AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT

Brianna Battles  00:01

Welcome to the Practice Brave podcast. I am the host, Brianna Battles, founder of Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism, and CEO of Everyday Battles. I’m a career strength and conditioning coach, entrepreneur, mom of two wild little boys and a lifelong athlete. I believe that athleticism does not end when motherhood begins, and this podcast is dedicated to coaching you by providing meaningful conversations, insights and interview topics related to fitness, mindset, parenting and of course, all the nuances of pregnancy and postpartum, from expert interviews to engaging conversations and reflections. This podcast is your trustworthy, relatable resource for learning how to practice brave through every season in your life. Hey everyone, welcome back to the Practice Brave Podcast. Today, I am here with Ashton Koehlmoos, and I’m really excited to share her story as a pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach and mom and just hear about the unique ways that she is using her knowledge and her coaching to honestly, like, help so many people. Stories like her are really relatable. So Ashton, thanks for being here.

Ashton Koehlmoos  01:13

Thank you. I am so pumped to be here. Yeah.

Brianna Battles  01:15

So tell us a little bit of your background and a little bit about yourself.

Ashton Koehlmoos  01:19

I’ve been an athlete my entire life. I fell in love with sport at a really young age, and I always knew that I wanted to work in a gym like I just fell in love with it, and I knew I never, never waltered from any of that. But so I went on to college, got his degree in Exercise Science, and I was pulled to the university that I graduated from with a softball scholarship. Went on and played one year of collegiate softball, just it wasn’t for me. I didn’t, I didn’t love it anymore. And I really, I still love the sport, and I was getting to the point where I felt like if I kept playing, I wasn’t gonna like the sport anymore. So I started coaching, and I really, really fell in love with that. Started working at the gym, taking on clients. So I didn’t even have my certified, you know, personal training certificate yet, but the college and the fitness center had a really nice relationship where they, you know, kind of get onboarded and work under somebody. So I just, I just fell in love with all of that. So I always said I was going to own my own gym someday. So I went on, got my master’s degree, and then we, I started working on the YMCA, and I was just grinding with clients. I think at one point I had like 15 to 20 clients. So I was a full time employee, on a on a part time, you know, salary, just doing that, and worked my way into getting on the on the salary. Worked as a fitness director and youth sport director, and I loved that job. That was probably a great it was a great job for me, and it really opened my eyes to just like wellness across the lifespan. I always thought it was just going to work with athletes, but then I really fell in love with youth sports and working with the seniors, and just really loved all of that. And then it was during that time that we were trying to conceive. My husband and I have a very long road to parenthood. Both he and I had infertility as a part of our story, and after I got pregnant with Oliver and welcome him into the world, we were moving at the time too, so it kind of all fit, but I stepped back. I wanted to be a stay at home mom. We didn’t know. We waited five years for him to come to us, and we didn’t know if he was gonna be our only one. So I said, Well, I don’t want to miss him growing up, so became a stay at home mom, and then it was during my recovery that I started to experience core and pelvic I mean, I had it during my pregnancy, but I thought it was normal, and then it got really bad postpartum, to the point where, like, I couldn’t fix myself. Like, that’s why I kept saying I’m like, I can’t, I don’t know, I, you know, there’s something wrong here. Like, I can’t, I can’t fix this. And I went to a PT, not a pelvic floor PT, just a PT. I didn’t even know what a pelvic floor PT was. He took one look at me. He said, Your core is really weak. He said, You’re doing everything for your low back. And that’s just when I dove head first into pelvic health and fell in love with it, found your core six months later, knew that that’s where I wanted to go. My Cup was full as a mom, but not full. I think we can all kind of relate to that. I’m like, I have to do something, or I might go crazy. So I got certified, and then one week later, experienced pregnancy loss at 16 weeks, and my life just I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so i we i took time, and it was during that time that I really realized that, like, I’m needed, like, between infertility, the gap just in postpartum, and then just the gap between moms who’ve experienced loss, and then I experienced pregnancy after loss, and that is a whole nother beast of I feel like a mental hurdle when It comes to fitness. So that’s what Robin here?

Brianna Battles  04:42

Well, there’s so many elements there that I’m super appreciative of you sharing, and how the sentiment of like becoming who you needed because of what you experienced is so powerful and a common thread I feel that runs through so many different pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coaches. Like people find this info and messaging and advice oftentimes through their own struggles or their own like light bulb moments. And there’s a few different gaps here that I feel that you know you really touched on of experiencing infertility and then a loss in the pregnancy after loss. So talk to me about what your fertility journey was like the first time for just moms who are listening and maybe in those trenches of navigating.

Ashton Koehlmoos  05:29

Yeah, so I we when we learned that it was it was it was obvious me that we needed help. I had endometriosis and I didn’t have problems with every cycle. That’s what made it really challenging. But more randomly, I would have, I call them episodes, where literally the onset of my period, and about five minutes later I’d be on the floor and I’d have diarrhea and vomiting and the worst pain, like I didn’t have a kid, but it literally just felt like contractions were just like waving through me and I was dismissed over and over again by different doctors.

Brianna Battles  06:01

And then I was gonna say, How long did it take you to get, like, eventually diagnosed? Because this was that research, like, yeah.

