Post Baby Pump! 20kg down & energy levels back up!

8 Months in & 8 months out. This is our take on the social media trend to take a moment to celebrate and reflect that your little human has spent as much time out of the womb as they had in your womb!

Being that our little man fought hard through a tricky pregnancy and arrived a month early – we are celebrating 8 months in and 8 months out this week (rather than the traditional 9)!

Im proud of my son and the way in which he is thriving . Proud of Steve and I for having brought this beautiful little boy into the world. Beyond those things – proud of myself for the way in which Ive listened to my intuition, respected my body’s needs and navigated my way through the rollercoaster that is post partum.

For those first few weeks after Tyson was delivered I felt like I was drowning in so many thoughts and feelings. Up and down and in between.

I had not had the birthing experience I had imagined I would. Being that it ended up being a complicated pregnancy meant that I followed the advice of my obstetrics team and had a C-section. I am confident I made the very best choice for my baby.

The pregnant body is a beautiful thing. For me, post partum had me feeling sore, tired, soft, stretched and squishy. I remember standing in the shower and as I washed my body, I wondered if I would ever get used to the way my ‘new’ body felt.

My body felt foreign to me. I was confused about whether I felt disappointed that my body hadn’t sustained a pregnancy to full term – or proud that despite the odds that were stacked against me, I managed to deliver a healthy baby boy.

I tried to stay afloat between waves of overwhelming joy and gratitude and then extreme anxiousness – consumed with the worry of ensuring our tiny little boy was doing well and continuing to thrive now that we had him at home from the special care nursery.

Exercise was simply not a priority.

Logically I knew there was nothing ‘wrong’ with my ‘new’ body. It was just different. Although I was fully accepting of myself, I could feel that difference begin to eat away at my self confidence. It was the way in which I started avoiding mirrors or even taking photos with my bub. Pregnancy clothing no longer fit – but my pre baby clothes obviously were not fitting either.

Like most new mums, I had unofficially begun living in pyjamas (often quickly changing into a set of track pants before Steve got home, trying to do whatever I could to make myself feel more presentable!) Steve was an incredible support. He found ways to shower me in love and affirmation every single day before pregnancy, during pregnancy and after pregnancy. My self confidence had nothing to do with the what my man saw when he looked at me. It had everything to do with how I felt within my own skin.

I was kind enough to myself to accept that this was exactly as my body should be after delivering a baby. I was also kind enough to myself to know that I didn’t want to stay here.

My experience with a newborn is echoed in pretty much every household with a newborn baby. Daily life becomes a repetitive haze of unimaginable love – and equal amounts of exhaustion. Despite knowing I WANTED to get moving … exercise was simply not a priority. It is very hard to be motivated to do anything that distracts you from learning how to cater to your little baby that is dependent on you for absolutely everything.

However, I have long understood that ‘nothing comes from nothing’.

So, I didn’t wait for motivation to find me. I just got started. As I had a C-section I first visited a women’s health physio and was assessed for clearance to exercise. My doctor was also supportive of my return to exercise.

I began on a stationary spin bike. I committed to 20 minutes every morning. I would put my headphones on, set a timer and just get it done. I didnt worry about what I would have done before pregnancy. I didnt put any pressure on myself to ‘go hard’. I just got started. I never looked back. I simply stacked healthy habits on top of each other. I maintained an unwaivering commitment to my health and fitness. When I felt ready I began walking briskly on the treadmill. I didnt feel any pain, but there was a tightness around my c-section scar that constantly reminded me to take it slowly. The first few times I tried to jog felt terrible. I stuck to what I could do – knowing that every day I would be getting stronger, fitter and more confident to push my body a little bit more.

8 months on I have lost over 20kg training at home. I have significantly changed my body composition and have regained most of the muscle mass I had lost during pregnancy. I have been able to return to boxing, kickboxing and weight lifting and people are often taken aback when I tell them I have had a baby this year. I ran the Melbourne Half Marathon at 6 months post partum – and loved every single km.

Our bodies are amazing – and even though my new body felt ‘different’ post partum, it was never broken.

