We've rebranded! The Matcha Guardians Podcast is now Steeped in Wellness.
For our first episode, we sit down with Lauren Seib, a pre- and postnatal fitness specialist, to talk about pregnancy, motherhood, and movement. Elara introduces Lauren, a longtime friend and fitness coach, and we explore how her personal journey from disordered eating and burnout in the publishing industry led her to become a strength-focused wellness expert, especially for moms. Lauren’s passion stems from being told at 22 that she might never conceive, and the transformation she made—mentally and physically—to prove otherwise.
We dig into the evolution of Lauren’s career, from spin and barre to CrossFit and NASM certification. Her philosophy is simple: pregnancy isn’t a time to sideline fitness but to adjust it intelligently. She breaks down why blanket advice like “don’t lift weights” or “keep your heart rate under 140” is outdated and unhelpful. Instead, she emphasizes breath work, pressure management, and functional strength. We explore how modifying workouts during pregnancy should be individualized, not fear-based, and how women can be strong and capable through labor and recovery.
Lauren explains the anatomy of the core, the importance of pelvic floor engagement (for men too), and how common symptoms like diastasis recti or “coning” can be addressed with intentional breathing and alignment. We also talk through the realities of postpartum life—like how women are often cleared for exercise at six weeks with no real physical assessment. Lauren outlines what realistic movement looks like before and after that six-week mark and explains why early postpartum strength training is less about intensity and more about restoring function and identity.
We also touch on the complexity of fitness and breastfeeding—how the body prioritizes milk production over muscle development—and why managing nutrition, sleep, and expectations is critical. Lauren shares how she and her husband divide parenting duties so she can keep fitness a priority and encourages moms to schedule movement the same way they schedule meals or naps. We round out the episode with practical tips on babywearing, glute recovery, and being kind to yourself as your body changes.
Finally, Lauren reminds us that strength isn’t just physical. Her mantras—“I am strong” and “movement is medicine”—underscore the power of intentional movement in building resilience, both on and off the mat.
[Music Playing]
Jon Gay (00:01):
Welcome to Steeped in Wellness, brought to you by matcha.com. Here we spill the tea on wellness trends, personal growth, and the latest health news. Now here are your hosts, licensed dietitian, Diana Weil and medical journalist, Elara Hadjipateras.
Diana Weil (00:18):
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of Steeped in Wellness, formally Matcha Guardians.
Elara Hadjipateras (00:26):
We are super excited to have a close friend of mine that I've been working at for almost a good part of a decade. That's alarming, I guess, how old we are Lauren. My friend Lauren Seib, she is a pre and postnatal exercise specialist and a mother of two.
She's super passionate about helping women train for both their minds and their bodies to have a powered, empowered, I should say, empowered pregnancy, birth, and post-birth. She believes that building a strong, well-functioning foundation not only prepares a woman for childbirth but also sets them up for success in the transformative journey of motherhood.
So, through years of education and firsthand experience, Lauren Seib has gained deep insight into what it takes to feel strong, confident, and supported throughout pregnancy and beyond. And now we have her on the podcast to share her knowledge to help other women embrace this chapter in their lives with positivity, strength, and excitement.
Lauren, welcome to Steeped in Wellness.
Lauren Seib (01:18):
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Diana Weil (01:21):
Wait, wait, wait, I didn't realize that you guys have known each other for over a decade. How do you two know each other?
Elara Hadjipateras (01:26):
I was living in New York City when I graduated college, which is like a decade and a half ago. And then when I started dating my now husband, Peter, who's also been a guest on the podcast (shout out to the episode where we interview Harley and Peter about fatherhood), we moved out to Stamford back in 2016 and Lauren was actually a bar instructor at the studio that was down the street from the apartment I lived in. So, that was the first time I met her.
It was a barre class and a yoga class, and then a CrossFit gym opened in Greenwich, Connecticut that Lauren was also a member of. Ahe became a coach there, so I mean, at this point, that's almost 10 years ago, which is crazy.
And then we were living over in Copenhagen the last couple years and I came back and since then Lauren has had her two kids and has kind of found this niche of specializing in pre and postnatal fitness, which is so cool.
Diana Weil (02:20):
Lauren, that's a pretty big jump to go from barre to CrossFit.
Lauren Seib (02:23):
Yeah (laughs) yeah. I actually started in spin, believe it or not was my entrance (laughs) into the fitness phase. I come from a publishing background, another similar background as Elara. And I worked for Fitness magazine for a few years and decided to switch over to fitness full-time.
So, I started as a yes, spin instructor, barre, yoga, and then I have my NASM certification which for strength training, private clients and then, yeah, most recently CrossFit too. So, it's full circle which is great and all of the things (laughs) I have accreditation for.
Elara Hadjipateras (03:06):
Well, in her past life too, Diana, when she worked in health and wellness media, I think she actually interviewed your dad, Dr. Weil.
Diana Weil (03:14):
We're all connected.
Lauren Seib (03:16):
Right. It's funny how everything happens for a reason and here we are today.
Diana Weil (03:19):
Here we are. Lauren, I'm just curious, I mean, I feel like you've done everything from spin to barre to now CrossFit. I'm just curious, I mean you've shared with us a little bit but what led you into the fitness space and especially now that you're doing pre and postnatal, how did you get to that part of your career?
Lauren Seib (03:36):
So, it's kind of a crazy story how I got into fitness. So, when I was 22, I was told I potentially wouldn't be able to conceive a child. I was very sick, honestly, after years of running my body literally and figuratively into the ground. I come from a really bad background of disordered eating patterns over exercise, all of that.
And going into the publishing world, while I loved it, it was my dream come true at the time. Writing for a big magazine, living in the city at the age of 22 and what have you. But my body was actually breaking down, my teeth were chipping, my hair was falling out, every single sign was like, “Yeah, this girl's not the health and wellness epitome that she's writing about.”
So, I had this kind of weird guttural, instinctual, I need to get my own shit together and kind of become the person that I'm writing to, the person I was writing all my content for. So, I ended up starting at Exhale, which was at the time in Stamford; I managed the place. I think I even lied on my application of my age because I was so young and (chuckles) I ended up managing two studios.
Most of the instructors I managed were decades older than me and (laughs) while I was there, accumulated all my certifications knowing that ultimately what I wanted to do was to have the family that I was told I potentially wasn't going to be able to.
I'm married to my high school sweetheart, shout out to my husband Mike. We've been together for going on 18 years now, which is wild. And so, for us having a family, there was no questions asked. I was like, “Alright, what do I have to do to get myself healthy and happy?” And yeah, fitness was that.
