Fit chick Michelle on her first two babies, pre eclampsia, pubic symphisitis, mastitis and training

This week, were talking about multiple babies and each one with its own difficulties!! Michelle is one of the most incredible women I have the pleasure of knowing and together with her husband (a leading clinical nutritionist and naturopath specialising in chronic disease & human performance) they now are taking their kids round Australia in a camper van allowing them to see and experience so many things in life and to "really get to know my kids". What an amazing experience for them all. So despite having the best intentions sometimes it doesn't workout that way, but determination and education helped her to keep some level of training (and sanity!).

Michelle with her Husband Shannon (www.shannonbrenton.com)

"So let’s start at the beginning....

Prior to falling pregnant for the first time I was very healthy and not to sound cocky- in great shape (I wouldn’t have said that at the time but now I look back in photos and go “you know what I was a bit of a lean machine!”) hindsight’s a wonderful thing isn’t it! I trained about 1.5hrs per day 6 days per week with the bulk of my training as body building and kick boxing. At 30 It was like I woke up one day and said to Shan i want a baby. So with that said I was pregnant by the next month! During the first pregnancy with our Eva I suffered morning sickness till about 22 weeks- I would vomit a few times each day so lucky it wasn’t all day like some. I still trained throughout the whole pregnancy up until 36 weeks when I went for a routine check with my midwife at the local clinic, and she literally told me to pack my bags and get yo hospital. Now this mumma to be was dressed in gym gear- albeit puffy and swollen but heck I was going to train till the Bub arrived- um nope!! My blood pressure was 180/110 so I was given strict orders to get to hospital (This explains the blackouts I had periodically earlier in the pregnancy). I was then placed on monitors for that day and urine and blood tests performed... I had pre eclampsia and was allowed home that night but had to come back to hospital 3 days per week each week for the best part of the day to be on bed rest and on a monitor. Baby was growing and doing well otherwise- think it was to keep me still! Ha ha. Oh I must mention... I also suffered pubic symphisitis from about 28 weeks so it was pretty uncomfortable to sit or walk! Ok so back to it...Eva was 14 days overdue in the end and because of a non progressive labour after 18hrs of “official” labour (I had acupuncture to bring on labour) they admitted me for an emergency C-section. I was later stapled up! Can’t believe that, the second 2 I was glued.

Returning back to training:

The recovery was long. I think my whole body was in so much shock. To be in labour for so long then be in having an emergency Cesarean. I started back at the gym when Eva was 9 weeks old, prior to that walked from 6 weeks with the pram. I breastfed till she was 9 months old, although struggled with supply- training decreased it further too- did all the herbal medicine and teas and pumped every 2 hrs through the night to express (yes I set my alarm for this plus was up opposing times to Bub) all in effort to build my supply. It worked and that got me through to 9 months with her. I felt I physically recovered quite well by the 6 month mark. I started with machine weights at first then progressed up to functional weights. Kickboxing didn’t start up for a while.

Michelle, Eva and Lara

Baby number 2:

I fell pregnant with Lara when Eva was 11 months old. Same morning sickness and I trained up until about 34 weeks. This time I ended up with placenta previa. Yep I’ve had just about everything you can have in pregnancy so just ask me and I will probably know about it ha ha!!

Lara, because of the placenta previa and my history with large babies (Eva was nearly 10 pound and Lara was measuring big even though she would be 2 weeks early), I was booked for a planned c-section, which I was quietly happy about! When Lara was born she wasn’t breathing properly, they had to admit her to a humidy crib where she was hooked up and it breathed for her for the next 4 days and tube fed her my colostrum. Yes very very stressful!

Turns out they got the dates wrong and instead of being 2 weeks early she was 3 weeks early so her lungs were underdeveloped. Anyway she got out of the crib and was back in my room and all was great. I recovered well after her despite mastitis - training didn’t help this- this time. I continued breastfeeding till 9 months again. Abs were back by 14 months and I really was at my fittest I’d have to say. Kickboxing and lifting, feeling amazing.

Then there was billy...!!!"

The whole family!!