After my daughter Saoirse was born, a nurse helped her latch onto my breast, and it was… the start of a painful, challenging experience that would take months.

She began sucking vigorously. “Good, this is good,” I thought, as my toes curled in pain and I fought the urge to rip her from my body. “Is this supposed to hurt this much?” One minute into this excruciating first session, I adjusted her latch. I was horrified to discover a...

Each Thursday and Sunday, I join a special group of mamas-to-be as we celebrate the week's accomplishments and help each other through the challenges. From crowd-sourcing the best belly bands to talking about the less "Instagramable" aspects of labor and delivery, the FIT4BABY Prenatal Fitness Class mothers support each other as the weeks roll...

When you're a relatively carefree nineteen-year-old, some of the last words you want to hear (or can even begin to understand) are: biopsy, malignant, melanoma, and surgery. Alas, they were the price I paid for my hobbies that weren't very well-suited for my freckled, fair skin. You know, things like laying out in the sun with baby oil and regularly hopping in tanning beds. I cringe at these thoughts and images now that I'm older and more...

I subscribe to the, “love where you live” motto and although I’m not the most nature, heat, humidity, or dirt-loving girl in the world, I do love to spend time outside with my family. We are lucky enough to live in a place where we can play outside year round, but we aren’t the only ones. Ticks, those little blood-sucking vectors, love the NC climate.

Our state is a year-round hot spot for ticks, with its peak occurring during the...

To My Rising Kindergartener,

This special day called Graduation means you have made it through preschool, and in just a couple of months, you’ll be a Kindergartener. It is a really big deal to us and we are now the ones feeling all the big feelings. As you head to a new school with new teachers and new friends, keep these lessons close to your heart.

Be kind. On the first day of school, find someone who...

Oh hayyyyy, it's time to celebrate YOU, mama!

Obviously, we'd all love to get a full night's sleep, be served an absolutely decadent breakfast in bed (with plenty of coffee and quiet time), and spend an entire day at a spa / winery / luxury hotel while listening to our favorite podcasts... but just in case you aren't able to get ALL OF THOSE THINGS on May 12th, we've rounded up some of our favorite...

While pregnant with my second son, I somehow felt as though I'd already failed my first.

Let me back up. The love that I felt when my first son was born was absolutely immeasurable. It was that soul-sparking, heart-exploding, can't-feel-your-face-you're-smiling-so-hard feeling. But when I found out that I was pregnant for the second time around (when my first was just shy of 1 year old), let's just say that I felt... a lot of feelings....

My family and I moved from Alexandria, VA to Chapel Hill, NC in January of 2015. I literally knew one woman: my cousin Sarah. I spent our first winter here settling into our home, trying to manage launching FIT4MOM Chapel Hill while being Mom to Sophie... all while my husband still worked in northern VA and was gone Monday - Thursday. I loved meeting other moms at playgroups, story times, and library events.

I absolutely...

If you're reading this, chances are you're a magical fairy-like unicorn mama like the rest of us. What I mean is, our kiddos may have snotty noses, but not us, right? WRONG! The cruelest snippet of motherhood is that MOMS GET SICK, TOO. Why is this even allowed? How is this possible? What can be done to fix this?!

Unfortunately, kids are walking Petri dishes and between the snacks, the diapers, the bottles, the stroller handles, the...

I have been through all of the stages of Valentine’s Day.

Like most adults, I have experienced the following Valentine’s-related emotions:

• “I am so in love! Oh, I hope I get a great gift!”
• “Going out with my friends is a great time to meet new single people!”
• “I hate Valentine’s Day because I don’t have a special someone.”
• “This is lame because we already know that we love...

With a new year just beginning (HOW?!), I really wanted my husband and I to sit down and reflect a little on the past year. It was my way of sorta… uncovering our goals for 2019. Because let’s be real. We have two toddlers. We very often find ourselves in a never-ending cycle that looks something like this:

• Wake up
• Husband goes to work
• I do stuff with the kids all day
• “How was your...

We have cats.

Three, to be exact.

Ellie, who my husband “inherited” from an ex-girlfriend. She’s somewhere in the ballpark of 17-18 years old and it feels like on a now-monthly basis we are shocked that she is still alive and seemingly healthy.