I fell back in love with fitness in a different realm, kind of as Elara was mentioning in my intro, finding balance again, falling in love with movements that maybe weren't what I naturally was gravitating towards but were good for my body which really was what inspired me to start specializing and creating — fitness.
It started my own journey of course, I just felt like being a fitness professional didn't exempt me from a lot of the challenges of pregnancy and postpartum recovery. So, I saw a massive gap really in the fitness industry where moms weren't being given the right tools to heal, rebuild strength, and really feel like themselves again.
So, I just wanted to create a space where moms felt empowered- not like they're trying to get their bodies back- I hate that whole bounce back culture. But really expanding on what they can do and be empowered by their journey. Elara's known me, like I said, for probably … or like she said about decade now. I physically feel like I'm the strongest I've ever been. I mean, Elara's still out-
Elara Hadjipateras (06:19):
I can attest for that, she's amazing. You should see this woman's back and booty, it's like (laughs) …
Lauren Seib (06:25):
But you still outlift me on a daily basis (laughs). But I just feel again, coming from the publishing world, I love diving in research myself, reading all the books, listening to all the podcasts. I just recognized that there was such, like I said, a gap and that we women, especially moms who already have a family, we still have the time or bandwidth to do all the homework on our own end.
So, I just wanted to be able to provide from a fitness standpoint, quick, punchy, inspiring, digestible, like my former background in publishing- ways to stick to wellness, fitness for the long-term, long after baby arrives. So, yeah, that's kind of a little bit, well long winded, about me.
Elara Hadjipateras (07:10):
Well, Lauren, I think that Diana and I can both completely relate to your story. Having just gone through our first pregnancies and childbirth, for me, it's been the invasion of the body snatchers, like my body is not my own and it's not just about worrying about myself but it's about worrying about my child and how it impacts their health.
And then the baby comes out, you go through your birth and then it's just kind of like you're in this completely foreign body to what you knew beforehand. And it's really intimidating to go back, I guess, to the way things were and the whole get your body back. Things are different, it's about to your point, becoming stronger, becoming this new version of yourself.
And it honestly usually takes a lot longer than people realize, the whole like, “Oh, we're going to bounce back in three months.” No, it usually can take up to like two years to really feel like yourself again mentally and physically.
And one of the things I'm really excited about is, right now I have been working with Lauren. I'm currently pregnant with my second child due in a few months; we're filming this right now this spring of 2025. And I have a goal of going into this next birth and post birth being a lot stronger than I was before, so hopefully I have a really good natural birth.
I didn't have a chance to do that last time because Koa, my son, was breech, he was upside down, so I had to have a scheduled C-section. But Lauren has really empowered me to feel confident that I can go the route of not just scheduling another C-section, I can do this.
I can get that baby out and I can not necessarily recover faster and get my body back, but I can have the strength and awareness and the wherewithal to be able to not only take care of my newborn that's coming along the way, but also my toddler that I have.
And I think one of the things I've been chatting with Lauren about recently is just this misconception of strength training and being pregnant. So, to me that's probably one of the biggest misconceptions I've seen as far as pre- and post-natal fitness. So, Lauren, where do you fall as far as, “Is strength training good to do while you're pregnant?”
Lauren Seib (09:13):
Yeah, of course. Well, in terms of those misconceptions you were saying, I feel like people are so scared, we’re almost looked at as like a handicap. I don't mean that a negative connotation, but it's like, “No, let's put them over to the side and they have their own workout. They shouldn't be lifting with a barbell or grabbing the kettlebell weight that they typically use.”
And while yes, there are absolutely modifications that in playing it safe, there is a place for that. It doesn't mean that during pregnancy you should stop moving and you should stop strength training, or working on your endurance stability, all of that. If anything, it's all the more (chuckles) the time we should be doing that.
So, I think the whole just listening to your body and all these other blanketed statements, that's what just drives me absolutely berserk and when it comes to strength training, absolutely we need to be moving properly and understanding that pressure management which you and I talk a lot about Elara, especially with number two, which kind of happens a lot quicker, especially my kids are 22 months apart, and so all Elara's already like 18-
Elara Hadjipateras (10:14):
Yep, nice and close. So, everything didn't come back together yet.
Lauren Seib (10:18):
Yeah, so it's almost like your body, especially your cores are at about right about to get back to normal, it's like, “Oh this again.” (Laughs).
And so, I think when it comes to just the vague statements, I just have to kind of get on my soapbox about. It just drives me absolutely bonkers because you absolutely can be making informed decisions about movement and it's very particular to the individual.
So, especially if the blanket bans are like no pushups or don't do any work on your back, you're going to be sleeping at night and you're probably going to roll over onto your back. So, to be saying like, “Oh, you can't work out on your back” is just kind of counterintuitive in my opinion. But again, so it's more of what's not off limits but it's how you do it and can we do it properly.
Can we manage pressure? Can we breathe through it properly? Can you be doing it in form that matters all the more? So, when it comes to strength training, like you Elara have a toddler, I had a toddler when I was pregnant with my second, of course you need to be lifting something that's probably more than 20 pounds.
It's just all the information that we are provided by a lot of our practitioners. I went to a high-risk doctor just because that was who my OBGYN had partnered with at the time. He literally looked at me when I walked in when I had just found out I was pregnant and he was like, “You're not going to be doing me in that crazy shit anymore, right?”
And I was like, “Mm, actually yeah, I will be and you can't tell me otherwise.” And I brought him in a stack of literature from ACOG that completely debunked, like, “You have to keep your heart rate under 140.”
And all this stuff because it was all outdated. And how I always say to my clients, I'm like, “Listen, I'm not telling you to not listen to your physician, that's actually the opposite. However, I'm asking you to be an advocate for yourself like anything else when it comes to your overall wellness,” because if it's good for here (points to head), if it's good for your mind, taking something away from you that's good for your mind during pregnancy, that just is again counterintuitive.
Jon Gay (12:16):
Lauren, real quick, what is ACOG?
Lauren Seib (12:17):
ACOG is the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. So, if you ever have any questions when it comes to your pregnancy, go on their website, it's acog.org - you can find literature up the wazoo.
Jon Gay (12:31):
Literally. Sorry.
(Laughter)
Lauren Seib (12:35):
But that for me is like, I don't know, it killed me that my physician was like, “No, you can't do what you absolutely love.” It's like, “Actually I can, you're giving outdated information to cover your own tushy, which I totally understand. However, (laughs) this is what I specialize in, so I'm going to continue working out the way I know I can work out, feel good working out and I know again I can manage my pressure and all that and move in good form.”
