During pregnancy, the body undergoes various physiological changes. For instance, a pregnant woman will gain between 25 and 35 pounds in the first few months (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The uterus and its lining are also guaranteed to increase in size by up to 500 times their normal dimensions by the post-partum period (Soma-Pillay et al., 2016). Furthermore, the body releases hormones that relieve stress due to the rapid changes. This includes hormones that make the joints, muscle fibers, tendon, and the ligaments more pliable (Bhatia & Chhabra, 2018). At the same time, the abdominal muscles get used to their new normal during pregnancy that after pregnancy, it takes time for them to regain their original shapes. The post-partum period starts immediately after delivery and ends between six weeks to one year.
I recently gave birth and is currently hospitalized with my baby. I personally experienced the above changes and more during my pregnancy and I cannot wait to get back in shape after nine long months. At the same time, I recognize that the process will take time, self-discipline, and persistence, especially when transitioning out of the acute post-partum period. These qualities are also part of the self-leadership strategies discussed by Johnson & Hackman (2018). In other words, I need to create a plan for recovery and decided to use the class, and the lessons on self-leadership to help me achieve my goals. Below are the details of my preliminary plan to get in shape post-partum at age 38.
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Specific Goals
Before getting pregnant, I was very health conscious and followed a strict exercise regimen. At the beginning I found it a chore, but came to love doing exercise and keeping in shape. My main goal is to return to my former fitness level in a year, with several milestones to hit at six weeks, six, eight, and 12 months. My first goal will be to lose all the weight I gained during pregnancy (33) pounds. During childbirth, I already lost 13 pounds, leaving 20 pounds. My objective is to lose another 10 pounds over the first six weeks of the post-partum period, half of the remaining after six months and the rest after eight months. By the end of 12 months, my objective will be to maintain my original weight with minimum acceptable variations.
Achieving the set goals will require a preliminary plan for an exercise regimen. Said exercise regimen will consist of three main activities. According to Johnson & Hackman (2018), achieving any goal requires self-discipline, which implies implementing any applicable self-behavior modification strategy. Goal setting is an example of such a strategy that I plan to implement in the following two ways. First, immediately after discharge and approval from my physicians, I plan to get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week after six weeks post-partum. I recognize that getting back to my previous exercise regimen will be counterproductive. My target will be to perform a moderate-intensity aerobic physical exercise like walking around the neighbourhood for half an hour a day. My week will count as the first five days I manage to do the exercise. After eight months, my goal is to gradually upgrade the regimen with a vigorous intensity activity like jogging and running.
Getting back in shape, especially drawing my pelvic floor up will require more than aerobic exercises of any intensity. As a result, I also plan to do Kegel exercises as soon as I am able to. Once I have managed to perform (perfect) the Kegel exercises, I will proceed to add belly breathing. I will perform these two exercises more in the early weeks of post-partum as I slowly strengthen my core and progressively regain my original shape. The advantage of the above two exercises is that I can do them anywhere anytime, even when caring for my baby.
How I will Determine and Observe my Behavior
According to Johnson & Hackman (2018), applying self-leadership requires replacing external feedback with internal methods to track and monitor self-behavior, especially by determining factors that can help raise or lower the chances of achieving set goals. I plan to achieve this in the following two ways. First, I will quantitatively track my progress towards achieving the above goals by the set deadlines. I am already used to an exercise-oriented lifestyle. After the nine-month hiatus, I will monitor changes in my behavior by documenting how I felt during my daily exercise in a journal I will then review my achievements and attitude at the end of the week.
Secondly, I did not create a specific number of Kegel and breathing exercises to perform in a day or the minimum minutes in a week like with the aerobic exercise. Instead, I will record the number of exercises I do in a day as a measure of my attitude towards getting in shape post-partum. After a week, I will compare whether the number of Kegel and breathing exercises I do increases or decreases. The trend will be a proxy variable to help track my motivation towards achieving my goals.
Rewarding Myself
Maintaining my motivation to continue getting in shape will require a continuous reward system. There are various ways to reward myself. However, I am more motivated by intrinsic rewards and two have helped me in the past. First, my personality is oriented towards living a healthy lifestyle. As a result, I get deep satisfaction when I achieve all my health-related goals, including losing weight and maintaining it at the desired level. Therefore, getting back in shape is both a motivating factor and an intrinsic reward.
Secondly, I am 38 years old and will continue to advance in age. By the time my child is 20 years old, I will be 58, an almost senior citizen. Age will become a significant risk factor for multiple health conditions, especially chronic ones. I want both of us to live without undue burdens or become stressed due to my ailing health. As a result, my personal and baby’s future happiness derived from a healthy body is a self-reward that I plan on enjoying as I advance in age. Therefore, my decision to stay in shape and be physically healthy also has long-term rewards. After all, life satisfaction is essential to a high quality of life in old age. I will try to avoid self-punishment as much as possible, which will mainly involve focusing on future improvements and forgetting past failures (Johnson & Hackman, 2018).
Modifying my Physical Environment
If I am to reap the long-term rewards, I need to modify me physical environment. Johnson & Hackman (2018) points out that said modifications need to involve the implementation of several cueing strategies. The chief challenge, which is also a unique opportunity is to translate having to nurse my baby at all times to increase our bonding by engaging in group activities. I plan to purchase a jogging stroller so we can both get fresh air while I exercise. I also plan to enrol in a mom and baby fitness class to help me be active even when nursing or spending time with my baby. I will also meet other parents, bond, and encourage each other in constructive ways.
Rehearsal
It is guaranteed that I will not always be in the optimum state of mind to continue the project. Sometimes, I will not feel like jogging or doing the breathing exercises to continue strengthening my core. At such times, I will have the option of seeking outside assistance. However, to follow with the spirit of the project (self-leadership), I plan on visualizing myself a year later having achieved all my goals for the post-partum period. When needed, I will also practice out loud as a means of self-motivation and reinforcing self-discipline.
Naturally Rewarding Project Elements
Naturally rewarding elements of any project are those that increase individual satisfaction. This can vary from reinforcing the individual’s commitment and sense of purpose to increasing their confidence and control as they grow more competent with different activities (Johnson & Hackman, 2018). For my project, the naturally rewarding element of my project will come when I achieve my weight goals. I will grow more confident and believe I can achieve all my goals if I not only meet my objectives by the set deadlines, but also when I find myself slipping into my old comfortable routine. By then, sustaining the exercise regimen will no longer be a chore requiring self-motivation or rehearsal, but my way of life. On the other hand, thinking in terms of opportunities instead of limitations will require positive thinking, which Johnson & Hackman (2018) is another essential self-leadership strategy. For instance, instead of viewing the time I spend nursing my baby as cutting into my project, I can take it as an opportunity to make them a bigger part of my life. After buying a jogging stroller, we will both get fresh air while I exercise.
References
Bhatia, P., & Chhabra, S. (2018). Physiological and anatomical changes of pregnancy: Implications for anaesthesia. Indian journal of anaesthesia , 62 (9), 651.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Weight Gain During Pregnancy | Pregnancy | Maternal and Infant Health | CDC . Cdc.gov. Retrieved 16 May 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-weight-gain.htm.
Johnson, C. E., & Hackman, M. Z. (2018). Leadership: A communication perspective . Waveland Press.
Soma-Pillay, P., Catherine, N. P., Tolppanen, H., Mebazaa, A., Tolppanen, H., & Mebazaa, A. (2016). Physiological changes in pregnancy. Cardiovascular journal of Africa , 27 (2), 89.
