As many as 8 out of 10 women get what’s known as the ‘baby blues’. It normally begins within a few days of the birth. Women who become more unhappy or upset, or have symptoms that last longer than a week, may have postnatal depression. Postnatal depression affects one in 10 new mothers and is believed to actually be a lot higher than this with it being a “taboo” to admit any struggles.

It’s ok to admit that it’s hard. If you struggled, it’s actually really common and to admit it is a sign of strength not weakness. I had different struggles with all four of mine and the one thing that kept me on the straight and narrow was exercise.

There are several reasons you might be feeling low postpartum – from changes in your hormones to sleep deprivation. Your world changes overnight and you are now looking after a tiny human being which you have no idea why they are crying? It isn’t easy!

Becoming a mama in 2012 was definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done – physically, emotionally and mentally. It doesn’t come with a manual but one thing that really helped me on my journey of finding my feet as a mama was exercise.

I’m therefore excited to announce my new initiative: #mamagrafter. I will be focusing on encouraging exercise to all you mamas – whether your 3 months postpartum, have a 3 year old running around or dealing with moody tweens. It all comes with its challenges and grafting has definitely helped me throughout this journey.

If you are pregnant or early in your postpartum journey, then I do offer free pre-and postnatal packs on my website. In these packs it explains what to do and what not to do when it comes to exercise in pregnancy and postpartum. There is lots of contradicting advice when it comes to your recovery postpartum and if there’s one bit of advice I can give as a mother of four, your journey will be very different to another mother’s journey and you cannot compare your progress or recovery.

If you’re struggling with structure, I also offer a postnatal programme designed to help you get back to your strong self. This isn’t a generic plan. This programme will be designed specifically for you incorporating what your restrictions are and what you are able to manage. LINK

And remember it’s OK to feel very overwhelmed when it comes to the early days in postpartum. But if there’s one thing I can strongly advise no matter how awful you’re feeling, how low you’re feeling or how weak you may feel, exercise will empower you. It will help clear your head and make you feel 10 times better. Even when you don’t want to do it sometimes disciplining yourself to do it is the best thing.

If you’re a mama who works hard – be proud. It is hard but being a #mamagrafter will help you immensely. Be around mamas who help others through this challenging phase in your life ❤️ Be around a mama who tells you you’re doing an amazing job and not that you look tired. But of course you are tired – you’re a mama after all. We’re all exhausted but you’ve got this! 👊🏻

Natalie Bhangal is a personal trainer who has a passion for health, fitness and strength training. She trains beginners, athletes, pregnant and postnatal women, those with injuries and injury prone clients. For more information email natalie@graftfitness.co.uk