Ashton Koehlmoos  06:07

That started when I was Yeah. That started when I was 16. I actually passed out at peace syringe with my brother, and they held me off in an ambulance. And I wasn’t cycling super well at the time. I was besides, like, softball. I was a cross country runner, I was tracked, so I would go in and out of the year of like, having a cycle and not they’re like, Well, you’re not real slut, you’re not real regular. So here’s the birth control, and now you can become regular. Luckily, I hated it, and I stopped taking it against my mom’s will. But then when we got married, I said, I am not going on the pill, so we learned natural family planning. I love that, and that’s really what helped me diagnose, that there was something going on on there. So my first episode was 16. I probably wasn’t officially diagnosed until I was 2526 somewhere right around there. So I had a surgery, and it was very successful for me. I didn’t have much Endo. That’s the crazy part about Endo. You don’t have to have a lot for it to make a big difference. Make a big difference. And then that was when we discovered my husband had a sperm count of five, like, I’m putting my hand up five. So that was shocking to us, because nobody in his family has had any sort of fertility issue. So not only that, like I wasn’t ovulating, I had low progesterone, low thyroid, just a lot of other things that were just like, they felt like bombs being dropped on us. Hindsight, looking back, it was probably a lot of it was just like my lifestyle of, you know, it wasn’t uncommon for me to teach three or four classes a day at the gym, and then, you know, I would train on top of that, and I was in charge of youth sports. So, I mean, like, I tell people I get 10,000 steps before 10am like I was running around like a crazy person, and then we worked five years for four, kind of five years with naopos technology, before it was determined that, like, my stuff has improved, but like, my husband’s firm count is never going to be where it needs to be. 15 million is considered low for those that don’t, don’t know. So we got it up to 1.5 million, but it just was never going to happen for a natural conception. So when we did IVF is when I really kind of opened my eyes. So, like, my training is probably greatly influencing my body’s ability to, you know, stress and all that stuff. So I really took a step back, and that’s where I really learned that. Like, yeah, it did make a big impact. So I don’t at all work out, like, I, like I used to, as far as, like, the infertility side of things.

Brianna Battles  08:26

Yeah, I think it’s, it’s so wild. And we hear that, you know, when you work with female athletes, like, it’s athlete brain showing up in every capacity of our life, of like, the more is better and the intensity. And then, you know, sometimes it’s okay, and other times our bodies is like, yellow flag, red flag, or just all together, like, prevents different aspects, and it’s so hard to navigate that when that’s been a programmed way of life for you.

Ashton Koehlmoos  08:52

Yeah, and it’s so individualized. And like, also looking back, I was very, very under fueled. Like that is something that, like, I do a much better job now, but even I’ll find days when I’m like, God, I hardly have eaten anything, and you’re just running on just running on cortisol and adrenaline to get you through your day. So that’s another big aspect that, like, yes, you can train hard. Like, I don’t want to say you can’t train hard if you’re trying to have a baby, but you do need to make sure that you are fueling yourself and not just with, like, crap food. Like, you need good protein, good you need fats. Like, that’s the big thing that most athletes struggle to get, like, you know, a podcast that I like to listen to when I talk about fertility is, like, a fertile body is not a super you know, yeah, there’s some people that can look like super athletic but like, if you struggle with it, you might have to put on some body fat, and it’s hard, but that’s what your body might need for you to be able to conceive.

Brianna Battles  09:39

Absolutely, I’m glad you brought up that point, because I I also feel, and myself included, female athletes, really struggle to have enough fat in their diet because they’re like, thinking protein, protein, veggies, veggies and like, Okay, some carbs, but that fat count is so low and that can affect so many things, from hormones to just our overall digestive health. And I say that to bring awareness to your digest. Of health absolutely influences your pelvic health. And that’s a, I think, an area that we certainly skip over when talking about, like, nutrition, on behalf of female athletes through pregnancy and postpartum, it’s not just about like, oh, healthy for mom and baby. It’s like, Yeah, but there’s, there’s a lot of different considerations here, yeah.

Ashton Koehlmoos  10:18

Or if they are getting the fat, they’re choosing, like, yogurt. Like, they might choose Greek yogurt, but they might choose low fat, no fat option. It’s like, right? Just pick the whole fat. Like, I promise you it there’s, there’s good things in it, because that’s what makes it taste good. I mean, so they’re taking the good fat out and putting something crappy in it in order for it to even taste good.

Brianna Battles  10:35

Yeah, totally. It’s a when you start to kind of peel back the layers of all these different things that influence the pregnancy and postpartum athlete experience, like it’s so it’s just so multifaceted. Yeah, yeah, very much is so then you went through your pregnancy, and what was that like? Your first time mom? You know, it took a lot to get there in the first place. You had learned, obviously, a lot about your body. But what was that experience like?

Ashton Koehlmoos  11:00

So I had a little bleeding in my first trimester. But to me, I obviously it was scary. But like, I know my mom had experienced a lot of bleeding, so I kind of felt like it was genetically not okay. But like, part of you know, just maybe that’s just how we are. But I was on progesterone. It was being monitored and everything like that. I was put on a little bit of bed rest just because I was so early. But then after that, it was it was fine. It was great. And I did exactly what my doctor told me to do. I said, she said, you can continue doing what you’ve always done. So that’s what I continued to do. I was teaching all the classes. I know I was jumping. I know I was lifting heavy. And when you work out at a place where you work these people like, you just like, they’re like, oh my gosh, look at you. You know, you were just like, you just bask in that. Like an athlete. It’s like, oh, now, you know, like, before you get attention, but now you’re really getting attention, right? You know, whatever. And they’re like, oh my gosh, you just look great. And, you know, you keep going. And I remember one time I was probably, like, 20 weeks, and I remember looking down, and I was like, Oh, wow. Like, I think I was doing V sits. And I was like, wow. My stomach looks like, wow. That’s That’s weird. But I didn’t know anything about like, coning or doming or any of that, so I just kept going. By the time I was in my third trimester, I was pretty miserable. I will be very honest, my low back killed all the time. I was leaking. But everyone at the Y told me that, like, that’s normal. You know, I’m teaching moms, and they’re like, You just wait, you’re gonna and so I thought it was normal. I just, I really did. And then postpartum, it just, it just this got worse. I mean, the low back, my breaking point was I was six months postpartum, and I could barely get down on the toilet to spit him on the floor, to go to the bathroom, and I could hardly get off the toilet. It was just chronic low back pain. It was awful. And I was so embarrassed. I could hardly walk my husband knew I was in pain, and then I had pain with intercourse, and it was just, I just felt like I was so full because I waited so long with this kid. But I’m like, this is awful, like, this is just, it’s just really hard. And I was doing all the like, back extensions and anything I could think of to strengthen my back, and it was just making it worse. And that’s when I finally said, I’m like, I gotta get help. I said, we probably can’t really afford it right now, but like, I don’t know, I don’t know what’s wrong.

