like, say, like a mobility exercise, right? Maybe at one point in time you didn't even have to think about it. That was effortless. And now you're in your third trimester and you're like, I physically can't do this anymore. What gives? Like, I literally have a client right now where that happened to her. She went to do one exercise and she's been dealing with off and on SI joint pain that we've been working on. Immediately made her SI joint flare, and she was like, What the? Like, I've been fine with this. Like, I mean, she only has seven weeks to go in her pregnancy, but she's like, This exercise has been fine for me up until now. And today my body says nope. And like that can be so frustrating.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Yeah, and I think the frustration is valid again, especially if this is like a first-time pregnancy and you haven't experienced your body like going through these like changes, like center of gravity, your belly getting bigger, like the stability or instability with changes in in joints, and just being able to like take a step back and like re-establish like why are like why is exercise important to you right now, right? Like you're redefining what that like success looks like. Again, it's not like you said about like hitting a PR in pregnancy. It's like, how can I best support my body today today? And like really, I know sometimes we have these really like macro, like big goals with like our moot our movement, and it's like let's like really shrink some of those things like down and like do like what is gonna support me now because this is gonna really like change trimester to trimester, and it's not linear, right? But also like if we can almost like surrender to like the changes that happen in pregnancy, it's probably gonna like set you up better for like your postpartum experience and that like return to movement.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Oh, absolutely. And I know you were saying changes trimester to trimester. I even find for people sometimes it's changes week to week. We're having to make adjustments week to week, either like swapping out an exercise or regressing an exercise, depending on if there's any like pain or discomfort, or if you're just like really fatigued, you know. Some weeks it's just not gonna happen, and that's okay, and we need to make adjustments. And then I love what you said too about setting yourself up for postpartum because absolutely when you're postpartum, things are gonna change again on like a week-to-week basis, because it's not just about you anymore, right? And like your needs or like your energy levels, how well you slept last night, how you're like generally feeling right now. You're also having to take into account all the things that are happening to this tiny human. Like, are they fussy? Did they sleep? Do they need to be fed right now? Because that's going to impact your schedule, your capacity, both mentally and physically. And so, like you said, being able to kind of surrender to this unexpectedness that comes up during pregnancy. I it's like putting in the reps, you know, the mental reps for when that's gonna happen postpartum, because inevitably it's gonna happen postpartum.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

Totally. And I think you just touched on like this emotional layer here that that happens, and it's bring again like brings up a lot of things during the experience that you may not have like thought about or anticipated, like you're talking about with your client, and just being like, you know, like what the heck about a body, like I used to be able to to do this. Why can't I? And I think that sometimes brings up like disappoint disappointment or maybe even like shame, like perhaps shame. Um, and I think that we have to address those of of course and note that like any feel any feeling that you come a ha have is valid, but that it doesn't have to like stay there and sit with you, right? You can kind of like acknowledge it and then be like, you know, um, this is part of the journey. Like I can give myself permission to know that there's a lot of things changing and happening right now. I just need to take it day by day and make adjustments, and that doesn't mean that I'm like weak or fragile, it just means that I need to adjust what I'm doing to support my body right now.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Yeah, and I think it can be helpful to put the timeline into perspective too, of like pregnancy is just nine to ten months, right? When you're in it, it feels like it's an eternity. Like, totally acknowledge that and validate that because I remember just being miserable, being I was not someone who loved pregnancy. I'm gonna be totally honest about that. Like it's it's a lot, and you definitely don't always feel your best. And so when you're in it, it can just feel like this is never gonna end, you know, especially if you're in the first trimester and you're so nauseous and like nothing helps, nothing makes you feel better. You're like, this is the worst. I'm never gonna be able to eat again. Like it definitely feels like there is no end in sight, you know. But trying to put it into perspective of like, you know, looking at my life as a whole, this is such a small fraction. And like, yes, the things right now that I'm unable to do are for sure frustrating. It's defeating, but eventually this baby will come out of my body. I will feel more normal again, and I will be able to revisit these things and get stronger, you know, and be able to go back to maybe the fitness goals that were like important to me pre-baby. Like I will be able to revisit these things. And I do think that can sometimes be helpful, just like reminding yourself like this is temporary. This doesn't mean that my body's never gonna be able to do like XYZ again. I think too, there's a societal narrative that once you have a baby, your body is ruined, you don't ever get back to where you were before, blah, blah, blah. And while it's true, you can't ever go back to your pre-pregnant body because how could you? So many things have changed. You can 100% be stronger postpartum and more physically fit and capable than you were pre-pregnancy. Straight up.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

