I’ve had quite a few mommas reach out to me about their struggles with postpartum. Mommas complaining about their mommy pouch, and more recently those who have #diastasisrecti as I do. This is a separation in your abdomen that can happen while growing a baby, which can be frustrating because it may seem like no matter what you do your stomach just doesn’t get flat. The #4thtrimester can be rough. It’s not just 6wks, 3mths, or 42wks. 🗣Postpartum is forever. 

Mommas, there is hope. This all requires healing. Healing sometimes takes time. Keep in mind there are some workouts you simply shouldn’t be doing and a trained expert can tell you that. There are many workouts I don’t do because I know it will only make things worse or prolong the healing process. 

I have dedicated my time to learning how to heal my gut, my diastasis recti, and today’s 2nd workout was dedicated solely to postpartum healing, breathing exercises, and healing and strengthening my core muscles (front and back). 

We carried beautiful life into this world. It took 10mths to do so. Take the same time and dedication to healing.

I know many of you have heard me talk about me delaying my postpartum workout journey and it was partly due to suffering with sciatica nerve pain. Some days were unbearable sitting in one position for over an hr nursing Baby Moon 🌙. I was advised not to carry Baby Moon 🌙 in her car seat, limit carrying her all together when it got really bad, no standing for long periods of times and surely no sitting for extended period of times either.  Nursing Baby Moon 🌙 while sitting on my bed with my legs straight caused my right hip to be pushed out more than my left hip causing misalignment onto my sciatic nerve. 

Luckily I didn’t have shooting pain down my leg like some have experienced. But it started out with numbness in my leg. Than pain in my lower back so much so I wobbled or could barely walk. It was sort of embarrassing wobbling nearly 2mo after giving birth.

Today I’m sharing some things that gave me much relief. Along with going to my amazing chiropractors 1-2times weekly.  *before doing these stretches make sure you’ve heated or iced the area for 10-15mins* yup icing sounds insane but feels so good afterwards once the initial cold feeling let’s up. 

Once I started feeling better I started slow and did yoga for 3weeks which I shared and since I’ve been lifting, jumping, doing cardio now more than ever these stretches are necessary so I maintain mobility and don’t hurt myself in the process. 

1. Sciatic Nerve Glide 

2. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

3. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch with Bilateral Reach

4. Kneeling Lunge Stretch

5. Hip Flexor Stretch on elbows (moderate) 

6. Hip Flexor Stretch with Arms Straight or cobra stretch (more advanced) Place a towel roll under thigh, just above your knees. *Place a towel roll under thigh, just above your knees.

7. Childs Pose 

8. Cat Cow Pose / Quadruped Hip Flexion Stretch

9. Figure 4 stretch or Piriformis Stretch - my favorite stretch 

Hope this helps. Sciatica pain is nothing to take lightly, I’m not a doctor just sharing my journey. *Please contact your dr for clearance* 

“The sacredness and realization that “there is a breathe of life within my womb”. I wish I could’ve just skipped to this feeling. But it’s so much more powerful that I got through the stages.”

— Cathleen Benjamin

To my mommas maybe this may resonate with you. 

When I found out I was pregnant with Baby Moon 🌙 I went through stages what I call the 3 S’s. I went from being scared, to secretly knowing I had a blessing inside me, to understanding my blessing and holding it extremely sacred.  

S:1

If you’ve been following me I had a scare back in September. I had an unusual pain in my abdomen area. Had an event that morning and throughout the event kept noticing the pain get stronger and stronger. At one moment my husband looked my way and I put my head down cause I wanted him to continue his workout but next thing I knew he said let’s go we’re going to the ER. Something on my face must’ve gave it away. At this point I could barely walk to the car. Thought maybe it was something with my uterus. I knew eventually I wanted more children but something in me said this is it not going to happen. I thought all the worst thoughts and just kept crying on the way to the hospital in excruciating pain. That silent cry with tears just flowing. That day I never shared this with anyone except Kurt but spirit was w/ me. A healing mantra come to me and I silently repeated it with tears in my eyes. I felt an image in a white robe following me to the X-ray room as they wheeled me away from Kurt. They said it was kidney stones. To this day I never passed the stone. 

