My Biggest Postpartum Fitness Mistakes

My girls are no longer ‘babies’, so now I can really look back and openly admit what I feel are some of the biggest mistakes I made when it came to my postpartum fitness journey. I think it’s fair to say that I might not be the only mama on the block making these mistakes, which is what makes this post so important. The more I put this message out there, the less moms will have to make the same mistakes. Regardless if you’re a new mom or if your kids are teens, this post is for you.

Mistake #1: Rushing Recovery

I am first to tell women that they should absolutely be seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist before returning to regular exercise. I always state that when your doctor gives you that green light to hit the gym that is when you should be seeing your physiotherapist. With all that said, I did not do this with Harper. I was lucky that I did not suffer any pelvic floor dysfunction, BUT when Noa was born I did! Thankfully, I did see a PT the second time around. This was so important and paved the way to a safe return to fitness. I did make another mistake here, which was not continuing to see someone. I took the exercises I was given and did them at home, but never followed up when I should have. This led to a slower recovery for me and now looking back I realize that I should have kept up with my 3 to 6 month follow up appointments. My advice to all the mamas is that even if you’re “feeling okay” down there, just continue seeing your pelvic floor physiotherapist until they tell you not to come back!

Mistake #2: My Ego vs. Reality

Confession: after both pregnancies I let my ego get the best of me in the gym. I wanted to do what I used to do without easing my way back. I reminisced about heavy squats and deadlifts and guess what? My ego thought I could do it and I ended up with a minor knee injury. My advice is to slowly build your strength back. Sorry Drizzy, after having a baby is not the time to go 0 to 100 real quick.

Mistake #3: Eating Like I was still Breastfeeding

Gaaaah, I miss nursing so much and also miss being able to practically eat whatever I wanted because as a BF’ing mama I was burning about 200-500 extra calories a day. Bring on the cookies! But it’s all fun and games until you stop producing that breast milk, yet haven’t stopped scarfing down the extra dessert. My advice is not to completely restrict yourself, but do keep in mind that when you’re not breastfeeding you aren’t burning the way you used to. Get moving and go for walks. Get active with the fam. Choose healthier snacks and don’t overdo your portion sizes!

Mistake #4: Investing in Every Membership

To me, fitness is life! So when I was able to safely return to working out, I admit that I went a bit overboard with committing to more than a couple of gyms and fitness classes. I had a membership here, 10 passes there and a handful of paid private sessions with a yoga instructor elsewhere. I learned very quickly that a lot of these passes expire and that finding time to even make it to some classes was near impossible. AKA #momlife. So my advice is to invest in one option at a time and see how you manage with that.

Mistake #5: Neglecting Mental Fitness

I was much better with this after having Noa, but I admit that after Harper I didn’t really see the importance of dedicating time to nurturing my mental fitness. Back then I was all about getting back into my jeans. Thankfully, my mindset shifted for the better and after having Noa I was able to prioritize my mental health. This made such a difference. I learned the importance of loving my postpartum body and taking care of my mental health fell much higher on my priority list than fitting into jeans again. Meditation, gratitude journals and self-care rituals are key to your postpartum fitness journey. When your mind is right, you body always follows.

Mistake #6: Comparison Kills.

I preach all the time that every mother’s postpartum fitness journey is different. It’s absolutely true! However, I am human too and confess that I caught myself comparing myself to others. I would ask myself ‘how did they get fit so fast?’, ‘how do they have time to meal prep all this healthy food,’ and so on and so forth. If you find yourself in the same boat, STOP. Do not go down that path. Remind yourself daily that you are one of a kind and your life cannot be compared to anyone else. This is what makes your journey so beautiful!

Mistake #7: I Forgot to Enjoy the Journey.

Mothers are superheroes because we can grow humans. Literally. But knowing this, I still found moments where I struggled seeing my body after giving birth. This is me being completely honest; I was not used to seeing myself this way and it really took away from embracing the postpartum journey as a whole. So grateful that I learned to slow down after having Noa and was way better at reminding myself just how incredible our bodies are. Mothers really are amazing! Don’t forget that!