Getting pregnant is a wonderful experience but it can be accompanied by an extreme mix of emotions. The thought of having a baby growing inside of you is very exciting, while not knowing what to expect can be very scary. Questions that may run through your head will be: Will I ever look the same after pregnancy? How am I going to stay in shape? Is exercise safe for my baby? As living proof, I can assure you the answer is Yes. In this article I will discuss how I exercised throughout my pregnancy and got my body back in record time after a Caesarian section, which is major abdominal surgery.

As a fitness trainer and nutritionist, living an active healthy lifestyle has always been important to me. Prior to my pregnancy I worked out regularly with kettlebells to stay strong and lean. It is definitely beneficial to be in the best shape possible before becoming pregnant. You can still start exercising during pregnancy even if you have not been active prior, but I would recommend easing in to a safe program with a doctor’s approval.



During my first trimester of pregnancy, I felt very sluggish at times and had horrible cravings for starchy carbohydrates, although I luckily never felt nauseas. I noticed that when I did exercise my energy and mood increased tremendously. Even if it was just a 20-minute walk, my mood and energy would improve. My workouts during this time were very similar to what I had been doing before getting pregnant, except I took more rest and closely monitored my heart rate with a heart rate monitor. Here is a sample program of what I did during my first trimester with kettlebells. I would only recommend someone to follow this if they were already doing a workout that was at this level and experiencing no pregnancy complications.

Swings 12kg 30x3
Single Leg Dead Lifts 2 12kg's 6x3
Over head press 12kg 8x3 on each arm
Push ups on Kettlebells 10x3
Lat Pull Down 60lb 10x3
Snatches 12kg 15x3 on each arm

I would take rests as needed if my heart rate got exceedingly high. Normally if I do snatches or swings my heart rate gets between 160-180 bpm. As long as it came down quickly I would continue with the workout.

In my second trimester I had to lower the intensity of my workout program. Pressurized breathing is unsafe for the baby, so I needed to start going a little lighter with my workouts. I had to convince myself that my goals were different at this time—I had to stop thinking about getting stronger and focus on maintaining and moving regularly. After 20 weeks of being pregnant, doing any exercises on your back can be very unsafe. Turkish Get Ups and Floor Presses were definitely out of the question. Here is an example of the type of workout I did during my second trimester. I went through each exercise and rested as needed. I did this about twice a week and walked 45 minutes three times a week. Towards the very end of the second trimester I was lucky if I could get through 2 sets.

Front Squats 12kg 10x3
Overhead Press 8kg 8x3 on each arm
Push ups on KB's 5x3
Swings 8kg 20x3
Lat Pull down 50lb 10x3
Snatches 8kg 15x3 on each arm

During the third trimester, I was extremely impatient as were most of the women I’ve spoken to. I just wanted it to be over with. I was anxious to meet my baby, get my body back, and start my workouts again. With my stomach expanding like no other, I had to adjust my training completely. Around my 30th week, kettlebell snatches, swings, and squats were all I was safely able to do. I would keep kettlebell exercise reps under 5 and would use nothing heavier than the 8kg kettlebell. My main exercise at this time was walking. I found at this stage that listening to my body was the most important thing to do, and all I felt it wanted me to do was walk every day up and down hills at a comfortable pace.

By remaining active during my pregnancy I gained roughly 23 pounds while carrying a 7-pound 9-ounce baby. After giving birth, I lost 27 pounds in 4 months, and I’m now 4 pounds lighter than I used to be. The first 20 pounds came off within days of having my daughter, but I didn’t look the same as I did prior to pregnancy. My abdominals were stretched and loose from carrying such a large baby and my muscle tone was gone. My body composition had definitely changed.

In order to really get back to a physique I was happy with, I had to be very disciplined with my entire lifestyle. The last 7 pounds of fat loss were what I had to work hardest for. Since working out was not an option for 6-8 weeks after my C-section, I had to really pay attention to my nutrition. The only activity I was able to do at first was walk extremely slowly. Every step I took was very painful. I refused to take any painkillers, due to the fact I was breastfeeding and I do not like drugs in my system. As the pain in my abdominals decreased, I tried to add a couple minutes to my walk every week while slowly increasing the pace. After the first 6 weeks, I was able to gradually start a safe workout program and I was walking over a mile a day.


7 days postpartum                14 days postpartum              1 month postpartum               1 month postpartum

Below is a sample nutrition program from my first 6 weeks following giving birth. Keep in mind I was breastfeeding every 2 hours and my appetite was enormous. My body required many more starchy carbohydrates during this new lactating stage in order to get my milk established, which was the first priority. Once my body adjusted to taking care of a newborn and breastfeeding, I was slowly able to reduce the starchy carbohydrates. I now follow mostly a gluten- and diary-free diet. I am still breastfeeding, but my body has learned to regulate itself now that my milk has been established for over 6 months.

