This Women’s Health Month, we’ll be highlighting the health journeys of four amazingly courageous women and their paths to motherhood. We understand that conversations around motherhood can be difficult for many. That’s why we want to share the topics we’ll be covering ahead of time so you can decide if you’ll be following along. We hope these stories inspire you to take a page out of their book, so you can feel your best.
Dear readers,
Think back to a time when you pushed beyond your body’s limits. What did that feel like? How did you know when you reached your maximum? It’s likely that your body’s reaction was pain, fatigue, or something else to signal your boundaries.
Paying attention to these signs or hints can tell us a lot about what’s going on within us. Jessie Lam, a fitness trainer, yoga instructor, holistic nutritionist, and mom to 4-year-old Harley, has firsthand experience with this.
Fitness has always been a large part of Jessie’s life – it’s made her feel stronger, more energized, and helped her heal in many ways. After working hard and pushing herself to meet her goals, Jessie decided to embark on her next fitness challenge: a bikini fitness competition. Though this was a time when she personally felt her body was in the best shape possible, it impacted her hormones to the point where she stopped getting her period for two and a half years.
This compelled her to reach out to gynecologists and naturopathic doctors to understand what might be causing this abrupt change. She soon learned that her body was experiencing hormonal imbalances and not producing enough estrogen or progesterone on its own. As someone who’d always wanted to be a mom, Jessie wondered if she would be able to have kids despite these hormonal imbalances. After following a combination of remedies, along with eating a nutritious diet and taking progesterone supplements, her period started to become regular. And soon enough, Jessie became pregnant with Harley!
Becoming a mother didn’t stop Jessie from continuing her fitness journey – it just looked a little different. She tuned into her body’s limits and would only go as far as her body would allow her while she was pregnant with Harley (but that didn’t stop her from rock climbing!). Paying attention to her body’s comfort levels and how she felt before and during a workout allowed her to understand that her body and wellbeing come first. After pregnancy, Jessie was able to share her fitness journey with her daughter, where she includes her in their family fitness adventures, watching Harley explore the world and overcome her own fears.
The takeaway? Honour your body’s boundaries. Our bodies are always trying to communicate with us, and staying in tune with these signals can help you understand your own limits and keep you feeling your best.
Check out our conversation with Jessie to learn more about her journey with treating hormonal imbalances and how becoming a mother impacted her fitness journey.
Until next time,
CanPrev Women
Looking for some guidance on how you can tune into your body? Here are some resources that may help you:
Can you relate to Jessie’s story? We’d love to hear from you – let us know what you think in the comments below!