I feel so much stronger now. I mean, I still have things I need to work on, but like I am lifting weights that I did not lift before either of my kids. And like I played college athletics, so like it's yeah, it's totally possible.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

Yeah. And so that's important to remember too, that it's like your body's not gonna be ruined. You have so much potential after this pregnancy is over. And sometimes it is just like, okay, I just gotta get through this. I have X amount of months. Um, and then, you know, I'll be able to go back to the certain workouts or exercises that I used to love doing before, even if I'm having to make some adjustments right now. And I just find for some of my clients, sometimes that's helpful for them to just remember like this is not forever. This doesn't mean that my body's never gonna be able to do these things again. It's just like a short period where I'm having to make some adjustments, and that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

I think that's also a testament to having a coach as well, right? Like this is a time that maybe even like you do have background or you have experience in exercise, but like these changes are challenging or just like nuanced and understanding where to make adjustments and just having someone who is really like certified and knowledgeable in this space can make such a difference and being able to like navigate these like shifts and also like mental challenges as well with your training.

SPEAKER_02 17:01

Yeah, and just having someone else being able to see what you're doing and even calling out those little wins for you, the things that you're overlooking. Because I have my clients send in videos for every single workout. So I'm watching their bodies move and go through these exercises, and I'm always like, hey, look at this little thing right here that you probably didn't notice. Let's compare that to two months ago. Look at this incredible amount of progress, you know, and that's something they would have not noticed on their own. So even if there's like one aspect of their workout where they're like, damn, I had to go down and wait today, and that felt really discouraging. It's like, yeah, totally acknowledge that and validate that. That's for sure discouraging. But also you've been doing a lot of great things, like let's check out this, you know, and then they're like, oh yeah, that is a win, you know, and that just helps them see that like even though with that exercise it feels like I'm regressing because I'm having to drop my weight. Now you're showing me these other areas where I'm actually progressing. And so that's still that makes me feel good, you know, and that I'm still working towards something. And that can be missed when you're doing it by yourself.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

Totally. Totally. Um, are there any other mindset shifts or things that you find helpful with movement from clients that we haven't touched base on already?

SPEAKER_02 18:24

I mean, I think one last thing to just say is like it's okay to rest. Rest is really important, especially in the third trimester. Like, as you you naturally are slowing down because your body is gearing up for labor and birth. And we can't overlook the fact that labor is very physically intensive. It takes a lot out of your body, a lot of energy. And so if you need to rest in those last few weeks, please do. If you need to regress your workouts, please do. Like the rest is really important. And if your body is like screaming at you, I need rest, listen to that and don't feel guilty about it. Like, remember how much your body is doing on a daily basis. Like you're growing another human being. And again, that takes a lot of energy, a lot of resources, and rest is important. It doesn't mean that you're failing or you're not capable or you know, whatever maybe negative things that you're telling yourself. Like rest is productive.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

I always need that reminder. So thank you. Yeah, for bringing that in. Um, so if people have questions or there would like support with um their movement during pregnancy, uh, we'll leave information that you can reach out to Meg in the show notes. Um, you can find us over at the Vibrantly You podcast or individually at Vibrant Mama Wellness for Meg on Instagram and myself at Wholesome Huntress Nutrition on Instagram. If you liked this episode, please be sure to share with a friend, leave us a review, and we will see you back next week.