3. What is it like to climb before and after giving birth? What differences do you have or have you noticed?
Climbing while pregnant was an ever-changing journey. I really thought about how difficult all of my climbs were and didn’t set any expectations for myself because I knew it would lead to frustration, and I wanted to fully enjoy my pregnancy while maintaining my identity as a climber. . The biggest thing I noticed was how my core strength completely disappeared as I got more pregnant, and it turns out that’s pretty significant! My center of gravity felt really off, especially on the steeper climbs.
I tried to treat my postpartum journey as a healing journey. While I don’t think of childbirth as an injury, it essentially is, and my body needs to heal and strengthen over time. I’m now 4 months postpartum and my return to climbing has been really interesting. I started rock again when my daughter was 4 weeks old. The route climbing was smooth and gentle, bthe ride was harsh and unforgiving. I felt like I was moving like a new climber would, without much grace or strength. However, now I feel like I’m getting my old flow back, although I still lack a lot of strength. In a way, it’s refreshing to feel like a beginner again, because every time I climb I see a steady improvement in my abilities, which is a real treat!
3. What was the biggest challenge you faced as a pregnant climber?
I think the biggest challenge for me was my ego. I had to give up a lot of things to be able to embrace my climbing pregnancy. I knew I wasn’t going to put in much effort or accomplish much grade-wise for a while, and that seemed like a lot to give up. Going from lead climbing to top-roping for example was difficult for me mentally, as I’m not a big fan of top-roping. However, as my daughter grew, I became very comfortable watching and using rock climbing as a way to find rhythm and be active outdoors. I also felt very lucky to have had a healthy pregnancy and still be able to be very active.