Kate Grace (Athlete)

“My biggest concern around fitness when I was pregnant with my first baby was figuring out my new physical limits. As a professional athlete, I was used to a certain training intensity, but I wasn’t sure how much to adjust. I didn’t want to maintain the same volume because it felt too intense, but I also didn’t know what to aim for. In the end, I managed my anxiety by running easier and doing less than I probably could have. What surprised me most was which elements of my old training still felt good. I expected to prefer slower efforts like long runs and tempo workouts, but instead, I enjoyed short, quicker reps and felt okay in the gym. The long run dropped off early, and pool sessions or yoga felt biomechanically awkward. I’d advise athletes to work with a PT to avoid injury and get reassurance—it’s tough when there’s not much research out there on pregnant athletes. Talking to other pro athlete moms helped me realize they trained quite a bit and were okay. I was really in awe of what my body could do. I kept working out just enough to feel connected to the sport, but my mindset shifted. Postpartum, it felt like my strength took longer to return than I expected, even though I had trained through pregnancy. Breastfeeding was a huge factor—I treated my body like it was back to normal, but it wasn’t. I ended up with a bone injury, and I wish I had been more patient. After having my daughter, my career isn’t the top priority anymore. It still matters a lot, but it now fits around our family schedule. My advice to other athlete moms is: check in with yourself. If training still feels energizing, great. If not, that’s okay. Movement in any form is worth keeping in your life for your own well-being. I love that my daughter sees running as a normal, fun part of life."

Rachel Schneider Smith (Athlete)

"My biggest concern about fitness during pregnancy was making sure I wasn’t doing anything that could harm the pregnancy. I worried about overdoing it and putting unnecessary strain on the baby. I addressed that fear by talking with healthcare professionals—my OB, a prenatal PT (Jess!), and by trusting my intuition and how my body felt.

The biggest surprise was how much my body and mind still enjoyed training, even as things changed. I tried to enter postpartum without expectations, not attaching to a comeback timeline. That mindset helped me stay open to what my body needed and was capable of. I was surprised by how quickly I was able to return to training. I walked within days of giving birth, biked within two weeks, and ran on an anti-gravity treadmill by four weeks. By six weeks, I was running on the ground and starting to feel like myself again—even while breastfeeding and navigating very disrupted sleep.

I always remind other athlete moms: listen to your body, and surround yourself with professionals who see you as an individual. Our bodies are so wise—if you tune in, they’ll tell you when to back off and when things are okay. This whole journey gave me a much deeper appreciation for the female body. I’m still in awe—18 months later—that my body nurtured and grew our daughter."

Gwen Jorgensen (Athlete)

"After winning Olympic gold in triathlon in 2016, I wanted to start a family—but there was very little information about how pregnancy and elite training could coexist. I knew I needed fitness for my body, my baby, and my mental health.

My body led the way during my first pregnancy. The first trimester was tough—I felt sick constantly and did very little actual training. Just getting outside to walk helped. In the second and third trimesters, I trained about two hours a day, mainly running and biking. Swimming felt terrible during that pregnancy, so I avoided it. I was still doing workouts and running over 100 miles per week, though the pace was much slower—mile repeats at 6:00–6:30 instead of sub-4:45.

With my second pregnancy, swimming felt amazing, so I leaned into that. I worked closely with my pelvic floor PT, Jess Dorrington, and others who helped me learn my pelvic floor was actually too tight—kegels would’ve made things worse. Every pregnancy is different. The biggest lesson was to listen to my body, stay patient, and be kind to myself."

Molly Huddle (Athlete)

"My biggest concern during pregnancy was not knowing how much I should scale back my training. As a pro runner, I was used to a certain intensity but didn’t want to push too hard. In the end, I eased my anxiety by running easier and doing less than I probably could have.

I was surprised by what actually felt good—short, quick reps and gym work were fine, while long runs and pool workouts felt awkward. Postpartum, it took longer than expected to rebuild strength, even though I stayed active.

I’d recommend working with a PT and talking to other athlete moms—it really helped me feel less alone. I was in awe of what my body could do, but the return to sport was slow. Breastfeeding, fatigue, and lack of sleep made recovery tough, and I ended up with a bone injury around 10 months postpartum.

Now, my career fits around family life. My advice? Stay connected to movement in a way that feels good and empowering—but also give yourself grace. There’s no one right timeline."