Kalina's Story

I started seriously exercising after my first pregnancy. The pregnancy was a complete surprise and unplanned. My husband and I had been married for nearly 13 years and never really talked about having kids. In fact, I never saw myself having kids or being a mom. Unfortunately I lost the baby after 8 weeks. I was convinced it was because I had not been taking good care of myself. Of course I have no way of knowing for sure why I lost the baby, but after the terrible disappointment of loosing the baby, I decided that I would work for the next year eating better and exercising so I could have a successful pregnancy. After one year we got pregnant. I stayed active during my entire pregnancy, continuing to run, play tennis and swim. The result was a beautiful baby boy named Ethan. Then  a couple of years later I had Dane, and most recently Garin. The pregnancies were great successes and frankly, pleasant. I continued to run and do my best to stay fit through all three pregnancies. Not only was I keeping myself and my baby healthy, but I was able to maintain a positive attitude. It reassured me that I was strong and I could deliver a healthy happy baby. 

There was another influence in my life that kept me pushing to stay healthy, my Mother. She was a wonderful parent and woman. She worked hard and dedicated her life to her family. Unfortunately this meant my mother spent no time taking care of herself. I will never forget one spring I was at her house with my husband taking care of her. She had gotten very sick and was diagnosed with COPD. She looked up at me after doing a breathing treatment and said how much she loved her family and that she wouldn't change a thing, except her health. She explained to me that her only regret was that she did not take better care of herself. When my husband and I did eventually have children she reminded me of this, continuing to impress upon me the need to take care of myself and to enjoy life to the fullest. My mother was right, it is important and it does make me happy to take care of myself. I am a better person for it. Although my mother died a few years ago, she is still a tremendous influence, pushing me to get out and exercise, especially on the days it is the hardest.