This post is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

We are truly so honoured and happy to have Dr. Jen Crichton participate in our Learning Series. Mahtab and I have known Dr. Jen Crichton for a long time. Jen and I played soccer together and met when we were 15. When I graduated high school I originally went to Algonquin College to play soccer. Like most recent high school graduates, I had no idea what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I wanted to continue playing soccer. I didn't like my college program, and going to University just felt impossible for me because of SOME of my high school grades. It was Jen who motivated me apply to Carleton University the next year. I retook a few high school credits in the summer and was accepted! I continued to play soccer with Jen (we still play every summer!) and several amazing women who are now lifelong friends.
I don't even know where to begin to introduce Jen. Anyone who knows Jen knows that she is smart, kind, hardworking, and a great friend. She is extremely disciplined and is successful at anything she does. One example that comes to mind is that Jen finished her MBA part-time during her second year of medical school. As if medical school isn't hard enough, the year she finished medical school, she qualified and ran the Boston Marathon. I really could go on about her accomplishments, but I will stop there.
Jen and I were pregnant with our first babies at the same time. I had my baby a few months before and relied on her for many "first time mom" concerns (that were amplified by sleep-deprivation!). It was Jen who recommended that I hire a sleep consultant for Kaia when she had her 4-month sleep regression. This was the first time I hesitated on one of Jen's recommendations. I wasn't ready. I wasn't sure what "sleep-training" involved but I had this weird feeling about it. I felt like I should be able to make my child sleep; she had done it for months before and I was sure this would be just a phase. I ended up taking Jen's recommendation after a rough night of Kaia waking up every 45 minutes needing me to replace her soother, just to have her spit it back out. And to no one's surprise, Jen was right. Sleep training changed our lives.
Without further ado, I am so excited to introduce to you Dr. Crichton!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself, both personally and professionally?
I’m a mom to two boys, ages 1.5 and 3 years, and married to a CrossFit HQ seminar staff trainer. Our family loves to wrestle (boys!), play hockey, and get outside! I especially love skiing and long distance running. My educational background includes a masters degree in biochemistry and an MBA. I graduated from medical school at Queen’s University in 2018. I am also a Crossfit level 2 trainer. I’m currently a family physician in Ottawa.

You are passionate about working out, nutrition, and maintaining overall well-being and health, especially when it comes to pregnant and postpartum women. How did this interest develop?
Modern medicine is amazing but the more I learn, the more I appreciate that our health is largely influenced by lifestyle factors. It’s easy to get carried away with the latest health trends and gimmicks but from cradle to grave, simply focusing on physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and sleep is the foundation to good health and also the first line treatment for many chronic diseases.
Pregnancy is nature’s stress test on the female body. Many might not appreciate it, but becoming pregnant is one of the riskiest things an otherwise healthy woman can undertake. The outcome is obviously worth the risk but I think that we can do better in advocating for the antenatal and postpartum period as an essential window to prioritize women’s health. Pregnancy can help to identify women who are at increased risk of developing chronic diseases later in life. For example, some studies have estimated that women who have gestational diabetes go on to have a 50 to 60 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetime (Vounzoulaki et al., 2020; Cheng et al., 2020). Another example comes from the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (i.e., preeclampsia, eclampsia, and gestational hypertension), which are associated with an increased future risk of cardiovascular disease (e.g., coronary artery disease, stroke).
Thankfully, guidelines have shifted in recent years, and now recognize that physical activity and healthy weight gain throughout pregnancy play an important role in preventing medical complications for both mother and baby, as well as having mental health benefits.
I’m also very passionate about helping women thrive during the postpartum period because it’s such an intense time — your body is in major recovery mode, you’re sleep deprived, and your needs often come last. I think that giving women a sense of community and helping them to feel strong during this emotionally charged period is hugely important for promoting healthy babies and mamas!

