Hey everyone! I’m Steph Bouwman and I own and operate Food and Fitness Connection. Here are a few fun facts about me
I am also a birth and postpartum doula @mothersheartdoulaservices. As you can see, I’m passionate about serving women in the pregnancy and postpartum periods.
I do not appreciate spiders. If there’s one in the house, my job is to watch/trap it so I know where it is at all times. My husband’s job is to dispose of said spider.
So, why is a doula with three kids also working with other moms in a different capacity? Isn’t that a little too close to home? Yep, exactly! I know how it is, I’ve been there and done that and my hope is to help other ladies through their own experiences. I also hope that others learn from my mistakes, because I didn’t always know what I know now.
I went to school for educational assistant and worked at a private Christian school for a few years. I then got married, moved to Guelph and BOOM I was pregnant. And then pregnant again and again. Did I enjoy exercising? I loved it and was able to keep moving up to my delivery dates. Did I know what I was doing? Nope. I thought I could do whatever I wanted because I could. Which is not necessarily the best mindset to have, as I could have prevented a lot of pain and discomfort in my pregnancies.
After my third baby, I experienced pelvic floor dysfunction, and was extremely frustrated by the fear mongering and lack of information on the internet, as well as by some health care practitioners. So, I decided to rehab myself. I studied, took courses, read countless articles and books, worked with multiple women to get some hands on experience.
Fast forward to today, and I am so blessed to be able to work with the population that I do. Moms are extremely busy people, they have so many things going on at the same time. Some also think that they need to accept certain aspects of pregnant or postpartum life as things they have to live with (leaking, ab separation, back pain, lack of energy)
I’m here to tell you that no, it doesn't have to be that way. You are capable of healing, of getting stronger, and it doesn't need to take 2 hours of exercise a day and living off air and spinach salads. This is real life we’re talking about. Real life needs effective workouts that support your core and pelvic floor, workouts that are fun and prepare you for everyday activities. Real life means building sustainable eating habits that allow you to nurture your body but also to LIVE.
If this is you, wondering if you’ll ever be able to _____ again, wondering if you’ll feel whole and healthy again, yes you will.
