My PDB (Post-Delivery Body): Round 2
Quite a few of you have asked if I’m going to write about my post-delivery body this time, since I wrote about it with Liv. Here we go; although I can’t guarantee how regular this series will be. 😉
I haven’t really had a lot of time to think about my body post baby. I’m too wrapped up in the reflux rendezvous (soothe baby P, baby spits up, change all parties in the splash zone, feed baby, repeat) and taking care of Liv. In between, of course, I look at my family and think how did I get so lucky?, then it’s right back to it.
There are times when I notice my lack of strength (6 weeks without working out is FOR REAL), and that things definitely don’t look the same. I’ve lost a lot of muscle definition, and my stomach still kind of looks like a sad old man face. I know I’ll be able to get my strength and definition back over time. In the mean time, I’ll just be thankful that I was able to house and birth a (very large, and healthy, thank God) baby. Pregnancy and childbirth never cease to amazing me. It’s truly one of the greatest miracles of life, and I feel grateful every day that I was be able to carry and deliver our babies. This is why I feel awkward complaining or discussing a post baby body, because it seems so trivial in a world where many women want to have a baby more than anything, and they’re not able to. I feel like they would want my “sad old man face” belly, and for that reason along with many others, I’m thankful for this experience and everything that comes along with it.
Does that mean that I don’t want to get back in shape, be able to lift heavy weights, sprint, barre, Spin, and yoga my little heart out?
I CAN’T WAIT TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS.
Yes, I’m yelling, because I’m really excited about it.
I want to get back into everything for the mental benefits. Working out makes me feel like a human. I give myself goals to work towards, I LOVE teaching a room full of inspiring and motivated individuals, and working out is my stress reliever. The physical benefits are just the icing on the cake.
Mentally, I’m feeling a lot better than I was, but my hormones are still a bit all over the place. I’ve had days where I’ve cried quite a bit, because P seemed like she was in so much pain, and I felt overwhelmed and helpless. Other days I feel like “ok, I’ve got this.” I talked to someone about it who specializes in maternal mental health, and she said something that made me feel a lot better. She said, “Considering everything that’s been going on, do you think it makes sense for you to feel like this?” By giving myself permission to feel sad, stressed, and anxious about P’s reflux and choking incident -she’s had a few more, but thankfully none as bad as the first one- it took some of the sadness (at least the verge of tears all day) away. I also think taking placenta pills have helped stabilize my mood, and like I said before, even if it’s a placebo effect, I’ll take it. I’m also glad I won’t be running out of pills any time soon; my acupuncturist got 270 pills out my enormous placenta haha.
Here’s what I’ll be working towards post-baby, mentally and physically:
-Getting into a fitness routine again, at least 4x a week. The good news is that teaching helps me to create a weekly routine, and it looks like I’ll be teaching two Spin classes, two barre classes and one yoga class each week in the new year. It encourages me to make time for fitness. In my current state, where I need to remember to put a different shirt on than the one I slept in, this is appreciated.
-Take some time each day to meditate, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes. Meditation was a huge part of my life before I had P, and I haven’t been able to make time for it. I know that taking a couple of minutes each day to center myself would help immensely.
-Following the strength plans in Post-Baby Bod. The plan is completely finished, but I want to check out the flow and timing of the various exercises before I release it. My tester group rocked out the workouts (and had amazing results!!) so I can’t wait to share it with you all. I’ll be Instagramming and documenting the whole thing.
-Focus on eating well, getting outside each day, and showering on a daily basis. They seem like such simple things, but when you have an itty bitty one, sometimes you look at the clock, it’s 5pm and you’re still in pajamas. I had a couple of days like that last week, and I felt pretty terrible (lethargic and blah). By having to give up dairy and eggs for P’s reflux, it’s forced me to eat much healthier than I would choose to. Breastfeeding sweet tooth is serious, and I’ve been making some vegan treats to quell the beast. You’d think that having to eat veggies, grains, fruits, nuts, and meats would be a good thing, but my soul needs some sweets or savory delights in there, too. It’s a matter of finding ones that I can enjoy right now without it affecting P.
-Orangetheory once a week. I saw my greatest fitness gains when I was doing Orangetheory, especially with running. It’s the one class that’s just for me (since I don’t teach it), and it’s going to be amazing to have it back in my life.
