It's hard to believe that we just celebrated my daughters first birthday on June 11th! Not only has there been an incredible amount of changes in our lives since she has been born; But there have also been so many changes as it pertains to my relationship with food and my body since I became pregnant with her as well! It is truly an incredible journey to watch your body grow and change as it carries a life during a pregnancy. Yet, what was even more incredible to me was how my body evolved in the year after the birth of my daughter!

Because this was my first pregnancy, I honestly had no idea what to expect; But I will say that one of the number one things I have learned is that people are incredibly forgiving of the transformation your body goes through while you are carrying the baby; But in our culture, it is almost frowned upon if you aren't wearing your skinny jeans within a few months after giving birth.

This leads me to why I am sharing my journey with you. I knew as the year unfolded after Maddie's birth that I wanted to write this post when she turned one, because I learned so much in the past year about caring for our bodies post-pregnancy. I also think it is important for women to share what they have been through, in order to help others who may be in a similar season of life. It is so good to know that you are not alone, and hear what others have learned along the way.

And so, here my friends is a look inside what I learned and experienced over the course of my one year post-baby journey!

What Surprised Me the Most. As many of you know, I didn't have a specific fitness or nutrition plan that I followed after Maddie's birth. I ate healthy and worked out in my pregnancy up until the day she was born, so naturally, I thought I would be able to dive right back in to my normal workouts and eat pretty similar to before I got pregnant right after I was approved to workout again. At just 6 weeks post-partum, I thought I would be able to hit the ground running on very little sleep, raging hormones, and a body that still very much needed to heal and rest...and boy was I wrong!

The result was my body feeling more run down than ever both mentally and physically, and after a few weeks, I nearly lost my milk supply, (which I learned was an effort my body was making to preserve energy because there were so many demands being placed on it). After the scary thought of not being able to breast feed, I decided to take a step back and be more gentle with myself and really listen to my body. This is easier said than done might I add when you feel like you are in a body that still doesn't look like your own, and you feel like you have taken 10 steps back when it comes to your fitness level. I also learned that our bodies require extra energy to breastfeed a baby, which means upping your calories, even more so than when you were pregnant!

{8 months pregnant / and 8 months postpartum}

Postpartum Fitness. That all being said, at about eight weeks postpartum I started back at square one and re-evaluated what working out would look like in this season of being a new mom. I started by working out about 3-4 times a week, and walking when I had the chance. As far as my workout routine, I started with some postnatal workout videos at home, and once I felt comfortable, I went back to my group fitness classes a few times a week.

To be honest, it took me longer than expected to get back to the fitness level that I was at before I got pregnant. I expected to be back to my pre-baby workout level within a few months after giving birth; But in reality I would say that it was more like at least six months before I could start to do most everything I could do pre-pregnancy, but my strength and endurance still wasn't back at that point. In addition, six months was when I started working on my abs again, which I had to hold off on because I had pretty severe diastases recti; This meant that I had to slowly work my core back up to doing sit ups, planks, etc. or it could actually make it worse. At about 8 months postpartum I finally started to feel strong enough to start to push my endurance and strength to new levels, and at about ten months I would say I finally felt like I was mostly back to where I was before becoming pregnant. All throughout the journey I focused on weight lifting, HIIT training, walking, and spinning.

Postpartum Nutrition. All the while I fueled my body with clean eating foods as I normally do, (which might I add, the month worth of freezer meals I made when I was pregnant was a life saver when I had a newborn). I also never counted calories, but rather listened to my body and it's natural hunger cues, which meant that I was adding some extra snacks and treats to fuel my body for nursing.

When I was breastfeeding, it felt like I was hungry all of the time. Especially when I would be up in the middle of the night feeding Maddie. So, I honored that hunger with clean, nutritious foods, with lots of healthy fats and whole grains (mainly in the form of old fashioned oats/oat flour) to promote my milk supply. When I stopped breastfeeding, it was easier for me to listen to my body’s cues (I wasn’t as hungry all the time) and transitioned back to a lower fuel level without thinking about it too much. Your body will tell you what it needs, you just have to listen. Focus on eating well, (I kept up with clean eating the entire time I was pregnant and throughout my postpartum journey), and nourishing your body; Keeping in mind that you are caring for a little one and you need the energy that nutritious foods give your body, but also enjoy the things you enjoy in moderation.

