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’m here with Bethany Flores, and I’m really excited to talk to her about her new chapter as an athlete mom, so she shared her pregnancy experience a lot on social media, and is now in the postpartum stage of life and just acclimating as an athlete, as a mom, and entering this whole new world. So Bethany, thank you for being here.

Bethany Flores  01:16

Yeah, thank you for having me on this is my first podcast postpartum, so I’m excited to share the story, share the journey, absolutely.

Brianna Battles  01:25

So give us a little bit of your background, for those of you who do not know you.

Bethany Flores  01:29

Yeah, so mostly right now, I’m CrossFit Games athlete. I’ve been to the game seven times before that. I did multiple different sports. Competitive gymnastics was the main thing, and then triathlons, long distance running, body building, obstacle course racing before it was cool, I guess, and then finally found CrossFit. So I’ve been doing that since 2017 and now a new mom, which is crazy. I’m 10 weeks postpartum today, specifically today on st Patty’s day. And so that’s been a whole journey in itself, absolutely. So what was

Brianna Battles  02:09

it like being a CrossFit athlete? So you said you started in 2017 and what was your run like? How did you know you were going to go from just doing CrossFit to taking it to a really

Bethany Flores  02:19

high level? Yeah, I mean, I started kind of dabbling in it back in 2015 and then in 2016 I did some, like, local competitions. And then from there, I was like, oh, okay, I can see myself competing at a higher level. And so I think I did, I think I did the open in 20 2015 2016 but took it seriously in 2017 and ended up qualifying. And was a double rookie that year, and I still had no idea what I was doing. I was like, What is a snatch, what is a clean? How do we do this correctly? But I think actually, that year was the one year that they didn’t have barbells at regionals, when they used to call it regionals, back back in the day, and so I kind of got lucky and slid on in, but from there on out, every time I went to whatever you want to call it, regionals, semi finals, sanctionals, I ended up qualifying, qualifying and going to the games every year. So I was very thankful and grateful for that. But yeah, it all started with local competitions and kind of just double double, dabbling in that and enjoying it, enjoying it a lot.

Brianna Battles  03:25

Yeah. And are you still pretty involved in CrossFit, or what is that like for you?

Bethany Flores  03:29

Yeah, my goal is to come back. I’m taking off. I had to take off last year. I ended up doing the open and then during the season changes every year, but it was during online semi finals I found out I was pregnant, and I was like, Well, I will try to compete. I think I had this lofty goal of, like, I’m gonna be a super woman and compete at the Games 20 weeks pregnant. Like I was just like, I had this like story in my mind of how the year was gonna go. And after online semifinals, and being I think I was like, six or seven weeks pregnant, I was like, No, that was very humbling. I am not going to be Wonder Woman this year, and I am not going to the CrossFit Games. And then the season has started this year, so I’m out this season as well. So it sucks being out two seasons and how everything worked out. But ultimate goal is hopefully next year, giving myself a full year of recovery and getting the insides feeling good I can come back feeling really good next year and continue on.

Brianna Battles  04:33

That’s it. That sounds like a really great game plan. As somebody who’s worked with many, many professional athletes, giving yourself a little bit of a longer runway gives you that mental and physical Grace like just during such a such a unique season in life that’s demanding in other ways, different ways than being a professional athlete, kind of demanding.

Bethany Flores  04:53

It’s definitely a blessing in disguise, for sure. Yeah, absolutely.

Brianna Battles  04:57

So let’s take it back to you were doing the open i. Last year, and you were early on in your pregnancy. How did pregnancy start for you? Like, did you start feeling really fatigued and nauseous at that point in time? Or how were you feeling?

Bethany Flores  05:10

Yeah, I think as an athlete, and I don’t want to say just athletes, but I’m pretty in tune with my body, yeah. And so I think before I took the pregnancy test, I could just tell something was off, like I was doing some echo bike intervals, and I was like, Man, I’m really having to breathe heavier than I usually am, and I’m not able to, like, get into the numbers that I usually can. I was like, that’s weird. And I just kind of, like, chalked it up to, you know, a little bit of fatigue and nerves going into the season and all of that. But of course, the following week, I took a pregnancy test after missing my period for just one day, and I was like, oh, okay, but I still in my mind, had it like, Ah, it’s not gonna affect me that much, whatever. But I felt pretty much all the feels right away. It was nausea, my heart rate was spiking during workouts. Couldn’t really just move the lactate in my body very easily, and so everything was just building up very, very quickly when I was trying to push. And yeah, it was just a very, very, very humbling experience. And I had to remind myself when I was trying to compete, that this isn’t me. This is just This is pregnancy me. This is me going through a lot of hormonal changes. I also did world fitness project, the first one in Indianapolis, pregnant, thinking that I could do that. And yeah, that was an even more humbling experience, because no one knew that I was pregnant, and I was pretty much getting, I think I got last pretty much on every event. I just went out there and was just waving the white flag and did what I could, yeah, but yeah, my body just would not even let me push it was kind of this crazy experience of it was probably protecting itself, obviously, because it was growing life, especially at the beginning, when you’re super fragile, and so I will never do that again. I learned a valuable lesson, do not try to compete, even when you’re six weeks pregnant. Like you can feel all the feels, but everyone’s different too. Yeah, everyone is different,

Brianna Battles  07:15

but it is hard. I think mentally where, like, you know that you’re pregnant and so then, but not everybody else does. So now just looks like I suck, or I’m bloated, or it’s this, or it’s that, and like all of these, like really harsh narratives that, like mentally can make it kind of steals aspects of the joy of pregnancy when there’s this self expectation to like, I should be able to do better, or I thought I was going to be able to do X, Y or Z, still, yeah.

