I never thought how important weight training postpartum would be in my life.

I’m a mom of two beautiful sons, one is 3 years old and one is almost 9 months old. 

I breastfed my first son for a year and plan to do the same with my second. If you follow along with this mom math, I’ve either been pregnant or breastfeeding for over 3 out of the last 4 years of my life. So worth it, but my body has taken a toll. 

Despite working out twice a week leading up to and during my second pregnancy, I just can’t “bounce back”. 

I struggled to figure out what type of workout was good for me at this point in my life. Some thoughts I had:

“Should I work out with my prior trainer again who I met with remotely? 

No, I think I need someone in person. 

How do I find someone I like enough to motivate me to keep coming back? 

How do I find childcare if I work out outside of the house?

Is it selfish to leave my baby with someone just so I can workout?

Is it selfish to pump breastmilk so someone else can feed him if I’m not with him and miss a feed?”

The list goes on and on…

Until one day I was taking my 3 year old son to his karate lesson and noticed a small women-only boutique fitness studio across the street. 

It had covers over the windows for privacy so I couldn’t see inside and they had a sign that read, “Train and Nourish. By appointment only”, so I was hesitant to just walk in. We were early for karate, had already eaten a snack, and had about 15 minutes to kill. 

I decided to just open the door. 

Worst case scenario, they were busy and would give me a card or something to call, right?! So, I did it. I opened the door to this fitness studio with my little karate boy in tow, and to my surprise it was empty except for the manager Alex. She was sitting there with her little dog which was a plus for my dog loving toddler.

Me: “Hi! I was hoping to ask you a few questions about working out here! Do you have time?”

Alex: “Usually I don’t, but I actually have 10 free minutes right now! Take a seat!”

**My son starts running towards workout equipment**

**We let him**

I dump it all on her. I tell her about my pregnancies, breastfeeding, how I want to get my strength and body back, how I might have to bring a kid or two with me to the studio, how I have been working with a physical therapist due to some complications from pregnancy. 

She said she thought this would be a great fit for me! Since then, I have found myself doing weight lifting exercises I never in a million years would have thought I could ever do. To motivate me, Alex and I often remind me how some of these weights aren’t even as heavy as my kids who I lift all day long. So then I take a breath and brace myself. 

Yesterday at our session, I was literally bench pressing 55 lbs over my head for 3 reps. I never in my life thought I would bench press anything! It makes me feel freaking awesome. 

This is one small thing I do for myself now, twice a week for 45 minutes. Sometimes it’s hard to get there while juggling my kids, child care, work, etc. But when I leave, sometimes with shaky fatigued legs which I am always extra proud of, I feel good. 

“Postpartum is a quest back to yourself. Alone in your body again. You will never be the sane, you are stronger than you were.”

-Amethyst Joy

Here are 5 things I learned from starting weight training at 8 months postpartum.

1. Putting myself out there in a vulnerable moment wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

2. Coordinating childcare to do something for myself outside of work is, most definitely, self-care.

3. Moving my body makes me feel good. 

4. I lift baby and toddler weights all day long, so weightlifting wasn’t as daunting as I thought it would be!

5. I can do hard things. 

To read more about Tyler’s pregnancy journey, check out, “Pregnant with Diastasis Recti, a Hernia and an Active Toddler“.