At my first visit to the OB/GYN I was told to expect to gain somewhere between 25 to 35 pounds during my pregnancy. I stopped counting after 52. Somewhere, somehow during those 9 long months, I really packed it on. Fortunately, my doctor wasn’t concerned about it and with the exception of hearing “whatever you put on now, you’re just going to have to take off later,” it didn’t seem to be an issue.

Unlike many women, who seem to spread their weight out, a little here, a little there, mine seemed entirely situated in my stomach, my face and my derriere. Lovely.

I first met Becky when I was five months along and really wanted to get some exercise other than walking my dog. We discussed my usual workout routine which was really down to nil at that point, and would have been non-existent were it not for the pleas of a 70 pound poodle. We started slowly doing a lot of stretches, lunges and work with exercise bands. We focused on breathing and relaxation as well as strengthening. We skipped all the abdominal work as Becky explained this would actually weaken many of the muscles in the stomach that are needed for delivery. We met twice a week for the remainder of my pregnancy and even though I felt enormous, I felt strong. My legs felt toned, I was sleeping great and fortunately I had a very easy pregnancy. The day before I delivered I was there at the dog park, my large maternity clothes practically busting at the seams wondering if my water might break on the walk home!

My delivery went very smoothly, although I was actually pushing for a full three hours. When you’re pregnant you don’t realize how much you actually use your legs during delivery. (If you’re wondering if this was done naturally, keep in mind I find eyebrow tweezing painful and asked for an epidural in the hospital parking lot.) Still, you are breathing and pushing and straining your body, so the better shape you are in before labor can only help you during labor.

I gave birth to a healthy 8 pound 11 oz. baby girl. It was truly the best moment of my life. I have to honestly say pregnancy and childbirth were so much better than I thought they would be! The hard part lay ahead. Nursing? Mothering, you ask? No, losing 60 pounds in six months without crash dieting or exercising like a fiend.

To find out how Jordana lost her 60 extra pounds, read Feeling Good Again!.