-Continuing to enjoy active events as a family. It’s fun to kick a soccer ball around the park, walk while Liv rides her scooter, and get in activities as a family. I’m so excited for P to be a part of that.
Here’s my last “official” belly photo at 39 weeks:
(Little did I know I’d make it to 41 weeks and 3 days!)
and here’s where we’re at right now, 6 weeks postpartum.
My pre-baby clothes fit me, albeit a little differently. I’m not sure what my weight or body fat % is, but they’ll probably weigh me at my midwife appointment this week.
In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy getting back into the fitness world, show myself some patience -it takes 9+ months to grow a baby- try to take some time for myself amidst the craziness, and enjoy the ride.
xoxo
Gina
My PDB posts after Liv was born:
Want to be the first to get Post Baby Bod? Be sure to sign up for the newsletter here.
55 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
See now eating pie makes me feel human. 😀 Hope you can get back to your routine soon!
You look awesome!!! You look better than most people who have never had a baby, let alone a freaking 11 pound one!!!
While I love reading about your post-baby bod and your fitness plans, I actually really appreciate that you’ve mentioned that you spoke to someone specializing in maternal mental health. After giving birth to my son I was hit with so much anxiety and it was so difficult for me to go see someone but after I did I felt insanely better. I think that dealing with post-partum issues with a professional needs to be seen as something that is more the norm than not. Thanks for sharing!
You look AMAZEBALLS, that is all :)! What a wonderful mindset you have too. It’s been inspiring to read through your journey as a mom. As someone who started reading long before Liv was in the picture, I have to say I’ve picked up so many valuable tips and lessons from you. Thanks for being open and willing to share the glamourous and not so glamorous. Essentially, thanks for being human and allowing us to support/learn so much from you along the way!
I so appreciate how real you are and how honestly you discuss the highs and lows of being a new mom. Also, thank you for taking the time to inspire your readers every day. You are the real deal and I love reading your daily posts over breakfast.
Beautiful post! And you look great!
I love your attitude. I know I flipflop back and forth between wanting to feel grateful for the miracle of having my little one and wanting to fit back in all my old clothes. My little one is 13 weeks today, and I feel like it’s only been in the past few weeks that I have finally started losing after the initial birth loss.
First I focused on eating, but when you’re up all night day after day, week after week, you get HANGRY and you don’t care what you eat. You’ll eat anything. All along, I’ve been walking 30 minutes to an hour a day mostly because it was the only time peanut would sleep in the beginning.
Now that she is FINALLY sleeping mostly through the night and sometimes during the day, I still have other things I’m going to check off my list first: eat something healthy, drink water, change clothes, brush teeth, change clothes. If I get all those things done and still have a moment, then it’s read or catch up online. Finally it’s exercise.
It’s a rollercoaster that I’m trying to enjoy, but man, we had a day here yesterday… a no nap kind of day that wrung me out. So every day, I do the best I can.
And yes, I remind myself that it took me 9 months to put the weight on, it might take that long to get it off… hopefully not… but maybe. And THAT’s OK.
But I can’t wait for your post baby plan! I hope it’s free, because I could use a little help in the inspiration department! 🙂
Do you have childcare for P when you are planning to work out?
I’m expecting my second in February and just wondering how it would work since the gym daycares only take babies six months and older and we don’t have family here either.
You look amazing!! This post speaks to my soul… I’m currently pregnant with my first and am already struggling with how I will find the time to stay active while caring for a babe- running a business- and being a good wife. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to think I might not be enough, but reading this helps me to remember that we do make time for the things that are the most important. A healthy active lifestyle is so much more than just having a good body- it keeps me sane! Thanks for always keeping things real and being a positive light! Xoxo
Gina, you really do look great. I know comparisons will come up about how you look amazing compared to other people after birth. I know I didn’t look like that after my kids but I also didn’t work out much during my pregnancies. You’re a good example of healthy balance, and I appreciate you being real that your new normal is allowed just as anyone else’s is.
It is incredible to me how a stomach can from the size of basketball to nothing. I’ve never had a baby so I cannot understand how that’s possible. It seems so impossible. You look great!
I love the first few paragraphs and your outlook on motherhood. It’s so beautiful to hear!
Also, I’m so stoked that you will be teaching yoga!! So cool!