Jen doing competing in the open pregnant!
What are some exercises you would recommend for different stages of pregnancy? Is there anything to avoid? How do you suggest easing back into working out after giving birth?
In general, most women are safe to continue to exercise at a similar but reduced intensity to what they were doing pre-pregnancy. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada recommend at least 150-minutes per week at a moderate intensity, including both aerobic and resistance exercises. Potential benefits include but are not limited to:
Helping your body be strong and fit for labour and birth
Improving sleep
Preventing excessive weight gain
Boosting mood and energy levels
Helping with constipation
Reducing backache
Reducing the likelihood of gestational diabetes
There are some medical reasons that a woman may not be able to or may need to modify exercise during pregnancy and this should of course always be discussed with your personal medical professional.
If you were sedentary before becoming pregnant, then it’s still safe to start slow, and build very gradually, using how you feel as your guide. All pregnant women should avoid exercising in excessive heat, keep intensity in the zone where you could still hold a conversation, and never exercise to exhaustion. Activities that minimize your risk of contact with others or of falling are best. Any supine movement, especially later on in pregnancy, that makes you feel lightheaded or short of breath should be avoided.
No matter where you’re starting from, CrossFit is an amazing exercise methodology. Under the watchful eye of a supervised trainer, all exercises can be safely modified to accommodate any fitness level, a belly that continues to grow with time, or wherever you’re at in your postpartum recovery (obviously beginning after the initial healing period). Squatting is a great exercise that mimics the pushing position during labour. Kipping and concentric abdominal exercises should generally be stopped early on in pregnancy to avoid exacerbating the natural separation of the abdominal muscles. For more movement-specific information, the CrossFit Journal has a great article on scaling options for the pregnant woman.
Everyone will have a different experience as their body changes throughout the trimesters, and even a different experience from one pregnancy to the next. Do things that feel good for you. You shouldn’t be looking to push through pain or set new personal records. At the same time, don’t get too discouraged if you have a tough week or even trimester! Things are constantly changing throughout the pregnancy and something that doesn’t feel great one week might be fine later. Take things day by day, and week by week. Get creative with your workouts, and be kind to yourself and adjust expectations when necessary. All movement counts!
My golden rule regarding physical activity during pregnancy is that if you’re questioning whether or not you should be doing something, then you’ve likely already demonstrated to yourself that the risk might be greater than the reward. I try to remind women that pregnancy is a relatively short period in the grand scheme of your life and that temporarily altering some of the things you did pre-pregnancy is a small sacrifice for the amazing gift that you receive at the end of it all! Leave your ego at the door but take pride in your effort!
In the postpartum period, you should listen to your body more than ever. Women are often in a rush to get their “body back.” I try to encourage patience at this time — focus on quality nutrition and sleep when you can snag it. Healing and recovery truly takes time. Don’t worry about the number on the scale, but rather focus on building a habit of small amounts of exercise on a consistent basis. If you have a way to guarantee yourself 10-15 minutes a day, out of earshot from baby’s crying, to focus on your body and getting some movement in, then that will pay huge dividends in the months that follow. The intensity piece has lots of time to come back later, there’s no need to rush that in the fourth trimester. Street Parking is an at-home exercise program and supportive community that has a truly amazing postpartum bundle that starts immediately after birth. Key message: consistency is key!
You’re a mom of two busy toddlers. What shocked you the most about being a first time mom? Did you teach John how to fall asleep independently? What was your experience while doing so, and how did you feel before and after John was able to fall asleep independently and connect sleep cycles?
The immense love and sense of responsibility that is so strongly contrasted with a significant loss of freedom is striking as first time parents. We used a sleep coach when John was 3-months old. I was in the midst of completing my family medicine residency training and thought I knew lots about babies and parenting but you just have no idea until you experience it yourself. John was beginning to wake every 30-minutes some nights and we felt like we were on the brink! Our coach was an invaluable source of education and support. After helping John learn independent sleep skills we honestly felt liberated, like we were now allowed to enjoy this stage rather than feeling like we were constantly in survival mode.
We actually used a sleep coach again for our second, Luke, who was a bit more stubborn when it came to sleep. He had strong feed-to-sleep tendencies and took a bit longer to catch on to independent, self-soothing skills. We were again so grateful to have the support of a knowledgeable sleep coach to support us through that process. My husband and I joke to each other all the time that putting our trust in our sleep coach was the best decision we’ve ever made for our marriage!
Anything else you'd like to add?
Pelvic floor physiotherapists are amazing professionals for all women, especially throughout pregnancy and postpartum. If you are suffering from pelvic pain, low back pain, urinary incontinence, or other pelvic issues, then definitely think about reaching out to one of these specialists!

References
Vounzoulaki et al., 2020. Progression to type 2 diabetes in women with a known history of gestational diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 369:m1361. Epub 2020 May 13.
Cheng et al., 2020. Incidence Rate of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus after Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 170,139 Women. J Diabetes Res. 3076463. Epub 2020 Apr 27.
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