Brianna Battles  13:13

So, yeah, when, especially, like, when you’re used to being an athlete, you’re like, why can I not do these basic things? Like, I’m strong, I’m fit, and now I can’t do, like, my activities of daily living without pain. And I think we are so programmed to kind of like, push through it, or just like, well, it’ll go away. Like, I can just, I can just keep doing kind of like working around it and compensating. But ultimately, you know, just it all manifests in a different way for you is like pain. Others, it’s prolapse symptoms or leaking. Sometimes it’s the trifecta of all of those things, yeah, yeah. It’s hard.

Ashton Koehlmoos  13:46

At six weeks, I did exactly what my doctor said I could return to physical activity. And I vividly remember first workout. I mean, it was, I was doing plyometrics. I was like, I was just like, Yeah, I’m gonna get my body back. You know, that was my only that was my only goal. You know, six weeks as a first time mom with no, you know, no information on it.

Brianna Battles  14:05

So, yeah. I mean, that’s certainly like the greater fitness culture, of what we of what women are exposed to. And I think that maybe people listening to this podcast like we are in an echo chamber A lot of times where we’re like, Well, everyone knows that now, like, this is really becoming more common knowledge, and it is, but at the same time, and we zoom out of our little like, bubble of, you know, like, it is the, the main general population, this stuff is still not understood.

Ashton Koehlmoos  14:32

Yeah, I’m in a mom co group, and I presented twice there, and, like, both times I’m just like, This is great for me, not just like, as a coach, but just like to be reminded of, like, where people truly are, like, yeah. I mean, just talking about what the pelvic floor is, you know, just Yeah, stuff we take for granted, and just truly stripping back the layers, because it’s moving. I agree with you, there’s movement, but it’s still a long ways to go.

Brianna Battles  14:54

Yeah, absolutely. So let’s talk about your second pregnancy, which. Led to an unfortunate loss. Yeah? Talk to us about that, because you had already experienced infertility and that struggle, and now another like brick, just Yeah, hits your life, yeah.

Ashton Koehlmoos  15:11

So we transferred at the one year mark where we do our IVF. They’re very I didn’t like it at first, but now, from a core and pelvic floor standpoint, and also just being a mom, I really respect it. But you can’t transfer until one year after a live birth. They believe that that’s best for mom, that’s best for baby, and I 100% agree with that. So yeah, we transferred at the year mark. Got pregnant right away. And I really thought that, like, our woes were behind us, because I’m like, well, it was just a problem of us, we couldn’t conceive. Like, obviously we can, we can, you know, once that embryo gets in me, like I can, I can become pregnant. And it was actually a pregnancy that, like, we were able to surprise our parents, because that’s something that infertility really robs the opportunity of, like, sharing and surprising your parents, because you just have to take them along for the ride, because you got to bring someone in, because we weren’t open or public about it, so we were able to surprise them, and it was right before Christmas, so it just felt like everything was so right. 12 weeks, you know, 12 weeks was good, and I started with a new doctor, and at my 12 week appointment, they couldn’t find the heartbeat in the room. So we went to ultrasound, everything was fine. And for 16 weeks, we told everyone. At 15 I finally told my husband. I’m like, you know, we should probably tell people, like, you know, it was covid. You know, covid still happening, and, you know, we’re not seeing anyone. But I’m like, we should probably tell people. So we told everyone at 15 weeks, because Oliver was turning 15 months. So it was kind of like a cute picture we did. And, you know, I’m like, I’m gonna go check his heartbeat one more time I had a Doppler, and that was the last time I heard it was the day we announced because 10 days later, we found out he was gone, and it gives me goosebumps. If I start crying about this, I probably will, but so I was working on your course, and it was a Thursday night that I was studying. I was going to take the exam the next day, and Oliver was just made a pill with his dad, and I said, just let him in. Like, obviously, he just wants to come hang out with me. And he sat on my lap as a 15 month old for almost 45 minutes. Like, 3045, minutes. And I took this picture. I look awful, but I’m like, Oh my god. This is just like, so sweet. And I really think that that was the like he like, we always say that kids know. I really think that, like, he knew something was going to happen, because the next day I passed your sort of your exam, and then it was Saturday, Sunday, and then Monday was when we found out at my appointment that he was gone, and he was always measuring three days ahead. So he passed away at 16 weeks in three days. So I really think that somewhere right around when I passed your exam, is like, one door opened, the other door closed, like, and I really think that, like, that was the last picture I have of like, both boys, because I wasn’t feeling movement yet, of both boys alive. So, you know, looking back like that was just like chilling to me, to be like, Okay, there’s, there’s a there’s like, you know, you you need to do this, like, once you’re healed. But yeah, it just, it was, you know, I even told my husband that day is like, do you want me to come with you? I’m like, no, they’re just gonna measure my belly, take my blood pressure, I’m gonna pee in a cup. They’re asked me some questions, and I’m gonna go on my way. But he couldn’t find the heartbeat, and I didn’t even think anything of it. But like, okay, at 16 weeks, you should both find the heartbeat pretty easily. So we go down the room and yeah, sure enough, didn’t take, I mean, doesn’t take much. So see a 16 week baby on the ultrasound to see that something’s not right. So, yeah, it was a complete shock. I’m very fortunate that I was able to find a different doctor, because he was pushing for me to have a DNC that night. Couldn’t do it at the hospital we were at. We’re in rural. Rural Iowa is where we are. So we had to go to a bigger, bigger hospital. And I really think Gabriel was his name, had a hand in that, because I’m glad I got to meet him. I’m glad I didn’t have a DNC that night. I didn’t want to have another abdominal surgery I’d already had two myself for my endometriosis, you know, IVF. I had a hernia replaced, so I’d already had four abdominal surgeries down there. I just didn’t want anything else impeding our chances of having kids. So, yeah, I was induced and gave birth to him about little over 24 hours later. And he was perfect. It was absolutely he was absolutely perfect. There was nothing, nothing wrong with him. And it gave us a lot of hope for because we didn’t have our embryos tested. That was something we didn’t want to do. So it gave us a lot of hope for our future embryos, that genetically, they were more than likely okay, that this was just a shitty thing that happened to good people, you know, oh

