This week’s column isn’t going to be easy to write as I’m homing in on my lumps and bumps. It’s time to confront the forces of gravity – yes, the post-pregnancy bulge.

Enough is enough. Banished are the takeaways, gone are the stash of chocolate bars and goodbye to those cake-baking sessions (for a short time at least).

So this week I’ve managed to find the motivation to start going to the gym to see if I can get some level of fitness back and no longer have to pant as I drag myself up the stairs.

We decided to join our local Virgin Active family gym so we all get something out of it.

Michael has been eating for two well before we conceived, Elijah can start swimming lessons and I can lose my belly. It’s not that I’m obsessed with getting my pre-pregnancy body back, it’s just that I don’t fit into any of my clothes, which is quite distressing. Not only that but I’ve gone up 4 bra sizes too and boulder holders are hard to come by.

How do women who have babies get back to a size 8 within weeks? If anyone out there has the answer, please contact me.

Getting to the gym is a military operation. One of us goes at the crack of dawn and rushes back to allow the other person to go, during which time Elijah has had his first feed of the morning.

This works perfectly for our son’s schedule, but even though we’re getting fitter, the bags under our eyes are getting bigger.

Anyway I’ve started down the long and arduous road of getting back into shape and hope this encourages other mothers out there too – it isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

However, you know what they say; if one exercises, one is allowed a little treat, so maybe I will have another slice of cake.

officialangellicabell.com