Libby Babet reveals the exact diet and exercise plan which helped her thrive through pregnancy

Fitness star Libby Babet has revealed how she focused more on her own physical and mental health during her second pregnancy

A personal trainer has revealed the morning ritual which helped her thrive through her second pregnancy at 40 – and the one thing she wished she’d known first time around.

Fitness star Libby Babet said focused more on her own physical and mental health during her second pregnancy and saw a physio to help with her recovery so she could get back to working out during the ‘fourth trimester’.

The mum-of-two exercised right up until the 38-week mark with her second baby which she says helped her ‘bounce back quickly’ after the birth.

‘I wanted to make sure I was covering all nutrition bases so I didn’t feel depleted and could focus on a good quick recovery,’ she told FEMAIL.

‘I really love my fitness business and it was important to me I was able to keep my body as strong as possible so I could get back to teaching by the end of the ‘fourth trimester’.’

During her first pregnancy with Isabella, now three, Libby continued to train as usual before having to cut way down in her third trimester.

The 40-year-old is pictured here after the birth of her second child, Harry

Libby focused on her mental and physical health more closely during her second pregnancy

What did Libby’s day on a plate during pregnancy look like?

Wake up: Big glass of water and Beauty Food Collagen Cookie (pre workout)

Breakfast: Two eggs and a cup of mixed, chopped veggies thrown together (quickly scrambled) and a piece of grainy toast with organic butter.

Or a smoothie with greens, avocado, frozen fruit and a protein powder.

Or some plain porridge with lots of fruit on top and a scoop of plain Greek yoghurt.

Supplement: Whole Earth & Sea® Pregnancy Multi

Snack: Piece of fruit (papaya with fresh lime squeezed on top is my pregnancy favourite, it’s really easy on your digestion and has a high water content) Or a sticky chai tea made with almond milk and honey.

Lunch: Salad with mixed leaves, tomato, avocado, sweet potato, a little hard cheese, drizzled in olive oil/balsamic/lime juice.

Or leftover dinner from the night before.

Snack: Chief Beef Bar (one of the key ways I kept my iron up this pregnancy), for an afternoon protein boost, or popcorn if I feel like something more ‘snacky’.

Dinner: We’re not fancy eaters or great cooks in this house, so dinner is usually steamed vegetables with some organic meat or wild caught fish, and some kind of whole grain, usually rice or quinoa.

Supplement with dinner: Whole Earth & Sea® Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil

Dessert: Nothing… or a few nights a week either a Pure Pops ice-cream shared with my daughter, or a few squares of dark chocolate.

Source: Libby Babet

‘As a result it took me a very long time to recover afterwards,’ she said.

During her first pregnancy she also decided ‘not to prioritise vitamins’ because they made her feel sick and she was ‘too busy’.

This combined with a lack of meat in her diet meant she had some deficiencies by the time Isabella was born.

The busy mum-of-two said she prioritised me-time which included exercising until 38-weeks and time with her daughter Isabella, three, each morning

‘This time around I really made sure I put my health first, eating a big variety of whole foods and good quality meat to keep my iron levels up, and I did my research and found a whole food pregnancy multi I was really happy taking daily,’ she explained.

She also made sure she scheduled her day and says her morning routine was a game-changer which allowed her to maximise her time doing things she loves.

‘I’d wake up nice and early in the morning, take a few minutes to just lie in bed and smile at the little life kicking inside of me,’ she said.

Libby said she learned a lot from her first pregnancy and worked hard the second-time round to make sure she was fit enough to bounce back quickly

Then she would prioritise some ‘me time’ heading to the gym before hopping on the couch with her three-year-old to have mother-daughter time.

‘Then I’d have her help me make some breakfast and we’d eat together, and once she was out the door on her way to preschool I’d sit down with a cup of tea and do a bit of business planning to help prioritise my day, before the pregnancy exhaustion set in during the afternoon,’ she said.

Libby has also been very open about her births via C-section in the hopes or removing the stigma from the procedure.

She says her morning ritual which consisted of ‘feeling baby kick’ before starting the day was ‘crucial’

Her daughter was born via an emergency C-section while her now ten-week old son Harrison’s was pre-planned.

‘I feel like there’s so much shame and fear around taking this path, so I just want to put it out there for the women who may be heading this way, by choice or because it’s the only safe option for their baby,’ she said.

‘I personally found the recovery predictable and really great, and the birth itself to be incredibly special regardless of which part of my body the baby came out of.’

She has been able to get back to working out quickly with the help of a women’s health physio – and recommends every mum opt for one

Libby had her first baby at 37 and her second at 40 – she managed to thrive in her second pregnancy after learning from the mistakes she made in her first.

She suggests mums get in touch with a women’s health physio to help prepare them for birth and recovery.

‘They will let you know how to safely progress when you go back to exercise,’ she said.

‘I found this out a little too late with my first pregnancy but have worked with some truly excellent professionals since.’

What’s her morning ritual?

I’d wake up nice and early in the morning, take a few minutes to just lie in bed and smile at the little life kicking inside of me, then I’d have a big glass of water and eat one of our Beauty Food collagen cookies (I was diligent about collagen intake this pregnancy).

I would then pop to the gym and enjoy a little bit of me time instructing or jumping into a class.

Next I’d come home and spend half an hour reading books with my daughter Izzy on the couch, a little bit of ‘us’ time.

Then I’d have her help me make some breakfast and we’d eat together, and once she was out the door on her way to preschool I’d sit down with a cup of tea and do a bit of business planning to help prioritise my day, before the pregnancy exhaustion set in during the afternoon.

These were things I just felt ticked my body, soul, productivity and nutrition boxes and I really loved waking up to this little routine every day.

The mum, who owns ‘The Upbeat’ an on demand app with dance-based fitness classes says it is important to listen to your body and advice from health professionals when choosing workouts in pregnancy.

‘I don’t recommend this for everyone but I know my body well, I workout for a living,’ she said of working out until she was full-term.

‘I’d designed this particular gym concept around supporting women’s bodies, and I really felt good during most of this pregnancy.’

Libby says people need to work with their health professionals and listen to their bodies when working out before pregnancy

The celebrity trainer lead two workouts a week, modifying the workouts for her changing body.

She also walked more and did prenatal workouts.

‘Movement also gives you such an energy boost during pregnancy, even in that first trimester where I felt too sick to teach much, getting up and getting moving with an outdoor walk first thing really helped,’ she said.

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