Brianna Battles  19:37

God, that is. There’s so much there. And I’m just so sorry. Sorry. That’s part of your story. And like, such a big loss for your family and your life and your heart and that moment, like, about taking the test and having your son come sit on your lap, like I hadn’t for anyone listening, like I had no idea I have not heard that story. Me before. And like, I’m definitely tearing up hearing that that’s so powerful that you guys had that moment and that symbolism of like, you’ve had so much hurt, and you’re using it now, like, down the line, for this greater good, which we will get to and we will talk about. But you know, ultimately, like, I think that there’s a hand at play there with, like, little signs and inclinations that are always worth following. And I’m so glad that you have that moment and that picture and that memory,

Ashton Koehlmoos  20:34

yeah, yeah. Like, I don’t even care. I look

Brianna Battles  20:36

like shit. No, that’s, I hope you have that framed somewhere, and if you don’t like,

Ashton Koehlmoos  20:42

yeah, my office, I should. You shouldn’t hear, yeah,

Brianna Battles  20:46

you should. That’s a really like. That’s special in so many ways. So thank you for sharing that I know that’s like, super hard to talk about, and, you know, hard for people to hear too, because it’s, it is so scary. It’s so scary. Like, like, becoming a mom takes so many different pathways and the variables we just I think that’s the hard part. Is like we don’t get to be in control of everything despite our best efforts.

Ashton Koehlmoos  21:10

Yeah, the type a person that was the hardest part of infertility is like, there’s nothing here I can control, like there’s that I learned that there was some things I could control, what I how I thought about it, how I approached it, how I trained. There was things I was able to tangibly take but like, you can do all the right things and it still doesn’t happen for you. And that can be very hard as an athlete, because you’re so used to, like, if I train, you know a certain way, you know, you know you can influence your training. You know your outcome or your performance based on how you’re how you’re training.

Brianna Battles  21:38

Yeah, we’re used, like, if I do this and then I do that, then it’s going to lead to this result, yeah. And then when that doesn’t happen, and it’s like, your body and your goals as like a family, or as a woman, as a mother, like, it just feels like, what am I doing wrong? And you can just kind of like spin out, trying to figure out, like, the next right thing to do. And it’s just that’s really hard. I’m watching my sister kind of go through that right now, and it’s, it’s just, and it’s an exhausting mental and emotional cycle and physical cycle,

Ashton Koehlmoos  22:06

yeah, because it literally starts over every single month, like, yes, it’s, and it’s wild. And you think like, oh, I’m going to take a month off. And then your brain’s like, No, I can’t take a month off because I’m a month behind just like this. It’s a constant mind game of like, yes, it’s, it’s, yeah, I yeah, if you’re in it, I see you like very much. See you.

Brianna Battles  22:24

Oh, I’m definitely gonna have her listen to this podcast. So thanks for sharing that story.

Ashton Koehlmoos  22:29

She and I should meet. We are very close to one another. Yes, you should actually, yeah, we’re only like, an hour and 20 minutes away from each other.

Brianna Battles  22:36

Okay, we’re gonna create, we’re gonna create a connection here. Really good, really good. Okay, Desiree, when you’re listening, you’re gonna find Ashton. So, okay, so let’s talk about the journey to trying to conceive again, or for your third pregnancy, and what that process was like. Because, like you mentioned earlier, a pregnancy after loss is an absolute mind fuck and getting there. Talk about that for us. Yeah. So the doctor,

Ashton Koehlmoos  23:06

he wanted us to wait physically for me. He wanted me to wait at least six months. He said, Your body needs six months to fully heal. And I had a scare that I thought we somehow naturally got pregnant at in May. So the loss was in February, and so it was about three months after I still had HCG in my system, is what it ended up being, because I hadn’t had my period, and my brother’s wedding was coming, and I was like, I better just check, just make sure, like, I’m not expecting it. And it was positive. I was like, WTF. But just come to come to find out I still had HCG in my system from the loss. So he I didn’t like again. I didn’t like that at first, because again, like, you know, you waited so long, and I was like, I’m gonna have all my kids before 30, and I didn’t have my first kid till I was 30, so I just felt like I was behind again. But the more I went through the healing process, I realized that I my body truly needed that I started working with a mental health or a mental health physical therapist, someone that specialized in infertility and loss, and in working through her, I realized I had so much unprocessed trauma from our infertility that was really coming into play with the Navigating the pregnancy after loss, and just how I was feeling. I was just so mad, you know, I was like, why? Like, yeah, why did that? You know, we already, it’s already been hard enough for us, like, and then you give us this. And so I was just, I was just so angry. So working with her was one I still work with her today. It was the best decision. But I told my husband, I’m like, I don’t think I can get pregnant again without somebody to help me up here between my ears, like, you’re great, I love you, but you’re not. I need somebody. I need a different, a different sounding board. So I began working with her, and that was, that was wonderful. And as we approached, like, August is when we could transfer again, and he would have been born in August. So I just, you know, people ask me, like, how did you know you were ready? And I was like, I don’t know. Something in your heart just tells you that you’re ready to jump it. Scary. Like, I’m not saying that. Like, you’re ever going to be ready. You just feel ready enough to jump knowing that you could possibly get hurt again. Like, that’s the hardest part about experiencing loss is that you go to try again, you’re putting yourself out there that you could possibly be hurt again. Um, so his due date would have been like, August 3, and we transferred about mid August, is when we transferred, who is now known as Mason, and I launched my business around or I launched my business, I just kind of told people that, like, I’m doing this. I did that on Gabriel’s due date. It just felt right for me. Kind of had like pillars that I was going to stand on. And, yeah, we just, we just jumped like, there wasn’t, I can’t say we did anything formally, besides just, you know, it was more the the emotional work to prepare for, for that, and just walking through all situations with my therapist of like, okay, if it works, you know, if it doesn’t work, you know, just that was really, really helpful for me to feel prepared enough to transfer again.

Brianna Battles  26:05

Yeah, I’m really glad that you brought that up, because I think it can be so hard to, so hard to, like, invest, I guess, proactively, even though, like, so much of therapy is, like, it is a reaction, like, we’re processing the before, but we’re also processing what’s to come so that we can be better equipped to navigate it. And I’m so glad that you had that support going into that third pregnancy. And just, you know, having those mental, mental tools, because we can’t just, like, out work this stuff, you know. And I think sometimes we’re like, Well, if I try harder, if I work out or do this or eat that, yeah, I go

Ashton Koehlmoos  26:39

to the gym, yeah, praying harder. I’m like, No, you’re really just like, shoving those emotions down, yeah? Obviously, like, movement can bring about and stir about stuff. But too many people I encounter, they just, like, go to the gym to feel numb. And that’s what I used to do, like, literally, if a, you know, in our infertility, like, I was a runner. Like, I literally ran like my husband, I got on bad argument. I had to run if I got an argue with my parents. I ran like, I literally ran until I collapsed. Like that was just the only way I knew how to cope with anything. And it’s just, it’s just not healthy. And same thing with movement. I just know a lot of people like, oh, I’ll just go to the gym and work it out. It’s like, did you work it out? Or did you just shove it deeper? Because it’s eventually going to come up if you don’t process it. And that was the biggest thing that I learned, is like, I have to sit with this feeling. It doesn’t feel good, but I got to sit with it and work through it in order to move to truly move on.

Brianna Battles  27:29

Yeah, absolutely. So you had a lot of help from your therapist, and as your pregnancy continued, how did you approach your training? Just feeling like, obviously, I would think, just very aware and sensitive to all of your choices that could affect pregnancy.

Ashton Koehlmoos  27:44

Yeah, I wouldn’t say my training changed, actually, a whole lot, obviously, like, I kind of tailor my training as I approach an embryo transfer, and then I kind of like, sit in that, like main maintenance, I put it on myself, like I’m not following anything. It’s just like, This is what I know, like my body needs, but I was still training my IVF doctors. I love them. They’re wonderful. University of Iowa is where we are at. But every single transfer we’ve ever had, like the nurses, the doctors, anyone we encounter in that transfer, they’re like now I want you to know that no matter what you do, nothing is going to nothing. I mean, nothing crazy. Like, if you go out and do something, you know, go smoke heroin or something, that’s influence it. But like, nothing in your regular day to day is going to influence the success of this embryo transfer. Like, if you want to have intercourse, have intercourse. If you want to work out, go work out. But they’re like, this thing is microscopic in you, like they just because they think so many people think you transfer this baby and they think it’s like, the size of your palm. It’s like, no, it like, when you find out you’re pregnant, it’s literally the size of a little mustard seed. So an embryo is even smaller than that. Like, you can’t, you can’t jump your baby out. Like, that’s what a lot of people think, but that’s from here in the IVF world, is that these doctors are so conservative, putting people on bed rest and and all these things, and they’re like, No, we actually think that movement helps. Helps with your your mental health. It just helps with moving oxygen and nutrients through that area. It just, you know, you going from doing that stuff to not doing that stuff is more of a shock on your body than it is just to continue doing them. So I’m very grateful for where we are at and education and research. I was actually a research study with my last pregnancy on movement and its outcomes on frozen transfers. And it’s just, it’s very, you know, so I didn’t have any fear, like, yes, I’d had the loss, but, you know, going through your certification and being in the world of a pre and postnatal fitness I knew there was nothing I was going to do that was going to affect the outcomes of this. The only restrictions I was put on is, like, around 15 weeks I had partial placenta previa, where they said, you know, he’s like, don’t go walk, don’t run a marathon, but you can, you can go for a walk. It’s like, Thanks, doc. We’re actually connected with the PP. I can’t think her name right now, but I reached out in the group and. Had a midwife reach out, and she and I had a great conversation, and she’s like, here’s what I would do if you were my patient and my client. So I actually followed her protocol. So I was, you know, I continued to lift. I just was really aware of, like, pressure management and supporting myself. And, yeah, and I, I’m like, he doesn’t need to know, like, my doctor, yeah, people, people can do what you know, what they want with it, with it, with their doctor’s information, but like, I knew I couldn’t, you know, just in here, you know, and talking to the midwife and just kind of knowing what I know I’m like, that doesn’t seem that doesn’t seem right.

Brianna Battles  30:29

So glad you brought up that point, because I do feel like there is still a lot of like, outdated advice on exercise approach during pregnancy in general, nevertheless, under like, more specific situations like infertility or after miscarriage and things like that, where there’s just so much additional fear, or maybe, like, really strict guidelines that don’t

Ashton Koehlmoos  30:47

have, I will say I wasn’t bleeding. So like that. I mean, that kind of like the midwife. She’s like, Are you bleeding? Are you having any discharge, any cramping? No, no. Like, I didn’t even know until we had the ultrasound. She’s like, Yeah. Then she’s like, I’m confident it’s gonna move. She said, I just, she said, I to me personally, unless symptoms change. She said, just, you know, kind of back off on load. Just bring some support. But she said, you can continue. You can continue moving. So, yeah, yeah.

Brianna Battles  31:13

I mean, I that’s like, one of that, like, you know, side note, like, one of the best parts of the PA to PA Coach group is that, like, we have access to so many different brains and specialties and people that are like, I’m an OB GYN, I’m a doula, I’m a coach, I’m a Pilates instructor. And, like, it’s like, the group think opportunity is so amazing. Like, I remember when my sister was going through some of her stuff. Like, when I put that in the group, I know you chimed in. And just like so many people who had, like, either personally experienced what she was going through, or from a medical standpoint, and it just it helps, like, having that sounding board that we do not get most people typically have, like their doctor and maybe like their mom and a friend in Google and like that is lonely, trying to figure out, you know, like ways, someone who gets you In your circumstance, and has, like, some practical guidance. So I’m so glad that, you know, you were able to have that kind of like conversation and guidance so that you could feel really informed and supported. Yeah, yeah. All right, so let’s shift gears into now talking about, you know, you launched your business when you were in your third pregnancy, right? Or was it after?

Ashton Koehlmoos  32:20

So I was, yeah, so third pregnancy, so I launched it. So we got pregnant in August. So I launched it at the New Year. I just like, I’ll just start in the new year for like, tax purposes. So it was January of 2022. Is when I launched my business. So I didn’t do anything like super crazy, knowing that I was gonna have a baby in May. So I, you know, just started putting myself out there. I was posting on social media before then, and just kind of like trying to figure out what the heck I was doing, putting myself out there. But yeah, so in January of 2022, is when I officially launched. And I’ve had two kids in that time.

Brianna Battles  32:56

So amazing. So what does your business look like when you say, launch your business? What did it start as, and what has it evolved into over the last few years?

Ashton Koehlmoos  33:06

So I’ve always been somebody that’s big on the education part. Like, I just, I think I could have been a teacher. Like, I think I would have loved being a teacher. So I love that this allows me to be the fitness coach and bring in the educational component. Because I really think it’s just the how. Like, that’s really what the missing piece for a lot of people that I come in contact with, it’s like, it’s just how you’re performing. It’s not that that’s a bad thing for you. It’s just your breathing wrong, or your, you know, your forms just a little bit off, and here’s how you can optimize it, or here’s why your form is off. So when I launched it, I was I launched my it’s called resilient at Home Fitness membership, and it was just an opportunity for me to share like these. This is the it’s just programming that I’m doing, and everyone gets the same programming. I kind of offer some scaling options, but I was like, that’s something that I can sustain during like maternity leave. But I didn’t get my first one on one client until I was one year into it. I am pretty much 98% online. I do a little bit within I don’t train anyone. I don’t want to train anyone in person. I don’t, I don’t want I say, I don’t watch anyone work out online either, because I got really, really burnt out of that, like I had to be done. It just, it gets to be a lot. But I do a little bit within my community, like hosting workshops or doing some work with like a web store, certified chiropractor, speaking in gyms, like I spoke at our mom co group. I was asked to be a speaker. So do more like speaking stuff, workshop stuff within my community, but most of my business is online, just because I’m still building my family, and I want to be here for my family and anything around me, it’s like a 2030, minute commute to just get there. So it’s a big time commitment for that. And I’m really, I really just everything that I do is just what you have at home. Like, I don’t require anyone to have, like, fancy gym equipment. In fact, that I don’t have fancy gym equipment. I’ve got my dumbbells and my bands. Like, we can do a lot with that. So really, just try to help moms see that, like, you can do a lot at home with very minimal equipment, with your kids around, and make it work. So since then, it’s, you know, evolved into, I’ve got a couple of just like, I call them programs, but they’re more like, I want to understand the core better. So here’s a lot of education on the core, your posture, those sorts of things, deep core engagement, breathing strategies for for working out. And then here’s some, like, really mini workouts that you would just attach them to program that you’re already doing. Like, maybe you just do these, you know, before you go to bed. Like, you know, 1015, minute workouts. I’m really, really passionate about labor and delivery, I really just fell in love with that, with my second or my rainbow baby, that delivery, just working with a doula and just like really seeing how the connection between fitness and the things that we can do in the gym and how that connects to the birth space. So I have a birth prep guide or program that you start around 30 weeks with just like, mobilities and helping women down train the pelvic floor, and, you know, different ways to push and stuff like that. And I’m now just in the process of working on, like, more follow along. So I’m launching an early, we’ve kind of talked about this before, an early postpartum program, because I’m really, I really share about a lot of that, like the movement I’m doing after in both of my recoveries, because people are just fascinated by it. I mean, I’m not doing it for, like, click bait, but I’m just showing, like, yes, you can, like, it is okay to begin to move your body. It’s not, I’m not not doing, like, dumbbell squats or anything like that. Like, I’m just on the floor, like, doing breath work and some mobilities, just like, open up space. So I’m launching that, and then I’ll eventually be launching, like, a follow along, like prenatal programming. I’ve just been working with enough one on ones now that I just feel like there’s a pattern of stuff that you continue to do. So like, if you’re a coach listening to this, and you’re just getting started, like hands on, and I felt better going into it from working, like, 12 years in the fitness space of like, watching people move, but now it’s just through the lens of pregnancy and postpartum. But yeah, you can’t replace in person reps and watching like, I’m like, take anybody like, take a male like, you just need to watch people move. You know, don’t be picky when you’re when you’re just getting started.

Brianna Battles  37:12

So that’s, that’s such a good point. So, you know, you have all this in person coaching experience. You launch, what I feel is a very needed like, within the online pre and post sales space is that body education and kind of like niching down a lot into, you know, like early postpartum recovery, teaching about core and pelvic floor? How are you getting clients online for coaches that are listening, that are like, I’d like to do more online, or eventually like to scale into being solely online? What does that look like for you in terms of finding clients, getting clients, them, finding you.

Ashton Koehlmoos  37:46

All of my clients now have like, so my first client, she was actually somebody, and this is where I really am passionate on, like, share your story. Share what got you to where you are. Because every single person that I’ve worked with, as far as, like, a pregnant through a pregnancy, has experienced a loss, or they’ve navigated infertility, and they just gravitate to somebody to be like, me too, like she she’s gonna get me. So just really make sure that you share your story. But I mean, it’s just DMS coming in of like, Hey, I so and so, you know, recommended you. Or, you know, they just eventually get the courage to, like, ask you if you have any sort of openings. So right now, I’m at five, and that’s kind of my like, I’m still a stay at home mom, so I only get Wednesday to work out. Otherwise, I’m hustling when my kids are in bed, is kind of how it goes. And then on the weekend, you know, I might get a chunk of time, like in the morning, and my husband will have the kids, but I just make it work around my kids schedule, as far as taking on clients. And, you know, I always want people to graduate. Like, I was always like that as a trainer before this is like, I want you to move on. I don’t want, I don’t I don’t like accountability clients like, I just want somebody graduates and move on and they get what they want. Then I know that I, you know, did a good job.

Brianna Battles  39:00

So fulfilling, like, very specific, needed seasons,

Ashton Koehlmoos  39:04

kind of like a wait list and, yeah, just meet people where you at. And I have some people that I’m like, like, I don’t have a one on one, but I could do this for you. And that’s kind of what built my prenatal and this early postpartum is I had a mom reach out. She’s like, well, I don’t think I want one on one, but I want something. And I’m like, Well, it’s been on my back burner. This is the sign that I’m going to do it. So you just kind of make it work for whoever comes into your space. But you got to post, you got to share. You got to share your education. You got to show how you’re an expert. Like, especially in the virtual space, like, they don’t get to come to the gym and watch me interact with people or hear me talk, or hear me walk, or watch how I train. So you have to share that, you know on social media, like it’s, it’s a lot of work, but you have to build trust with people, and before they’ll ever, ever decide to work with you.

Brianna Battles  39:50

Yeah, no, I think that’s, it’s such a great point. And so many people struggle sharing on social media, but you do a great job teaching and sharing your process. And so much you know, for people. Listening like you can share, if it’s not your own personal process, you can share the processes of the people that you’re working with, and just sort of story, tell it so it doesn’t feel like it doesn’t have to be like a performative post. You’re just honestly just sharing gradually over time, and that really creates a story that people get to watch unfold. And I’ve been doing this for like, 10 years, sharing on the internet, and then, like, man, people are, like, growing up with me, like they have seen me through every era. Like, for better or worse, I’m like, oh, yeah, you remember when I used to say stuff like that? That’s embarrassing. But like, okay, like, we all evolve and change, and, you know, like, they can just see how, how our work just keeps, you know, transforming, and something that’s new that gets offered, and because we get to share that as time goes on, and

Ashton Koehlmoos  40:47

it’s really special. People want real. I mean, I think at the end of the day, like, if I’m gonna work with somebody, I want somebody who’s real. Like, yeah, you know, you’re out. I might not, you know, have a fancy look or whatever. But people just really want real. And it’s really those posts or stories that you post about your real life that like, those are the people that like you just have to start a communication. It doesn’t have to be because of fitness related like, you just have to be able to start conversations with people and build relationships. And, yeah, you know, hopefully they buy and if they don’t, that’s fine. Like, it still rips.

Brianna Battles  41:18

So absolutely, well, yeah, you have, I mean, I think you do a really great job of educating on social media and making it making like complex aspects to learn really simplified. And I feel like, especially if you’re trying to, you know, connect with like, general population of people that are like, maybe I’m not an athlete, but I still am struggling with this or that. Like, you make it very digestible, and you do a really great job of teaching. Thank you. It’s not easy to do.

Ashton Koehlmoos  41:43

No, you know, it’s not. It’s like, okay, I’m gonna talk about the serratus, but I’m gonna tell you that it’s your side, butt muscle of your rib cage. Oh, okay, you understand that? Like, then, right? Yeah, so

Brianna Battles  41:53

Yeah, cuz it’s just not, you know, taught, like, and you mentioned, you know, you grew up as an athlete, coach for so many years. And I feel like you and I both can attest to the fact that, like, none of this stuff was in was taught to us by coaches. None of this was taught in our certifications, or in our exercise physiology degrees, or in our master’s degrees in related fields. Like, it’s not taught, and it’s not intuitive as women so and I think that’s

Ashton Koehlmoos  42:18

why we I think it’s wild, don’t you think it’s wild that that, that it’s not in there. Like, I just look back on my college education, and I’m like, Why did I not learn about like pressure better, like that? Just, I mean, even from a male standpoint, as far as like hernia is, and, you know, stuff like that, I’m like,

Ashton Koehlmoos  42:34

why is that not talked about more? Yeah, I mean,

Ashton Koehlmoos  42:37

so form driven, which I get. But like, you gotta have, you gotta have the bracing and the understanding of that, that pressure is so vital, and

Brianna Battles  42:47

it’s so vital, and it affects all humans. But it’s just not really taught, or it’s taught with, like, male anatomy in mind, where there’s not like, a literal hole at the bottom of our core, and, you know, like, so we do have different considerations. And it’s not that, like, you know, Valsalva is bad. It’s just like, there are other options. There are other ways to teach this. There’s other ways to perform. And we got to have that in our like, in our, you know, skill set as coaches and, you know, definitely trying to fill a gap here in the industry. And it’s been cool to see just the different iterations it’s gone with. You know, how coaches like you are using this, this stuff, to help other people in your community and online. So what would you tell to what would you like tell to a coach who’s thinking about becoming certified as a pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, but maybe, like, isn’t totally sure what they’re going to get or what to expect or what they can

Ashton Koehlmoos  43:36

do with it? I think my biggest thing is because I’m actually just starting to, like, teeter and like, I’ll have coaches just reach out and be like, hey, could could I learn from you? And I was like, Yeah, sure, that’s fine. So I’m kind of venturing a little bit into, like, the whole mentorship thing, but to me, it’s we need more of you, like, at the end of the day, like the movement is changing. Like you and I, you know, we kind of talked about this, the movement is changing, but there is still so much work to do. Because when you get out into the trenches and and just talk to people that, you know, don’t do fitness, or do a little bit of fitness dabbling, they just, it’s so over their head some of the things that you’re talking about. So I really just try to, you know, if I see like a young coach, like in the PPA, you know, group that’s, you know, just getting in, and they’re just scared. You really have to lean into, like, it’s, it’s scary. I mean, it’s scary, like putting yourself out there, thinking that you could post something wrong, but you just have to know 10% more than the person standing next to you to be able to help somebody. And that, to me, I really try to lean into that, that I’m like, you know, try not to compare myself to the bigs of the world, you know, like you and you know, other big coaches. It’s like, No, I am okay, right where I am. I’m learning from them, yes, but I don’t have to have it all right, to put a post out there, or to put my name out there, to reach out to a fitness place and see if I can speak there like you’re gonna get turned down, like I’ve gotten turned down many times. And it hurts, but you just have to keep going forward, like, you have to remember your why. And I think that that’s something that we that really grounds us, and that’s something I bring into, like, just my clients and stuff like that. Like, can’t just be I want to lose 10 pounds. Like, I hate weight loss, but that’s just usually what pops into people’s brains. But like, what is your why? Like, to me at the end of the day, like, my why for showing up here in the business space is I felt shitty, and I don’t want any other mom to feel like I did and feel like there’s no hope for her. Okay, that’s gonna, that’s gonna make me show up, that’s gonna make me put post, even though I might have a typo or it doesn’t look great, or whatever, you know it’s

