SLAM Stories
Pelvic Organ Prolapse Recovery

The GMS program might just be the best thing that has happened to my body since I gave birth to my third child 3.5 years ago! At 1 year postpartum, I was desperate for some time for myself and I took up running. It got me fresh air and time to clear my head. What I didn’t realize was that running was only further hurting my body. At 2 years postpartum, I finally scheduled an annual exam and found I had a rectal and bladder prolapse as well as diastasis recti. At 3 years postpartum, I still leaked, had to empty my bladder every hour of the day and night and had to contract and release my bladder multiple times each time just to empty it and had basically zero core strength. I felt completely hopeless. I had been following Ashley’s IG account for a while and decided to jump into her program and told myself I had to give it a solid shot.

I am SO happy and thankful to say that after 4 weeks of Slam Bridge, I have forgotten about my prolapses and my core is finally beginning to function as it should!!! I needed a win and the Lord provided by pushing me towards Get Mom Strong! I feel SO strong, I am lifting more than I have in years, my lower back pain from my weak core is getting better every week and having control of my own bladder again is life changing! I am looking forward to seeing what other changes are coming my way by continuing this amazing program! I will forever be thankful to Ashley for helping me feel like a woman and a strong mom again.

A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT

I am so happy with this program! I just finished SLAM. I just want to encourage all of you that are just beginning and feeling down.

PROLAPSE & EXERCISING WITHOUT A PROTECTED CORE

This program is worth its weight in gold! Seriously! When I started SLAM I had significant symptoms because I had a level 2 bladder, uterine, and rectal prolapse. I also had a very weak linea alba. I could stick my finger past the second knuckle in between them. I also have an umbilical hernia.

I have 6 years of CrossFit experience and not one time was I taught how to properly engage my core or protect my pelvic floor. It’s not because the coaches didn’t care…they just don’t know. I had so much leaking, back pain, problems going to the bathroom and was planning surgery for a hysterectomy and pelvic floor repair.

MY SLAM GAINS

I decided to go ahead and give SLAM a try when the gyms all shut down. I knew about Ashley before but I just loved CrossFit so much I didn’t want to do anything different.

She knows how to train a woman’s body. I can feel a difference. Not only do I not leak anymore, I have no back pain, and going to the bathroom is so much easier that I don’t plan to move forward with the surgery. I just don’t need it anymore!

I can run and play with the kids, I can jump on the trampoline with them without having to change my clothes, I can even do double unders with no leaking!!! My core feels stronger than it ever has. I feel stronger than I ever felt doing CrossFit! I can’t even imagine how great I will feel when I am done breastfeeding.

On the appearance side of things: my legs and booty!  My butt looks better now at 41 than it looked at 21. I have never had much of a booty. I just couldn’t get it to lift and round out. It is so fun to see the changes! I had a hard time getting pictures because I don’t have a full length mirror in my house right now. I didn’t take before pictures because I honestly just didn’t expect to see these kinds of changes. This program is the full shebang! Keep at it ladies. It is SO worth it! P.S. I am 22 months postpartum with #4. On to Slam Advanced!!

I wanted to share my postpartum journey to maybe help other mamas out there. After Noa something didn’t feel right-my midwife sent me to a PFPT- got diagnosed with a mild prolapse & a hypertonic pelvic floor which honestly I had no idea what a pelvic floor was but what it did was force me to slow down, learn about my body and rehab my body after pregnancy.

FEELING BROKEN FROM PAIN

I couldn’t do a lot without hurting; was afraid that lifting/holding Noa/Eli would make things worse, so afraid to lift heavy, it strained when using workout bands, forget kettlebell swings, burpees, planks, no more beloved boot camp classes or dance. So needless to say I felt really, really broken and REALLY angry at the *weak* state my body was in leading to resenting being pregnant-Like I had 100% ruined my body. Like legit ruined it. I cried… a lot. I felt truly broken.

SLOWING DOWN TO BUILD BACK STRONGER

But then I found @GetMomStrong a year after Noa and through her program I found HOPE. Hope that I could do a freaking workout without hurting. I can honestly say her program has made me stronger than I’ve ever felt, because I started slow (I hate slow) with rehabbing my core, followed her program (supposed to take 6 months but has taken me 10) and have substantially minimized my pain to basically none. I have yet to not modify a burpees, plank, jumping, no crunches, etc and have felt my strongest ever and I’m doing it all safely, but intentionally to get stronger than before.

FROM ONE MAMA TO ANOTHER

The reason why I am sharing this is to help those Mamas that jump right back into the fitness routine like I did after my first. If I could give you a loving word of advice: Find a program/account like @Getmomstrong or others out there; Get checked by a PFPT for your pelvic floor/Diastis Recti, this will help you learn exercises to help heal; MODIFY & REHAB YOUR CORE! Bc if you can be preventive with these issues, why not. It boggles my mind that doctors sign off on fitness at 6 weeks! Like just jump right back in your full blown fitness routine, it’s CRAZY!!

NORMALIZING REAL POSTPARTUM RECOVERY

This is my story, vulnerable and transparent, everyone’s is different, but I just wanted to shed some light if you are that girl that is feeling ‘broken’ after having kids like I did. Not being able to do the things you loved to do bc your body, well, is just different. It’s the most joyous time in your life, but it can also be the hardest/loneliest when you are healing alone and not recognizing yourself in the mirror, physically and mentally, especially feeling pressure of societal norms of what the woman’s postpartum body should look like; which is to literally look like we never had a baby before, and that is so twisted! It’s like being skinny right after being pregnant is an accolade, it’s not right.