Bethany Flores  07:42

That was definitely, yeah. That was really, really hard. There’s a lot of tears, a lot of tears, just because of hormones, but also just like, oh man. Like, no one knows what’s going on, and it’s really hard to deal with. And I feel like, especially as a female athlete, we get judged on everything right? And especially coming off of the year before I was fourth at the CrossFit Games. So to go from that to getting last place on every event, people in my mind, I don’t know if that was happening out there, but people were probably like, What’s wrong with her? Like, man, she was really out of shape. You know, not knowing that you’ll see you soon.

Brianna Battles  08:22

Write it something right now, yeah, and that’s hard, because I think when you go into pregnancy having certain, certain expectations, especially like the athletic population, we like to all think that we are the exception, you know, that, like, we’re going to be this kind of storyline or this example, or even compared to others that have come before us or are also similarly pregnant, and it’s really hard to sit with all of that.

Bethany Flores  08:49

Yeah, I mean, it’s just, it’s the reality of 2026, than the world that we live in and Instagram and even like Tia, right? She comes back five months postpartum and deadlifts Five 400 pounds at Rogue I was there, and it’s just like, okay, maybe I can’t do that, but I can definitely get about like 80% of that. And so I was like, I’ll be fit enough. But now just everyone’s experience is so different. And even if you’re a top tier level athlete, you can get humbled very fast by hormonal changes.

Brianna Battles  09:21

Oh, absolutely. And there’s just, I always say, like, with pregnancy and postpartum, there are just so many variables that are actually not in our control. And it’s not from a lack of effort, and it’s not even from a lack of fitness, it’s just like, just variables, like everyone’s pregnancy and birth experience and postpartum recovery is going to be different, and it’s why it’s so hard to not compare, and to not have anyone at any place, like on a pedestal right, where you’re comparing yourself to this person, even if it’s a former version of yourself,

Bethany Flores  09:50

and that’s the hardest one, yeah, that’s, I was gonna say. I was like, even if it’s just yourself that you’re comparing, yeah, it’s yeah. That’s been, that’s something that I’ve dealt with. Throughout my teenage years, and definitely through CrossFit, is like body image issues, and so obviously that’s that carried through pregnancy and now postpartum, and I feel like I have a better hold on it, but it definitely rears its ugly head anytime it gets a chance to but even through pregnancy, I was like, you know, like, in my mind, I was like, you know, when I’m, like, 30 weeks pregnant, I’m just gonna really enjoy having my belly out and, like, just wearing a sports bra. I’m gonna go to the gym and whatever. And I don’t think there was one point throughout my pregnancy where I was, like, I feel so comfortable in a sports bra and shorts and running around like that in public, like it just wasn’t. It just never was comfortable to me. And I think that was that was so funny to kind of realize throughout pregnancy. I was like, things are like, they don’t just change, just because you know that you’re pregnant, or whatever it is, or even postpartum, too. And I’m like, I gotta shield my body up. I’m uncomfortable, but no, it’s never gonna be enough either. That’s what I’ve also realized throughout my journey of dealing with post herb body image issues, is you can be super, super fit and super ripped and lean, and it’s still not enough. So yeah, and

Brianna Battles  11:15

motherhood is like, this great like, it kind of exposes all of our bullshit, right? It’s like, the things you’re like, why? Mostly like, I’m good. Like, I’m good now and then, like, motherhood comes along, whether it’s pregnancy or early postpartum, or even, like, years later, where it’s just, like, this great equalizer. It exposes all of our greatness and all of the areas that, like, we’ve struggled with our vulnerabilities. It brings all of that to the surface, where you really have to look at it and address it differently than you have in other seasons of life. Because I think as athletes, you can kind of like, it’s fine, I’ll deal with it later. Or it’s like, not affecting me that much. But then when you become a mom, like when you’re pregnant now, it’s like, okay, all of a kind of body image or disordered eating patterns and things that I’ve struggled with in the past, creep right back in, like you said,

Bethany Flores  12:03

Yeah, mental health, that was like the hardest part, I think, for me during pregnancy is, I guess, the hormones. I don’t know. I think it was the hormones, but also just not having a ton to do, yeah, because I wasn’t competing for the full season, so I didn’t have a lot going on, but it exposed a lot of yeah, just like mental health issues that I think for me, were already exposed about five or six years before, and I’ve been working on it. Just because I was out in 2022 with my back for the CrossFit Games. So I was out that full season, which, looking back, I’m very grateful for because it allowed this season of pregnancy and postpartum to be a little bit better. Because I did already have a year off of who is Bethany without being an athlete, who is Bethany without going to the gym. But it just exposed that there’s still room to work. We still got to work on some stuff. And, you know, it’s, it’s an ongoing project, of course, but yeah, that was just a very it’s kind of scary. At first, I was like, oh gosh. Like, I have so much to work on, and I don’t want to, I don’t want to give this to my child. I don’t want to continue to this lineage of mental health or problems that I can control. There’s some things you can’t control, but the things that you can and take ownership of. I was like, Ah, I need to continue to work on this so I don’t pass it. I don’t want to pass it, you know, yeah, no, it’s it’s hard as it does.

