Postpartum Flexibility, mom life, & redefining “Workouts”

Right now, I’m sitting on the gym floor with Hailey on a blanket in front of me and a class happening in the background. She’s cooing, kicking, and occasionally yelling her opinions — and I’m trying to record a podcast around it.

That pretty much sums up my biggest lesson from postpartum life so far: you have to be flexible.

Before having a baby, it was easy to say, “I’ll do X at this exact time.” I thought I’d batch create my podcasts, record in a quiet room, stick to the same day and hour every week. Now? Sometimes it happens on a Tuesday during a nap. Sometimes it happens on a Thursday while she’s fully awake and “participating.”

And honestly, that flexibility is the only reason it gets done.

Why We Stay Open on Holidays

Thanksgiving just passed, and like most years, we stayed open.
We believe you should move your body every day — even (and maybe especially) on holidays.

For a lot of people, holidays turn into “throwaway days”: big meals, no movement, and the mindset of “I’ll start again Monday.” At Breathe CrossFit, we try to flip that script. We run a fun, beginner-friendly workout and encourage our members to bring their families.

This year, one of our members, Kevin, brought his three daughters — the youngest was six. They got to work out with their dad, laugh together, and experience the gym environment in a positive way. That kind of modeling is powerful.

We also love making holiday workouts partner-based so nervous friends feel more comfortable trying CrossFit for the first time. It’s not about smashing yourself — it’s about moving, connecting, and starting the day with something healthy.

New: Friday Moms Group at Breathe

For the last several weeks, I’ve been going to the free moms groups at Elliot Hospital. The emotional support group on Tuesdays and the larger group on Wednesdays have been huge for my mental health. We sit in a circle with our babies, talk about what’s going well, what’s hard, and what we’re looking forward to. It’s simple but powerful.

It hit me: why not bring something like this to the gym?

So starting this Friday, we’re launching a weekly Moms Group at Breathe CrossFit:

• Fridays, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• 11:00–11:30: arrive whenever you can, settle in, lay babies on blankets or keep them in strollers
• 11:30–12:00: group time — sharing wins, struggles, questions, or learning from a guest speaker or doing a small baby craft
• 12:00–12:30: optional light “body movement” workout with the babies nearby

I love calling it “body movement” instead of “a workout.” As moms, it’s easy to think, “If I can’t do 60 minutes, it doesn’t count.” But postpartum, your workout might be four minutes while the baby is content… or 20 minutes broken into chunks. It still matters.

We’ll keep the movement low-intensity, safe, and scalable — think simple EMOMs, baby-holding options, or bodyweight movements tailored to whoever is in the room.

Life with Hailey Right Now

Hailey is three months old now and honestly, she’s been a dream so far. She goes to bed between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. and has been sleeping until around 4:00–5:30 a.m. The other morning, she was awake calmly, just hanging out in her bassinet, which I secretly love. It meant I didn’t have to wake up to crying that time — she was just ready when I was.

She loves bath time and is about to start her first swim class. We’re also planning on doing ISR (infant survival swim) in the future — yes, for safety, but also for athleticism if I’m being totally honest.

She’s starting to recognize the dogs, smile during feeds (which is adorable and completely unproductive), and make all sorts of new noises. It’s chaotic, but it’s also my favorite season so far.

For the Moms (and Busy People) Reading This

If you’re trying to work out with a baby or just a busy life, here’s what I’ve learned:

• You might not finish tasks in one sitting. That’s okay.
• Your “workouts” might look more like short bursts of movement.
• You don’t need perfect conditions to start — you need flexibility and lowered expectations of perfection.

Your job is to care for that baby (and yourself), and this season is temporary. You really will miss parts of it someday.

If you want to join the Moms Group or learn more about Breathe CrossFit in Derry, NH, reach out at info@breathecrossfit.com — babies, background noise and all are welcome or book a free intro here.