How I’m Planning to Stay Active While Working From Home as a New Mom

How I’m Planning to Stay Active While Working From Home as a New Mama (Pregnancy, Postpartum, and the Reality of Mom-Life WFH)

Working from home already blurs the line between life and work. Add pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and a newborn into the mix, and suddenly the idea of “staying active” takes on a very different meaning.

I’m not talking about workouts.

I’m not talking about weight loss.

I’m definitely not talking about “bouncing back.”

With Baby Barrett arriving in just a few weeks, my goal is simple and very specific:

I want to keep my body supported, mobile, and functional so I can recover well, care for my baby, and work from home without completely falling apart.

That’s it.

Disclaimer: This post isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about designing movement that supports the season I’m entering—late pregnancy, postpartum healing, and eventually, working from home as a mom.

If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, or planning to work from home with a baby (or toddlers) nearby, this is for you.

Let’s Get Clear on the Goal (Because This Changes Everything)

Before we talk about how to stay active, we have to be honest about why.

My goal once Barrett arrives is not:

• Getting my body “back” asap

• Hitting step goals for the sake of it

• Forcing workouts into an already full or tiring day

• Treating movement like another productivity metric

My ACTUAL goals are:

• Supporting postpartum recovery

• Reducing pain and stiffness from feeding, holding, and rocking a baby

• Protecting my back, hips, and core

• Maintaining enough energy to work part-time from home

• Staying mentally grounded during a huge life transition

Movement becomes a tool for support, not self-improvement. That shift matters.

Pregnancy & Early Postpartum: Movement Is About Circulation and Comfort

Late pregnancy and early postpartum are not the time to “optimize” anything.

They are the time to:

• Improve circulation

• Reduce stiffness

• Support healing

• Stay gently connected to your body

In these seasons, I want movement for me to look like:

• Short walks

• Gentle stretching

• Pelvic floor–friendly mobility

• Changing positions often

This is especially important when you work from home, because sitting for long stretches can:

• Increase pelvic pressure

• Tighten hips and lower back

• Slow circulation

• Make recovery feel harder than it needs to be

So the goal is frequent, low-intensity movement, not duration or intensity.

Why Working From Home as a New Mom Changes the Equation

Working from home with a baby isn’t just “working from home with interruptions.”

It’s:

• Long stretches of sitting while feeding

• Hunching forward more than you realize

• Repetitive motions (rocking, bouncing, lifting)

• Irregular sleep and energy dips

This puts extra strain on:

• Your lower back

• Your neck and shoulders

• Your hips

• Your core

So movement isn’t optional—it’s preventative care.

Not to fix your body.

To support it.

My Non-Negotiable Rule: Movement Has to Fit Inside the Day I Actually Have

Postpartum life doesn’t allow for rigid plans.

So I’m not planning “workouts.”I’m planning movement anchors. These are small, repeatable moments that fit into real life.

For example:

• Standing up and stretching after every feeding

• Walking for 5–10 minutes once or twice a day

• Gentle mobility while Barrett naps

• Light stretching before bed

This approach reduces pressure, adapts to unpredictable days, and still adds up over time. Consistency comes from flexibility—not discipline.

How I’m Designing Movement Into My WFH Mom Setup

Environment matters even more once you’re postpartum and tired.

Here’s what I’m intentionally building into my work-from-home setup:

1. Position Changes Throughout the Day

Instead of staying planted...

• Sitting → standing → walking

• Chair → couch → floor

• Desk → nursery → outside

Changing positions protects joints and reduces stiffness.

2. Tools That Support, Not Push

I’m prioritizing:

• A comfortable chair with good support

• A standing desk option

• A walking pad for slow movement

• Resistance bands for gentle strength work

None of this is about intensity. It’s about supporting my body while I work.

Postpartum-Friendly Movement That Actually Makes Sense

Here’s what movement realistically looks like in early mom-life WFH seasons:

Walking (The Most Underrated Tool)

• Improves circulation

• Supports mental health

• Gentle on joints

• Easy to do with a baby

Short walks count. Stroller walks count. Walking around the house counts. I'm really looking forward to the days when I'll be going to a nearby neighborhood (my neighborhood is more like wooded terrain) that has a park, and being able to do stroller walks with Barrett there, and get some fresh air!

Stretching Where You Already Are

Currently, I'm SO BAD at not stretching as I should. As I'm writing this, I'm 34w1d pregnant, and not stretching when I get up in the mornings and jumping straight into chores, or work has proven to NOT be the best choice for my body... So I'm learning as I go. When I don't stretch, I find that my body gets worn down a lot earlier in the day, and I find myself needing to rest more. So needless to say, when Barrett's here, I'll be prioritizing stretching...

• My neck and shoulders while feeding

• My hip flexor stretches after sitting

• And doing gentle spinal movement throughout the day

Functional Strength

• Squatting while picking things up

• Engaging my core intentionally during daily tasks

• Slow, controlled movements

This kind of movement supports recovery and daily life—not aesthetics.

Habit Stacking (Because Motivation Is Not Reliable Postpartum)

In postpartum life, motivation is inconsistent at best. So I’m pairing movement with things that already happen:

• Stretching during contact naps

• Walking during phone calls

• Gentle movement during wind-down time

• Mobility while watching something comforting

Movement becomes a byproduct of life, not another task to manage.

Letting Go of Guilt-Based Fitness Messaging

This part is important. Postpartum bodies don’t need fixing. Pregnant bodies don’t need discipline. Mom bodies don’t need punishment. They need support, recovery, compassion, and time.

If a day is mostly sitting and feeding, that’s not failure—it’s care work.

Movement is always available again tomorrow.

Some Days Will Be Survival Mode—and That’s Still Enough

There will be days where work doesn’t happen, movement barely happens, everything feels heavier than expected... That doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. The goal isn’t consistency at all costs... The goal is returning to yourself gently, over and over again.

Why All of This Matters to Me

Staying active through pregnancy, postpartum, and mom-life WFH isn’t about productivity.

It’s about being able to hold my baby without pain, supporting my healing body, having the energy to show up for my work and family, and creating sustainable rhythms I can grow into—not burn out from.

My body is not separate from my business or my life.

It’s the foundation underneath all of it.

Movement as Support, Not Pressure

As I head into motherhood and a new season of working from home, I’m choosing a different approach to movement. One that’s gentle, intentional, flexible, rooted in care, not control... I don’t need to push harder. I need to support myself better.

And that starts with how I move through my days—imperfectly, patiently, and with a lot of grace.