Expert Series: Meet Ziggy and learn more about pre-and-postnatal health

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and it's a time when we reflect on our incredible children who made us moms. It's also a time when we think about our bodies and the remarkable things they can do. As a mom, I am constantly amazed by the transformation and growth our bodies undergo to bring a baby into the world. It truly is a remarkable feat.

With this in mind, I wanted to delve deeper into the importance of our physical and mental health during the pre and post-natal period. Growing a baby and becoming a mom not only changes our bodies, but also our minds. It's crucial during this special time to prioritize self-care and seek out the support we need.

Let's celebrate the wonder of motherhood and the incredible strength of our bodies.

Ziggy is a mother of three young children and has been working as a pre-and-postnatal trainer running group classes and working with women individually since 2014. Her authentic sharing on her social media platforms on the learning journey that is motherhood is what attracts most people to her. She is extremely passionate about helping women prepare physically and mentally for birth and postpartum and helps them regain strength and confidence after birth. She offers affordable in-person group training and is currently creating online courses for the perinatal period.

 What does pre and post-natal physical and emotional health mean to you?

Feeling good, mobile, and at ease are the most important things to me during pregnancy. For first-time mothers and those who may have been on a challenging fertility journey, there is generally some anxiety around "Is this normal?" and "Is everything ok?". I think of myself as part of that mother's birth team, helping keep her physical body strong and capable - teaching her how to breathe optimally, lift safely, and alleviate aches and pains. I'm there to prepare her emotional/mental state for birth by simulating and integrating labour and postpartum through exercise and mindset training. In postpartum, I love working with women who have a lot of dysfunction - abdominal separation, pelvic floor issues, back pain - and helping rehabilitate and get them confident and strong again. Or, women who have never exercised before but want to learn so they can be there running after their kids and swinging them around. Many of my clients are older mums, who really value sustainable health habits. They don't necessarily care about what they look like, but want to set a good example of health for their children.

What wisdom/advice can you share with moms-to-be and moms with kids already?

Please share what motherhood has taught you?

Motherhood has taught me the highest form of love and compassion, not just for my children and myself, but for other humans. I had children in my early twenties, and didn't have ANY aspect of my life figured out. Raising my children has helped raise me. It's shown me that no matter how difficult the night was before, we wake up, we show up, and we somehow muddle our way through. It doesn't have to be perfect, because nothing in life rarely is. I don't want my children growing up with guilt, shame or pressure from me to be a certain way.

As a busy mother of three, how do you recharge and stay positive?

I have, what my partner calls "a naiive positivity", and it's just something I've trained my brain to do. I cry, I yell, I feel my frustration, and then I have trained myself to say "it will all be ok; it has to be." I change what I have the ability to and try to accept and let go of what I can't. The spiritual aspect of my life has grown exponentially since having children, and that has given me the ability to not be as much of a control freak as I was when my first child was born. By the time the third child comes along, you know that you have no control over anything! You just hold on for the ride and do the best you can. I'm an extroverted extrovert. I recharge from being around people. So I love meeting with my friends for coffee and having a good laugh. Laughter is healing. I also believe that spending quality time with my partner without the kids, without talking about the kids, and going on "dates" again; exploring and trying new things together (and separately) is really important. We change and grow so much over the years, and when you have young children, it can feel a bit mundane day-to-day. 

What are your views on a sustainable lifestyle?

Pre-pandemic, I tried my best to be as zero-waste as possible, but I wasn't hard on myself if I used a disposable diaper every now and then. Now, I think I'm a bit more relaxed - there is a famous saying, "we don't need 1 person doing sustainability perfectly, we need 100 people doing sustainability imperfectly". So, in our house, we limit single-use items; we do a mixture of cloth diapers and bamboo disposables. I try to shop pre-loved or from brands who care about their fabrics, their workers, and their impact on the world.

How do you teach your kids about sustainability?

 We all pile in the car together and go to the recycling centre once a month, and they help sort all of the plastic, cards, and cans. We also use re-fillable shampoo, soap and some food products from our local re-fill shop. Its also a deeper lesson of "this item should last", or "this item should have multiple uses", so that we can make things last longer. I think this will help with that dopamine-hit that impulse buying and consumption gives us. I can already see it in my children now, "can we get this new toy?", and in our family toys are for Christmas, birthdays and good report cards, but before they are allowed a new item, we have to do a clear out of the old items and donate them or sell them to someone else who will love them. Not just throw them away.

What are your and your family's favourite nature/outdoor activities?

 My children love the beach, and I wish I lived closer to one! Something about the sand and the salt water that is so healing for me as an adult, and so fun for them! We have a dog, so we regularly do a "nature walk" together.

Follow Ziggy and her family adventures on her IG zig.fitmama , and check out more about pre and postnatal health and workouts on her website.