My Birth Story & Postpartum Journey
My postpartum recovery wasn’t instant or easy, after a traumatic birth combined with the natural delivery of a 10lb baby, the term “bouncing back” doesn’t really spring to mind!
In saying that, I feel stronger now than I ever have in my life, more appreciative of what I have and SO grateful for Pilates and how truly resilient and strong I was/am!
This blog is all about my postpartum experience over the last 6 months, the road to recovery and my relationship with my body after the life-altering experience that is birth!
I absolutely LOVED being pregnant, I was in awe of my ever-changing shape, feeling kicks and preparing for the unknown! I was, admittedly, extremely naive. I assumed because my pregnancy was so easy that the birth would be a breeze…and to put it lightly, it was tough both emotionally and physically.
It was the best day of my life, but also one Tim and I will never forget for a whole host of reasons. To give you a brief recapitulation, Olivia was born with shoulder dystocia, which I’ve since learned happens in less than 1% of births. After she was born, it was about an hour before I got to see my baby for the first time and to say it was the longest and hardest hour of my life is putting it mildly. Every day that I get to hold her in my arms now is something I quietly say “thank you” for every day.
I realise now I didn't truly appreciate the strength, resilience and power of both my body and baby until after she was born.
I feel stronger, happier and healthier now than ever before, because I know if I can get through that, I can take on anything! I know now without the strength and stamina my Pilates practice has given me, it would have been a completely different experience, I am SO glad I had my fitness and strength behind me!
Being strong helped with all the aches and pains of pregnancy, but it was invaluable in helping both Olivia and I endure and survive our labour and delivery experience. I’ve realised now that my main priorities with exercising are to be strong and healthy, FEELING my best and boosting those incredible endorphins! My body created, nurtured, and gave birth to an incredible (and now very cheeky!) human being and the changes to my body are evidence of that great gift.
Feeding Olivia has inspired me more than ever before to eat natural, healthy and nutritious foods to ensure she is getting the best nutrition possible. There’s nothing quite like breastfeeding to keep your habits in check, for me it was reducing my caffeine consumption drastically! I’ve also been making all of our meals from scratch including our own sourdough bread and homemade pasta and ensuring we are getting in lots of fruit and vegetables, sustainable Australian meat and dairy and learning about the process from paddock to plate, it’s been a joy to learn and to one day pass on that knowledge to Olivia!
For the beautiful mums who bottle-feed, your nutrition is of utmost importance too to ensure YOUR health, happiness and also physical and mental well-being, we all need to make sure we are looking after ourselves too!
My daughter has taught me to love wholeheartedly, not only her but also the people who are closest to me. I appreciate my own mum now more than I ever have, I know how much she loves me and just what sacrifices she made to put me first. Seeing my husband as a father has been one of the most wonderful parts of this experience, he’s embraced his new role with open arms and seeing them together and the bond they share makes me so happy!
I see my body in a whole new light. It's healthy, strong, it's given life, comfort and protection. I would not trade for any other body. My postpartum body has purpose, it’s accomplished and it bears new reminders of the journey we’ve been on. I have never felt so fulfilled!
Want to join me and make PBL a part of your postpartum journey? I designed the BabyBody By Lisa Online Program to help you on your road to recovery and give you the tools you need to get strong, fit healthy and feel good in your own skin! Click the image below to check it out:
