Running Through Motherhood (A Runner's Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy and Postpartum)

A science-backed guide for women who want to continue running safely through pregnancy and postpartum, grounded in research, expert insights, and the real experiences of three professional runners-turned-mothers.

For many women, running isn’t just a hobby, it’s part of who they are—and that shouldn’t have to change during their journey to motherhood. Many runners enter pregnancy with a million questions: Is it safe to keep running? Should I lower my mileage? What about speed work? How do I adapt my nutrition and fueling? Unfortunately, the standard advice at prenatal and postpartum health appointments—“keeping doing what you’ve been doing”—is too vague to be helpful.

Running Through Motherhood is a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind guide that addresses all the unknowns about this critical phase of life. Packed with the latest research and expert advice, this is an essential plan for women who want to continue running safely and confidently through pregnancy and postpartum—without losing a vital part of their identity. From Molly Huddle, Alysia Montaño, and Sara Slattery—three professional runners who were forced to do their own research when they became pregnant—this is the information they wish they had to guide them, including:

• Advice for every phase: Stage-specific advice for runners from conception, to the first, second, and third trimester, and even postpartum.
• Grounded in expertise and science: Draws on interviews with leading experts in sports medicine, pelvic floor therapy, nutrition, and mental health, alongside the latest research on female athlete physiology.
• Powered by real stories: Features real pregnancy and motherhood stories from a diverse mix of elite and everyday runners, alongside candid first-person accounts from the authors.
• Bridges a critical gap: Moves beyond vague medical advice to provide clear, evidence-based guidance tailored specifically to runners.

Countless women have watched their relationship with running wither or even end for the months and years surrounding pregnancy. But women shouldn’t have to choose between motherhood and the sport they love, and this book gives them the tools to sustain both.