Postnatal fitness – 5 quick workouts for new mums

Forget ‘bounce back’, think gradual deflate. Make way for a marshmallow belly where once a perfectly taut bump resided. And expect things to wobble in an unfamiliar way. For a little while, at least.

This is the reality of a postpartum body. Prod it, celebrate it, be grateful you can see your toes again! But don’t feel you must commit to it as a form of life sentence. A little movement can go a long way in helping you shift back into a more familiar shape.

Swapping 'the pump' for a bump – prenatal fitness tips

My life before motherhood was an active one. Morning yoga, gym five days a week, a run or bike ride at the weekend… I was – am – one of those irritating people who actually enjoys working out.

But when I discovered I was pregnant, I rashly called time on my fitness habit, fearful that my baby might somehow drop out if I moved too vigourously.

An unnecessary – and brief – hiatus, it turned out.

It's just you and me, kid – when paternity leave ends

Those first couple of weeks as first time parents are perhaps the most special of all. Demanding, yes, as you and your partner navigate myriad learning curves, often on the back of little (read: no) sleep. But aside from studying a language or taking up a new sport together, there are few other occasions when you embark on something as a couple from the same standing start. Whatever baby throws at you, you’re in it together – the good, the bad and the downright disgusting.

Mr R and I were equally clueless when Teddy arrived.