New moms on how they got back in shape
A model gives birth to a baby. Three months later she’s wearing a swimsuit on the cover of a magazine or sporting lingerie on the catwalk.
In real life, the story is usually dramatically different.
Ashleigh Holland had her daughter Spencer Elizabeth ten months ago.
The spinning instructor at Court House Squash & Wellness was active throughout her pregnancy and imagined she would be back in shape in record time.
What she didn’t anticipate was how exhausted she would be in the months immediately following birth. “After having my daughter I thought I would just be able to nip out and go for a workout, but you’re so tired,” the 31-year-old said.
“No amount of all-night study sessions in university, travelling, or late nights could compare to the sleep deprivation you experience after having a baby.”
Her change was gradual.
She took Pilates classes to strengthen her core and walked for short periods on the StairMaster.
“I kept working out and doing all these things, but the bones and things in the body expand when you deliver a baby,” she explained.
“I was eventually back down to my normal weight, but I was wearing clothes that were four or five sizes bigger because I couldn’t get my old things over my hips. You worry that nothing fits and you feel frumpy and think you’re never going to get your body back. For a while it feels like it’s not your own body, like you are giving it up to someone else.
“Now I’m finally back to my normal size, but I haven’t reached my pre-pregnancy fitness levels yet.”
She encouraged new moms not to put too much pressure on themselves. “You ladies did an amazing, phenomenal thing with your bodies, so just keep that in perspective,” she said.
Alex Dickinson said it took her about six months before she got back to her original weight. She gained about 60lbs during pregnancy and had her daughter via Caesarean in 2011.
First, she had to recover. Only then was she able to motivate herself to get active again.
“About eight weeks after I had my daughter I started to walk but I truly began my fitness journey about a year after she was born,” she said. “I had gained a lot during pregnancy. I had stopped losing weight naturally and was stuck at about 30lbs over my original weight.
“At the time I didn’t have a lot of time for classes so I opted for DVD workouts to begin with so that I could do early mornings before my daughter got up.
“Now I take classes at a local gym.”
Her favourite exercises are kick-boxing, High Intensity Interval Training, and Pilates.
She also started eating healthier — for a while, that was the hardest part. The 26-year-old had to teach herself that healthy foods could be just as tasty as the carb-filled meals she was used to.
“I’m actually at a lesser weight than I was before I got pregnant,” she said. “Now it’s not so much a weight loss journey for me, but a lifestyle. I look forward to working out.”
Fitness instructor Tania Kowalski said she ate well and exercised through both of her pregnancies and didn’t gain a lot of excess weight. “I started walking with the girls at about a month and was back in the gym by six weeks,” Mrs Kowalski said.
However she felt there was too much pressure being put on moms to get back into shape quickly, especially from social media.
It’s unfortunate when that becomes the focus instead of enjoying the new baby, she said.
Suzanne Kipps said she lost weight faster than she expected after having her daughter Riley.
But she said it’s important for moms to go easy on themselves. Motherhood brings plenty of new challenges, you don’t need to beat yourself up about the numbers on the scale, she said.
“When I first became a mom, I had a baby to get accustomed to and breastfeeding to figure out. Monitoring weight loss was not a priority,” she said.
“I did get back to my original weight, but that number was not my focus.
“I think that’s what is so wrong with society — how they observe mother’s post pregnancy. As if adjusting to a new life as a parent isn’t hard enough, there is this added pressure to get back to pre-pregnancy weight.”
She questioned why so many people were preoccupied with debuting a flat stomach and small waist.
“Celebrities are so quick to show off their post pregnancy bodies just weeks after having their baby — but we are not celebrities, we are real people, in the real world,” she said.
Monique Hunt had three different experiences with each of her daughters.
With her first two pregnancies the weight came off quickly, but with her third child it proved to be a much harder battle.
“For my last pregnancy, I gained about 55 pounds and did essentially no exercise,” she said.
“I had never felt so lethargic during my previous pregnancies and there was no medical reason for it, like anaemia.
“I didn’t exercise, but monitored what I ate most of the time. Then post pregnancy, I began workouts at five weeks as my energy levels had returned and I knew the best types of movements for me at this stage.”
She had to remind herself not to get disappointed because the weight didn’t come off as fast as she’d hoped.
“I’m trying to lighten up on myself and remind myself that every pregnancy is different and just continue making the right choices,” she said.
“For the last month, I’ve managed to exercise and eat well consistently and I will continue to do so. This is not a fad for me, it’s a lifestyle. It’s not a short distance sprint, it’s a marathon.”
1. Stay active during your pregnancy. Mom Ashleigh Holland encourages women to find safe ways to incorporate physical activity into their schedule during and after pregnancy.
“I was washing my car the Sunday and had my daughter on the following Wednesday,” she said.
“So within reason, do what you feel comfortable and safe doing.”
2. Be prepared for after the baby comes.
Mrs Holland admits it’s far easier when you’re home by yourself and breast-feeding to grab cookies and chips to snack on, however, that’s not going to get you closer to your fitness goals. Instead she found the best plan of action was to get support from her husband, who made her lunches and smoothies before he left for work.
“That way I could continue to snack on that throughout the day, instead of picking up junk food,” she said.
3. Find a workout buddy.
Mom Suzanne Kipps encourages people to find a group of friends to exercise with — that way going to your weekly Zumba or Barre class feels more like a social outing.
Monique Hunt, a mother-of-three agreed that having a workout partner could keep you accountable and push you to reach your fitness goals.
4. Accept what you can’t change about your body.
“Do what makes you happy,” Mrs Kipps said. “And if your post-pregnancy weight and body are getting you down, first understand what isn’t going away (sometimes those stretch marks are there to stay!) and work on how you are going to embrace them.”
She encourages women to focus on the things they can change and devote their energy towards those realistic goals.
5. Stay committed.
Alex Dickinson found that commitment and consistency was the key to getting back in shape.
“It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, as long as you are consistent with it, you will see results,” she said.
6. Variety is key.
Mrs Dickinson buys organic fruits and vegetables from local farmers’ markets as much as possible.
And to keep things exciting she tries new healthy recipes as often as possible.
“Diets can be easily broken if you are eating the same foods over and over so make it exciting,” she said.
7. It’s okay to be a little selfish.
New moms rarely find the time to workout, but it’s important to advocate for it.
“Make yourself a priority,” Mrs Hunt said. “Be selfish with your time for one hour a day or as long as you possibly can, working up to an hour. You can get good workouts in under an hour.”
8. Be patient with yourself.
Mrs Hunt encourages women not to give up in the early stages of exercise.
“We often get frustrated and want to quit our new healthy lifestyles because we don’t see instantaneous results,” she said.
“Although we may not get the results we want in the time frame we would like, remain committed, results will come as long as you are putting the work in.”
