Why I Created Fueling Motherhood: My Journey From Pregnancy to Postpartum as an Active Woman
- rdcdietitian
- Nov 18, 2025
- 4 min read
Hi there! I'm Rebekah - Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Last week, my son turned two, and like many moms, I found myself deep in reflection. Every milestone pulls you back through the journey, the highs and lows, and the parts that changed you in ways you never expected.
Those reflections are really at the heart of my recent career pivot - choosing to focus specifically on supporting active moms through pregnancy and postpartum. Because this season of life is beautiful, confusing, overwhelming, empowering… and so incredibly unique for women who love to move their bodies.
Let’s rewind a bit.
My Pregnancy as an Active Woman
I consider myself lucky - I dodged most of the intense morning sickness, and my energy level stayed fairly reasonable early on. But mentally? I was a mess.
Suddenly I had so many questions:
Is exercising during pregnancy safe?
Does the “keep your heart rate below ___” rule still exist?
Do the guidelines change if you were active pre-pregnancy?
Do I eat for two?
What foods are off-limits?
The Googling was endless. Every trimester brought new recommendations, new rules, and new worries. Pregnancy is magical, yes — but it's also confusing and terrifying when you're trying to do everything “right.”
I had always been active: swimming several times a week, running, strength training, long walks, core work - movement was my stress relief and my mental health anchor.
The Moment Everything Changed
At 27 weeks, after a routine swim, I felt some noticeable contractions. Nothing unusual - or so I thought.
But sitting in my car at a grocery store a little while later, I realized the contractions were consistent and more painful. I tracked them. I called labour and delivery. They told me to come in immediately.
That’s when everything shifted.
I learned I had an incompetent cervix, which put me at higher risk for preterm delivery. To keep my baby safe, I had to stop all exercise for the rest of my pregnancy - except for the bare minimum of gentle walking at home.
For someone whose identity, joy, and stress relief were tied to movement, this was devastating. I cried… a lot. And if you’re an active mama reading this, I know you get it.
Fueling Myself Through a Complication
Those final weeks of pregnancy looked nothing like I expected. I felt unprepared, overwhelmed, and honestly, too mentally drained to dive into the research.
I wish I had had someone to lean on — both early in pregnancy and especially during those uncertain final weeks.
Thankfully, my baby stayed put until 39 weeks when he arrived safely. And once I got the all-clear at 37 weeks to move a little more… I was out the door. Walking the dog felt like freedom.
The Reality of Postpartum as an Active Mom
Bringing a newborn home is its own wild adventure. You're tired, sore, happy, sad — sometimes all in the same hour. Cooking or prepping snacks feels impossible. If you're breastfeeding, you're expending extra energy your body desperately needs replaced.
I struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety, which tanked my appetite. I ate small amounts here and there — nowhere near enough to fuel recovery, breastfeeding, and just surviving the day.
Returning to Exercise… and Doing It Wrong
I couldn’t wait to get back to movement. As soon as I was cleared, I headed to the pool. Not surprisingly, after four months of zero activity, I felt completely out of shape - and wow, did my pelvic floor remind me of its presence during every flip turn.
Around my son’s first birthday, I set a goal: train for my first half marathon and a couple triathlons. I was still breastfeeding, still working full time, still momming full time… and even with my nutrition background, I was not prepared for how hard it would be to fuel myself adequately.
I under-fueled. I got injured. And I had to step back from training to recover.
It was a wake-up call - one that forced me to look closely at my nutrition and the gaps I had been ignoring.
The Seasons of Postpartum: Constant Change
Every time you think you’ve figured out a rhythm, postpartum shifts again.
Your baby drops naps.
Contact naps suddenly become the only naps.
Illness hits your household.
Solid food begins and suddenly you’re in the kitchen all day.
New milestones bring new demands.
My little boy is now almost two, and I can tell you - every season has required relearning, adjusting, and navigating something new.
Why I Created Fueling Motherhood
After everything I experienced - the confusion, the anxiety, the lack of support, the underfueling, the injury, the identity shifts - I realized something important: the support isn't there for us - we deserve more.
I created Fueling Motherhood because I see you, and I get it.
Pregnancy and postpartum are already full of questions. Layer athletic identity, training goals, or a love of movement on top of that, and you enter a completely different world of challenges.
It’s complicated. It’s messy. It’s beautiful. It’s motherhood.
And you don’t have to navigate it alone.
If you're an active mama who wants guidance, clarity, and confidence in how to fuel your body through pregnancy or postpartum, I’d love to support you.
Join a community of women who get it - and finally feel supported in the way active moms have always deserved.
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