CrossFit Through Pregnancy and Postpartum: A Personal Perspective

Pregnancy and postpartum are wild, beautiful, and brutally transformative. Not just emotionally—but physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s a full-body, full-life shift. And from my experience, CrossFit was one of the few things that helped me feel grounded, capable, and myself through it all.

First Pregnancy: The Couch Became My Best Friend

During my first pregnancy, I stopped working out completely. I had been doing CrossFit consistently before I got pregnant, but once the nausea and exhaustion hit, that was it. The couch became my home base. And honestly? I don’t regret it—I did what I needed to survive. But after my daughter was born, I didn’t return to the gym for over three years. By then, I was in a new body with a new baby and a completely different schedule. Restarting was tough. I felt like I had lost all my strength, all my endurance, and all of my confidence in the gym. I basically had to relearn everything.

Second Pregnancy: Choosing a Different Path

When I found out I was pregnant again, I made a decision: I wasn’t going to repeat the same story. I had built a consistent CrossFit routine and wanted to maintain it as best I could—morning sickness, food aversions, and extreme fatigue included. Some days I couldn't make it in, but my goal was 3–4 classes a week. And the mindset that carried me through? “I feel terrible whether I’m at home or at the gym—at least at the gym I get a little break from the misery.” And honestly, for that one hour, I felt human again. I felt like me.

Modifications Are Not Weakness

CrossFit during pregnancy required a big shift in mindset. I scaled movements. I swapped double-unders for the bike, barbells for dumbbells, box jumps for step-ups. I lifted lighter. I moved slower. And I had to work through some mental gymnastics too—letting go of competitiveness, ego, and comparison. But something incredible happened. I became a more intuitive athlete. I started moving for my body, not against it. I began to listen instead of push, to adapt instead of force.

Staying Active Changed Everything

Even though I was throwing up most days and constantly exhausted, staying active made a huge difference. I slept better. My mood was better. My anxiety was lower. And most of all, my postpartum recovery was drastically better the second time around.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2020) recommends pregnant individuals get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, including strength work. And now, having lived through both sides—staying active vs. completely inactive—I can tell you: they’re absolutely right.

Regular prenatal exercise can reduce pregnancy discomforts, improve mood, and lead to faster postpartum recovery (Barakat et al., 2019).

Understanding the Changes

Pregnancy changes everything—from posture to hormones to pelvic floor function. Here’s what I personally noticed:

• My joints felt looser, and I had to be mindful with heavier weights.

• My balance shifted as my belly grew. Squats and overhead movements felt different.

• I got winded way faster than usual.

• My core strength changed drastically, and I had to rethink how I engaged my muscles.

So I leaned into functional movement and avoided core-straining exercises like sit-ups and toes-to-bar. Instead, I focused on bird dogs, glute bridges, and Pallof presses. I also started learning about connection breath and diaphragmatic breathing—tools that helped me maintain pelvic floor integrity and feel more in control of my body.

The Postpartum Phase: Slow, Intentional, and Humbling

Postpartum is humbling. You want to move, to lift, to feel strong again—but your body isn’t quite ready. And that’s okay. After both births, I waited until I was medically cleared (about 6 weeks), but even then, I took it slow. Walking, breathing, banded glute work, gentle core engagement. I didn’t jump or run for months. I treated it like a brand-new training cycle: rebuilding from the inside out. “Experts recommend a gradual return to strength and aerobic activity postpartum, especially when addressing pelvic floor dysfunction and core stability” (Goom et al., 2019).

This time, I felt the difference. I was more in tune with my body. I didn’t rush the “bounce back.” I focused on rebuilding. And 14 weeks postpartum, I competed at my gym’s (CrossFit Green Leaf) in-house competition - my team took first place. I scaled every WOD, pumped between workouts, stayed hydrated, and had zero expectations. But I felt strong. I felt proud. I was back on the floor doing something I loved—and doing it with the body that just brought life into the world.

Final Thoughts: You’re Stronger Than You Think

CrossFit during pregnancy and postpartum isn’t about performance. It’s about connection—between you and your body, your breath, your community, and your evolving identity as an athlete and mother. Let go of the pressure. Ditch the timeline. Modify everything if you need to. The goal is not to prove anything to anyone. The goal is to keep moving, however that looks. Pregnancy is hardcore. Motherhood is relentless. But you? You’re stronger than both.

References

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2020). Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period. Committee Opinion No. 804.

• Barakat, R., et al. (2019). Exercise during pregnancy. A narrative review. BJOG, 126(11), 1270–1280.

• Goom, T., Donnelly, G., & Brockwell, E. (2019). Returning to running postnatal—guideline for health professionals. Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy, 43(2), 77–84.

• MegSquats YouTube video on diaphragmatic breathing: Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique ✅ Relieve Stress, Lift Better - Pelvic Floor Series #1

• MegSquats YouTube video on connection breath: Teaching the Connection Breath ✅ Breathing + Pelvic Floor in Pregnancy