Brianna Battles  13:36

It just brings a lot of our insecurities, a lot of our fears, anxieties, or just like tendencies in general, to the surface, and it is like when you’re an athlete, so much of your identity is attached to what your normal training day looks like, what your body looks like, what you can do, how productive you are, and like how in control you are. And when you feel like your brain isn’t cooperating, or your body isn’t cooperating, it’s like, you want to force it to but you just can’t. Sometimes you can’t out work. You can’t like out athlete these seasons, and that’s a really hard thing for athletes to wrap their mind around.

Bethany Flores  14:12

Yeah, I think I had, we were kind of talking off camera, but the story in my head that I kind of told myself when I literally saw the pregnancy test. I was like, Okay, this is how the year is gonna go. God, let me tell you, I’m gonna compete. I’m gonna qualify for the CrossFit Games. I’m gonna do the CrossFit Games 20 weeks pregnant, and then I’ll rest. I’ll rest because, you know my due dates, December 28 so I’ll have a little time to rest. So don’t worry, I’m gonna rest in there, right? But that was definitely not the story that came about. It was like, right away, very humbled, and then you’re resting the whole year. And then I was like, well, maybe I’ll do some side projects, you know, like, I’ll start a podcast, or I’ll do this. But it was just like, my body just didn’t want it. My mind and my body. I didn’t want to do anything, yeah. And it was just like a very like, scary feeling, especially as an athlete, because I make my money through sponsorships and sponsors, if you’re not working and you’re not competing, they’ll drop you. I’ve seen that before in 2022 when I was out with my back, yeah. And I started experiencing a good again, unfortunately during this period, and that’s very scary financially for me. And I was like, What do I do? What do I do? But I was like, all I can do is rest. I don’t, I don’t. I can’t control that part I can’t control. So, no,

Brianna Battles  15:37

it’s a lot of us in here, because, like, these seasons are so sacred, and sometimes you, like, you can’t just will it. And that’s so hard, because when you’re an athlete at the highest level, like, all time and energy is put into willing everything, your body to do more, your brain to do more, like pushing through. And sometimes during these seasons, it’s just not worth it on a lot of levels, to try to do that.

Bethany Flores  16:00

Yeah, yeah, it’s not worth it. And honestly, your your your mind and your body, they don’t let you because they’re just trying to protect you, yeah? But it’s hard to see that in the moment of like doesn’t really feel like protection, because I’m not really setting myself up for success in the future, yeah? But it is, yeah, it,

Brianna Battles  16:20

I feel like it will be a catalyst for something else. It just takes a while to see that, like I mentioned, you mentioned, like, your back injury ended up being, I interpreted as like, a blessing in disguise for, like, correct what it taught you on this side of things. But it is so hard to see that when you are in it, and you’re like, in the fields and having just wither some of those seasons and changes, yeah,

Bethany Flores  16:43

well, because it’s a choice, right? Like, you can choose to be a victim of it and not do anything in that season and just kind of wallow and pity. Or you can choose to be like, Okay, well, maybe I can’t do this, yeah, but what can I do? So, yeah, 2022 was definitely a season of a lot of learning, a lot of growth of okay, who are you like? What if you never go back to competing again? What if your back never lets you so what are you going to do now? And so that was a very just eye opening experience for me, and humbling in its own way, and very, very hard, but yeah, like I said, I think it just allowed the pregnancy season and now postpartum season to just be in a different headspace. Yeah, and like, still hard, still hard, but like, you’re like, but

Brianna Battles  17:32

I’ve, like, been here before in some Yeah, right. Like, I’ve mentally, like, had to sit in the discomfort of not being as capable as I want to be, or like my body not performing the way I want it to, or not ready to yet. Like you’ve sat in that that headspace before, and for so many athlete moms like pregnancy and postpartum is the first time that they’re feeling like, oh, like something has shifted or changed, or I need to change this. Or a lot of them don’t want to change anything, but then sometimes end up dealing with the repercussions of that later on. So it’s just like, it’s such a humbling season, just at different points for different women.

Bethany Flores  18:09

Yeah, and even honestly, like going, thankfully, kind of coming back, or overcoming my back injury and competing in 2023 and 2024 at the CrossFit Games, it wasn’t just like, snap back and I’m good and I’m just gonna get back into training and everything’s happy go lucky. It was a very humbling experience in and of itself, of like, slowly climbing back and still having to tell myself no in the gym and and just kind of competing scared, because there was a lot of things that I wasn’t doing in training that I was asked to do on the competition floor over and over again, and I just felt very unprepared, like I didn’t study for this test. We’re gonna see what happens. And thankfully, thankfully, it all worked out, and I got to compete and compete at the highest level with the fittest ladies in the world and and do well. You know, it wasn’t just like I competed, but like I did well. And so I think that’s a good reminder kind of going into this postpartum and even next year of you can do a little and it’s going to be enough, yeah, because of the numbers that you have under your belt. Yes, it’s not like I’m starting from ground zero, like I’ve been I’ve been training my whole life. I’ve been a gymnast, even

Brianna Battles  19:29

when it’s positive, like you don’t lose it, and that’s such a hard thing to fully believe, but you don’t like that pattern is still there, that ability is still there, that strength can be rebuilt. It’s not like this season is not for nothing, like it really does help you on the other side, especially when it’s not this, like, rush to try to look or be or perform, yeah, as quick as possible, or do as much as possible for as long as possible. Like, there’s just so much value there in making some adjustment.