So let’s normalize the postpartum body!! Honestly, your body goes to one extreme to the next!  This is 40 wks>1 month post> TWO years after babies.  It’s a slow process. It’s not glamorous, you obviously gain weight (spoiler alert) but it is powerful and it’s real and strong. 

So Heal yo’ body, have GRACE, focus on HOPE, support other women on their journey, You my dear brought a life (lives) into this world!

A year ago this week I was told to stop exercising and given little to no direction after being diagnosed with a prolapse. Fast forward to today and I have officially finished SLAM Bridge, SLAM, and just started SLAM Advanced.

I am so so grateful for the progress I’ve made this year. It’s been a tough season, and I’ve had to really tap into some serious mental and physical determination that I didn’t know I had.

This community has done wonders for me, and I hope I can be an encouragement to any mama who is in the boat I was in last year, unsure of what the future holds. Today was day two of SLAM Advanced and it felt awesome! So thankful for the strength I’ve built and the ability to move my body!

Almost 6 months postpartum with a diagnosis of a bladder prolapse legitimately had me in tears multiple times a week, until I found SLAM a few weeks ago. Now, I am feeling so much more positive that I’ll get back to the ‘old’ me with more strength, stamina, and return to activities I love. Despite prolapse!

BONUS SLAM GAINS

This #slambooty is all SLAM!

I started out with insane prolapse symptoms stage 2/3 – couldn’t even vacuum, mop, or take out a bag of trash. I felt so weak and discouraged. But doing SLAM changed everything!

THE DIFFERENCE UNDERSTANDING MAKES

I can be active with my two toddlers, prolapse symptoms are at a minimum, and most importantly I have the skills and knowledge how to correctly do all physical work I need without damaging my body. I absolutely love that you make functional exercises and encourage women to listen to their body.

SLAM FOR MY PROGRESS

SLAM pace is still a bit too intense for me, so I exercise on a modified schedule. However, it’s still very effective because I’m pushing myself but still honoring my body at the same time. Oh, and I have to add – all that weight loss was a ‘side effect.’ I never ‘dieted’ or restricted my eating, on the contrary – I start eating a lot! Huge thank you for what you do Ashley!

I want to share progress from SLAM30. I was doing SLAM before but when SLAM30 came out I was SO happy! I was blown away by the fact that 30 minutes IS enough time to start getting into shape! I‘m starting week 6. I’m currently working with a nutrition coach so that has helped so much also! But this is literally all I’ve been doing. Eating healthy and SLAM30- because that’s all I have time for lately.

MY SLAM GAINS

I’m so encouraged by all of you mamas all the time! So thanks for keeping me motivated every day! Peep that SLAM booty lift and I love that I can cough, jump, laugh and do all the things with little to leaks! I’ve upped my weights and sometimes close to what Ashley Nowe uses (when she references her weight or when I can see the number on them) whoop whoop! I FEEL so much stronger; I love this program so much.

I’m at one year PP with my second and I just climbed Mt Washington! After an easy-ish recovery with my first, my second did a number on my body (prolapse, DR, leaking, etc). But this program has helped my strength so much! We did it fairly quickly too and I got a few impressive comments as we passed some people on the way up! I might not look the way I want at one yr pp (especially as I’m starting to wean), but I feel so strong and able to do anything! Thank you to this program and this awesome community!!

In the last workout tabata Ashley talked about the type of trainer she was and how she wants all of us to be strong and I tell you what I definitely feel strong! When I was newly pp I cried in my PFPTs office and told her that I just didn’t have trust in my body anymore, well now she’s telling me how bulky my pf is (not just booty gains) and how much stronger it is as well as my prolapse being stable and not moving an inch on impact. I feel strong and after 2.5 years ish, I finally have trust back in my body. I even did jumping squats with no symptoms on day 1 of my period which is usually when I have to cruise and go low impact!

Today marks 496 days ago I finally took the plunge and started SLAM. Today I finished SLAM Advanced and feel so freaking accomplished.
I am not as lean as I was when I started and am at least 6lbs heavier, but there is no way I could do badass biz like this before; run sub 27 minute 5K’s, haul around both of my kiddos, bring in all of my groceries in one load, or show my girls how awesome it is to be a strong woman!

My prolapse will always be a part of my life, but I was still cleared from physio because my pelvic floor is so strong now that it’s stable, and I am finally at peace with that and proud of how far I have come.
Put in the work mommas. It’s worth it. It just takes time.

My body dilated and effaced too early with each pregnancy. I made it to 38 week after having been dilated to 7cm for weeks and bedrest and after I delivered my baby my pelvic floor was wrecked. I have bladder prolapse along with a hip labral tear. All of this to say is that I had given up hope of ever getting pregnant again until I found your program. My prolapse is so much better and my pelvic floor is so strong now. Early dilation and effacement aside, I feel like I can get pregnant again because of the tools you’ve given me to strengthen my body so THANK YOU!

MAKING HEALTHY CHANGES FOR BIG NSVS

New mom here! Just had to show off my progress photos since I finish SLAM Bridge tomorrow! Striped shorts are 2 months postpartum, black shorts are today (5 months postpartum). I lost 1-2 inches across my body measurements! I did weigh myself out of curiosity and only lost 2 pounds which is just further proof that the number on the scale doens’t mean sh*t ! I don’t restrict or count calories, but I have made some healthy changes to my diet by following Ashley’s nutrition guide and dropping my diet soda habit.
NSVs include:
Significantly less symptoms from my mild bladder prolapse coupled with almost no leaking anymore.
Much improved mental health through exercise and positive self-talk and balanced prescription
Killin that mom game with less back pain and more muscle!
Started the program with no weights and lots of modifications; ended with 25 lb dumbbells as my heavy weights and no modifications!
Just wanted to thank everyone in this group! So inspired and uplifted during my postpartum journey!