Brianna Battles  45:35

and like, very few people, like, care about that. It’s mostly like, that. We’re like, Yeah, like, you’re

Ashton Koehlmoos  45:41

so close to it, but like, yeah, literally, like, when you, when you start to dive into learning about, like, analytics, analytics, and who actually sees your stuff? It’s like, nobody sees it. Like, yes, it’s kind of like a sign on the on the door at a fitness gym, like nobody reads it. And so you just, you just have to, like, remember your why we need you, like, we need more coaches like you and you know way more than what you think or assume that you know, because you just have to know 10% more than your friend that looks down the road from you to be able to help her so

Brianna Battles  46:11

so true and so true, very, very needed, and even like the bigs on social media, like you’re you are most likely going To know so much more than even them, because they’ll you have invested in your education and your learning. You’ve experienced real life stuff that, like a certification, actually can’t teach you like what you’ve experienced in your life, in your process of becoming a mom with this fitness background like that is a very unique skill set that’s going to make you a better coach, and what? Even a certificate like my certification, cannot teach your real life, lived experiences, and you can bind those two things, and that changes lives. It really does.

Ashton Koehlmoos  46:51

Yeah, yeah. Like, you know, she’s not in the fitness, but just like a business person I follow, she said your brand, like you is what makes your brand different than the person who does the exact same thing next to you, exactly you like, you have a different way of saying it. You might say the exact same thing, but you have a different way, because you’ve had a different path to what’s gotten you to where you are and you’re going to attract who you are. So that’s why I’m really, like, share your story. Like, if you don’t want to work with somebody, you don’t like people got to know you, to like, you know, I just, and I’ve never gotten anyone that I’m like, Oh my gosh. Like, I just had that at the Y You know, you just take whoever signs up. You got to start training that person. And it’s just, you’re just not a good fit. But if you’re just being authentically, you you’re going to attract people that are like you, and they’re just, they’re a pure joy to train. I mean, when you find somebody that is just wonderful and just like, eats it up, you just want to pour into that, into that person. You want to go learn more so that you can help your person more Absolutely.

Brianna Battles  47:48

And so like, you know, we have different backgrounds but similar things that, like light a fire to do better for women. And I think it can be really healing. It can be a huge part of a healing process of like, paying forward what you wish you would have known, or helping people navigate stuff that you’ve experienced personally and have a heart for have perspective on now, it does help some aspects of our stories come full circle. So, oh yeah, like

Ashton Koehlmoos  48:13

the pregnancy lot, like I told you, like anyone that I’ve worked with in their pregnancy, they’ve navigated loss, and that is such a full circle moment that you can bring somebody you know and just help them help validate that. Like, you know, I have a mom right now. She’s just getting through her first trimester, and it’s been awful, just throwing up and just all of that. And it’s, she’s like, this is so hard, but I don’t want to say it’s hard, because it’s been such a long road for me to get here. I’m like, You need to say it, it’s okay. Like, pregnancy, infertility, it does not discriminate you from having real human feelings. Because there is going to be a day where you look at that child and you’re gonna be like, I don’t want you right now. Like, you know, you just, you’re gonna have, like, that’s a part of being a mom where you just have hard days where you just want the day to be over and that’s okay. Like, it’s just reminding them that it’s okay, even though there’s just so much guilt and shame that I said it’s okay. Like, you need it’s okay to feel both, you know, so yeah, just, you know, sharing your story is just really powerful way to, like really, not only help people in their fitness, but just help people just live better lives. You know,

Brianna Battles  49:14

absolutely well, you’ve done a great job of sharing your story so candidly, both on this podcast and on your social media and through just your business and what you’re what you’re doing for so many different moms out there. So tell us where we can learn more about you and follow along.

Ashton Koehlmoos  49:30

So I am everywhere I am. I am resilient. Mama fitness, so on the socials both Facebook and Instagram, is where Instagram is, where I hang out the most. It’s resilient. Dot mama, dot fitness, and then I’ve got my website, resilient mama fitness.com so shoot me a DM. I always say they’re always open, and I always like to share too that if you are navigating infertility loss and you just need somebody to listen to your story, I’ve done that countless times just to say. Place to to open up, ask questions, just get something off of your chest, because I think that’s really important. I wish I would have had that for me when I was going through infertility, because it was just my husband and I and my mom, his mother in law, that knew so. So yeah, I always say my, my, my Place is a safe place for other

Ashton Koehlmoos  50:19

moms too well. Thank you for being that person, and thank you for sharing today. Thank you.

Brianna Battles  50:29

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Practice Brave podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review and help us spread the work we are doing to improve the overall information and messaging in the fitness industry and beyond. Now, if you are pregnant and you are looking for a trustworthy exercise program to follow, I have you covered. The pregnant athlete training program is a well rounded program for pregnancy with workouts for each week that are appropriate for your changing body. That’s 36 weeks of workouts, three to four workouts each week, and tons of guidance on exercise strategy. We also have an at home version of that program. If you are postpartum and you’re looking for an exercise program to follow. The eight week postpartum athlete training program would be a really great way to help bridge the gap between rehab and the fitness you actually want to do. From there, we have the practice brave fitness program, which is an ongoing strength conditioning program where you get new workouts each week and have a lot of guidance for myself and my co coach, Heather Osby, this is the only way that I’m really offering ongoing coaching at this point in time. If you have ever considered becoming a certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, I would love to have you join us. Pregnancy and postpartum athleticism is a self paced online certification course that will up level your coaching skills and help connect the dots between pelvic health and long term athletic performance, especially during pregnancy and postpartum, become who you needed and become who your online and local community needs by becoming a certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach. Thank you again for listening to the Practice Brave podcast. I appreciate you, and please help me continue spreading this messaging, this information and this work.