Gretchen, who I found at a local shelter shortly after Richard and I moved in together. Maybe 7 years old?

Merlin, who Richard and I stupidly adopted together from another...

This is “the most wonderful time of the year”, but it can also be the most STRESSFUL for so many mamas. We’re here to help streamline your holiday to-do list! Check out our tips for keeping #allthestress at bay from now until the end of the year!

1. Make a “what is most important” list. You WILL burn out if you try to drag your family to every single train ride, breakfast with Santa, light show, dinner, concert,...

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I tried to imagine what each of those baby milestone moments felt like for first-time parents. It must feel wonderful. The pride, the joy, the sheer awe that comes with realizing that you created a tiny human that can accomplish a feat as riveting as rolling from back to front. Amazing! I told myself that every single moment must be documented, celebrated, and remembered,...

Dear Parenting After Loss Mama,

I want you to know that I am here with you. I am five years into parenting my baby boy. Before him, one infant loss and two miscarriages. Since his healthy birth, three miscarriages.

Parenting is hard work no matter what your journey to get here looks like. But this parenting after loss gig, it is really hard.

October is Pregnancy and Infant...

The statement ‘no two pregnancies are alike’ is truer than true. During my first pregnancy, I spent much of my time reading, researching, and preparing for the baby. During my second pregnancy, I turned the focus on caring for myself. This meant taking care of the magnificent body I already had, that was meanwhile housing another human being. Taking care of myself meant that my baby, nestled deep in it’s womb, was getting the best care...

FIT4MOM is a lifestyle. Sure, moms show up for the workouts, but they also show up for the camaraderie. Our very own Stroller Strides mama Callie Tramantano describes the FIT4MOM village perfectly -- “Everyone is in the same boat as you. Everyone has kids, everyone has things going on. You all have goals and show up and give the best that you can give, and if that means you’re holding your toddler the whole time, then it is...

If you missed our article in The Produce Box's weekly newsletter, check it out! You'll learn great tips for "Eating Healthy While On-The-Go This Summer"!

Body Back seemed intimidating to an out of shape 40+ overweight Momma of two girls. I mean I couldn’t do a burpee and believe me I have witnesses from a class I took… I couldn’t do a push up or hold a plank… Sit ups were only something I remember doing back in high school, and the horrible memory of running a mile to graduate high school was still etched in my head. “I can’t do that,” I thought. I have always been overweight; my boobs have...

Summer is here! You can start planning now to have a fun summer with lots of activities to keep up your child’s learning outside of school. Summer is an exciting time for children, but for some the change in their daily routine can be a difficult transition to make. Having summer plans and a routine for the day can help children make the transition. Talk with your child about this transition and find ways to help your child be part of the...

Our very own Rachel Burton landed on the cover of Chapel Hill Magazine's March 2018 issue. Read her inspiring FIT4MOM journey.

Mom, what's for dinner?? Now that’s a loaded question if I ever heard one. Give the wrong answer and you could be met with loads of opposition from your kids, trust me, I’ve heard it! “Why don’t you make something that I like?”; “That again, didn’t we just have that?” and my personal favorite “I’m huuunnnggrryy, why is it taking so long?” spoken in the first 5 minutes since you walked in the door. It’s...

Preparing for a new baby is exciting and stressful. As soon-to-be new mothers, we create baby registries, read books, and take hospital tours and birthing classes. Most of our focus is on getting everything baby will need and preparing for labor.

But there's a crucial component missing from our preparation, and it's not our fault. New moms just don't know about it yet...postnatal care for ourselves. We've all heard about labor, but...

You may have been shocked by the look of your belly after the birth of your baby. Beside loose skin, you are also looking at loose abdominal muscles. Your muscles had to stretch and loosen to accommodate your growing baby. Many women experience a separation of the "rectus abdominus" (your six-pack abdominals) called diastastic recti.

Lucie's List is a popular "survival guide for new moms" with online resources and informative newsletters. Lucie's List has been featured in The Huffington Post, Pregnancy & Newborn, & US Weekly. In a recent blogpost, they summarize and highlight postpartum fitness options with FIT4MOM programs labeled as "The Sweet Spot". What an honor! Thank you. Lucie's List!...