End of January I found out I was pregnant. I was like no way! There is no way. Immediately started freaking out frozen in fear. Like are we ready? We have so many “plans”. We just sold our condo and just moved. Physically I was immobilized. I had no motivation. Completely stopped doing anything business wise, no posts, no checkins w/ my team, friends. Everything stopped. Went in complete panic mode when no one was around. I stayed in bed for hrs crying, overthinking. I felt like I was walking on eggs shells in the beginning. The anxiety about carrying to term, about being ready (than) or again or oh shoot I prayed for this months ago, now I have this what do I do now set it and didn’t allow me to fully embody and enjoy the moment. The revelation that once again I’ve been blessed. I had my pastor pray for and over me because I was losing it. He said all the right things and that has kept me carried me through all the scary what if thoughts.  I had a talk with myself to snap the heck out of it. Than it took me back to that time in September and said God Im surrendering all my fears. Thank you 🙏🏾 

S:2 

Culturally being of Haitian descent you don’t share before the 2nd trimester. Which is technically the “safe zone” I waited until about 13/14wks because I wanted to enjoy this and hold it now that I was finding my groove again. My fears subsided. I was excited. I wanted to just hold this for me Kurt our kids and family. My favorite reaction was wow. As I was (am) wowed daily by the wonders, the grace, the miracle of carrying Baby Moon 🌙 wondering what is to come and til this day just wowed by how blessed we are because this was actually a manifestation. 

S:3 

The third “S” is magical. The sacredness and realization that “there is a breathe of life within my womb”. I wish I could’ve just skipped to this feeling. But it’s so much more powerful that I got through the stages. I have been put on an assignment to eat, drink, sleep take care of myself, my mind, my body prayerfully carrying to term another beautiful creation of God. In all its miraculousness, in all the great wonders of the world I have been granted the beautiful duty to add more light into this world.  I couldn’t be more happy, broke wide open yet guarded at the same time. What gift and assignment could be greater, more challenging, more rewarding than this. Jesus I can’t wait to hold Baby Moon 🌙

#EmpoweredbyCathy

📸: Kurt Benjamin

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.”
~Meister Eckhart”

Good Morning Beautiful People!! Happy Tuesday <3

Ever feel like you’re trying to put pieces together and not necessarily to create the masterpiece of your life but just to find some type of rhythm, balance, happiness and of course incorporate a healthier lifestyle? I have to say today I started over on my nutrition and workout program because last week was just a really tough week for me with me being sick majority of the week and unable to work out this week I just feel like I could just bring in a whole new, rejuvenated me.

Cheers to anyone here choosing to start over! I’m right there with you sister!! I’m here to remind you that we’re just building stronger foundations when doing so. There is no shame in seeing that you need to change the course, make a BOLDER commitment (to YOU), and this time maybe ditch those inconsistencies, regret, grief that the past decisions bring.

Something I’ve been reminded of and it keeps coming up is that “you are entirely up to you.” Your results, meeting your goals, your attitude towards well everything is TOTALLY up to you. This switches gears a bit for me and my clients when I remind them your win is entirely up to you staying in the game!!! Can’t stay in the game if you prefer watching on the sidelines and cheering on everyone else’s victory!

So I invite YOU to join me today or whenever you’re hear reading this. If you feel like you need to start over with your health and wellness, your fitness journey join me. This invite is for ALL women of ALL walks of life, moms, expecting moms all are welcome let’s do this together because I know that there’s some other women out there who are struggling and who need that tribe and community of sisters to lock arms with and do this together! Let no (wo)man be left on an island join my virtual fit camp. If this resonates with you or sparks some curiosity Lets chat!!! If you’re ready lets get you Enrolled TODAY!!

Plan A program: Start Date (ongoing)
🕓 25-35 Minute Pre&Post Natal Workouts
📈Beginner - Intermediate Simple yet effective and flexible meal plan perfect for yo-yo dieters, emotional eaters who want to release bad habits
🏋🏽‍♀️ Light - medium Weights 🎖Me as your Coach
👑MY Squad as your support 📍YOU CAN ONLY WIN📍

Plan B program: Start Date (ongoing)
🕓 30 Minute Total Body Workouts
📈Beginner - Intermediate Flexible and simple meal guides (using portion control containers) teaching you how to eat towards your goals w/o starvation & deprivation
🏋🏽‍♀️ Light - medium Weights 🎖Me as your Coach
👑MY Squad as your support 📍YOU CAN ONLY WIN📍

Best way to reach your results is to start from where you are.

xo Cathy 💛