some days you feel like screaming

Friday felt like I had the WHOLE world on my shoulders. I'm not usually the type of person to get stressed but I can very easily feel overwhelmed. I had a very challenging week where my husband was away on business, Eden what having a VERY (understatement) challenging week and my puppy was going through an 'I'm going to test everything' phase. Each element alone is fine, even two parts combined is OK, but three all in one week......and I'm a mess!!

I was trying to dry my hair in the bathroom and Eden is doing her usual empty the bathroom cabinet whilst my husband is down stairs...and that was it....I picked her up....stormed downstairs....and threw her at my husband (ok not literally, that would be child/husband abuse)....went back upstairs and sobbed my little heart out. My hair never got dried that day!

It happens even to the best of us. We ALLLLL have them, some once a week and some once a year. I never really thought about how to change these episodes until now. But it really is useful for your mental health and well-being to put systems in place to help you out when you feel like 'LIFE' is getting too much. Even if it isn't depression the Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.ca) has some really useful information about looking after your mental health.

Here is what I learned;

  1. Have a good support system. This could be friends, extended family, neighbors and of course your husband (when he is there)
  2. Have food available in the freezer for easy access. When times are tough and you REALLY don't feel like cooking, have a couple back up meals in the freezer waiting.
  3. Schedule activities in the week. For this week I had very few plans which meant I sat around the house feeling sorry for myself.
  4. Sleep. Whether it be a nap during the day or going to bed extra early, just make sure you get what you need to recharge for the next day.
  5. Indulge yourself. This could be something as small as having a coffee in a coffee shop, going for a pedicure or having a nice long bath while everyone is sleeping.

Next week is another challenging week for me so I have hired some help (my mother-in-law), planned some alone time and prepared some quick and easy meals I can make when time is a challenge.

I hope this help all you mamas feel 'normal' and give you some tools to fight through the tough times. If you're a new mom and it seems like more than just feeling low/overwhelmed talk to someone. There is help out there.

“Its natural for new parents to experience mood swings, feeling joyful one minute and depressed the next. These feelings are sometimes known as the ‘baby blues,’ and often go away soon after birth. However, some parents may experience a deep and ongoing depression that last much longer. This is called postpartum depression.”
— http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/postpartum-depression

Yours in health, Lucy.

stroller exercise

Its the new BIG thing, exercising with your stroller. There are bootcamps popping up all over the place. I am loving how more and more is available for the moms out there! The great thing about stroller workouts is it enables busy moms to workout while the baby is content all snuggled up in their stroller. The benefits are that the movement rocks, relaxes and may even put baby to sleep. But you don't need to go to a specific class to get the benefits. I know for me I struggled fitting in a whole class into my day, not to mention getting there on time! What with the constant feeding and the exploding diapers, I never made it out on time!

Luckily your stroller can go anywhere, anytime! I use to LOVE going out for a walk in the morning while the air was fresh and I still had energy. I listened to the birds singing and watched the squirrels running around. While i was on my walks, I wouldn't STROLL I would walk at a decent pace adding in a few extra moves along the way.

Instead of stressing about fitting in a class (unless that's what you like) follow these simple yet effective moves with your stroller to become fit, buff and strong!

  • Forward facing squat with abduction
  • Alternating Lunge with a kickback
  • Side facing squat
  • Jogging butt kicks**
  • Low side shuffle
  • Forward jumps**

Aim to do about 20 reps for each exercise and repeat three times during your walk. Focus on holding your core tight throughout the exercises, inhale on the lower and exhale on the LIFT!

**If you have any form of pelvic floor dysfunction please modify the exercises. No jump squats (just walking squats) and no jogging butt kicks (again just walking butt kicks) until you are fully healed and can withstand a jumping action

Happy Workouts, ENJOY!!!

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime

postpartum exercise, how much should I do?

So you have been given the green light by your health care provider, yey I can exercise again. But the question is how long should I workout for?? This answer is going to be different for everyone. There are so many factors to include like, how often did you exercise pre pregnancy/throughout your pregnancy, did you have a ‘normal delivery’ or are you managing to get some (if any) sleep. All these things will effect what and how much you can do, don’t get me wrong they are not excuses NOT to workout though.

My main advice I give new/existing clients is start small and build up to a longer session. Sometimes even a 10min workout is all you can manage, and that is FINE! You still did something right?? Your body has been through so much it’s going to take time to return to what you could do before. It took 9 months to get your body to where it is now, don’t expect miracles overnight.

My biggest challenge with postpartum exercise was when the hell am I gonna fit it in?? Eden is eating EVERY 2 hrs (sometimes only 1.5hrs). So quick and easy was the key for me!! Although looking back, my life with her was one huge workout! She never let me stand still….I’m still getting flash backs of the drop squats I had to do to put her to sleep at 2am, and swinging the car seat so high I thought she would fly out! The store bought swings didn’t cut it with this one!

The ideal situation is that you build up to doing 30 minutes of moderate/high intensity five times per week. If you prefer to combine the 30 mins into an hour (if you have a whole hour spare) then that’s fine too.

“After having a baby, it is recommended that you get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week.”
— american congress of obstetricians and gynecologists

Try this little 15 min workout to get you started, suitable for women with Diastasis Recti/Pelvic floor dysfunction;

Do each exercise for 60 seconds rest and repeat x3 (rest when needed, even in the middle of an exercise). This is just the beginning of your journey…..don’t push too hard you are still healing.

Standing Side Leg Raises (30 secs per side)

Alternating Bird/Dogs

Wall/Stair Push Up

Glute Bridge      

Stability Ball Squats/Chair Squats

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime

mornings in a hurry

Being a mother of a toddler and a new puppy, life can be very hectic!! Now don’t get me wrong, I am NOT complaining. But sometimes making a good breakfast can be challenging. When that is the case I make myself a green smoothie (it doesn’t have to be green). The benefit to that is that my daughter LOVES them and it’s a sure fire way to get her daily dose of yucky veggies in. Did I mention I have a very picky eater?? But that is another topic all together.

What I love about smoothies is that you don’t really need a recipe, once you get the hang of it you can add whatever you like! Here is how I build mine;

1.       Base – this can be WATER, COCONUT WATER, COCONUT MILK, DIARY FREE MILK or a WHOLE MILK (if feeding a toddler). I use approx. 1 cup.

2.       Fiber & Omega 3s – 2 Tbsp. Flax seeds, hemp hearts or chia seeds. You can even add a fish oil supplement at this point if you wish. Just make sure it is toddler safe (i.e. not too strong)

3.       Greens – 1 cup of greens. This could be spinach or kale just make sure it is ORGANIC as they have a high concentrate of pesticides. I sometimes add a greens powder for added nutrients.

4.       Fruit – I use a mix of fresh and frozen fruit, approx. ¾ cup of low sugar fruit like berries or ½ cup of medium sugar fruit like pineapple and mango. NOTE: if I am going to the gym/working out at home right after I will use a banana and some nut butter for extra sustainability.

Blend and enjoy!

If you are drinking these smoothies alone (no toddler/baby) then you can also add some protein powder, but I do not recommend adding it if you are going to share with a little person. It is best to provide their protein intake with ‘real’ food rather than a supplement. It is easy to add in at the end if you want to do both, just serve them theirs first then stir in some protein for you. But to be honest, I’m a fan of eating my protein rather than drinking it. There is enough slow release energy in these smoothies with the flax/hemp/chia that you don’t need to worry too much about protein.