Bethany Flores  20:00

Ends, yeah, that’s, yeah, that’s the hard part. Is like, don’t rush it. You’re gonna be just fine. And what you’re able to do, I just, I just think, like, having all these, like, having these hardships, even though they’re hard to go through, and they’re like, I don’t want to go through this right now. It’s not the timing. It just allows, like, the next hard season that you’re going through be like, No, but I did this. Yep, I already did this. I have the I have this record, I have this resume of the things I have done, and now I can apply it to this next hard season, whether it’s the same or a different hard season, exactly. Um, yeah, but doesn’t make it any easier, because athletes get so good at that,

Brianna Battles  20:41

like, you build up so many experiences that you’re like, Okay, there’s parallels here. And I’ve dealt with something similar before. So now I know, like, I have, you have to, like, start over so many times across your lifespan as an athlete. You know, like, if you have a background in gymnastics, like you had so many reps there that then prepared you to compete at CrossFit, right? Like all of it adds and builds this level of resilience. We just haven’t always looked at motherhood that way, because it’s first of all, like it’s still kind of new within the last 20 years to see women still pursuing being an athlete at a high level, and it’s yeah, just still a lot to be unlocked and to figure

Bethany Flores  21:23

out, yeah. I think that’s the cool part. Is I have people now that you see either on TV or social media or even in our in CrossFit Games in that area that are coming back, and so it’s like, no, it’s definitely possible, yeah. And you can be even fitter, yeah. And I think the biggest thing for us as athletes that have been athletes our entire life is like, rest is better. Like, having more rest is actually better. And I think that’s the beauty of having a kid and having to, like, kind of schedule that in I mean, obviously I haven’t experienced it quite yet, but I’m not going to be able to do as much. I’m not going to be able to be in the gym for like, six hours, right? But I think that’s also going to be a blessing this guy is because I don’t need to be in the gym for six hours. Yeah, that’s just like, destroying my body and just throwing myself against the wall, like I don’t need to do all that be efficient.

Brianna Battles  22:17

And now it almost feels like a valid excuse, whereas before, you’re like, well, I should be, you know, we were like, well now, like, that’s enough reason to be efficient. Like, change my training approach and be more efficient, and be more strategic and be like, really prioritize quality over quantity. And that’s just like a shift that it everyone arrives at on their own time.

Bethany Flores  22:37

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No junk volume. That’s kind of learning in 2023 and 2024 with my math 24 with my back, is I was kind of hurting my back to myself because I was just doing a bunch of junk volume because I felt like I needed to do it. My husband was like, you don’t have to do this. I’m like, but I feel like I have to, I need to. Like, no, you don’t. Yeah. And so yeah, this is even a better excuse of not just my back issues, but no, you have a human being to take care of that needs you and wants you in this moment. So you can’t be in the gym for five hours, you know, or you’re gonna have to take breaks in between sets and reps and pieces that you’re gonna do. And I see it as a plus. I see it as a plus, and just allowing more healing for my back, more healing for my body, yeah, throughout the seasons of competing, yeah, here on out like

Brianna Battles  23:29

a theme that tends to repeat. And again, not everybody, but most people, like a lot of people, regret rushing the process, but nobody regrets taking their time. Yeah, and that’s I see that repeated, repeated, repeated, whether it’s injury or just feeling like, God, I missed out on so much because I was so in pursuit of this one thing. And right? And there’s that dichotomy where you’re like, Well, I’m proud that I did this, but God, at like, what? At what expense? And so, yeah, so like, again, it’s that pros and cons. Risk benefit is very is different for everybody, but I have not heard anyone say that they regret taking their time that I’ve never heard. Yeah, you know, I think there’s a lot of value into into your approach. I want to talk to you about what your pregnancy experience was like as a pregnant athlete, sharing online, navigating your expectation versus your reality. So what was that like for you?

Bethany Flores  24:21

Yeah, there’s a lot of having to do that. I just honestly, I was like, well, I’ll be doing CrossFit the entire time throughout my pregnancy, because that’s what I’ve been doing the last seven seasons of my life. But pretty much right away, like at the 10 week mark in my pregnancy, I realized that that was not going to be a part of my story doing CrossFit. And so I basically took out everything kipping gymnastics, even like flat bench, bench press, like that was taken out pretty much right away, just because I felt uncomfortable.

Brianna Battles  24:56

Was it like the intensity that was bothering you, or just like position? Emotional stuff, like,

Bethany Flores  25:01

how, like, what was, yeah, it was more, it’s more positional, and it was an intuitive feeling of, like, This doesn’t feel right, or this doesn’t feel comfortable. And I was like, Well, if there’s any time to listen, like, truly, listen to my body and the intuition that it’s giving me, this is the time to do it. Yeah. And so, yeah, maybe I could have done it all the way through and been fine, but it was just an intuitive feeling, of, like, it just feels off, or it feels a little uncomfortable in my belly area. Yeah. Why do I need to do this? I can do a different position, like, instead of flat bench, I did incline my entire pregnancy. Yeah, I know my girlfriend. She’s 36 weeks pregnant, and she’s doing flat bench, bench press, like, and she’s totally fine with it. And so, yeah, everyone’s, as we continue to say, everyone’s so different. It’s so true. But yeah, I think I did my last handstand walk at 10 weeks pregnant, and I still haven’t done one, and I’m 10 weeks postpartum, so I’m like, oh gosh, this is gonna be interesting. But yeah, I mostly just did bodybuilding. I would still go into our CrossFit gym, because we had a class called Build, so it was more just bodybuilding and then a conditioning piece with no, like, high skill or gymnastics work. So it was kind of perfect for me, and kind of got got me in and out in an hour. Allowed that social aspect too. Because I think when you are pregnant and you’re not feeling great, because I was nauseous until like the 22 week mark, I think it’s just really easy to be like, Well, I’m not going to go anywhere and I’m not going to do anything, because I don’t feel good, but I would always feel better and not be nauseous for that one hour when I was moving and being kind to myself in that area. So, yeah, that’s basically what I did throughout my whole pregnancy, until, I think the 35 week mark, I stopped, stopped and do anything other than walking. I just had a lot of pain in my crotch area, yeah, and every time I worked out, I was like, okay, yeah, I’m in pain. And then it would stay and linger for like, a week at a time. And so that was just an indication to me with my pregnancy that my body just needed more rest. And it was kind of done, done moving. It was like, you’re done, like, even with walking too, like I had to kind of cut back on walking, because it just there’s pain. And I was like, I gotta listen to, like, the

Brianna Battles  27:24

sharp shooting pain, or was it like, the dull, like, dull, yeah, like, yeah, yeah,

Bethany Flores  27:31

all day just dull. And I was like, I can manage it. But then it was like, hard to, like, pick my leg up, yeah? And I was like, okay, all right, I probably need to cut back a little bit, yeah. But my goal every day was like 10k steps to 20k just depending on how I felt for the day, yeah. And so yeah, the last like couple weeks, I kind of had to cut back even on that. And I was like, Oh, wait, this sucks, because I know there’s so many people out there working out until the end of their pregnancy. And totally fine, yeah, but, and I was not one of those, even as a fit athlete, I think it’s

Brianna Battles  28:09

really important to share stories like yours and examples like yours, because you’re actually the majority. That’s just not like what is highlighted on social media. So we’re in such an echo chamber of like these highlight reels of what people want to share, or what you know that it’s not actually reflective of the majority of women and what they’re experiencing even fit women. So it’s validating, I think, to hear that. Gosh, she was also really nauseous, or this was also kind of challenging season for her. She was able to change up her training, even though ultimately Her goal is to come back to CrossFit, she was okay adjusting that training style temporarily to accommodate her body. And it’s validating to hear that it’s quote okay to actually listen to your body at the end of pregnancy and that you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just your body was in pain at the end of pregnancy, and so why push through that? That’s not really going to serve you into postpartum. So we’re not going to, like, push through that. But it’s that’s not the narrative that gets communicated a lot.

Bethany Flores  29:14

Yeah, yeah. I mean, even me, like, I was kind of second guessing myself, because I was like, man, like, I’m an athlete. I’m a professional CrossFit athlete, and I’m seeing these average gym goers who are 39 Weeks Pregnant, and they’re doing box jumps, and I’m like, I can’t do that. Like, that’s not a part of my story. And so it’s hard not to, like, compare or be like, Wait, am I doing something wrong? Or am I just being a baby or whatever it is, but I think having someone to, like, echo off of things, and I think an important person was, like, my husband just telling me over and over again, like, No, it’s okay, yeah, it’s okay. Like, it’s gonna be okay. This is the, this is when you should listen to your body. Anxiety, yes, if intuition is telling you not to do stuff, then don’t do it. If you’re feeling achiness, then you probably don’t need to do it. And they’re like, Okay, yeah, okay. And I just had to be reminded over and over again during that 35 week to 40 week pregnancy, I was like,

Brianna Battles  30:15

because it is hard to listen to your body like we have been programmed to ignore all of that implement, the listening is much harder than I think anyone realizes, yeah,

Bethany Flores  30:27

and then once again, like, I think I got some practice with that in 2023 and 2024 when I was competing again in training, of still having to say no, and then using that intuition of, like, I could do one more rep, but I’m going to say no to myself, because usually, in the past, when I do that one more rep, my back goes out on me.

Brianna Battles  30:47

So let’s not do that pattern here.

Bethany Flores  30:49

Yeah, there’s a pattern, and I’m actually going to listen this time. Yeah, oh God, but it’s still hard. Yeah, that was, that was really tough during pregnancy. So then,

Brianna Battles  30:58

so you’re in pain. The last two weeks, you scaled back quite a bit on your training, and then what was Labor and Delivery like for you? Oh, gosh,

