Prenatal Fitness: Werk It, Mama -

For MB, workout gear will always be black, black, greyish, black black. Leggings: GAP maternity // tank: Motherhood Maternity // sweater: Target

Erinn opts for pattern and color in her workout gear. leggings: Marshall’s (similar here) // jacket: Lululemon (similar here) // tank: Lululemon (similar here)

One of the two studios for pre- and post-natal classes.

The sweetest decor: their monthly “Bump Wall” and “Baby Wall.” Details like this give the place a true community feel.

We opted to take a prenatal yoga class with Amanda. She’s amazing! Not only did it stretch us out, but it gave us a solid hour to focus on nothing but our own bodies. A nice reprieve from pregnancy + toddler!

At the suggestion of MB’s OBGYN to get moving and at the suggestion of my ass to get up off the couch, we begrudgingly squeezed ourselves into our sports bras and leggings to actually work out this past weekend. Daunted by the thought of any sort of jiggling or bouncing associated with running, MB and I decided to visit Prenatal Fit in Lakeview to try out their prenatal yoga class and we instantly fell in love. During our last pregnancies, we both felt like we were visual targets whenever we walked into the gym, like the music scratched to a halt and everyone turned to gawk at the woman smuggling the basketball underneath her shirt. We felt very much on display, which is the very last thing every pregnant woman wants when already worrying about weight and body image and just struggling to maintain some sense of normalcy.

The minute we walked through the doors of Prenatal Fit, designed specifically for prenatal and postnatal fitness, we felt like we were at home. Adina, the owner, greeted us at the door and gave us a tour of the facility and amenities, which include massage, stroller parking, and child care (for just $8!). They also offer classes beyond physical fitness, for mommies and daddies-to-be, including infant CPR, Breastfeeding Basics and Bringing Home Baby, to name a few.

As a second-timer, I’ve had a lot of time to ponder the way people’s perceptions of you shift, and the way it seems like you become a non-human when you’re pregnant. Instead, all the focus is on the baby, and the fact that you are still a person and not just a vessel, seems to get lost. Strangers even come up and ask to touch your belly, as if you are not attached to it. It’s very rare (at least in my experience) that you feel YOU are the focus. And don’t get me wrong…the baby is the real miracle here, but it’s hard to lose your own identity at a time when you so desperately need to feel normal. But the ladies at Prenatal Fit understand this and immediately make you feel like YOU matter, and I cannot say enough good things about what that does for a woman along this journey.