How are YOU?

Fine?  Are you really? How often are you asked that and 'fine' is your response but really you're tired, stressed, sick, frustrated, etc. As women we are notorious for putting ourselves last on the "take care of" list but are the first to make life as special and wonderful as we possibly can for someone else. As the holidays approach, we might be feeling the stress a little more particularly with bad weather, extra school activities, work events, and family. While we often begin to put our personal activities on hold, I'm going to convince you of how important your time is right now!

Being pregnant and having your new baby can put you on top of the world!  You are so excited and looking forward to the greatest adventure! However, new moms seem to leave out A LOT of the rotten moments! 

For the pregnant ladies, you may be feeling just plain gross. Tired doesn't begin to explain how you feel and perhaps your feet are a distant memory. I was 12 weeks pregnant last Christmas and I hit the point where my winter clothes wouldn't fit because everything was just "swollen". Although I was only 12 weeks, I felt full term! As my pregnancy progressed, I still had all the excitement of baby-to-be but was also juggling the aches and pains and mood swings.

For the new moms, your feet might be back but sleep is no longer part of your vocabulary. My 6 month old will go a week of sleeping through the night then the next week, she seems to want to hang out every few hours all night long. I also find I'm trying to constantly keep up with best practice to raise a child.

All of these new stresses can make you feel pretty down and frustrated. This is completely normal! I've had to realise that asking for help is important and although all the experts claim to be the best, you have to go with that feels right to you.

When is it not normal? Are you feeling sad more often than not? Are you having mixed feelings of your pregnancy? Are you withdrawing from social events? Are you feeling tearful? Are you feeling high levels of anxiety? Guilt, anger, despair are all signs not to be ignore. If you have a history of anxiety or depression, you may be at a higher risk of suffering from PPD.

Post Partum depression (PPD) can happen within the first 3 months of pregnancy but isn't limited to a specific time frame. I was at first confused at how often doctors and nurses asked about how I was feeling, I hadn't realised that it can come on as soon as you give birth and can affect not only your mood but also your milk production and physical recovery. The sound of crying is actually shown to raise levels of stress in adults. This condition is very serious and there are great resources to help. The best resources: your family and friends! If you're not feeling right, talk to them. If you're feeling alone, talk to you health care provider or public health services, this is not something to feel guilty or embarrassed about!

How can exercise help?
While you may want to sleep in or curl up on the couch under some blankets, this is the time when your body needs some extra TLC in the way of fitness. 

While pregnant, exercise is important to help maintain strength and prepare you for labour and delivery. It is also a great way to help control your weight gain. Most importantly, feeling good about your body helps maintain a positive self-image. I found the toughest point was the first few weeks while your body stores more fat and yet you don't see any actual signs of being pregnant. While I couldn't prevent my body from doing what it needed to do and certainly would never put my baby in danger, I knew I was still keeping fit and prepping my body to carry a baby. It also helped keep my energy levels up, helped reduce nausea and got me out of the house. This all kept me in a better mood!

As soon as she was born, I wanted to get myself moving. I have always fought weight gain so I was eager to get back to my routine. While this was a slow process, just getting up and walking felt great! It was literally one step at a time and I was so happy to hit my pre-baby weight by 5 months. Exercise has also been a great way to help fight the insane amount of fatigue. While there are times I would love to lay around on the couch, it's not an option but walking the neighbourhood with the dog and my little one helps clear my head. It is very easy to fall into a rut when your baby arrives. Especially if you have a winter baby, days and weeks can pass before you realise you haven't left the house! To fight the cold, I have my daughter in a carrier and I wrap us both up in my winter parka. I also have trax for my boots so I can walk safely on the ice and snow.

It's about YOU: getting out of the house for a walk around the block or getting to the gym for an hour means you are getting some dedicated "me" time. Even if you're pushing a stroller, getting your blood flowing will help you clear your min.  It might seem cheesy but I always remember the line from Legally Blond "Exercise creates endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people just don't shoot their husbands!" and it's true! It's amazing how quickly you'll start to feel better adding some physical activity to your lifestyle. Finding an activity you love to do will not only give you the energy boost, it will boost how you feel about yourself and your life.

What to do?

• Prenatal classes or a regular fitness class with modifications
• Swimming (laps, water running, aqua fitness-the possibilities are endless!)
• Check out local mom+baby fitness or yoga classes to meet other moms (Strollercise classes are super popular and often free!)
• Move your play group to the pool once a week for a change of scenery (plus thinking about getting back into a swimsuit will put some fire in your step!)
• While baby's sleeping, pop in a workout DVD or make use of your exercise ball to get in some training at home.

Whatever you do, the most important thing is to evaluate your mood and spend some quality time thinking about yourself. Being active can help with that. Remember: You are the greatest role model you can be to your child!

See you at the gym!