Diana Weil (13:01):
Can you guys talk about the pressure, what you were talking about, the managing pressure?
Lauren Seib (13:05):
Yeah, so I like to think about the core as not just your six pack. So, we all want those popping abs for summer; it's more than just those aesthetics that we're looking to help manage. So, there's also your deep core.
So, if you're thinking about, like I said, a canister or maybe a juice box is one of my favorite metaphors. And you're thinking about that outer layer being your skin, then there's the internal six pack underneath that is the transverse abdominals. I refer to them as the TAs often.
Those actually are acting like a corset or if you are tying your shoe lace, you're kind of tightening that shoe lace, that kind of concept of a wrapping laterally is why that muscle works, or how that muscle works I should say.
Then you have your obliques that flank your sides and then you have your pelvic floor, which actually is made up of- I want to say 16 muscles. Do not quote me, Jon, on that one, but there are a lot of muscles down there that you wouldn't think.
And Jon, you have pelvic floor muscles as well. Men have them as well. Guys are always … actually Elara, I mean Peter might kill me, but we had a very big conversation one day when he was squatting about his pelvic floor and how he uses downward pressure.
And I was like, “No, no, no sir, you need to lift your pelvic floor and do — I hate to call them Kegels because it's much more advanced than that but I feel like most people can conceptualize what a Kegel is.
Jon Gay (14:28):
So, you're saying for guys too, Lauren?
Lauren Seib (14:30):
Yes. Yeah. So, all of this can actually support men and that's why I get on my soapbox at the CrossFit box at Elara I go to, because guys look at me, what I'm doing in the back room with my private clients and they're like, “Oh that doesn't look very hard.”
And I'm like, “Dude, go grab a little playground ball, put it between your thighs, get on your back and I can guarantee you I will have you shaking and profusely sweating in about 30 seconds (laughs). Don't F with me and make fun of me, because I swear to you, there's a reason for my madness.”
Elara Hadjipateras (14:59):
Jon, it can also help with if you have any bathroom troubles like hemorrhoids, if you're prone to that type of thing, you got to keep it tight.
Lauren Seib (15:07):
The majority of back pain is a result of a weak core. So, again, the core musculature, it's not just your six pack, which we think of it as. It's your six pack that lies on top of those TAs which wrap the flanking of the sides and then all those little small cutie muscles, not cutie but you know what I mean, muscles that are down in your pelvic floor and the pelvis that support, yes, the organs, but also bowels, all that stuff.
So, when we're talking about the core musculature, I like to again talk about a juice box. If you are putting too much pressure down, what's going to happen to that juice box? Well, the pressure's going to go out, that's where we see diastasis recti, which is the splitting of the abs, which happens in 99% of women when they're pregnant just because we need room for the baby to grow.
But if we're going to squeeze in the middle of, “I'm going to tight and tight and do what these cues that some instructors say,” which I'm sure you've heard it. “Pull your belly button to your spine,” it's like, okay, so I'm going to pretend I'm trying to slither into some skinny jeans, well where is that pressure going? Most likely up or down as a result. So, that's when we're seeing leakage as a very common postpartum or during pregnancy symptom amongst other things.
Pressure, like I said, you can feel, I remember going for my first run after my daughter thinking, “Oh I got this, I'm great,” I think I hadn’t even made it to the stop sign. And I was like, “Oh, that, that's different. That's not what I've felt before!” So, it's all about managing that and how do we manage that? It's through breath work and obviously controlling that floor.
So, I always like to say, and Elara knows this, take your left rib cage towards your right when you're bracing, think about your hip bones taking the muscles that are around those, wrapping those towards one another, gently drawing that belly button back or if you're on your back, setting that low back waistline down to your mat and then gently lifting your pelvic floor up.
Again, kind of going back to my whole comment on the Kegel being like people think just, “Oh, I need to squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze my pelvic floor muscles.”
It's like well actually most of us, especially if you come from a barre and Pilates background, we're so used to squeezing the living daylights out of those muscles that actually they're too tight, which Elara we will be talking about very soon when it comes to delivering number two if you're going vaginally, because if anything we need to relax those muscles.
So, I digress majorly, but all of these muscles make up a canister in which we can support the pressure from either daily movement patterns of picking up a toddler or heavy groceries out of the car to getting under a barbell or getting on your Peloton, Jon, and being able to do a hill climb out of the saddle and really pushing that pace, that cadence, but with proper form, proper management.
Diana Weil (17:57):
When Lauren was describing it, was everyone else doing it? I was like, “Okay, rib cage in, hip (laughs).
Elara Hadjipateras (18:01):
I'm touching my belly right now, yeah, you can't see it. I'm like, “Get in there, squeeze together." So, I always think of like when you're describing like the no-no of what I know I'm not doing it as coning, right?
Lauren Seib (18:11):
Yes. So, coning is another one of those symptoms, so to speak, of mismanagement. So, if you are coning, oftentimes that means that we have a little bit of diastasis recti. We all have it, some kids are even born with it.
My son, when I see him hike himself up, there's a little bit of coning that happens right along the linear elbow, which is this stretchy cellophane ligament that connects the two sides of your six pack, so there's three down one side, three down the other, there's this connective tissue and when that six pack muscles starts to split, that's where the coning, that pressure is going to go out.
So, I noticed it a lot in myself in my second pregnancy almost immediately when I was on the rower doing CrossFit workout and that leaning back concept, really pulling my elbows back. I was like, “Oh my gosh, there's that little dome.”
So, when it comes to those movements, at this point Elara, we've talked about it and when I get to a specifically a second, third trimester with a client, there's certain movements again, I never want to say, “No, you can't do that.” We're going to say, “Okay, well how can we manage that pressure better?”
And if we can't then that's something we're going to put on the back burner for right now and we're going to work to get back postpartum once we were able to manage a pressure properly. So, it's never like, no, it's like do we have to lean as far back? Probably not. That's when my row became on that rowing machine, that erg, I wasn’t leaning as far back.
I still feel like I don't because I taught myself for nine months not to, but there's different movement patterns that we're going to just start to question like, “Okay, well can I exhale and bring those muscles all together we just spoke about and correct it.”
And if we can't, then how are we going to figure out altering that movement just slightly or breathing differently or bringing you into a different plan of motion so we can still get that same stimulus in the exercise without compensating in the management pressure.
Diana Weil (20:14):
Can you talk a little bit about heart rate? When I first got pregnant and I went in to start working out, I was like, “What do you mean I have to keep my heart rate under 145?” That's nothing, that's like me going on a hike or barely doing any cardio.
And then I did some research and I realized that it's okay for me to bring my heart rate up and I kind of let go of that recommendation pretty much entirely. I just didn't even keep track of my heart rate and if I felt like I needed to take a break, I would take one, but otherwise I let go of it. And I'm just curious your thoughts- mostly so that when I get pregnant again, I can hear your voice tell me that it's okay.
Lauren Seib (20:51):
So, first of all, I feel like heart rate varies so much person to person. So, again, this is a blanket statement that physicians are using just to kind of cover their tushies. I'm forgetting what year in the 80s. Because I'm an 80s baby so I should know this better. But in the 80s ACOG, like I said the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, they debunked that.
So, it is not 140 and so it's a very antiquated just like blanketed statement that physicians use. I don't know about you, but even now postpartum at three years almost, I walk up a set of stairs and I'm pretty sure I can get my heart rate over 140 just like as is. So, it's very personal and yes, I would not be worried about it.
What we use more so when I'm with clients and people who have so much certifications to myself, it's more of can we have a conversation? Are you truly out of breath that you're keeled over? At this point Elara, do I want you going and doing Murph? Like probably not, but can we modify it? You could know. I mean, I still did Murph like 18-
Elara Hadjipateras (21:57):
You still did it, but I'm like, I don't think I'll be running like you because that'll be what, like a week before my due date.
Jon Gay (22:01):
For the non-CrossFit person, Murph, what is that?
Lauren Seib (22:05):
Murph is a mile run to get started, a mile run to finish and then you have basically, what is it, a hundred pushups? Gosh, I'm now-
Elara Hadjipateras (22:14):
A hundred pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats. Another mile.
Jon Gay (22:19):
I’m going to keel over just thinking about that.
Elara Hadjipateras (22:21):
Wait, wait, actually, fun exercise. Lauren, if you were going to come up with, because you know I'm going to ask you to do this. God willing, everything is okay, a modified Murph for a woman who is 39 weeks pregnant, what would the programming be?
Lauren Seib (22:35):
I got it and it's on my Instagram from Greenwich CrossFit days. Yes, we would do bent over rows instead of pull-ups, we would do on your back in a glute bridge, a chest press. I don't like any pregnant women after a certain point if we are coning like Elara to be going back on a bench. A) it's not stable, so from a safety standpoint.
But also again, that undue pressure is going to show itself pretty quickly. So, if you're getting in and out of that too much, it's just not, it's also just not fun. As Diana, you probably know getting down and up like that at that point of pregnancy, air squats are completely fine and then the run is up to you.
Elara Hadjipateras (23:11):
I won't be running; I don't run now. So, what would I do instead of running?
Lauren Seib (23:16):
You can get on the bike and again, you can do a little bit more in terms of mileage on the bike than a mile run because you would probably zip through that pretty quick.
Elara Hadjipateras (23:24):
Alright, stay tuned.
Lauren Seib (23:26):
Yeah, I know we're going to have to circle back.
Elara Hadjipateras (23:27):
Let’s see I do it, yeah, I'll do a little Instagram reel and tag you on our Steeped in Wellness Podcast, Instagram.
(Laughter)
Lauren Seib (23:34):
But yes, Diana, to your point, I just think that it's more about can I have a conversation with you? Are you fully keeled over or can we like, yes, you're out of breath, you're pushing it, your heart rate is up, that's what we want. We want to be questioning that heart rate a little bit, again, it's going to really simulate labor delivery but we're doing it and we're managing it properly.
So, we're not going to have you completely gassed. I'm not going to tell you go run a marathon literally when you're 38 weeks pregnant, however, can we get a stem? Can we push you to kind of jack up that heart rate but then slowly start to bring it down to a manageable point and get you back to a place where you can breathe.
Both of my labors, I closed my eyes, at one or two points, multiple times potentially, and thought of myself on that stupid assault bike and how that can jack your heart rate up to nobody's business (laughs), right to no end but then I wouldn’t be able to breathe through it.
Like when you're working out, whatever you're doing, whether you're pregnant or not, you can start to talk yourself into, “Can I bring my heart rate down a little bit? How can I stabilize this?” So, it's the same concept when you're pregnant.
Again, I'm not going to make you go run a marathon, but can we get you to get 10 calories on that assault bike and really, really push, push, push, push, but then bring it back down and we're having that conversation. I'm checking in, “Are you good? Okay, awesome.” Let's keep that action, keep that energy going.
So, it's not that 140 is just antiquated, it's just a number that I feel like they just made up and they're like, “Nope, stick to this.” And then everyone's like I've seen so many pregnant clients, like watching their Apple watch, like, “Oh, I'm 145 right now.” I'm like, “Yeah, no girl, you're good. That's okay.”
Diana Weil (25:10):
Yeah, it is. It's like the always checking and I'm like just that alone has me so stressed out than I'm probably going to be at 140.
Elara Hadjipateras (25:16):
Yeah, that's white coat lab syndrome right there. So, getting into labor, that's kind of, I would argue, I don't know a natural birth, but a natural birth probably is probably one of the craziest workouts we will do during our lifetime. What are the specific breathing techniques we could use to optimize our performance during labor?
Lauren Seib (25:36):
I love that. Well, first I have to say, I was going to mention this to you, Elara before but you need to pack a comb in your hospital bag to press on, I don't know if anyone's told you.
Elara Hadjipateras (25:47):
I bought one from Amazon. From the first one, I never had a chance to use it, because you want to create a pain point somewhere else.
Lauren Seib (25:53):
Yes. It's like pressure points. Yeah, it's like that gait control theory of pain or whatever it is where it stimulates a different nerve ending, highly recommend it. I used it with both, of course with my second, I couldn't find the damn comb, but I had my car keys and I was squeezing the crap out of the car keys.
My husband was like, “I can take those.” I'm like, “No, no, no, no. Like I need these keys.” But when it comes to breath work, it's very similar to what we focus on when we do our 360-degree breathing, which you'll incorporate, like I said before in labor.
Also, it's one of those things that you can just, the second the baby comes out, you can start incorporating into your rehab. So, let's all just take our hands, spread your fingertips nice and wide and you are going to bring your fingertips to that front rib cage and wrap your thumb around your back.
And then right away, just notice if you're not carrying any touch in your shoulders, try to let those shoulders relax. And I want you to think about filling up your inhale breath in your front ribs, your side ribs, and your back ribs. So, take a big inhale and then just exhale it out. Good.
Do that again. Inhale, fill your front, your side, your back ribs and then as you exhale, can you think about bringing those ribs closer towards one another like I spoke about earlier. Good. We're going to do that same thing again. Inhale, fill up, front side back and now we're also going to close the hips.
So, bring your ribs closer towards one another and your hip bones closer towards one another, nice. One more like that. Inhale fill up, front side, back body, exhale. We're going to close the ribs, close the hips, and then think about that pelvic floor, gently draw it up on the last little part of the exhale. Good.
Now that's something that we should be doing throughout our pregnancy, through postpartum. But one little fun caveat when it comes to pushing your baby out vaginally, if you're going to be doing so, you're not going to exhale and lift your pelvic floor, you're going to exhale and that's when you're going to start pressing down and letting baby come down that birth canal and hopefully soon out.
So, it's a little bit different. So, when I have a client, I love working with clients before pregnancy and then through it because I can kind of lead them through, that they know this breath work pattern. They know how to be moving super intentionally with that, whether it's a squat, a deadlift, a pushup or a row.
However, once we get closer to that delivery date, we shift gears a little bit with our mat work and instead of thinking about exhaling and drawing the muscles of the pelvic floor up, we're actually relaxing them.
So oftentimes I use the bicep as a metaphor to this. You wouldn't just be working a bicep curl constantly with the small little pulse in. We want to fully extend that muscle, right, fully relax and then come back into that contraction and fully engage.
So, the same thing with the musculature of the pelvic floor kind of obviously is like a big circle, like a north, south, east, west concept. Or I often use like a tissue as a metaphor would be a north, south, east, but still here. Those muscles we want to be taking from all four points and then drawing up in your pelvic floor, but then also letting them fan back out and fully spreading out.
So, that's kind of the concept, like I said, when in terms of preparation also for rehab. But when it comes to delivery, we want to be using that breath work to allow baby to … you want your pelvic floor to receive so the baby comes out. So, that's the breath work that we should be thinking about and using the musculature to our advantage.
Diana Weil (29:27):
Lauren, can you talk about, so we've covered pre and birth and now I want to talk a little bit about post because woof, that's a journey and I think one thing that's interesting, at least for me, I think I'm sure you guys had a similar experience probably that at the six-week appointment, it's not like they do any sort of physical check and all of a sudden you go from not being able to do anything to being a hundred percent cleared.
And I'm curious your thoughts on that, I also did not wait for six weeks because mentally I could not, I was so ready to jump in. Yeah, so that postpartum fitness period is a struggle.
Lauren Seib (30:08):
Yes. You can say that again. That's what I feel like I specialize in the most, that's most of my clientele currently is in that postpartum stage. I had a client of mine actually come back to me two weeks postpartum. She was like, “I know I can't physically really work out, but I know there's things that we can be doing and I need to move and I need it for my sanity.”
So, good for you Diana, for recognizing that. I was the exact same way. I was a little bit more scared after my first to be honest. And plus I had a COVID baby, so not a lot of places were really like open yet, so it was a little bit different of a vibe. So, when it comes to postpartum, like I said, there's a few things that we want to be prioritizing.
Like early days, like that first two weeks for example, rest, recovery, just reconnecting with your breath, your pelvic floor. A lot of times there's not even any real awareness like it feels … I felt really numb still even though I had two beautiful births vaginally.
So, just kind of bringing some connection back into the areas. Simple movements like walking around the house, some gentle stretches especially if you're breastfeeding, some seated cat cows or setting those arms, some door opener stretches or angel wings kind of on the on the wall. So, things that are very gentle and promote healing.
With that being said, around two to four weeks, some gentle functional movement, I always recommend especially if you have multiple children prior to this delivery, you're going to be doing it probably right out of the gate when you come home, unless you have a C-section, you can't physically pick up your baby or your toddler I should say.
So, from that standpoint, yeah, to your point Diana, like maybe moving a little bit, maybe doing some air squats or a good morning, which is where you bring your hands behind your head and you're just hinging from that standing position and rising back up just to get some blood flow to feel good.
Like stoke that good oxytocin, all those good things back into your body and to feel like yourself a little bit more than versus just sitting at home and changing diapers and like, I needed that like stem (chuckles). So, when it comes to two, four weeks before that six-week mark, it's kind of doing some check-ins with yourself, seeing how you're feeling.
I'm not saying go to a CrossFit class, I'm not saying even to go to a barre class. It's still very much about recovery, healing, breath work, awareness, circulation, mobility. However, I think as you progress towards that six-week mark, yes, you can probably start adding a little bit more movement in.
With that being said, it should be functional; it should be things that I call the “mommy moves” that you are physically going to be probably already doing and just reinitiating, “Oh, I don't have a belly in my way anymore.
How can I distribute that weight properly again? How can I make sure that I'm using the breath work properly to be managing that pressure so I'm not leaning down to pick up my toddler, not exhaling and wrapping like we just worked on together here and then finding downward pressure or leaking or what have you.”
So, once we get to the six-week mark, to your point Diana, a lot of physicians just, you walk in, it's a little bit more of like a mental check-in and they're like, “How are you feeling?” Of course, they're running through, very important for to be checking “baby blues” versus maybe postpartum depression.
However, like my situation, my doctor knew what I did. She pushed her fingers down my linear elbow like I said, she said, “You're good.” Honestly, I did have a little diastasis pull that I did, I have to work on. She did an exam down there, things were looking great, okay, awesome, you're on your way.
I had a client yesterday who told me she literally didn't even put on a gown for her six-week appointment. They didn't check jack you know what. So, of course, I'm working with her since she was the one who started with me back up two weeks postpartum and we've been monitoring her progress already.
And yes, she got cleared yesterday, whatever was this week and I threw weights back in her hand for the first time because I was like, “You've been doing the right work.” Were they 15-pound weights like she did when she was pregnant? Absolutely not. They were fives.
However, we are able to start doing some deadlifts, start some lateral lunges. Our glutes get hit really, really hard when we're pregnant and then the counterweight of our bellies going forward, it's just a recipe for that mom pancake butt that we all-
Diana Weil (34:35):
Yeah, I'm so sorry, but where did my butt go?
Elara Hadjipateras (34:39):
Oh, you still have a great butt. Don't worry.
Diana Weil (34:40):
No, no, no but it is not the same (laughs).
Lauren Seib (34:41):
It's a thing.
Elara Hadjipateras (34:43):
It’s because we're always like this, we're like leaning forward, holding a child, on our hip and stuff. We're like always tucking in, I feel like and not engaging as much.