I totally know what you mean with keeping a fitness class just for you, that’s how I feel about Barre. Sometimes I’m like, “I could teach barre” and then I’m like, no it’s best I just enjoy it!
yep! it’s good to have classes that are just for you!
Hi Gina! Yes, you did an amazing thing, so of course, you should be grateful for that— even when times are overwhelming! As far as your teaching …. are you taking a hiatus from teaching BODYPUMP? Oh and YES to Orangetheory bringing the results. I actually wish I could take the workout more than I do, I am so jealous while teaching it and seeing people killing it hahahah! 🙂 I did get to do it last night, and it felt great. Oh and you love FABULOUS already, you beautiful lady.
i don’t think i’m on the schedule for BP in january- just spin and barre. i will probably teach it again one day, but i’m kind of glad for the break. i love the workout, but teaching it was feel really blah and redundant to me, especially since i don’t know a ton of releases yet.
i can’t wait to take your OTF class!
xoxo
This is a wonderful post, Gina. You do look amazing for having had a baby 6 weeks ago, but I’m not surprised since you didn’t put weight on (visually to me at least) other than your cutie bump. I totally relate to everything you said too.
I am curious about your childcare for getting back into your part time fitness job- I am expecting and I am a freelance musician. I love my job but the truth is I don’t earn very much money and I’m having a hard time figuring out how I will keep doing what I love and pay for childcare on top of it. My husband has a very good job and earns most of our family income and so we are lucky that we won’t be destitute without my job as well, but I’m really struggling with feeling forced into being a SAHM, and I think we will still miss my income for things like college savings, vacations etc. thanks for addressing this if you can- I know many women must be struggling with this.
Xx- a longtime reader in Connectict
thank you so much reading for so long <3
for teaching, i'm really lucky that the gym has awesome childcare, and it's free for me since i teach there. for barre, we don't have childcare, so i can only teach when tom is home from work or get a sitter (when i get a sitter, i make negative money for that class). it's tricky to juggle, that's for sure. one of my friends with a baby just got a job bartending a couple of times a week for the extra money and to have some more adult conversation/interaction. i love staying home with the kiddos, but i also need to get out of the house here and there and enjoy what i do! it sounds like you feel the same way. and you're right, the extra $ is a bonus too. it sounds like you could do your job when the hub is home? might be an easy way to get back into it!
xoxo
Oh that is so awesome about the free childcare- happy for you. Good point, when I have evening rehearsals hopefully he will help with that- afternoons will be tricky. I earn my biggest pay checks on tours around the country so that’ll seem pretty hard for a while… Maybe I could pick the gigs that pay the best and ask my Mom to travel with me 1 week or so everyone other month. Crazy but I guess I’ll figure it out. Thanks for your response. 🙂
Love your down to earth perspective, especially the description of your “old man face belly” lol! 🙂
it looks like he’s scowling. haha
You look super fantastic!!!! And both girls are totally adorable!! Sending prayer’s for the little P – OX Gina (from Mass)
thank you, friend! xoxo
You look freaking amazing!
You look awesome! You seriously don’t even look like you had a baby! I’m pregnant with my second now and really struggled with my weight gain with my first. I’m excited to hear more about your post baby routine. I’ll defiantly be taking notes!
thank you so much <3 hope you love PBB too and congrats to you!
I really appreciate your approach to this post, especially as someone who still can’t get pregnant. Thank you for being honest and positive.
thank you. sending lots of love your way <3
You are and you look perfect. I am amazed by your spirit and your ability to see the positive in everything in your life. You inspire on so many levels my friend. Thank you for being open and honest, and for letting you feel how you feel. You are valid. Everything you feel is valid. I am sending you all my love every day <3
thank you for all of the virtual hugs and love you send- i hope you know how much i appreciate it, and you <3
One day, I hope I can give you a real hug! <3
Gina, I admire the approach you’re taking when it comes to this time in your health. It is a pleasure to watch your personal journey toward bettering your health, especially during this transition.
I just wanted to thank you for putting things in perspective- many women would LOVE to have the problem of getting back to their pre-baby shape. We are just beginning fertility treatments, and while I do not expect others to walk on eggshells around me with their comments, it is sometimes difficult to hear others complain about the things you want most. That being said, you look fabulous!
