Entrepreneur of the month interview - March 2018 - Chloe Ann Charlton of Bump2Baby Fitness

This is the first in our regular series with the wonderful Chloe Ann Charlton of Bumb2baby fitness, if you would like to be considered for an 'Entrepreneur of the Month' interview, drop us a note on hello@wuka.co.uk. On with the interview!

1. Who is Chloe Charlton (what describes you)?

Oooh! this is a tough one. I am sure my partner would say something different to me haha. I am such a mum, everything in my life revolves around my children. The biggest joy to me is when I absolutely nail parenting and really have a great day with my little ones…. but with this, I put an extreme amount of pressure on myself to be everything they need and this is where mum guilt strikes. I have high expectations for my life and love helping others (my partner says to my detriment). I love making people happy and am a little bit crazy, okay, a lot crazy.

2. How did you come up with the idea of bump2baby fitness?

Bump2Baby Fitness was created many many years ago and consisted of pre and post-natal personal training and FitBuggies post-natal classes for a long time. This all changed in 2016 when the pre & post-natal fitness market saw an increase of attendees and expectant mums exercising across the globe. This came with one huge problem – mis-information. There was, and still is, a huge number of companies and fitness professionals (who are fully qualified) instructing pre and post-natal women to take part in exercises that are NOT safe for them….. and that really scared me. I wanted to show women the safe and correct exercises and teach them what not to do, so that they and their babies are safe.

3.You have two kids what the best thing about having kids?

Having children is the most tiring, rewarding, stressful and beautiful thing in the world. I was a young mum and had my son at 20. I truly believe being a mum is the best thing in the world. By having my 2 little ones I have achieved so much, because of them and for them. By having children I think your world changes so much, I honestly don’t remember what I used to put in my handbag prior to children as now it’s just snacks, baby wipes and any random stuff they throw in there.

4. This week we have been talking about post partum bleeding. As you are a mum. Can you share a bit of your experience on post partum bleeding. How many day? what did you use? How did you feel when you were handed disposable?

Did you prepare for it. Were you aware about the bleeding? Did you take the pads with you or did the hospital / midwife provide.

I bled a lot after my two children were born and I used the largest sanitary towels in the world during the first 2 months. I felt like I was actually wearing a nappy, a nappy that didn’t fit and stuck out so much at the front and back. If childbirth wasn’t attractive enough, this definitely wasn’t helping. I didn’t feel anything different using disposable sanitary towels as all I knew was that I was not allowed to use tampons. I wasn’t aware of any alternatives. I prepared for the after birth bleed by bringing 2 massive packs of the giant sanitary towels in my hospital bag and making sure I had extra’s at home. The hospital did have some that could be used by patients in each of the bathrooms but I just used my own. Giving birth you don’t know how much you’ll bleed and how long you’ll be in hospital for so I wanted to be prepared. I knew about the post-partum bleeding from reading lots of pregnancy and baby books during pregnancy.

5. What is your vision with bump2baby?

My vision with Bump2Baby Fitness is to change the maternity activewear market. I want to make expectant mums feel supported, comfortable, safe and fabulous as they workout. I am so passionate about spreading the word about safe exercise during pregnancy but also listening to my customers and create more products to compliment their pre and post-natal training journey.

6.. I see you are doing maternity fitness collection what inspire you? Why the name for collection?

The idea for the collections came from teaching pre and post-natal women for many years and so many of them commented that there was a lack of activewear for pregnant women, and what was out there was all baby blues, baby pinks and powder greys. I wanted to change this. With the activewear and athleisure market increasing I wanted to make sure that expectant mums feel good and look whilst exercising rather than compromising fashion for function. Why couldn’t they have both??

Zest – In 2017 activewear went through a change and the big names started to use brighter colours, and the more boutique brands like lulu lemon, P.E. Nation and Tammy Hembrow were breaking the trend and with bold blocks of colour. These brand inspired our first range – The Zest Collection. The name came from the bright coral blocks found across the collection. The colour evokes positive, exciting and active feelings, a ‘zest’ for life if you will. Also the coral contains the colour orange, which has a zest, which compliments the brand with it’s healthiness and freshness.

