I thought I would mix it up a little bit this week and hand over my weekly newsletter to my best friend and partner – my wife Kailey! On Sunday she celebrated her first mother’s day as mom to Baby Miles and I thought this was the perfect opportunity for her to share the story of her health journey over the past few years…
Mother’s Day Musings…
Good morning! I have had the joy of being a stepmom to 2 busy boys for the last three years but this past Sunday was my first Mother’s Day as an official mom to 11 month old Miles! The last (almost) 2 years have been life changing and sometimes it is hard to remember what life was like before pregnancy and baby, especially in terms of my fitness, health and lifestyle choices.
‘In the old days’ I was a dedicated and accomplished multisport endurance athlete with a rigorous training and racing schedule. I was often burning the candle at both ends and was sleep deprived, run down and battled constant aches, pains and injury. I have been a dedicated patient of chiropractic for years but back then I only ever used it as a means to get out of pain… never for prevention or wellness. When I was sick, I would take cold medicine… when injured, painkillers and anti-inflammatories… when run down, lots of ColdFx, coffee and a glass or two of wine to de-stress at night.
Then one incredible day I found out I was pregnant and BAM everything changed… pregnancy and childbirth meant crazy changes to my body, I was more tired than ever before, my step sons brought home every possible bug or flu from school and I had non-stop aches and pains from pregnancy, delivery and carrying around an increasingly heavy baby! The only issue was that my go to ‘health solutions’ were all of a sudden a big No Go as I was very cautious during pregnancy and now while breastfeeding to keep my body as clean as possible for Miles. No more cold medicine, no more ColdFx, no more regular pain killers, quad venti lattes and relaxing glasses of red wine (ok maybe there is the occasional glass of wine :-)!
I had to make some big changes to how I approached health and wellness and I needed to find new ways to take care of my body. The first thing I did in pregnancy was commit to regular chiropractic adjustments… I also had to really focus on supporting my health at the most basic and natural level: drinking lots of water, getting as much sleep as I could, taking a few minutes each day to meditate, eating healthy and trying my best to get regular exercise and fresh air, even for a few minutes a day. Now when I feel a tickle in my throat, I don’t take drugs, I drink as much hot water/lemon/honey mugs as I can, I try to bring my stress level down and I make sure to eat healthy and sleep.
It is pretty incredible… since the beginning of my pregnancy I have been sick twice – both times this past winter during cold/flu season… and both times my cold has been much more mild than I thought it would be. My aches and pains are pretty much gone… my regular adjustments address all the stiffness that builds up with carrying a baby on my hip and falling asleep at strange angles with a baby on my chest. My daily meditation helps me manage stress which in turn helps me sleep better (I can’t afford to toss and turn during the precious hours that Miles actually sleeps!). Miles and I also make sure to get outside every day… sometimes for a run or long power walk, other times for a slow stroll around the block. Regardless, the fresh air and movement essential for my balance and happiness.
In the coming months I will stop breastfeeding and then will be free to put anything I like into my body and I could easily revert back to my old ways of managing my health. The amazing thing is that I am not planning on changing a thing! Ok… well I might up my coffee and wine intake at some point – but other than that… I love that I have learned how incredible my body is at healing itself. All I need to do is support it with healthy choices and regular adjustments and in turn, my body will take care of me and give me the health and energy I need to be an active and engaged wife, mother and stepmom!
