Pregnancy Is Not an Injury—But It Might Be Time to Pull Back

Pregnancy isn’t an injury. It’s not a setback. And it’s definitely not a weakness. But it can be a time when your body needs something different—and honoring that doesn’t make you any less strong.

Going into one of my most recent pregnancies, I was in the best shape of my life. I was lifting heavy, training consistently, and feeling confident in my routine. I had every intention of continuing that momentum straight through pregnancy. But around nine weeks in, everything changed. I started feeling awful—nauseous, exhausted, and completely drained. Suddenly, workouts felt impossible, and for a while, they took a back seat.

Throughout the first trimester, I barely made it into the gym. I felt frustrated and disappointed, but also knew I needed to listen to what my body was telling me. When I finally felt ready to ease back in, I noticed a drop in strength and motivation. I tried to rebuild my routine, but between growing a baby, caring for my other kids, and running a business, I was lucky if I could manage two workouts a week.

Maybe it was the physical demands, maybe the mental load—or maybe it was just a tough pregnancy. Whatever the reason, I didn’t feel up to pushing myself in the way I was used to. So I didn’t. I trained when I could, lifted as heavy as felt safe, and accepted that my rest breaks were longer (and usually included a lot of sitting). I knew my body didn’t have the capacity for intensity, and that was okay.

The fear of losing progress lingered in the back of my mind. I worried it would take forever to get back to where I was. But to my surprise, after a home birth at 39 weeks to a 9lb 9oz baby, I felt ready to start moving again just a few weeks postpartum.

It wasn’t anything intense—not even close to my old routine—but I showed up. I brought the baby to the gym. I focused on movement that felt good, not punishing. I started with two sessions a week, and eventually built up to three or four, depending on the season I was in.

After five kids, I finally understand what it means to truly listen to my body. Pregnancy and postpartum often look different than what we expect—and that’s okay. That’s why having a clear line of communication with yourself is so important. Not with the outside voices telling you what you should be doing, but with the one that knows exactly what you need in each moment.

If you feel good, move. If you’re tired, rest. You know your body best. Let’s normalize listening to that voice and trusting our instincts—because they’re often the fastest, healthiest, and most sustainable path to real strength.