Bethany Flores  31:07

that was fun. Well, I started getting cervical checks around the 36 week mark, which, looking back, I’m like, I don’t think I’ll do that again, because one, those are really painful. And two, it’s just, I don’t know, yeah, not comfortable at all. But I basically stayed closed the entire time, and they were pushing the guy was just, like, not dialing it at all. And they were pushing me to get induced at 39 weeks. And I was like, I’m good. Like, I want to see this through and see if I can, like, just naturally go into labor. How about the 41 week mark. They were, they’re like, it’s time, it’s time you need to be induced. And even looking back on that, I think I would have waited until the 42 week mark. I think they’re just all scared about the size of the baby, the head, how big it’s going to be. But, I mean, he was 41 weeks and 710 so we were good, yeah, I’m out. But anyway, so I got I got induced. I was very reluctant, because I really wanted to have, like a natural birth, just go into labor naturally, just everything natural. Like, I didn’t want any pain medication. I didn’t want to have any type of IV. But I guess kind of going back a couple weeks. At 36 week mark, you get checked for GSV or the strep, whatever that is, yeah, and I had that. I was positive for that, so I already write that in there. I was like, I’m gonna have to have an IV the entire time during this pregnancy. Labor part sucks. So I already kind of had that in my head. But anyway, so fast forward to 41 weeks. I go in to the hospital 7pm at night and still completely closed up. And they’re like, Okay, well, we’re gonna do cervix softener to get you prepped and ready. And that takes 12 hours. So we did that one and I was point five centimeters dilated. And I was like, long time in the hospital. And so the second cervix softener we did was the tampon one Cyto Tech, I think it was called, and we did that one labored for another 12 hours, 1.5 centimeters dilated. I was like, Oh my gosh, yeah. And I could feel like some contractions, but not really, yeah. And during that time too, they didn’t really let me leave the room, which sucked, because I was hooked up to, you know, the monitor for the baby, which I did not want the entire time as well. But they said, if you’re doing cervix softeners, we got to monitor the baby the entire time. So they did have, like, a Bluetooth, one that I kind of got to use, but it was dependent on the nurse. One of the nurses really liked it. And then when they switched shifts, the other nurse was like, I don’t like that. You’re going to be hooked up to the machine, which I had to stay near the bed. So I was like, so anyways, did that, and then the third thing we did intervention was the folly balloon, where they put the balloon inside your cervix and it guarantees you at least four centimeters dilation. But at that point, I was what, 24 hours in. We did it at nighttime, and the moment they inserted the folly balloon, my body had a complete trauma response, and I just started shaking, and I couldn’t stop shaking. It also causes excessive bleeding, so it was bleeding everywhere anytime I went to the bathroom, and I kept on asking the nurses. I was like, Is this normal? This feels weird. Obviously, the contractions were starting to pick up at that point too, so I was just kind of like a hot mess, like it was nighttime. We’re doing this intervention at nighttime. I’m literally shaking, and then every 30 to four. Be five minutes they’re pulling on the balloon to bring it down, to continue to open the cervix. And yeah, it was 12 hours of that. And let me tell you, people tell you that you forget after you give birth and you see your little baby’s face of all the pain that you went through, I will not forget that pain that was so painful that was like a different type of pain that you just don’t experience in life, like it’s just, I’ve been in so much pain through workouts and even with my back too, right? But this is a different type of pain. It was awful. So much blood. I think that was the hard part too. Is just seeing so much blood too. It was very, very weird, so much pain, so much shaking, and I was just so exhausted, too.

Bethany Flores  35:50

Anyway, so I think I went to the 10 hour mark with the balloon, and then it finally fell out. And they checked me, and I think it was like five, five or six centimeters dilated at that point, and then they’re like, right away. They’re like, all right, you ready to start the Pitocin? And I was like, no, no, I’m not. I’m not okay. I’m not in a good head space, right? And I think I waited like an hour, and I was just like, kind of talking to my husband. I was like, I don’t want to do the Pitocin. I don’t want to do this. Like he was like, I know you don’t want to, but at this point, there’s no way out. You know, we were trying, we were trying to do some pain management stuff, but it was really hard being hooked up to the monitor and having the balloon in me like I couldn’t, I couldn’t move, to be honest, like I could stand up, yeah, yeah. And I was exhausted. Like, I think, I think when you’re just really tired, your perseverance starts dwindling away. And that’s kind of what I was feeling like, all the perseverance that I could do this and get through it without an epidural, and I just kind of all weathered away in a matter of 10 hours, kind of experiencing all of that at once, the trauma, the blood, the cervical dilation, like it was just it was too much. And so, yeah, I think an hour after the balloon fell out, I finally was just like, I can’t do this. Just, just give me the epidural, just give it to me, like, I just can’t, I can’t do it. And I think that was, like, at that moment, I was just like, disappointed and mad, even though I went into it, like, yes, I want to have a natural labor, but also I’m okay if I can’t right. Like, I kind of was, like, in the in between, like, I really, really wanted the natural but I also knew that I had never experienced anything like this before, right? So I also knew, Okay, there might, there might be this scenario where I’m just in so much pain that I need an epidural, like, I don’t know I’m gonna feel, but I’m still disappointing in the moment, yeah, like I was just so tired and then so much pain, and I was just like, I don’t want this, yeah, but give it to me. Give it to me. And then, yeah, I think after I got the epidural, like an hour after I went from six to 10 centimeters, ilated, and he was still really high up, though, so we had to wait like another, like, five, four. It was like four hours or so, and they just, like, repositioned me and stuff, and then it came out. So six pushes to get him out. It was awesome. So the pushing part was fantastic. That was easy. I don’t know how it would have been with album epidural, but, yeah, that part was easy. I felt like I could connect, even with the epidural, pushing and feeling where to push. I also watched the entire time like a weirdo, yeah? Give him the mirror. I want to watch this, yeah? But I guess a weird part, though, out of all this, I had to hold him inside of me for an hour. So he was crowning for an hour, and we had to wait for the doctor to show up. No, yeah, no, yeah. I was like, There’s no way I would have been able to do that if I didn’t have an epidural. Oh, my god, yeah, because my doctor was out of town, and I already knew that kind of going into it, and I was like, whatever. It’s fine. And so we had to use a doctor that was on call, and she was like, at a different clinic. And so she was driving over, and my nurse had me do a couple practice pushes, which I thought was weird, too. And I did like, three practice pushes, and she was like, you can stop. Yeah. Please hold can stop, yeah. We can stop right now. And I was like, what? And my husband was like, I see hair. So I had already, like, pushed him down. And then, then she was like, Well, I can do this, but I’d rather not. I’d rather wait for the doc. Her to come, but she’s not going to be here for another like, 45 minutes to an hour. And I was like, Okay. Like, okay. And so, yeah, I just had to hold him crowning. I could just see it in the mirror as I was looking his head of hair just hanging out, just waiting for an hour. That was so weird. That was the most bizarre experience of my entire life. And so then

