 After many years of discussion about having another child my husband and I couldn’t come to an agreement. He was adamant we were done, while I always hoped for another baby. Fate intervened, and we found out I was pregnant in January of 2021. My original due date was Sept 11th. We found out we were going to have a baby girl in May and were so excited! Molly was thrilled to become a big sister. My pregnancy was uneventful, I was able to continue teaching my fitness classes throughout. I was nervous to give birth again after my traumatic emergency c-section with Molly. I had to make a choice whether to try for a VBAC or a planned c-section. My OB and I decided to plan for a VBAC but I would be closely monitored throughout my pregnancy.
The morning of Wednesday August 4th I taught Stroller Strong at 10am outside – it was a hot day and I was not feeling great. After getting home from class I relied on screen time to entertain Molly and just relaxed on the couch. I actually posted an insta story that the baby was kicking my butt with cramps at around 2pm. Cramps – which I think were actually contractions were consistently 5 minutes apart all afternoon. My husband got home from work around 5:30pm and I told him I thought we should go to the hospital just to check out the cramps and make sure everything was okay. I wasn’t due for 5 more weeks and we thought it was likely pre-term labour. We did not have anything ready for baby #2, so we just assumed this was a minor thing to deal with, and we would likely be home soon. I called Erin, my good friend and neighbour to see if Molly could stay there while we went to hospital, as with Covid restrictions kids were not allowed. I was supposed to be teaching a Bootcamp class at 7:30pm so had to email my class last minute to cancel, as I wasn’t sure what exactly was happening! I made a quick breakfast wrap to eat before we went to hospital, as this mama had to eat! We dropped Molly off at Erin’s on the way, and it was emotional! I just did not feel ready and did not know what was happening. We packed an overnight bag for Moll just in case as we weren’t sure how long we would be and it was 6:30pm when we dropped her off. After we arrived at the hospital I was sent to assessment. They put a monitor on baby and we just hung out for ages while I contracted. Our baby’s heartbeat was good, we just weren’t sure if I was in pre-term labour or active labour. Eventually my cervix was checked and I was 2-3cm dilated and 75% effaced. I was still having contractions 5 mins apart so I got admitted to the hospital overnight. They gave me IV fluids to help slow down contractions, which didn’t seem to help much. Baby’s heart rate was really good, the nurses would always comment how good she was doing which was nice to know. Richard decided to head home for the night so at least one of us got some sleep. I had painful contractions all night 5 mins apart so got no sleep. Thankfully the Summer Olympics were on to keep me entertained! J Thursday August 5th rolled around and I was not a happy camper. I was tired, in pain and to top it off they wouldn’t let me eat all night and morning– I was extremely hangry to say the least!! I eventually got my cervix checked again and was still only 2-3 cm dilated. Eventually they gave me morphine and let me eat which was a lifesaver, and also helped with the pain so I could nap a bit which I desperately needed. Richard picked up Molly from Erin’s that morning and my mom was on the road from Manitoba to come and watch Molly. When my mom arrived that afternoon Richard brought me some toiletries and snacks. He hung out for a bit and then went home as nothing seemed to be changing. Then my contractions picked up, they tried to give me Tylenol but my contractions were getting stronger and the Tylenol wasn’t cutting it. The doctor checked me again and I was dilated 7/8 cm so baby was on its way! Dr. Tyson was on call , and was really nice. She knew about my previous traumatic birth experience so was very reassuring. I broke down into tears when I realized this was it – baby was coming! I was scared after my last birth and also that my baby was 5 weeks early so I didn’t feel ready. She told me I was going to have a nice little VBAC, with a small baby J and that definitely helped me feel better. We also had an amazing nurse named Haley. Once I realized babe was coming I called Richard to come back around 10pm – he was gaming and like “so, what do you want me to do?”? ? “Hello! Get your butt over here man!”. They moved me to a delivery room, and when Richard came all he brought was a hoody which I thought was pretty funny – nothing for me or baby :p. I thankfully got an epidural around midnight which helped with most of the pain. We thought I might get some rest so we both tried to sleep. Didn’t happen. Contractions weren’t going any faster and they were going to give me something to get labour moving more quickly. Then I stood up to go to the bathroom and water broke – contractions picked up and things were happening! This random med student (male) came in to ask if he could attend the birth. We said yes, but after he left our nurse said we didn’t have to let him, and that she would tell him. When he came back Richard said we didn’t want him there. (After our last birth having a resident there did not feel right. Especially this random dude who just showed up.) Contractions kept coming but I didn’t feel the pressure to push and was nervous after what happened with Molly – pushing when I wasn’t ready. Since baby’s heart rate was doing great they let me wait it out. Every time someone came in to check heart rate they were amazed at how great she was doing J Dr. Tyson & Dr. Martel both came back periodically to check in. I was in Dr. Martel’s section but she was super busy with lots of babies being born. Eventually I started feeling pressure and felt the need to push, around 4:40am. Dr. Tyson had a female resident with her, we told her we preferred no residents but she said she needed the hands as they were so busy so she stayed. I pushed like a bastard, legs up, everyone cheering me on. It was hard and also strange with the epidural because I couldn’t really feel it. Finally, at 4:59am, with my last push I pushed so hard Tessa shot out and all the fluids gushed out. Dr. Tyson had to catch her and said that never happened to her before! Strong mom right here! They put Tessa on me straight away which never happened with Molly so we knew she was okay. Then the NICU team took her to check her out and wrap her up, after which got to hold her again. Baby T was 5 lbs, 7oz, exactly 1 pound smaller than Molly! I needed to get stitched up which took quite a while and needed both Dr. Martel & Dr. Tyson. They had a bit of trouble but eventually got it done. I was able to have a shower after which felt amazing. We went down to see Tessa in NICU and she was doing well and breathing on her own as of 10am that morning. I was discharged that evening and started the pumping every 3 hours regime. Tessa needed to gain some weight and get her bilirubin levels up. She needed the bili blanket a few times but recovered quickly. It was tough for Molly not getting to see her sister, as we went to see T twice a day every day. She was able to come home after 6 days. Now she’s a giant thriving baby who is SO loved.
