Julian & Alicia

These Hot Mamas will tell you . . . pre-natal fitness is worth the effort! Contact Vionna for more information today!

Alicia Irlandez
Baby's Name: Julian Irlandez
Birth Date: May, 2007
Length of Labor/Delivery: 7 hours (water broke at 11:30am, contractions became noticeable at 1:30pm, began pushing at 5:50, delivered Julian at 6:21pm)

1) What class(es) did you take?

Hot Mama Pre-Natal Fitness
Zen Mama Pre-Natal Yoga
Personal Training

2) How long were you involved with the class/personal training?

About 6 months

3) Did you exercise or take yoga prior to taking the class/personal training? If so, what type of activity were you involved in?

Yes – pilates, treadmill, elliptical

4) What did you like mosts about the class/personal training? Why did you decide to take the class/personal training?

Even though I worked out, I never pushed myself that hard.  The class really kept me motivated and got me doing things I didn’t know I was strong enough or flexible enough to do.  I also really enjoyed talking to other moms and moms-to-be, figuring out which problems were common and things to look forward to.  When most of your friends aren’t pregnant, it is nice to find a little support group to complain and rave with.

5) How do you think you benefited from the class/personal trainging? Do you tink it affected your labor and delivery?

I think my endurance increased dramatically, as did my general strength and flexibility.  I felt very confident going into my delivery.  I knew I was strong enough to handle the physical parts for as long as I needed to.  My labor was very short – I’d like to think it was my strong ab muscles that helped make my pushing very short (only 30 minutes!).

6) Do you that that exercise during your pregnancy has made a difference in helping to regain your pre-pregnancy fitness level?

Definitely.  While breastfeeding is a miracle in terms of weight loss, I think my pregnancy fitness made it easier to get back into a fitness routine.  I didn’t feel like a blob after giving birth, I still felt strong and in-shape.  The motivation to get back to the gym was easy because I wasn’t faced with an overwhelming amount of weight to lose.  I felt that I really just needed to start toning the parts that pregnancy affected – abs, thighs, etc.  Arm strength is so important in carrying that heavy baby and baby carrier.  As Julian grows, I know I need to keep working on my arms and shoulders and legs.  I don’t want to struggle to keep up.

7) Is there anyting else you'd like to share?

I think most people look at pregnancy as a time to slack off, but by putting in a little effort, I think a lot of the aches and pains of pregnancy can be avoided. Additionally, I think a lot of the depression caused by your changing body can be alleviated by keeping in shape and building up your strength.  My body actually looks better now than pre-pregnancy in a lot of ways.  My butt is curvier, my legs are stronger, my back is more toned, and my arms are MUCH more toned.  Plus, I never got to the point of feeling too weak or tired to do things.  Staying fit kept me active in all the other parts of my life.  The shock of gaining so much weight in such a short time was easier to handle with all of the compliments.