Breathe – The breathe collection was inspired by the use of mesh in activewear throughout 2017 with large panels of mesh replacing classic fitness fabrics. The name ‘breathe’ comes from the fabrics ability to help the body ‘breathe’ during exercise by allowing extra ventilation. During pregnancy the body is very good at self-regulating the core temperature to ensure that the baby stays safe however this can mean the expectant mum can sweat more and the skin can redden quicker than normal in an attempt to cool the body down. I chose this collection to be completely black because although activewear trends are changing and becoming more varied, there is a huge demographic that feel more comfortable in black activewear.

7. Where can we buy them and how much do they cost?

You can buy all our maternity activewear collections at www.bump2babyfitness.co.uk and we offer free UK delivery and discounted international delivery. Our tops are £49.95 and our leggings are £59.95 with training plans priced from £14.99 upwards and require no equipment.

8. Have got any suggestions for new mums in terms of exercise, sports etc.

I have lots of women tell me they don’t feel as strong as they used to, not as fit as they used to and feel their whole body has changed or they just want to spend some time focusing on them. Just know this is completely normal.

It is advised to wait until your 6 week check before beginning any exercise routine however it is recommended to wait up to 8-10 weeks if you had a caesarean section birth.

Extra caution should be taken when increasing the intensity of your workout if you experienced any of the following:

• caesarean section
• not a regular exercise before the birth of your baby
• had an assisted birth
• experienced complications during labour

Bump2Baby FitMums Top Tips

• Don’t compare yourself to other mums. Each and every mum in the world has a different recovery rate. My rule is that it takes 9 months to create a baby so it can take 9 months to recover. Set yourself realistic goals and don’t beat yourself up about celebrity mums in the magazines who ‘bounce back’ within 2 weeks (most of it’s airbrushed anyways). Pushing yourself too far too fast can actually result in setting yourself back further.
• If you are tired, rest. You do NOT have to exercise every day and it’s ok to take extra rest days when you need them.
• Keep those energy levels up by not exercising on an empty stomach. Bring a banana or some nuts with your for a great on-the-go snack.
• Stay hydrated – It is always important to stay hydrated, especially if you are breast-feeding. Bring a bottle of water with you so they will always be something in reach to drink.
• We recommended speaking to your doctor, midwife or physio if you experienced any pelvic or back pain during pregnancy before beginning any exercise routine.
• Foot size can increase during pregnancy so get your feet properly measured as a good fitting pair of trainers can improve ankle stability.
• If you do go out for a walk/run, do not keep walking/running until you are tired, remember you have to walk/run back too.
• Treat yourself to a new sports bra. Our breasts grow, change shape and shrink during pregnancy, after birth and breast feeding so with all these changes a correct fitting sports bra will support your breasts and reduce the risk of back pain and incorrect posture. An ill fitting sports bra that is too small can cause mastitis.
• If at any point you feel pain or discomfort, stop immediately. It may be necessary to take the exercise level down a notch until you can exercise safely and pain free.
  

Things to remember

• It is important to speak to your doctor or midwife before increasing the exercise intensity above a walk. You can discuss this at your 6 week check.
• Your body has been through a lot emotionally and physically and during those first few months its not uncommon to feel extremely tired. It is important to listen to your body as if you are tired or fatigued you can increase your risk of injury.
• Our bodies are fantastic at telling us when something is wrong, so it is important to listen to it. If you find that your bleeding increases during or after physical activity, it could be a sign that you are pushing it too far and your body needs more time to heal.
• If you have a perineal tear we recommend speaking to your midwife about the degree of the tear. If the tear is quite substantial you may be advised to not exercise for a longer period of time.

Thanks for taking time to speak to our readers, we wish you all the best with bump2babyfitness!