I have always wanted to be a mom. I non stop tell my friends, family, co-workers and really anyone else who will listen, that I have the wildest sense of baby fever. Ya sure, dogs are cute … but a baby being pushed around in a stroller or being held by mum, simply cannot be beat. 

 

Despite all of the superficial excitement I have to one day have a child of my own, I also know that it is not an easy undertaking. That the adorable factor also comes with lots of work, dedication and patience to let go of parts of your identity. Having to change your entire life to focus solely on raising a tiny human. What happens to all of your other hobbies? And let's not forget the toll that carrying a child takes on your body and its ability to perform, train and be your athletic self. 

 

I am always blown away when I read about professional female athletes who have come back from having a child. Sheryl Swoopes debuted in the WNBA’s inaugural season, in 1997, just six weeks after giving birth. SIX WEEKS!

 

The WNBA, shockingly, only introduced full parental leave 2 years ago! Which I could go on and on about .. but the point of today’s article is that Moms are SUPERHEROES. 

Last year I had the privilege of interviewing my own mom about her experiences raising two kids who played sports more than we slept. It was our passion (my sister and I) and we were lucky to have a mom who supported us unequivocally. 

 

This year I wanted to provide a different perspective. One from the eyes of new moms. I reached out to two friends and first time moms, here is a bit about them: 

 

Rachelle started playing sports when she was 6 years old and throughout her life has competed in hockey, baseball and softball. She played at the collegiate level and then represented Ontario in the National Baseball Championships winning a gold, silver and multiple bronze medals over the years. She has spent time coaching and is now also mum to a 1 year old boy named Weston. 

 

Lexie is a runner! For Lexie, running is like medicine - it's her natural stress reliever, sleep aid and endorphine builder. This has led Lexie to completing 4 half marathons and is motivating her to run a full marathon in the next year. Lexie is also mom to a 10 month old baby boy, Asher. 

 

The first question I posed to them was:

 

What was the hardest part of becoming a mom who also had athletic goals? 

 

“Being a mama isn't the hardest thing but learning who you are as a mama is. My identity was wrapped up in being a mum and I wasn’t me anymore. I couldn’t find time for myself… I was on call 24/7,” Rachelle. 

 

TIME! There are only 1440 minutes in a day, which seems like a lot but if you are a new mom like Rachelle and “have a small human who needed me to survive.” You come to realize that time runs out pretty quickly. 

 

And how do you take time for yourself? Or even feel like yourself? 

 

She mentioned that working out took a backseat to Weston’s needs but then also her own - like getting sleep! 

 

Both Lexie and Rachelle echoed that their workout routines look a lot different now.
“The meaning of athleticism has changed; it is much more integrated in my day to day. I never realized how heavy a car seat is and how much maneuvering it in and out of the car can make you sweat!” - Lexie. 

 

Accepting that it will take months to participate in the same kind of exercise or pursue the same athletic goals you are used to in itself sounds difficult. But with an open mind, Lexie has adapted to find new activities she enjoys, “I have learnt to love walking, Asher loves the fresh air and walking has become my primary form of exercise now.” 

 

Accepting the impact that pregnancy has on your body, identity, time and exercise routines are all challenges that new moms face. 

 

So naturally my next question was - how do you balance both priorities - being a mom and being your athletic self? Which I acknowledge now, may not be a fair question to pose at all. Rachelle really put this into perspective for me. 

 

“I think the main thing to know is you have a bunch of balls in the air, some are plastic and some are glass. The important thing to know is which are plastic and won't break if you drop them, and which are glass and need to be kept in the air. “

 

For example: picking the kids up from daycare - glass 

Forgetting to take something out for dinner and picking up a pizza instead - plastic. 

 

“Each week I plan out who is doing what, and what for that week is glass vs. plastic. Laundry, cleaning, groceries, cooking etc.” - Rachelle 

 

Lexie explained that it is a process. “Balance is something I am still learning. I try to use my breaks to workout but I am also trying to be gentle on myself. My day to day is exhausting! So listening to my body is my top priority.” So managing your time, finding your identity, accepting different a different routine are all lessons these moms shared with me.

 

There is another important message I took away from speaking to Rachelle. “I want to normalize that you don’t have to be happy about how your body looks post baby, but you should respect what it has done. My body has done something pretty awesome! I can grow a human, push that human out of me and hit home runs! That is pretty freaking awesome!” 

 

Both of these women are athletes, have successful careers, and are amazing moms. Their lives have changed a lot in the last year but as Rachelle said, “I have stretch marks, cellulite, bigger legs and wider hips but that does not change who I am or what I am capable of.” 

 

And Lexie, in a few words, made it very clear that she is not allowing the title of “mom” to hold her back from crushing her athletic pursuits.

 

“I am planning to do another half marathon in the fall and a full marathon next year!” 

 

To all of you amazing, strong, relentless new moms out there. You are not alone! Your little ones are lucky to have you and you owe it to yourself to find your joy through sport, exercise and fitness again. In your own, new way! 

 

Happy Mothers Day. 

Written by: Sarah Saftich