Lauren Seib (34:51):
It's not just an aesthetic thing, but it is because of like we were talking about before, like the postpartum recovery, like the pelvic floor proactively. It helps like glute strength. helps manage core and pelvic floor health because they're in charge of hip stability and proper core engagement, there's so many reasons behind glute strength.
So, that's one of the things that gets hit so hard because think about it. This huge belly's coming forward, we're compensating all the time, especially during the end. So, that's when those movements after months of being front loaded and pregnancy that we want to hone in on because like I said, it stabilizes pelvis, it stabilizes spine.
But also, that's another culprit of low back pain is lacking the glute strength because of its role with the core. But yeah, that's a total, that's a thing- the pancake butt, but not on my watch. If you are kind of mine, Elara knows I'm like I can't put it on my business card that I build better butts, but it's kind of my thing.
Elara Hadjipateras (35:57):
Butts by Lauren. Yeah, no, it's true. So, would you say that women who are breastfeeding, do they have to take any sort of different approach?
I know firsthand that there's a huge amount of anxiety and fear over being your child's only food source and if you do anything to kind of expend your energy because it is so tiring and exhausting and zapping to breastfeed. There's the thought of like, “Oh, if I go to the gym and I sweat, maybe that's going to reduce my milk supply,” that you take with clients.
Lauren Seib (36:27):
It's not my specialty. However, I will say from experience, that was where I had a really hard time. First of all, when I was breastfeeding, my body did not change as quickly as I would've liked. And actually, a dear friend of mine, Danielle Pasquale, who is a pelvic floor PT, who Elara knows, who works out with us. She was telling me the other day actually about this really interesting study and I'll have to send it your way. Basically, you don't put on muscle when you're breastfeeding.
And I'm like, “Oh, well that makes total logical sense of why I was working my tushy off after both my children.” I breastfed both my kids for six months and did not see the results and it was so beyond frustrating. Add in the fact that you're exercising, so you're now spending however many calories, you're burning 300 calories in a workout.
When you're breastfeeding, you're also expending 300 to 400 calories in a day. So, now we're talking, I mean, mathematicians here, 600, 800 calories per day additionally that you need to be eating just to live but then there's this weird, “I'm starving.”
I don't know if anyone, for anyone who's ever breastfed, you just are so hungry, the hankerings are insane, then you're not exercising, so just managing all of that is really tough. So, I know for me, after my second and I'm chasing the toddler, I was renovating a house, I felt like I was eating like a 400-pound man.
I was like, “Give me food at all times.” I want high fat, high protein, like carb load me and I was like, “Why am I not losing weight?” So, when it comes to like, “Oh, hmm, let's figure that out. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.” But it is really challenging and the research is there that says you're not going to lose weight nor put on muscle while you're breastfeeding.
It is definitely a weird additional thing we need to, I don't want to say, worry about. But it's an added thing that we are tinkering with in our minds as a postpartum mom to be like, “Okay, well I want to lose weight, but I want to fuel my child's the way in which I'm preferring or doing, but how do I then also feel good, look good, perform, it's just like, oh my God (laughs) like I had something else and then you're not sleeping.” So, it's like holy cannoli. It's just a lot.
Diana Weil (38:51):
And the sleep thing, I think people don't realize how much the lack of sleep can really impact everything. Elara and I have a … we've probably talked endlessly about the fact, the lie that people tell you that you'll lose weight when you're breastfeeding (laughs).
So, Lauren, you have two kids, Elara’s about to have two kids, I think exercising right now with one kid feels pretty doable. My husband's really helpful, I have a gym that I love and when I can't go to the gym, my mom watches my baby and I ride her Peloton, like I've got a good thing going. However, that feels a lot harder when you throw in another baby into the mix. What tips do you have for moms and dads of multiples who are trying to exercise?
Lauren Seib (39:41):
I love that question and it's definitely one of the hardest things I found in terms of going from one to two. First and foremost, it's all about honoring your body and making sure that you feel strong, you feel supported, you feel empowered.
I'm very lucky, I know like Elara, that we have partners who also prioritize these things so we schedule it. My husband goes to the 5:00 AM classes, I go to the 7:00 AM before I start my work and I front load my day and have all my clients accordingly stacked after that.
Diana Weil (40:14):
Can I have a quick question about that? Just about the logistics. So, (laughs) I need to know this. What about when you're breastfeeding, do both kids stay asleep until like six or seven and then you feed, how does it work when you go to the seven o'clock classes?
Lauren Seib (40:30):
Oh, I wish. I had two children who didn't sleep, who still don't (laughs), I'm one of them. I was having a big conversation with a client about this the other day. It's all about kind of getting ahead of it. So, if you're going to be breastfeeding, I know my kid is probably going to wake up at one o'clock in the morning, probably four or five o'clock and then eight o'clock.
So, if I'm pumping, it needs to be before that and that breast milk needs to be sitting out for my husband to then give said child so I can get extra sleep. Maybe there's formula that's being introduced or what have you or you're getting something from the stock in the fridge.
My husband works out before the children wake up and I handle breakfast, that's kind of our thing. I make their lunches for school, I hand them off, they're fully ready, and dressed and just put them in the car and get them to school for me, please, on time.
I think it's amazing that it sounds like you have this as well, Diana, I know Elara does, like a wonderful village around you. So, if it's parents, they're caretakers, whatever, who help you prioritize yourself because my big thing is I need to put my oxygen mask on first in order to be a good mom.
Everyone is different. I went back to work after both my children at three weeks. I know that's insane. I don't work a nine to five job-
Elara Hadjipateras (41:42):
It’s not.
Lauren Seib (41:43):
I don't work a nine to five job, I would see one, two clients, feel empowered, pump while I was with them with amazing technology we have, like what have you, and that for me filled my cup.
So, when it comes to the managing of everything, it's definitely very personal. It's a very specific to you. However I think if you kind of go into number two with a little bit of a game plan of like, “This worked for me and my husband or my partner, going into number one, how can I kind of take that, copy and paste it, knowing that there's now a toddler running around,” that combination (laughs) that can royally F things with an ear infection in a heartbeat, which I currently have in the other room next to me.
But I think that it's just how can we divide and conquer? It's just like sleeping those first few weeks when you're like, “Okay, I'm going to pump and give this to you and you're going to deal with the night feed or whatever it is, green feed so I can go get an extra two hours of sleep.”
So, when it comes to fitness, in my opinion, it should be just as prioritized in your day if that is something that's important to you as sleep, as a meal, because movement is medicine. And if that speaks to you, then you absolutely should be scheduling it in.
