Oh Baby!!! I Had a Baby!
Hi friends! My name is Emily Sibley, and I just had my first baby —
Postpartum comes with a lot of pressure, especially pressure to “bounce back”. (Insert my dramatic eye roll)… But when I shifted my mental focus from “bouncing back” to recovering, I not only survived the “fourth trimester”, but really really enjoyed it.
Pregnancy and birth is a miracle and blessing in and of itself. Probably the coolest experience of my life. And as I entered back into the world of wellness and movement, there were a few things I constantly reminded myself of. The biggest being GRACE.
You have to give yourself space to heal— without getting too into the nitty gritty — your placenta (you know, the thing that sustains and grows life within you, nbd), is essentially glued to the inside of your uterus and it is the size of a dinner plate… once you deliver your sweet babe, you are left with a literal dinner plate sized wound on your insides. Yeah, it’s wild. This is so easy to ignore because everything looks and feels great on the outside, and if you’re anything like me— after a few weeks you are more than ready to get back to “normal” life… but you have to take that seriously in order to truly heal. I went with the 5-5-5 rule. I spent 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed, and 5 days around the bed. I took about 2 weeks minimum at home adjusting to my new normal and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything. Now, on the other side - I wish I didn’t wish that season away! It’s pure magic - enjoy it.
Second, I focused heavily on my mental health. When physical activity is restricted, you have to find ways to take care of your mental health. For me, that meant warm organic foods that were protein heavy, placenta encapsulation, and COMMUNITY! Food is crucial after birth. I avoided smoothies, salads, and other hard to digest foods for the first 6 weeks. These are all amazing foods, just not the best right after you have given birth. I opted for soups, stews, pasta, granola, etc. I also encapsulated my placenta. This organ is insanely packed with the nutrients a baby needs to thrive - of course they would be beneficial to me too! The days I took my placenta pills I felt so much more clear-minded and positive. Lastly, community is crucial! I loved when people would come over and visit during that first two weeks. No, not to hold the baby — but to have life giving conversations. (Side note: a charge to the girl with a pregnant friend — bring her a warm meal postpartum - it means more than you know!)
Lastly, when you do get back into to being active - GIVE YOURSELF GRACE. Advice coming from my ex-football playing husband - birth is a big deal. You spent the last year growing and changing to make space for this new human, then suffered a “season ending injury” — it takes time to get back to the weight you could lift or number of miles you could run before all of this. You can’t expect to just go back to what you could do before all of this. What that meant for me was slowly easing back in to things. Little to no weight when I went to the gym, slower walks around the neighborhood, and modifying where I needed to. Trueform has been a beautiful way to do that.
My goal is not to “bounce back”, or attain any specific appearance goals - our bodies are made for so much more than that. I want my daughter to see me prioritize wellness and movement through my actions. I want to share that with her so she uses movement as a resource and not a punishment. Our bodies deserve more than that!
Finding a space like True Form has offered such a gracious community of teachers and friends as I learn my new normal. A group of people that champion me, root for me, and challenge me all at the same time, and for that I am so grateful!”
-Written by Emily Sibley