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Pregnancy changed my body; it changed the way I walk.

While I was pregnant, I had dozens of checkups. They covered everything from blood tests to ultrasounds, and I even had the option of attending birthing classes with my husband.

I loved my second trimester! I didn't feel sick anymore and had more energy. My bloated belly turned into a baby bump, and I definitely looked pregnant. That was a relief because when I was around 4.5 months, you could see people having this inner monologue with themselves, wondering if I ate too much pizza or if I was pregnant.

My own pregnancies were all about me, me, me. My aches, my pains, my swollen feet, and my body that looked like the Michelin Man.

I had a really scary pregnancy and a very difficult delivery. My daughter and I are lucky to be alive.

One thing that happens when you're pregnant is that as your stomach starts to stretch. It itches! So I have to keep my belly really lubricated. Every morning, there's a buttering ceremony after I get out of the shower. It's really like basting a turkey with body butter.

The difference in my body from pre-pregnancy to post-baby was night and day. I didn't have the strength, I didn't have the flexibility, I didn't have the stamina, I didn't have the mobility. I felt like I was handicapped.

Running just makes me happy. I love the freedom of running. I ran until I was seven and a half months pregnant with each of my babies. When I gave birth to my first son, my doctor said I couldn't run for six weeks. I was sneaking back out after eight days.

I was ill. I was told I was stressed, so I had to get everything checked out. I didn't think I was, but someone told me I was. As a result, I went to get a blood test. I'd never had one before, so I held my breath when I was getting it done. That caused me to go into a fit.