Brianna Battles  40:27

when she got there, the doctor got there, was it like,

Bethany Flores  40:30

okay, yeah, it was like, three pushes, four pushes, and then he was out. So I’m thankful for that, because that would have sucked if I had to, like, labor push for like, another three or four hours that would have been awful. Yeah? Thankfully, he came right away. He was healthy. He was happy. Yeah, had same antiotic fluid inside of him, of course, because he was just in my canal for an hour, chilling Yeah, just chilling Yeah. My girlfriend’s in residency right now to be an ophthalmologist, and she was like, one, I’ve never heard of practice pushes before. And two, what the heck? Like she made you hold your baby inside of you for an hour. That’s so messed up. I was just doing what I was told on. Yeah, you don’t know any better. You know? You know. You’re just like, Okay, you tell me to hold it. I’ll hold it, I guess. Oh my gosh.

Brianna Battles  41:25

So okay, you had a whole baby in you. It’s quite the pelvic floor experience for you. So how are you doing post partum? Now you are you said 10 weeks today, yeah.

Bethany Flores  41:35

10 weeks, yeah. So how

Brianna Battles  41:36

pelvic floor? How are we doing?

Bethany Flores  41:39

Yeah, we’re good. So I didn’t tear externally, which I’m really grateful for. I just had a second degree tear internally, which I think I would prefer over the external any day, because I feel like when you’re moving and grooving, it’s just ripping every time. And the internal, I think, healed pretty, fairly, fairly quickly. I guess I don’t have anything to compare it to, but and then I was bleeding up until the five week mark, so, and it was very light, I think after like two weeks of semi, you know, like, heavy ish bleeding, I ended up passing a blood clot that was, like, huge. I took a picture of it, yeah. And I was kind of worried. I was like, Did I do anything about this? But I didn’t feel bad at all, right? And I was like, I’m just gonna monitor it. And I had, like, basically no bleeding after that, so I think I just needed to pass that one clot had to go, I guess. Yeah, I just, it was weird. I was like, I gotta take a picture of this is like a science experiment, yep, but yeah, after that, just very, very light bleeding for five weeks. I didn’t have any diastas. Honestly, I got, I think, pretty lucky for the first pregnancy and labor and delivery of not being that bad. Yeah, thankfully. And I think it’s just, you know, I was doing a lot of breathing exercises before my pregnancy even started, I started working with a doctor that did PRI, yeah, which I think really made a difference. And I was using that for my back, right? But he was like, This is good for your pelvic floor as well, yeah. So I did that, you know, two years leading into pregnancy, and then all throughout my pregnancy, I was doing PRI breathing exercises. So I really want to like, I think taking that into account, think that was like the biggest difference maker for me to like, already

Brianna Battles  43:33

have that like neuromuscular connection in place, so that you are, like, aware of that system and like, you can feel it, you can connect with it. You know how to like lengthen and how to engage. Since so many of us athletes are like, high tension, grip hold brace, so to be able to like, let everything lengthen and have that implemented already into your baseline is so beneficial for that postpartum.

Bethany Flores  43:59

Yeah, I was even, like, comparing myself to other pregnant women when I was at the later stages, you know, like when your stomach is really big. And I honestly didn’t have a huge arch in my stomach or my back, I’m sorry I didn’t have a huge arch in my back, compared to, you know, you see pregnant ladies all forward, yeah, yeah. And I think a lot of that was just like, all the breathing exercise I was doing, getting my rib cage into a good position, my pelvis into a good position, right? So I was pretty much like, in a really good position with my spine all the way through my pregnancy, even at the 41 week mark. And I was just like, I was so thankful for that, because I was so worried about being hyper extended and what that was going to do to my already fragile back. But thank goodness, like I was in such a good place with my back throughout the whole pregnancy and even postpartum, too. Yeah, I think

Brianna Battles  44:57

in some ways again, it kind of comes back to that. That blessing in disguise, saying, like, the back in people have had back injuries and had that have recovered. Like you Catrin, like there was a big fear about getting pregnant, and this is going to aggravate my back pain. But in so many ways, you’ve created such a solid foundation of like rehab and a body awareness and a really understanding, like that pelvis, spine, region of your body, that it really does translate well, where you’re not, like, you know, the things that will likely aggravate it, and you’re not trying to do the things that will either during pregnancy or in that early postpartum, because, you know, just how finicky it can be

Bethany Flores  45:36

sometimes, yeah, especially postpartum too, because, like, you know, you go from like, the biggest stomach you’ve ever had in your entire life, yeah, I think I dropped mostly fluid, but like, 30 pounds in the first two weeks, and it’s like, oh gosh. Like, you don’t have that weight anymore in the front. And so it’s easy just to kind of like, you know, not be in good positions with your stomach or your spine, but kind of remembering, like, maybe you don’t really feel the connection right now, yeah, but it’s still important to kind of look in the mirror and just make sure that you’re not, you know, extending and just staying there, especially when you’re holding the baby a lot postpartum and all of that. So that’s definitely something I’ve had to, like, really focus on in these last 10 weeks of postpartum, of like, okay, you just went from like, having the biggest belly ever to kind of semi back to normal, but not there yet. Yeah, and your core is not really there, so you need to really focus here. Focus on what’s going on with your body here, and fix yourself whenever you get a chance.

