While I was pregnant, I worried a lot about how quickly my body would bounce back to normal after I delivered. There is a lot of negativity surrounding postpartum body image. Most women/fellow moms that I interacted with told me that, “your body will never be the same after pregnancy.” I was always disappointed to hear their remarks, and of course, hoping to prove them wrong.

I asked my doctor how long it would take my body to look normal after delivery. He said, “Well, it takes 9 months for your body to make a baby, and it takes 9 months to a year for it to b0unce back to normal.” 9 months to a year?!? Wow, now that is frustrating to hear. But luckily, my experience was very different than the fellow moms or my doctor told me it would be.

See below for my Fit Pregnancy (and post-delievery recovery DVD). I did these moves consistently through pregnancy and after delivery, and bounced back very quickly.

Introducing my Pregnancy Exercises: Fit Pregnancy Total Body Workout DVD. If you are looking for a prenatal workout to do through all three trimesters of pregnancy, during your pre-pregnancy fitness plan, and for post-delivery recovery, look no further.

For a very limited time, I am accepting pre-orders for the Pregnancy Exercises: Fit Pregnancy Total Body Workout DVD with an added incentive of no shipping and handling fees!

Now, before I continue writing, I do want to point out that my absolute biggest priority when training my gym clients is to help then develop a healthy lifestyle and healthy body image. Size, shape and weight is NOT the most important issue. Living a healthy lifestyle and being healthy on the inside is vital. However, with that being said, there is not anything wrong with wanting to look great too. Just remember to maintain the right motivations. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.

After I delivered my daughter, I had a lingering “bump” like everyone else does. Every day it got a lot less noticeable, and a week after I delivered, I felt like I looked pretty decent. I even went out in my bikini at a week postpartum. Looking back, I might have jumped the gun, but hey, it was August and I wanted a tan.

Three days after delivery I went to a meeting at work. I wore a skirt to try and cover up my lingering bump, and covered it pretty well. Two weeks after delivery I went back to training clients in the gym. My clients were impressed with how fast my stomach had shrunk, but I definitely still had a small pooch, and some of the women even patted it.

In all honestly, it probably took me 4 months to really look back to normal. But I had to bite the bullet and be very intentional about working out my abs. Now, 6.5 months after delivery, I actually think my abs are stronger and look better than before pregnancy! We have gone on a few mini vacations and swam in the pool with Emma. She loves to swim, and I am confident taking her to the pool in my bikini! We have a vacation to the beach in a few weeks, and I can’t wait to show off my abs.

So, don’t be discouraged when you hear that “your body will never be the same” or it will take a full year to get your figure back. Eat healthy, be intentional about exercise, and you can bounce back quickly too!!! Best wishes.