It’s been a while since I’ve written about pregnancy —the beauty woven into it, the challenges wrapped tightly around it, and the complicated decision of whether to do it again or pass the torch. Without diving too deep into personal waters, I’ll say this: family planning is no small feat. Pregnancy and fitness are no small feat either.
When is the right time to dive back into the thick of it—diapers, disrupted sleep, and the all-consuming love of early parenthood? What if your career is just taking off? What if you’re moving, planning a big trip, organizing a wedding, or chasing new opportunities? It’s a conversation that often feels less like a decision and more like mental gymnastics.
My fiancé and I are at that pivotal moment—to plan or not to plan. I’m starting my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy this August, we’re getting married in June 2026, and I’m laying the groundwork for a new career. So, no—the timing doesn’t feel ideal. But that doesn’t silence the biological pull. That quiet, persistent urge to expand our family still hums beneath the surface.
Lately, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about pregnancy again—what it means, what it takes, and what it gives back.
The thought of re-entering that phase brings up a rush of emotions. I remember the postpartum weakness, the disconnection I felt from my body, the sadness that settled in after my first attempts at running or strength training. The feeling of being slow. Empty. Drained.
Pregnancy and Fitness
Now, 19 months postpartum, I finally feel strong again. I feel fast, capable, and powerful in my body. I feel rested—well, as rested as a parent can be while our little ones are still under our roof. And yes, it’s daunting to think of losing that. Of stepping backward—again.
But here’s the shift I’ve been sitting with: pregnancy isn’t just loss of fitness—it’s also potential.
The potential to become something new, someone deeper. The strength gained while growing a human. The patience, the adaptability, the functional power. The resilience. It’s not just about what’s taken—it’s about what’s built.
So maybe, just maybe, pregnancy isn’t a setback. It’s a rebuilding season—one layered with quiet strength, surrender, and surprising gains. Let’s consider all the greatness intertwined with pregnancy.
Redefining Progress
Before pregnancy, progress might have looked like PRs, visible abs, or chasing a faster mile time. During pregnancy, progress takes on a new form – it’s about maintaining mobility and strength. Listening to your body and learning how to accept your body’s changing needs. Remember that ~train smarter~ line? Yeah, during pregnancy you take that to heart – you learn the value of rest, adaptation and being present with what your body can do today.
Building Functional Strength
Pregnancy highlights why we train in the first place: to move well, feel strong, and support our bodies through life’s demands. Carrying a growing baby, adapting to shifting posture, and preparing for labor—these are not small things.
Training during pregnancy gives you a front-row seat to functional fitness in action. Movements like squats carries, and deep core work aren’t just exercises—they’re tools. Tools for easing the inevitable back pain, supporting pelvic health, and setting the stage for birth and postpartum recovery.
Mental Resilience
Pregnancy challenges your identity as an athlete or active person. It humbles you. But in that humility is power. You become more attuned to your body, more aware of your internal cues, and more flexible (mentally and emotionally) than you ever thought possible.
That’s not weakness. That’s resilience.
Postpartum – The comeback
After pregnancy, fitness takes on another new shape. There’s no “bouncing back,” but there is rebuilding—with intention, with strength, and with a deeper connection to your body. Pregnancy and fitness can co-exist.
You may have to start slow, but you start with wisdom. You’ve been through something powerful. Every lunge, every lift, every breath is an act of reclaiming your strength—and in many ways, of rewriting what strength even means.
For me, I’ve felt stronger than I ever have. I’m not the fastest, but I am the strongest. I move with confidence. I train with intention. I’ve developed a deeper understanding of balance. And yes—it took time. Time to accept that the person I was pre-baby wasn’t better… she just had more time and less responsibility.
I’m pretty damn proud of this new version of me.
So, Is Pregnancy a Setback?
Not even close.
It’s an invitation—to move with more intention, to train with more purpose, and to redefine fitness not as a linear pursuit, but as a lifelong relationship with your body.
Pregnancy doesn’t take you off the path. It deepens it.– Pregnancy and fitness are opportunities.