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Let's talk ski pants mamas…
For the past few years I've had the same pair of waterproof pants - they are way too long, not lined, and too tight. They continually ride down my bum, leaving me with a cold ass, or snow down my pants. I finally decided to treat myself to warm bib snowpants this year! After some trials & tribulations which you may have seen in my stories - I found these sexy beasts! These fit my mom tum, and my booty. Also a great price point - $55! They are a bit long as are most things on me but totally doable to cuff. I will try to get them hemmed soon, thanks to some recommendations from you lovelies. I learned about these snowpants from a couple of amazing moms who messaged me on social media. (Have I mentioned my community is awesome??) The only downfall is they are off Amazon. But at least I will now have a cozy bum and tum when we head out and enjoy the winter! Moms you deserve to have winter gear that fits and is comfortable. It makes getting outside and playing with your kids way more enjoyable. If this post speaks to you - treat yo self! Click link below to purchase!!  We NEED to spread the word on Pelvic Floor Health. Things have gotten so much better in terms of awareness, but education on women's health and their bodies needs to be shouted from the rooftops! The Pelvic Floor is the foundation of our bodies. "A woman's pelvic floor muscles support her bladder, womb (uterus) and bowel (colon). The urine tube (front passage), the vagina and the back passage all pass through the pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor muscles help you to control your bladder and bowel. They also help sexual function." [1] So yup - pretty important!
Historically pelvic floor dysfunction has become common, and often joked about - "I can't jump on the trampoline because I've had a baby." "I pee when I sneeze." "Oh my back is sore - that's just how your body is after you have a baby." So many generations of women have had to rely on pantyliners, depends or pose pads due to urine leakage. Their quality of life lowered, not being able to participate in activities they love due to incontinence or pain. Be sure to let your older female relatives know that Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy exists and it is never too late! Incontinence is NOT normal, back pain, painful sex can all be addressed with pelvic floor physiotherapy. Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction [2]:
Most pelvic floor dysfunction conditions are a result of pelvic floor muscles either being too weak (hypotonicity) or too tight (hypertonicity). Pelvic floor muscles often become hypotonic or hypertonic because of:
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction is not limited to women who've had a baby, men and women who haven't conceived can also be affected! When should you see a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist?? It is never too early or too late. I recommend seeing one in pregnancy and following up early postpartum. During pregnancy a physio can help determine if you are doing kegels properly, if you have any alignment or postural issues, and provide a wealth of education on your body. I've had clients who were dealing with back pain for many years - with the help of pelvic floor physio they were finally able to feel better! Many times issues can be corrected with breathing and alignment strategies. Typically, we never receive any education or awareness on proper alignment, technique or breathing at any stage, so our whole society in general has pretty bad alignment and breathing. As moms we often become martyrs and never take time for ourselves. We suffer through pain and soldier on, saying we are too busy to book the appointment. You guys we NEED to advocate for ourselves, and OUR bodies. So we can be strong, healthy and feel confident getting back to the activities we know and love. Head over to our resources page for local Saskatoon Physios. And PLEASE spread the word - tell your grandma's, your aunts, your moms and friends. Let's take back our bodies and women's health - you have nothing to be ashamed of. References [1] https://www.continence.org.au/pages/pelvic-floor-women.html [2] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14459-pelvic-floor-dysfunction [3] https://www.closingthegap.ca/guides/pelvic-floor-dysfunction-the-signs-symptoms-and-treatments/ Let's talk bravery. I did something pretty brave on the weekend. We went to the Youth Farm Corn Maze in Rosthern and it was super fun. (It's on until the end of the month so check it out if you can.) Anyway they had a couple rock climbing walls so we hooked Molly up and she had a go which lasted about a minute. 😆 Then my husband tried to convince me to go. And I was scared. Of falling, failing, trying something new. The man running the activity said he's always trying to convince parents to try because they are often so consumed by their children succeeding and being brave they forget they can be brave too. ❤️ I said I used to be brave before I was a mom. And I don't do brave things anymore. 😔 So I climbed the wall. And I got to the top 💪 and felt super strong and badass I realized that was total bullshit. I am brave all the frickin' time. Bravery is leaving the house with your tiny baby for the first time. Bravery is joining a Mom&Baby class where you don't know anyone and putting yourself out there. Bravery is starting your own business. Bravery is going on a solo road trip with your toddler. It's funny how before kids to me bravery was mostly physical strength - playing rugby, doing adventure runs, moving to new places. But do you know how brave moms are?? Birthing a baby is brave. Surviving the early postpartum period is brave. Sharing your experience is brave. Anytime you leave the house with your baby, toddler etc it is brave. So kudos to all the brave moms out there. Think about the all the brave things you've done lately. It might look different now as a mother because kids change EVERYTHING. But you are brave, more now than ever. Don't forget that. ✌️
#bravery #beingbrave #momsarebrave#braverylooksdifferentnow #momlife #strongmom#kidschangeeverything #setanexample#challengeyourself Just because you have a business idea doesn't mean squat. It takes a lot of planning, research, self doubt, procrastination, spreadsheets, and sleepless nights. There are so many details and everything has to come together at some point right??
