Before having Kailo, I was used to training with structure.
I’ve spent years coaching, competing, managing fitness teams, mentoring PTs and building my own coaching business. Training has been part of my routine for a long time, but it has also been part of my identity.
After having a baby, that relationship changed. Not because training became less important. If anything, it became even more important for my mind, my body and my sense of self.
But the way I trained, recovered and measured progress had to change completely.
This is not a bounce-back story. It is about learning to train in a different season of life.
This is my own experience. Every birth, recovery and postpartum journey is different. If you’re returning to training after birth, follow medical guidance and speak to your doctor, midwife, pelvic health physio or a qualified pre/postnatal coach if you’re unsure.
Postpartum felt more sudden than pregnancy
During pregnancy, the changes felt gradual. My body changed week by week, and I adapted with it.
Postpartum felt much more abrupt. You’re recovering from birth, adapting to life with a newborn and dealing with a body that has changed dramatically in a short space of time.
The bump was gone. My weight distribution had changed. My biomechanics felt different. The joint laxity from pregnancy hormones was still there.
I expected training to feel different, but it still felt strange. In the beginning, every session felt like I was relearning my body.
When I went back to the gym
I went back to the gym in my third week postpartum.
That will not be right for everyone. It was right for me because I had a straightforward labour and felt ready to try.
I didn’t jump straight back in. In the first two weeks, even a modest step count would exhaust me. Before going back to the gym, I wanted to be able to walk over 10,000 steps in a day without feeling completely wiped out.
That gave me a useful marker that my body was ready for a little more.
When I did go back, I went in with zero expectations. I knew I couldn’t expect my body to perform the way it had before pregnancy, but knowing that didn’t make it easy.
Mentally, it was challenging. I knew how important it was to make time for myself and do something I love, but I also felt guilty being away from Kailo for too long.
Even when you know training is good for you, taking time for yourself as a new mum can feel complicated.
Training around a newborn
Before motherhood, I could go into the gym with a plan and expect to finish it.
Now, it depends.
If Kailo is with me, his mood can decide how long I actually have. Some days I might get through one or two key movements. Some days I might manage a short conditioning piece. Some days the win is just getting into the gym.
That has changed how I judge a good session. Before, I would have pushed to finish every item on my programme. Now, I’m happier if I leave having done a few things well.
One or two key movements can be enough. Fifteen or 20 focused minutes can be enough. Changing the plan once I’m there can still be a successful session.
It is not lowering standards. It is being realistic about the stage of life I’m in.
What surprised me physically
I expected my strength and fitness to feel different after birth, but what surprised me was how much the everyday demands of motherhood affected my body.
The first two months postpartum were especially hard on my upper back and shoulders. I spent much more time breastfeeding and holding Kailo than I expected, and I really felt the effect on my posture and mobility.
It is not just about what happens in the gym. It is feeding, carrying, rocking, lifting, bending, broken sleep and long periods in positions your body might not be used to.
All of that affects how you feel when you train.
For me, the early stage was not about chasing performance. It was about rebuilding awareness, restoring movement and respecting how much my body was already doing every day.
Relearning my body
One of the hardest parts was feeling like my body was not fully my own.
Movements that used to feel automatic needed more thought. Positions felt different. Recovery was harder to predict. Sleep changed everything.
Even with my coaching background, it still took patience. Postpartum training was not just a lighter version of my old programme. It was a process of rebuilding trust with my body.
You do not need to prove you can train like you did before. You need to give yourself space to rebuild in a way that makes sense now.
What progress looks like now
Training is still incredibly important to me. It is how I look after my mind and body so I can show up for Kailo as a happy, present and resilient mum.
But my definition of progress has changed.
Before motherhood, progress might have meant more weight, more volume, more work completed or a full programme ticked off exactly as planned.
Now, progress looks different. It might be one strong lift, a few focused sets, stopping before I do too much, or staying consistent across a messy week.
The work still matters. It just looks different.
My advice for new mums returning to training
1. Do not compare yourself
Every pregnancy, birth and recovery is different. Do not compare your progress to anyone else, or even to your pre-pregnancy self.
You are in a different chapter now.
2. Set a minimum effective dose
A session does not need to be long to count. Fifteen to 20 minutes can be enough to keep momentum, move well and do something for yourself.
That is often more useful than waiting for the perfect hour-long window that might never come.
3. Have a plan, but be ready to change it
I still like going into the gym with an idea of what I want to do, but I also accept that the plan might change once I’m there.
The baby’s mood, sleep, feeding, recovery and energy can all affect the session. Flexibility is not a lack of discipline. At this stage, it is what makes consistency possible.
4. Do not be too hard on yourself
Some days, the win is just showing up.
Training after birth is not about proving a point. It is about rebuilding slowly and sustainably.
What motherhood has taught me about training
Motherhood has changed how I think about training, progress and performance.
Training moves in seasons. Each chapter asks for a different focus, and that is not a setback. It is progression in a new direction.
For me, this season is about shorter sessions, fewer expectations, more flexibility and understanding that consistency still counts, even when it looks different.
I’m not chasing the same version of better anymore. Right now, better is showing up when I can. It is rebuilding slowly, making space for myself without guilt and learning that strength is not always about doing more. Sometimes it is about adapting.