Now with my first, again, and it was a COVID baby, I was able to do a lot more of my workouts at home and I mean, not just by choice but by design (chuckles) of the world we lived in. And that meant that when she was napping or she was in the DockATot next to me or she was in her little bouncer, that's when I squeezed it in.
So, from a tip standpoint, it's like how can I stack these little small moments in my day? It might not be the full hour that we are all right now currently able to fully enjoy, it might be 20 minutes here during their morning nap, then I get to shower. I know I'm going to get a little walk in the afternoon with my husband. There's another 30 minutes of exercise, check, check.
And then when I put the baby down at night, I can do my deep breathing exercises while I'm brushing my teeth, maybe hit the mat and do a pigeon on each side and feel good and a chest opener to relieve all the pressure from breastfeeding from the day and I can go to sleep.
So, it's not going to be perfect and you're going to definitely figure things out as you go. But for me, that's how I was able to manage it.
And a lot of times, baby wearing is the way to go or bringing them in as Elara has done before, I've done before, you're bringing the baby along for the ride and they might stick a dirty dumbbell in their mouth, but hey, there's some good anti (laughs) … they're getting all the good stuff in them, all the bacteria that needs to build antibodies, so who cares?
Diana Weil (44:19):
Yeah, love it. I think that those are all — and I feel like for me personally, just reminding myself that some is always better than none and doing the if I can do three minutes of this and five minutes of this and a 10-minute walk, that all adds up and it matters.
And I also, just love hearing how other moms do it because at the gym that we go to, there was an explosion of babies and everyone had babies at the same time. And looking at how all the couples (chuckles) do it, like there's one couple, they do the switch off.
So, the husband goes to the five and then the wife goes to the six and I'm like, “Okay, so you like put your baby in the car seat. How are you guys doing the logistics?”
(Laughter)
Lauren Seib (44:54):
That's insane. I mean, I give them major credit. We need the hour buffer time but I mean, again, it's too each their own.
Elara Hadjipateras (45:00):
I get anxiety just thinking about why would I unnecessarily strap them into a car seat and deal with screaming and irritability when I can-
Diana Weil (45:09):
Same, same. I can't-
Lauren Seib (45:10):
And like potential blowouts, let's not even forget that aspect. Like that's a-
Elara Hadjipateras (45:14):
When they're so young. I totally agree with you. Something I keep hearing from people is baby wearing for baby number two- which I didn't do too much of the first time around because I got the advice not to do that and I listened to it. For better or worse, because I didn't want to have a Velcro baby.
Newsflash, I have a Velcro baby anyway (laughs), a total mama's boy. But that's key is you just kind of bring them on the road, you bring them on the go, they're napping on the go, it's not going to be the perfect condition with the sound machine and things like that. And they tend to just learn to roll with the punches.
I don't know if you guys are … I mean, I'm a younger child, so I like to think that maybe us younger children we're used to kind of just going with the flow a little bit more and were more flexible by nature, probably because of that.
Lauren Seib (45:59):
Yeah, no, I mean, my son, everyone's like, “Oh, when does he nap?” I'm like, “I don't know. When he gets in the car.” I used to have these apps for my daughter, I would get so annoyed if my mother-in-law that she would forget to put a wet diaper in there. Like who cares? My son, I'm like I don't know, did we change one diaper today? Oh, cool, we're good.
But when it came to napping and all that, it was just like, yeah, the second kid's so much easier but when it comes to the baby wearing, just to know that it's all the more important to be honing in on your form because I see this all the time, even now, that weighted vests are such a hot, I feel like especially where we live Elara. Everyone and their brother walks their dog with a weighted vest.
Form is so essential when you are baby wearing, because we naturally, we go back to that pregnancy affinity for crunching over or letting the forward weight really dictate our form. Just remember to really open up that chest, engage the muscles of the back, that posterior chain and not also overdo it where we're tapping into that low back. I see that just as much.
So, thinking about stacking, so if you've ever taken a barre, yoga class, you've probably heard ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips, hips over heels. I mean, it doesn't get more simple than that in terms of alignment queuing but that, so it's fundamental right to any movement pattern we're doing.
Even if it's in a different plane of motion, like in a plank for example, it's the same concept. So, when you are baby wearing, especially if you're adding any movement like a lunge or a longer walk or what have you, it is really essential to be honing in on that.
Diana Weil (47:34):
Thank you for saying that. I do a lot of baby wearing when I hike the dogs every day and I've noticed lately that I've been sticking my hips forward and I just have noticed my form has been incorrect. And it was funny, I was hiking with my son who's probably like 20 pounds and I passed this guy who's wearing a weighted vest and I was like, “My weighted vest is better than your weighted vest.” (Laughs).
Lauren Seib (47:53):
Absolutely.
Elara Hadjipateras (47:55):
Definitely much cuter.
Diana Weil (47:56):
So much cuter (laughs).
Elara Hadjipateras (47:58):
Jon, check in because I know this is quite a female-centric topic of a podcast. Do you have any questions, comments, concerns?
Jon Gay (48:06):
Can I just say, as a guy, to anybody out there, don't say dumb things to women who are pregnant. I think about this. Sadly, it's a core memory for me, but I remember as a kid, my brother and I went to the dentist, the pediatric dentist with my mom. And my mom at the time was overweight and somebody asked her how far along she was.
And I remember being this 10-year-old kid wanting to punch this guy because he hurt my mom's feelings. And I've got to imagine that all three of you have experienced it particularly at work for you, Lauren, the dumb things that people say to women when they're pregnant and whether it's about working out or anything like that.
Lauren Seib (48:48):
Yeah, I got a lot after. So, I was very fortunate after my first, like I said, she was three weeks early, which I feel like those last three weeks are just hell for anyone who can relate who goes full term and a lot of times that's where we put on a little bit more weight, like that we are getting ready for that baby to be healthy and all that.
So, I kind of skipped that with my first, which is kind of wild and rare. So, when I had my second and he was three days early before his due date, I had so many people, every single day I was like, “Is today the day, is it today?” I'm like, “I don't know. I hope so. I hoped three weeks ago when I was having regular contractions that this baby was coming out, but no.”
So, anyway, I was a lot bigger, I would say, at the end of my pregnancy with my son. And it took me a lot longer, I feel like, to get back to feeling like myself maybe aesthetically looking like myself again. And so, there was a lot of comments I got after my second being like, “Well, do you feel like you're bouncing back as quick?”
And it's like, “I'm clearly not stoked about how I look right now to begin with.” I’m also in this industry where everyone's looking to me as like this model of, “Oh yeah, I want to get pregnant, or ooh, no, like that does look so fun and she specializes in this, wow.” So, I think there's a lot around that.