Here is what post partum training has made VERY clear to me: 

Consistency is key

This may sound cliché but it is the undeniable truth. When we stack healthy habits on top of each other with an unwaivering commitment and consistency – results will inevitably come. I have not missed a session I intended to complete since the first day I started training again. There have been a million reasons for me to excuse myself from exercising – but I am accountable to myself, and my years of consistency in training have taught me discipline and dedication. I value my health and my happiness and so I consistently do the things that will ensure I remain healthy and happy. This is a daily commitment I make to myself. I make sure I am in my training gear before Tyson’s first nap of the day so that as soon as he is asleep I am ready to make the most of that time.

Little by little a little becomes a lot

I didn’t overhaul everything in one moment. I focused my energy on the things I could control. Early on I didn’t have a lot of time or energy! So rather than being disheartened, I began by committing to morning cardio (just 20 minutes on a stationary spin bike). As time went by, I focused on fine tuning my nutrition and then upping the anti on my exercise.

Being a new mama – I felt I needed my small treats throughout the day to maintain my sanity! I knew if I tried to go from zero to one hundred – I would inevitably fail because I didn’t have the energy to sustain and maintain such demands and discipline at that point in time.

I made switches to my nutrition small but solid. An easy example would be that I transitioned from having greek yoghurt with honey for breakfast, to oats made with milk, to oats made with water and chia seeds and peanut butter (my usual breakfast when I am trying to lose body fat). I always eat pretty intuitively so it felt natural to me to just let my body guide me in when I felt ready to shake things up. Once I took each step forward, there was no turning back.

I have managed to lose over 20kg without going on a ‘diet’. I still have my daily treats to save my sanity. It was in making consistent ‘switches’ to my nutrition over time and not yo-yoing that I was able to slowly but steadily achieve the weight loss results I wanted.

Weight Training WILL rebuild your body!

Once I felt ready I began weight training again – and the results came hard and fast. I had to begin humbly. I was nervous about putting strain on my abdomen after the C-section. I started with body weight movements before incorporating barbells and free weights. My progress was slow but steady and I loved that my focus was on regaining strength again, rather than what the scales said or even what I looked like!

I complete 3 lower body and two upper body sessions each week. I have quickly regained my strength and the added bonus has been that I feel confident in lifting and carrying my son – my body feels up to the daily challenges of parenthood!

I ensure that weight training sessions combine heavy functional movements with explosive body weight movements – following the same principles as we apply to our strength and conditioning sessions in the gym. I progressively overload my muscles and utilise all rep ranges. I never ever complete the exact same session more than once.

Training from home, I have been limited to simply using a barbell and some dumbells. The results I have been able to produce with such minimal equipment has proved what I have always known. For the majority of us, there is no need to follow complicated programs. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym on ridiculous pieces of equipment. Unless you are looking to be a competitor in a specific competition – there is absolutely no need to be mucking about with potentially dangerous movements that lead to injury. Consistently challenge your body with functional, compound movements. Lift heavy weights (Heavy is all relative! Work with whatever ‘heavy’ means to you) and focus on rebuilding muscle mass to boost your metabolism and change your body composition.

You are the expert of your own body

Mostly, I reaffirmed my belief that there is no one ‘right’ way to do things. Each person’s journey will be unique to their background, their experience, their belief systems and their intentions for their future. But you need to do something. Nothing comes from nothing. Just start – and don’t look back. Go slowly, but don’t stop. Time flies by – don’t hesitate. Do something. Give whatever you have got – it is always enough.

8 months on and I now feel connected to my body, mind and spirit again. My body no longer feels foreign to me. I have been able to recommence doing the things that make me feel alive – particularly kickboxing with Steve! Most of all, I am so happy that I invested time and energy back into regaining my health and fitness because I can give the very best of myself to Tyson every day. I have all the energy in the world for my little boy every single day !

If you are not completely comfortable within your own skin, or feeling like your body is holding you back from living your best life – just take one small step in the right direction. Don’t look back. Start stacking healthy habits on top of each other today – and tomorrow you will be on the right track. Results are inevitable when we make progress in this way.