Meet Steph.
Meet Steph. Mom of Luke and furdog Maisy, biochemist manager, and lifelong athlete.
While women have been having babies for thousands of years and the process may seem almost banal as a result, the changes that happen to the body are dramatic. It is this shared experience of collaborating with your body through significant health changes that we include a healthy pregnancy experience in this series.
“While I was pregnant, I wanted to do what I used to do at the gym, but I had to come to class every day with an open mind, and try out different options and do what felt good. I constantly was making sure I was pushing myself enough while making sure I wasn’t hurting the baby. A movement that felt good one day might not feel good the next; the quickness of how quickly movements went away was tough!”
When growing a baby, your perspective of yourself and what your body is capable of will change as the woman is forced to intimately care for herself.
“The meaning of being ‘healthy’ has changed since I got pregnant. I used to care more about the number on the scale, but now I am more focused on nutrition and water intake (particularly while I was breastfeeding). It is incredible to think my body has never done this before, but just knew how to grow all the intricate systems of a human.”
On top of the physical challenges of pregnancy, there are also social ones to navigate.
“Social media and older generations scare you into thinking you are a delicate flower when you’re pregnant and to live in a bubble. The thought of not being able to move how I used to made me anxious originally. I was also anxious about gaining weight (having it be out of my control) and not being able to lose it after. But staying active throughout was why I was able to get back to feeling ‘normal’ so quickly–it just was a lot of work! I just want to be a healthy mom for Luke for years to come.”
Steph, you are a badass for all you’ve achieved with GRIT + GRACE that even you, at times–let alone the medical community–didn’t think was possible. Watch Steph’s story and comment below if you can relate to her journey. We welcome community dialogue and reflection.
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This is one profile from a series of badass female athlete profiles. To learn more about the rest of the women and the series, visit the series home page here.
