Finding Strength After Having a Baby: Taking the Wins, One Step at a Time

I carried my son across that finish line just eight months after giving birth to him, and it was glorious. I had pictured that moment for so long, even before he arrived. When I crossed that line knowing I had placed third female overall, I thought about the joy my son brings me and the amazing gift God has given me. But I also thought about the sleepless nights, the moments I wondered if I’d ever feel like myself again, and the countless tears when I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, and alone. Finishing that race wasn’t just about finishing or placing. It was about reclaiming victory in a season that almost convinced me I would never be able to keep going.

Because the truth is, I truly struggled for the first six months after I had Will. Becoming a mother is the ultimate joy, and I’ve never felt a love this big, but it can also feel like a battlefield when your mind starts telling you that you can’t. Nobody tells you that after the labor pains come the birthing pains of the soul: fatigue, identity shifts, loneliness, body changes, fear, and doubt. I felt far from God and often alone. My body hurt in ways I had never felt before, and my emotions were all over the place. So if you’re rocking a crying baby at 3 a.m. wondering if you’ll ever feel like yourself again, mama, I’ve been there. You’re not missing out on anything. You’re not lost, and you’re not alone.

What carried me through that season wasn’t my own willpower. As a personal trainer for over 18 years and a triathlete, I’m used to pushing through hard things, but postpartum taught me that my strength was never my own. It comes from Him. On the days I had nothing left, I held on to the promise that “those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV). Finding strength after having a baby doesn’t mean gritting your teeth to get your old life back. It means letting Jesus run this race with you, and letting Him carry you when you can’t put one foot in front of the other. Healing is a process of mind, body, and soul, and every mama has her own pace and her own story.

That’s where taking the wins comes in. When we compete in a race, we don’t always win the whole race. Sometimes the victory is just signing up, or making it through the first mile, or pushing a little further than the day before. Those small wins add up, and sometimes they feel just like first place. Motherhood is the same. You won’t always feel like you know what you’re doing, and if you could see my Google history from those early months, you’d know I had no idea what I was doing either. For you, a win might be getting out of bed when you feel completely depleted, taking a shower even if it was for five minutes, trying to pray when your mind feels foggy, or stepping outside to remind yourself what the sun feels like. It might be smiling and laughing with your baby even when you’re crying and all you want to do is sleep. These are not small things. They are wins, and each one is worth celebrating, because it’s a reminder that God is working in you, renewing you, refining you, and strengthening you, day by day.

Looking back, I can see that God was working even in the moments when I felt most hopeless, tired, and unable. Racing has carried me through two very different seasons. I first raced to honor my mom, a marathoner and triathlete who died of breast cancer. Now I race for my son. This October I set a personal record of 2:46:02 at Cal Tri Marina del Rey, finishing 5th female overall and 1st in my age group. But the times were never the point. The point is that the woman who once wondered if she’d ever feel strong again was never running alone, and neither are you. Being a mom is the hardest race I’ve ever entered, but it’s by far the most rewarding.

So let’s take the wins together, one step, one prayer, one win at a time.

Lord, let her know that her strength was never her own. It comes from You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you’d like company for this season, I made a free 7-day devotional just for you. Get your free 7-day devotional here 💛

Rebekah Van Natta is a Christian author, personal trainer of 18+ years, and age-group triathlete in Santa Clarita, California. Her book, Taking the Wins After Pregnancy: Finding Strength in Christ Through the Postpartum Journey, is written for every mama who needs to know she’s stronger than she knows.