Breakfast
½ cup of Oatmeal
1 serving of a Protein Shake. (either Jay Robb or Fit 365)
½ Tbs of Flaxseed Oil
1 Cup of Green Tea

Snack
1 piece of Ezekiel Bread
1 Tbs of Almond Butter

Snack
Handful of Nuts
½ of Banana

Lunch
2 cups of Spinach
4oz of Grilled Chicken
1 tbs of Gorgonzola Cheese
1/8 cup of Walnuts
1 Tbs of Balsamic Vinaigrette

Snack
1 serving of Dried Mango Slices
Cup of Herbal Tea

Snack
1 piece of Ezekiel Bread
1 Hardboiled egg

Dinner
6oz of grilled Wild River Salmon
4-6oz of Sweet Potatoes
1/2 cup of grilled Asparagus

Snack
1/3 cup of Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1/3 cup of Nonfat Cottage Cheese

Snack
1 cup of Red Tea with a splash of Milk
1 small Apple

All the meals were roughly spaced 2 hours apart. I was hungry at every meal and felt satisfied until the next snack. By keeping the portions small I was able to help shrink my stomach down and keep my metabolism high. I also drank around 8 cups of water a day, not including tea.


11 weeks postpartum

As anxious as I was to jump right back in to my kettlebell training, I had to take a different approach due to my lack of strength and the fact that I was recovering from surgery. I would only recommend doing isolation or machine exercises for women who have had a C–section. I was still feeling a lot of discomfort in my core and was not sure if it was completely healed. In order to stay safe, the first week I focused on simple, traditional weight training, which is definitely not my favorite. By the third week back, light kettlebell training was added to my regimen. Here is a program that I felt was safe and effective for the first several weeks back. As I felt more comfortable, I would add a set and gradually decrease the rest.

Traditional Weights and Machine Day Monday and Thursday

1. Leg Press
    Assisted Pull up
    Cable Flys

2. Leg Ext
    Leg Curls

3. 
Bicep Curls
    Tricep Pull down
    Military Press

4. Back Extension
    Plank 60 sec (1 set, due to pain near incision)

Did 2 sets of each twice a week for the first several weeks.


3 months postpartum

Kettlebell Day Tuesday and Saturday

Sequence 1

Turkish Get Up 2 reps
Alternating Back Lunges 10 reps per leg
Clean and Press 6 reps each side

Sequence 2

Renegade Rows 3 reps (felt C-section incision so kept the reps low)
Kettlebell Push ups 6 reps
2 Handed Swings 20 reps

Began with 2 sets of each twice a week for the first several weeks.



By 3 months I was almost feeling and looking like myself again. My strength was coming back rapidly, but not to its former level. I used to be very strong for my size, but I worked very hard to maintain my strength. Due to lack of sleep and frequent breastfeeding, I did not have the energy to go as heavy as I used to, and I had to be realistic with my short-term goals. When just starting again, the best goals are strength, conditioning, and having more energy. You will lose weight when doing efficient fat burning workouts and eating properly. You just have to stick with it.

After the first month of working out, I was able to safely move up to the 12kg kettlebell. Here is an example of a short but challenging workout I did with kettlebells 2-3 days a week. I was also walking 2 miles while pushing a stroller up and down hills about 4 times a week.

Sequence 1

Double Suitcase Deadlift 12 reps
Push Ups on Kettlebells 10 reps
Snatches 10 reps per side

Rested at the end and repeated 3 times.

Sequence 2

Squat and Press 5 reps per side
Swings 20 reps
Plank Hold 30 seconds

Rested at the end for 1-2 minutes and repeated 3 times.

Here is an example of a workout I was doing between 4 and 5 months postpartum. I was able to do this in my backyard which made things much more convenient. All you need is a kettlebell and a jump rope to do this workout.


5 months postpartum

Sequence 1

Turkish Get Up 12kg 3 reps per side
Double Front Squat 12kg’s 5 reps
Clean and Press 12kg 5 reps per side
Swings 20kg 15 reps

Rested at the end for 1 minute and repeated 3 times

Sequence 2

Jump Rope 1 minute
Snatches 12 kg 1 minute
Swings 20 kg 30 sec

Rested at the end for 1 minute and repeated 3 times


I am very content with my physique now, considering I am still nursing. While you are breastfeeding you will lose weight, but I have discovered that the body likes to hold on to a small amount of fat in order to continue making quality milk. As of now my body weight is 111 pounds and I fluctuate between 16-18% body fat. When I stop breastfeeding it will be interesting to see how my body continues to change. For the time being kettlebell workouts, walking, and proper nutrition will be my way of continuing to improve myself.


Nearly 8 months postpartum