Brianna Battles  46:41

Yes, no, absolutely. And it seems like you’re really being strategic with that process and not rushing it. And you you have a solid timeline where you’re able to take your time, let your body get strong and acclimate, and it feels like slow, slow, slow. And then all of a sudden you’re like, you’ve turned the corner, and you start making progress, and it’s just being able to ride out that, like gradual climb, yeah, of letting your body heal, letting your life and sleep and nutrition, all these things acclimate, yeah, then you start to turn the corner and you’re like, okay, it wasn’t for nothing. Still got it, yeah,

Bethany Flores  47:19

yeah, I’ll be excited for that part. Because, yeah, it really is, even if you’ve been through it over and over again, of like, seeing the results of being patient, yeah, still having to be patient in seasons. It’s, it’s difficult when you’re in it. So, yeah, just like reminding myself of that, of like, it’s, it’s gonna come fast, like next year is gonna come really fast. So make sure you’re really taking the time to build a good foundation before the year starts next year. Yeah, well,

Brianna Battles  47:47

you have, I think, a really refreshing and, like, a mature perspective on being an athlete. You’ve been in the game a long time, even prior to CrossFit, like being a gymnast at a high level. All of that translating into your career. Like, you know how to be an athlete, you know when to push, you know when to pause. You’ve been humbled before, and like multiple of right, like all of that really leads to becoming the best version of yourself as an athlete. And I think sharing this type of wisdom is so valuable, because I think on social media and some of what comes out, what we see, it’s like, we’ll just exercise a lot during pregnancy. You are pretty much invincible. Get back as soon as possible postpartum, and then have this moment. But we don’t know the storylines that really go into that. Like, we don’t know the behind the scenes. And there’s, there is value. And I don’t know, just like, humanizing the process a little bit more, not just the highlight reels, but like, what about another process? Yeah, there’s,

Bethany Flores  48:51

there’s a lot of patience that go into it, and it’s that behind the scenes, behind the curtain, that people don’t share enough, but I’m trying to share as much as possible, yeah, but it’s it’s hard, and I mess up all the time, and I still get frustrated, and I have to kind of backtrack. And the most important thing is just, you know when you do mess up, because it’s gonna happen and you’re gonna do too much or overdo it, or hurt yourself in some capacity, it’s just, just trying to align yourself with your goals, but also just the importance of a slow foundation. Yeah, slow build, a slow build. And especially, especially postpartum, right? Because there’s just so much going on in the insides that we can’t even see all the healing that’s going on and hormonal shifts that I can’t even talk about because I don’t even know, yeah, but I know there’s stuff going on, yeah, and so just reminding myself of, like, okay, when you mess up, it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it, but get back on that slow build, because it’s so important.

Brianna Battles  49:54

Yeah, it’s just it really, I mean, it sounds so annoying and frustrating at times, but it really is, like, one day I don’t. Time, and then all of those days start to Zack, and all of a sudden you start turning a corner. And I tell a lot of athletes this, but typically you start to see the corners around four months postpartum, and then around six to seven months postpartum, and then around nine, then around 12, then around 18. So there’s, like, these incremental leaps that happen both, like with your body, with symptoms, with hormones, with training intensities and everything, but like, it’s giving yourself Grace during these different blocks of time and then celebrating those little wins. And you’re like, all right, I feel that. I know that how I’m feeling now in three or four months postpartum is so different than how I was feeling it two months postpartum, and, yeah, you know, just like those little victories for athletes especially, is so, so important to actually acknowledge, right? And I think

Bethany Flores  50:51

that’s the importance of kind of just being where your feet are at and being present, because then you can experience the differences, right? You wouldn’t be able to compare yourself at the two month mark compared to the four month mark. If you’re not present during the two month mark, yeah, you have to be so present, even though you’re like, This is not where I want to be right now. Yeah, be present so that when you are at the four, the six, the eight, whatever, you can be like, Oh, but I was here, yeah, but now I’m here, and this is really exciting and cool.

Brianna Battles  51:23

Well, you’re doing such a great job. And I think this is just a really refreshing conversation for so many athlete moms to hear, and it’s validating of think how a lot of people feel and what have a lot of people experience. And thank you for humanizing your experience of being a pregnant athlete, postpartum athlete, and ultimately someone who’s going to make a run for the games.

Speaker 1  51:43

Yeah, we’re going to do it. Oh yeah, do our best.

Brianna Battles  51:46

Love it. Well, where can people follow you or learn more about your your journey?

Bethany Flores  51:51

Mostly on Instagram is where I live at Bethany CF, pretty simple Instagram handle, but yes, where I’m mostly doing my posting. I mean, it’s been definitely really hard postpartum to keep up with the posting. Let me tell you, if I’m like, giving myself grace with all of that and just trying to live in the moment with the new baby, but trying to share what I can when I have the moment to share on there, but hopefully I’ll be able to share even more through like podcasts and talking later on, and just the experiences that I’ve had.

Brianna Battles  52:24

So it’s where you’ll find me bring a lot of wisdom. And I think your voice is incredibly needed, and it’s it’s awesome to have this conversation and for others to be able to listen in on it.

Bethany Flores  52:36

Appreciate it. Well, I appreciate you having this platform where people can share. Because, yeah, yeah, I know me included, I like listening to people’s stories, so the more stories that people are boldly willing to share, the better Absolutely.

Brianna Battles  52:51

All right. Bethany, thank you so much. Yeah, thank you. 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.