A champion for healthy motherhood

Shannon Rowbury enjoyed a long career as a top U.S. track athlete. A 3-time Olympian, she spent 10 years ranked in the top 10 in the world. She won an Olympic bronze medal and helped the U.S. team set the world record for the distance medley relay.

Rowbury had her first baby in 2018 while she was still competing. At the time, her health insurance was tied to her performance. So, if she didn’t keep competing, she’d lose her coverage when she needed it most.

After giving birth, she felt pressure to quickly get back on the track. She didn’t want to lose her income and health insurance. So, she started training 2 months after giving birth. She was competing after 6 months.

Unfortunately, this rush to return to training led to a stress fracture in her sacrum, the large triangular bone at the bottom of the spine. Her experience pushed her to speak up and fight for change.

“We needed better policies so our female athletes could have both a family and a career,” Rowbury said.

She worked with USA Track & Field to guarantee that female athletes have health insurance coverage during and after pregnancy. Together they created the first-ever maternity policy for a national governing body in U.S. sports.

“New parents face many unexpected challenges and stressful situations,” said Don Mordecai, MD, Kaiser Permanente’s national mental health leader. “We’re pleased to work with Shannon to help lower stigma and connect more people to the resources they need to support their physical and mental health.”

After Rowbury retired from racing, she started focusing on promoting healthy motherhood for everyone.

She shares her thoughts on how to help women get the information they need to stay healthy during pregnancy and after giving birth.

What’s the best advice you’ve learned about how to be a healthy mom?

Staying active during pregnancy is really important. It can help lower a mother’s risk of diabetes and depression after giving birth. It also helps the baby by improving placental growth and regulating birth weight.

When I got pregnant, I struggled to find good information about how to exercise during pregnancy ─ even though I was an Olympic athlete with access to lots of resources. There’s so much conflicting advice and outdated information out there.

We need to empower women and trust them to make informed choices. By giving moms good information, they can decide what's best for them and for their babies.

What advice do you have for new parents?

While you’re caring for your child, don’t forget to invest in yourself. It can be easy to lose yourself in your new role as a mom. It’s important to balance that by continuing to pursue your own passions and develop yourself.

A big part of this is finding good resources for parents and accepting help when it’s offered, which can take some of the burden off of you.

For example, after my second pregnancy, Kaiser Permanente automatically scheduled a 2-week postpartum visit with a lactation consultant. I was able to talk about my experience and ask questions and get advice about lots of different topics.

I didn’t have access to this help with my first baby, and I was so grateful for this proactive approach to our care.

How do you take care of your mental and physical health?

I’m a big believer in how exercise feeds the mind-body connection. Moving every day helps reduce my anxiety and makes me feel more centered.

After having my first child, I trained too hard, too soon, and got injured. With my second child, I listened to my body and took a more balanced approach to staying active.

I encourage new parents to find activities that make them feel healthy and prevent burnout. Whether it’s taking a walk or taking a nap, making time for the things that replenish your energy is crucial.

How has your career as an athlete influenced the way you think about managing stress?

Building a strong team is so important. My husband and my parents supported me through some really tough times. They help me get back on track or sometimes create an entirely new path when needed.

Being vulnerable can profoundly strengthen relationships. I used to always keep my struggles to myself but sharing them has made me feel connected to the people around me in an entirely new way.

I think we all have a duty to leave the world better than we found it. I'm motivated by the idea of paying it forward, just like the strong women who came before me and created so many of the opportunities that I’ve had.

More resources for healthy parenting

Stay active while pregnant: Learn more about the best pregnancy exercises.

Mental health during and after pregnancy: Pregnancy and postpartum can be full of ups and downs. You may feel sad, worried, or overwhelmed. But know that you’re not alone. We’re here to offer the hope and support you need.