As Muslim women, it’s important to get off our bums and stay active. I have given birth to three children since 2003. That’s a lot of up and down weight gain for one body and now I am doing it again.

The last pregnancy was tough because I developed gestational diabetes. I had just begun to lose the weight from the previous pregnancy so I had a lot of extra weight. It was a tough time for me because I had to be on a special diet that consisted of three meals and three snacks. Try doing this in a home where no one else wants to embark on your health kick with you, lol. No Coke, no Pepsi, fries and pizza will shoot your levels through the roof.

I had to monitor my blood sugar about four times a day (needles in the fingertip are not for the squeamish and you can get a nice callous).

At the end, my condition worsened and I had to inject insulin straight into my belly at bedtime, which surprisingly did not hurt but itched like crazy.

This time, InshaALLAH I will do my best to avoid it. With my wonderful midwife, we are taking all the necessary precautions and I am spending time around this:

So, sports is also for fitness and well-being. It’s important that we as busy moms remember to take care of ourselves. Caring for a husband and children can fill one’s day, but if we don’t make the time to care for ourselves, who will?