{9 months pregnant / and 11 months postpartum}

Be Grateful for Your Body. I have certainly learned a lot about caring for my body over the years, yet having a baby has without a doubt given me a whole new appreciation for my body. I can honestly say that the number one thing I have learned is that loving your body will get you further than hating it ever will. After years of struggling to get pregnant, I was finally blessed with the beautiful gift of carrying a child; And because of that struggle I was incredibly easy going with myself as I eased my way back into fitness and regained strength and shape after giving birth.

During this season of transformation, I had to tell myself many times that I would benefit more mentally and physically if I loved my body, rather than picking it apart, or being harsh with it. Did I have times in the journey that I wish I could snap my fingers and have things quickly change? I sure did... But, I reminded myself that I would be way more likely to care for something I loved and had grace with than something I found flaws in.

So, as each day rolled into another, I kept an attitude of gratitude, and found things I could appreciate. I also did practical things like remind myself that my body was temporarily "on loan" to my baby who was being nourished by be in this short season of life. I also bought clothes that were flowy, stretchy, and made me feel pretty and comfortable, which can honestly make a huge difference! (My faves were women's clothes from Pink Blush).

All of these daily choices and practical things kept me moving forward, making healthy choices because I appreciated what my body had done and was doing to nourish this new life. It was this attitude that made me want to get up each day and care for my body, even if it didn't look, feel, or act like it used to just yet, because ultimately I was so thankful that it was taking care of my baby! If I hated my body however, this most likely wouldn’t have been the case. I can say from experience that keeping this attitude of gratitude over the course of the past year has brought me so much further than being dissatisfied ever could.

{Me with 3 month old Maddie Joy}

Change Your Focus. I remember before I gave birth I thought that I would bounce right back to my pre-baby weight shortly after having Maddie. I knew that living a healthy lifestyle and enjoying treats in moderation, while working out consistently had given me results in the past, and I thought this would be no different. Yet there were a few things that were different this time around that I hadn't taken into consideration; My hormones were raging, I was learning how to breastfeed (which was very difficult at first), I was running on very little sleep, and just like every mom with a new baby, there were many days that I felt rundown and overwhelmed.

Instead of allowing my body to become another source of stress to me, I had to choose to focus on my new baby, and use my body to do what it was created to do in that season, which was nourish her; As well as heal and recover from the 9 months of stretching, squishing, pushing, and expanding our bodies do to grow a human! As hard as it was, this taught me to be patient and gracious with my body in a whole new way.

This taught me so much about choosing our focus overall, and how it can apply to just about every area of our lives. From our homes to our bodies, our professions, and everything in between, we have a daily decision to make when it comes to where we place our focus. I had to ask myself, am I going to look at what I don't love, paying attention to the flaws I see; Or am I going to notice all of the beautiful things that are life giving in this season and moment?

I chose to wake up every day and work hard, but also take time to relax. I continued to eat healthy and fuel my body so I could feel my best, and have the energy needed to take care of my baby; But I also enjoyed treats in moderation. I focused on nourishing my body, nourishing my baby, and getting stronger one day at a time; And I continued to practice balance, and focus on the things that are truly LIFE giving in every moment.

{10 months postpartum, when I started to feel like I had most of my strength back}

Where Am I Now? I was about five pounds above my usual weight when we conceived, and then I gained an additional twenty five pounds during my pregnancy. Within a few months of giving birth I lost a lot of weight pretty quickly, leaving me with about 10-15 lbs above the weight I was when I got pregnant.