But then also just like there's a lot of questions of like, “Well, when will you start CrossFitting again? When will you start doing pull-ups again?” And it kind of goes back to how I even started this whole conversation earlier about these misconceptions.
You can't just blanket statement like this is when I'm going to feel like I bounced back, this is what I feel like I can add a pull up into my workout. It was very much like stepping stones.
So, I think that that was my biggest thing. People were very stuck on like how I looked because of my career and I get that, don't get me wrong. However, I think that people honing in on that for anyone no matter what career is not fair (laughs).
And yeah, I don't know, Elara did you feel like you had that little bit at the end with just being so … because you were very active with your first pregnancy and then now with your second-
Elara Hadjipateras (51:02):
I was very active, but I was also huge and now it's like to your point of I've been working out more during this pregnancy, I've been doing more strength training and I feel bigger now, like five months pregnant than I did the first time and it's like there's these moments where it's like, yeah, it's kind of like slightly horrifying.
To your point, people look at you and they're just like, “Oh, you're only that far along?” And it's like, “Yep, yay.” And it's not exactly the most motivating thing to hear from the people you see every day at the gym. It makes you not want to go to the gym, you're like, “I don't-“
Lauren Seib (51:32):
Well, and also I've noticed it with you too, and I got this actually publicly on Instagram and I remember a few of my friends sounded off on it, but people seeing me with a barbell and a big belly, I know you're in a CrossFit gym a lot of times with the weight that you've been used to pushing, pulling, what have you for a decade now and there's a lot of misconception.
I'm working with you, I'm in the other room, I see you doing it. You asked me should I modify this? Yep, modify that, no, keep that weight. And it's like the people who don't understand the reasoning why, they're just going to be like, “Oh, put that down. That's too heavy.” That's what someone said on my Instagram.
Like sounded off. “You should not be doing that. You're putting your baby at risk. How dare you? That poor child.” I'm like, first of all, not your opinion to be had to begin with. Secondly, this is what I do for a career. I know how to manage my pressure, all the things we've talked about this whole hour, so that really got my blood boiling (laughs) to say the least.
Elara Hadjipateras (52:33):
Oh yeah.
Jon Gay (52:34):
If COVID has taught us anything, everybody on the internet is a doctor, an expert in world affairs and expert in all things, right?
Elara Hadjipateras (52:43):
Yeah. I think it's especially — I love it about a CrossFit gym is that there's kind of this underlying competitive nature to it, which I love because I was a former competitive athlete, but there's also a little bit of a dark side to that.
Where when you're pregnant and you're adjusting the workouts and you're busting your butt, like I still bust my butt, I'm on the floor heavily breathing after workouts and people still make comments like, “Oh, well, you didn't beat me in the workout because you did it scaled, or you did this,” especially because right now it's like the open and things like that.
And I was really happy with how I performed in the first workout, and I had a couple different people being like, “Oh, well, you did the pregnant version.” I'm like, “You know what, why don't you try doing the fucking pregnant version with (chuckles) like an extra 25 pounds strapped to your belly and see how you do,” is kind of what I feel like saying, but I do not say that.
Diana Weil (53:31):
And this is why we don't comment on other people's bodies.
Lauren Seib (53:33):
Exactly.
(Laughter)
Jon Gay (53:36):
The internet's a dark place.
Diana Weil (53:40):
Well, Lauren, this has been so helpful, and I am really excited to implement some of these things if, and hopefully when I get pregnant again. And I know that just this information is so needed for so many women and not just moms, but I think dads can also take a lot from what you've said. So, Elara and I like to end every podcast with two questions, and I know that we didn't prep you for these.
Lauren Seib (54:02):
Okay. Hit me.
Diana Weil (54:04):
So, feel free to take a second and think if you need. But the first question is, “What is a life lesson you've had to learn the hard way?”
Lauren Seib (54:15):
Gosh, that is-
Elara Hadjipateras ([54:15):
That comes to mind right now. It doesn't need to be like-
Lauren Seib (54:17):
Fully loaded (laughs). I think it ties back to the reason why I went into this industry to begin with. And it's just to love and honor myself, my body, to not be focused as much on this perfectionism, but instead feeling strong, supported, empowered in my body and how to take that strength in my daily life.
Diana Weil (54:44):
I love that. That's a good important life lesson.
Lauren Seib (54:46):
Thank you.
Elara Hadjipateras (54:47):
That's really good. And what about right now, Lauren, is there a current mantra that you find that's kind of coming into your day-to-day?
Lauren Seib (54:56):
Ooh, that's another good one. I always, it's funny, “I am strong.” I know that's so cliche (chuckles) for a trainer to say, but it comes up a lot as a parent. I'm on my feet six, eight hours a day in the morning before I become full-time mama and do bedtime or dinnertime first and bedtime and all the things.
And when the going gets tough, I just think back of that gosh darn assault bike that earlier like I mentioned or whatever it is that I had to push through. And I'm like, “Well, I did that. I can do anything.”
Alright, yeah, my toddler's being a little bit of a pill. But how can I take a positive spin on this, be a good mom and take the strength that I have and also show them how to use that in the best of their abilities too?
My biggest thing with my children and when it comes to them seeing me working out and my career is to make sure that I bestow upon them that power of strength and empowerment so that they can take that with them to whatever they want to do with their life.
Because while, yes, I would love for them to crush on the field hockey team someday or what have you, it's more about how movement can heal and be supportive in their daily lives too. So, yeah, that's what I hope that they take from what I do.
Elara Hadjipateras (56:23):
Well, Lauren, if someone wants to work with you or just follow along, get some good tidbits where can they find you? How'd they go about doing that?
Lauren Seib (56:31):
Yeah, so they can, can follow me on Instagram, which is @lauren_seib. Does not follow the I before E rule. And then also my company is Bump and Thrive. There is a lot of exciting things coming down the pipeline that I'm launching this upcoming year in 2025 and beyond. So, they can find me over there which it's free- postnatal and all of the things beyond into parenthood, so when it comes to strength and wellness.
Diana Weil (56:59):
Amazing. Thank you so much, Lauren.
Lauren Seib (57:00):
Thank you. Appreciate it.
Elara Hadjipateras (57:00):
Thanks Lauren.
[Music Playing]
Jon Gay (57:03):
Sip, savor and live well with new episodes of Steeped in Wellness every Wednesday. Follow our show free on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you're listening right now. Leave your questions and comments below. Find us on Instagram at Steeped in Wellness, or for more, click on matcha.com.