9 months in, 9 months out- where my body is now

My daughter is already 9 months old. Where did the time go? 

Most people expect that after having a baby their bodies will just jump right back and return to their pre pregnancy body right away. Even being in the field, I was expecting this a little after having my son. I ended up having a c-section with him and tried to push my body too soon. This lead to me never feeling “fully recovered” or strong or pain-free after his birth. 

When I got pregnant the second time, I wanted to do it differently. I figured that I should practice what I preach and really take care of the amazing vessel that was growing a human! 

The first trimester I was tired and could hardly eat. I gave myself grace and listened to my body (and my baby) and I rested as much as I could. I did very little exercise. When I did have enough energy to exercise, I did my “PT exercises”. They always made my body feel better.

During the second trimester I had a lot more energy and much less nausea so I was able to start exercising regularly again. However, unlike my first pregnancy, I really listed to my body. I did a lot more “gentle” exercise because that was what my body wanted. I now had a toddler to chase after so I was demanding more from my body the second time around and wanted to make sure it had enough energy to grow another human being. Time and time again, exercise during pregnancy has been shown to decrease pain during pregnancy, decrease labor times, and increase the health of the baby and the mom. However, too much or too intense exercise can be depleting.

During the third trimester, I was lucky if I had enough energy for a 15 minute workout. I was very intensional and tried to get in at least 15 minutes of movement for my body and baby a day, but it looked very different then pre-pregnancy. And guess what??? That is not only okay, that is great!

After my daughter was born, I took a much different approach to my recovery and really listened to my body. I also did the program that I have been giving to moms for the past 8 years, and guess what??? It works! I did not start running right at 6 weeks when the OBs usually say you can return to all activities. I started exercise at day 1 postpartum and built up so that by week 10 postpartum I was running a little amount (think 15 seconds) and gently uphill. I felt great! And I am happy to report that 9 months after she is born, I still feel strong and healthy and I am able to do any exercise I want to without fear of pain or leaking. 

But, you know what????

My body does not look or feel the same way it felt before I had children. My body no longer looks like a 20 year old’s body. It looks like a mid-30 year old’s who has made life and and then helped sustain and grow life through breastfeeding and middle of the night wakings. My body no longer feels like a 20 year old’s body. It feels like some nights it gets little sleep, but then it works the next day to cook, clean, do laundry, be a human jungle gym. If I do not exercise regularly it hurts, my joints squeak, and it begs to lie down and rest. However, if I maintain my exercise routine that allows me to fully listen to my body and not push it too hard, it feels like a million bucks! I have never felt stronger and more powerful in my entire life; my body created 2 miracles!