Vanessa Caron

What was your motivation for starting Every Mother?

Initially, I wanted to stop looking pregnant. I wasn’t mentally prepared for the shape and size of my postpartum belly and I desperately wanted to flatten my core.

What are/were your goals?

I wanted to get in the best shape of my life, return to pre pregnancy weight and close my diastasis. With time and increased knowledge, my passion for restorative core exercise grew into a desire to teach other women safe movement and alternative modifications.

What are your tips for sticking with the program?

If you do nothing else, commit to 2 minutes of focused Core Compressions a day for one month, I guarantee results! Stick a post-it to your coffee machine or computer as a daily reminder and keep in mind that two measly minutes is doing such wonderful healing for your core and pelvic floor. For faster results, increase that to 5 or even 10 minutes and you’ll pleasantly surprise yourself. I took before and after photos and the proof of my progress kept me going.

What has been your favorite Every Mother moment?

That’s hard to put into one simplified answer because I have several favorite moments. Seeing obliques for the first time in my life was a glorious moment. Hearing from my PT that my diastasis was closed had me crying tears of joy. And seeing my belly button lift within my first month was just an incredible and unexpected result.

What advice do you give to other mothers trying to prepare for birth/resolve DR/meet new fitness goals? (please answer based on your current experience)

Be patient and gracious with yourself. This journey is hardly linear but Every Mother will teach you body awareness, equip you with the tools you need to surpass all expectations and it will restore your core integrity. Be an active member and reach out to other women for support and advice. You have the ability to achiever your goals!

What charity have you chosen for donation and why?

I chose the Miriam Centre of Orléans, ON (Canada), a crisis pregnancy center that offers support to women who are pregnant or grieving the loss of a pregnancy. Pregnancy can be a difficult, traumatic and lonely time, but the Miriam Centre endeavours to aid women throughout their pregnancy and postpartum so that women who thought pregnancy impossible might be given the support, compassion and tools they need to become mothers. I find their mission beautiful and truly empowering for women.