Love the honestly it your post! Post baby body is really such a small thing in the big picture, but it still matters to us <—-and with prospective that is okay! I am currently 22 weeks with our first baby (BOY!) and I have days where I feel great and others not so great. Everyday though I feel beyond blessed that God has allowed us such a huge blessing!
amen to that! congrats to you <3
You look AMAZING. Wow, you obviously took really good care of yourself DURING the pregnancy – it shows!
<3 you are a sweet angel ;)
First off, you look amazing! I’m 14 weeks pregnant with my first, and I feel very fortunate to have kept up with my workouts,although I have took the intensity down a little but. I have gone back and read all your pregnancy recaps with Liv and this time around. I look forward to participating in your post delivery bod program once my little one arrives in June!
You really look great! recovering and healing after a baby is hard. I was surprised how long it took for me to feel well enough to work out again, but I also had a c-section and I was in a lot of pain. I’m hoping I can experience it again the second time around.
I hope P’s reflux gets better. Good luck and best wishes. You’re doing a great job!
i hope the second time feels much better for you <3 this time, i feel like recovery was so much faster and i wasn't nearly as sore
Ummm… You look amazing and continue to be such an inspiration! Wow! Congrats on handling everything so well! This blog continues to be one of my daily highlights years later!
I made it my goal to shower every day when I came home with my baby and six weeks in I haven’t missed a day- it’s such a small thing that makes a huge difference! I’m getting outside as much as I can but it’s tough living in Chicago. I started working out this week and I was SO excited to get back on it- super motivating! Can’t wait to follow your journey and have it motivate me. 🙂
Glad you’re feeling better! Holy crap, you look awesome.
thank you so much <3 yes, feeling quite a bit better
Thank you for this! My little squish is just 2 weeks old, but my body has bounced back quickly and I feel amazing, so my mind is ready to get back into my fitness routine. I know I need to take a step back and let my body and mind properly heal from 9 months of growing a beautiful little girl. Thank you for being so real Gina! This is why I love you! Xoxoxo
thank you so much, and thank you for reading! i felt the same way this time. i felt TOTALLY normal (minus the crazy sleep deprivation) within a couple of weeks. waiting has been so hard, but i know it’s smart and worth it
Wow!!! You look awesome!
thank you so much! <3
Seriously, you look great. I don’t have kiddos yet, but your approach and results are inspiring.
You seem like a beautiful lady, inside and out.
P.S. I can’t wait for WSU!
thank you- i really appreciate it! happy you’re excited for WSU, too. i can’t wait!
You look great! Glad to see you are doing well after having the baby. My little one is almost 10 weeks and I’ve just cut out dairy for the past week to see if that is part of the problem we’ve been having with breastfeeding. It’s been so hard because I love my cheese. I don’t know how long I can keep it up. What are your favorite dairy substitutes? How are you dealing with no dairy?
girl, it is SO hard. i don’t even eat that much dairy, but turns out it’s in a lot, and makes going out to eat really hard. hang in there. i’ve found it does get easier after you’ve done it for a while. xoxo
Wow you look unreal. I look like a giant deflated balloon 6 weeks out haha so I am impressed. You also look really happy and glowing! I hope P feels better so you can too!
This post really rubs me the wrong way. It’s like you talk about your old man belly then post a flattering side angle shot seconds later. Did you get the compliments you were looking for? There are more important things than looking skinny seconds after having a baby…
You’re so sweet and have such a healthy approach to postpartum recovery. I especially like that you put in there how trivial the postpartum body thing is compared to people who aren’t able to have babies. As someone who struggled to get pregnant for two years (currently at 20 weeks!!!), I really appreciate that sentiment, because I would have given anything to be pregnant. I’ll come back to this post in another 20-26 weeks and be sure to read and re-read your words.
I’m glad you’ll be able to get back to working out soon. I totally understand missing it for the mental effects. I’m sure getting back into the swing of things will help you feel more like yourself as well as give you that much needed you time. Hope P starts to get better soon as well. And don’t forget to give yourself grace. We’re so easily so hard on ourselves and so much kinder to others that we need to remember to be kind to ourselves as well. 🙂
P.S. Can’t wait for your post baby bod thing!
You look amazing! As someone TTC, body changes during/post-preg are something that I definitely think about. I agree that the most important thing is growing a healthy baby, and will feel very fortunate when/if we are able to get pregnant. PDB is certainly on my mind though. You’re such an inspiration!
I was curious if you opted to do binding again?