Five of those pounds started to come off slowly but surely when Maddie was about 6 months old. It was around this time that I was able to start reigning in my nutrition a little more, and increase my workouts a bit. These changes happened pretty naturally because she was nursing a little less frequently ( because of the introduction of solids), which meant my appetite and hormones were starting to find a new balance; Sleep was also looking a lot more consistent around that time, which are all very big factors when it comes to weight loss. The last five pounds didn't come off until I started to wean her from nursing, so really, this occurred in the past month or two.

Which brings me to another big lesson learned. Every woman's body handles breastfeeding and weight loss a little differently. For me, my body held on to those last five pounds, almost as a "safety" reserve of fat stores until it knew I didn't need it to feed my baby. And again, when I stopped nursing and my hormones balanced out, I was finally able to reach my pre-pregnancy "happy weight" again.

My happy weight is the weight I was at before I got pregnant that allowed me to be fit, enjoy food, and feel my best. I can honestly say that one year after giving birth, I am there. It didn't take any extreme measures, but rather consistent small changes over time. The best part about reaching my goal in a reasonable way is that I don't have to keep up any drastic measures to maintain it!

{Celebrating my 33 birthday just a week before Maddie turned one}

What I Learned about Losing the "Baby Weight": When it comes to losing weight after having a baby there are so many variables to consider. Pre-conception and pregnancy eating and fitness habits and weight, breastfeeding, sleep, stress, hormones, genetics, birth experience, and the type of birth can all have an impact on recovery and weight loss.

And even beyond the scale, there is so much to take into consideration after our bodies grow a baby for nearly 10 months! To begin, our bodies are wired to store at least 8 lbs of body fat while pregnant as a "reserve" to feed our new babies. Our abdominal muscles have taken a major toll, and many of us (including myself), have had some degree of ab separation due to the weight of a baby pushing on them for nine months. The lower portion of our stomachs tend to hold onto fat and look bloated due to water retention from shifting of hormones. And the list goes on! Now you can see why I continue to stress how important it is to give our bodies the time they need to recover, and find a new place of balance.

In addition, I have known for years that we can never fully rely on a scale to tell us where we are as far as health goes...and this journey has proven that once again! My weight may be back to where it was pre-pregnancy, however, I am a different person now than I was two years ago. Physically, mentally, and emotionally I am stronger today after becoming a mom. I can also say that I have more appreciation for my body and feel stronger than ever after running this race with patient endurance! A scale could never prove or show any of that; And that to me is what truly counts! Because at the end of the day, whether we have loose skin, a saggy chest, stretch marks, or scars, I believe we can see these things as a beautiful badge of honor for bringing the next generation into the world!

{At 10 Months Postpartum I felt more like "myself"}

{Maddie at 11 months on Mothers Day}

The Most Important Thing I Could Share: Make the decision from the very beginning, (even before you give birth if you can) to view working out and eating healthy as a way to "feel" better and fuel your body in order to care for the new life entrusted to you! Be patient, knowing the weight will come off but those precious moments with your newborn won't.

As hard as it was, I must have told myself hundreds of times in the past year, just be patient Katie! "Slow and steady wins the race!" And really, isn't this true about everything as it pertains to being a mom and life in general!?! There is so much to learn, but if we are patient with ourselves and our babies, we will experience the fullness of the life around us rather than get overwhelmed and burdened by all of the new changes.

Don't put so much pressure on yourself. You may spend way more time than you ever thought on the couch nursing your baby, snuggling your baby, or just resting, but its OK! Learn to embrace sitting there with your little one, because they will only be that small for a short time! Life is all about seasons and as hard as it is to believe, a part of you will miss this season one day, so enjoy it while it lasts!

And last but not least, remember that the key to any transformation is small changes and consistency. Drastic diets backfire, as they will always leave you feeling deprived. Workout plans that leave you feeling drained often do more harm than good. Don't give into the pressure of "getting your body back" so much that it was takes away from your joy of becoming a new mom! Any time you are tempted to rush the process, remember, your body has just performed a miracle. It created a life! Give it as much love and grace as you would to the very baby you are holding! xo Katie