As I mentioned previously my husband is the driving force for Fitbump. I had the idea but we kind of put it on the back burner as I was rearing our child... we thought can this really work?? One night in early January we had a chat and my husband said he didn't think it was possible to open in March when my maternity leave ended... we were running out of time! We toyed with the idea of me finding a job and doing Fitbump on the side. Needless to say that night neither of us got any sleep as we were pretty demoralized. The next day my husband came home and showed me the website he designed, this very website upon which this is blog is posted! He did it to motivate me and make me believe it was possible and together we could do it. We just had to stop thinking negatively and get our sh*t together! From then on we went for it. I got my First Aid & CPR, passed my Fitness Theory Exam, wrote my business plan (no easy task!) and started doing research on where we could get some money from. We started looking for a space, finding suppliers, and getting the right permits, licenses etc. Everyday we are crossing things off our list which feels great! Yes, there are moments when we butt heads. For some reason my natural instinct is to disagree with whatever he says ha ha. I'm sure some of you can relate! Sometimes we are not on the same page, but at the end of the day we are in this together and are here to support one another! Today we found out we are getting funding from Futurpeneur,a non profit organization that provides funding and mentorship for young entrepreneurs. Until now we have been winging it with our savings, credit cards, and a prayer! Today was a good day! It is tough to get small business loans from the banks, we do not require a great deal of money which funnily worked against us! Anyway again I have to shout out to my husband... wow I hope he doesn't read this because it will go to his head... and he is already a bit too cocky for my liking ;-) He said "we are going for this no matter what. Even if we don't get financing we will use our credit cards, we are doing this!" Which was a huge eye opener for me and the push I needed. Part of me was like...."well if we don't get money, we can't open...". There's that self doubt again. It is super scary to start your own business... fear of failure and rejection is terrifying! "What if no one comes to my classes?" "It's too hard." "I'm too tired." I am so lucky to have a husband who is helping my dream become a reality. Literally pushing me forward. Now all I need to do is get my act together and start getting Fitbump out there on social media. Little voice in my head says "I'm scared, what if no one likes my posts?" "What if we can't open in time and I disappoint people?" Go away self-doubt. I got this!! Welcome to the Fitbump website! I am super excited to be on this adventure and hope many of you will join me. I am going to do my best to document my journey, so bear with me! I was looking for some resources to help me out when I was thinking about starting my business but I couldn't find a lot out there about a new mom starting a new business. So here I go! Thanks for reading!
Being a new mom has been super challenging... At one of Molly's doctor appointments soon after she was born, a nurse said something to me that has stuck all this time - this is will be the best and hardest thing you will ever do... And that is the truest thing I ever heard! Being a mom has been amazing, life changing, rewarding, exhausting, challenging, and a roller coaster of emotions. And I thought why not become an entrepreneur too ?!! I've always loved a challenge!! The idea for Fitbump came to me one night in August as I was desperately trying to fall asleep before Molly woke up. I'm sure other new moms can relate - lying in bed going "sleep, sleep, sleep", "get an hour in before she wakes up"... it is often an impossible task. I've always been into fitness and exercise and had really struggled to find an outlet while pregnant and being a new mom, it just wasn't as easy to go for a run or take a fitness class. It is a lot harder as a new mom, you are tired, going to the gym is tough because you don't feel ready to leave your baby with a stranger. There are not a lot of mom and baby fitness classes out there. Plus you are super lonely and it is hard to put yourself out there. Fitbump is going to be a place where pregnant women can feel comfortable working out, and connect with other pregnant women. A place where new moms can meet up with another new moms and discuss the ups and downs of motherhood, while helping to get their body in shape again. A place where all women can connect, feel comfortable and create new friendships. This idea would have not come to fruition without my amazing husband who has been super supportive and a driving force to keep on track those days when I was too tired or lost my mojo. More on him and our journey later, for now I need to sign off or I will be here all night! Thanks for reading! |
AuthorAmanda Brindley Archives
August 2022
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