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Jess Learmonth
336 Plays1 year ago
In this episode Michelle speaks with Jess Learmonth. Jess is best known for her Olympic gold as part of the mixed triathlon relay team, at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Jess has also enjoyed gold, silver and bronze victories across World Triathlon Series, European Championships, Commonwealth Games and Super League Triathlon.
Now, Jess is taking a break from triathlon as she prepares to welcome her first child, due in September.
Michelle and Jess chat about:
- Finding the balance between starting a family and maintaining her sporting career.
- The reactions Jess has faced from the sporting world to taking a break to have her first child.
- Jess's plans to return to sport, including preparation for the Olympics in Paris 2024.
- How Jess has maintained her health and fitness throughout pregnancy, and her advice to women wanting to do the same.
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Transcript
Introduction to Jess Learmonth
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the UK Run Chat podcast. In this episode, Michelle speaks with Jess Learmonth. Jess is best known for her Olympic gold as part of the mixed triathlon relay team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Jess has also enjoyed gold, silver and bronze victories across World Triathlon Series, European Championships, Commonwealth Games and Super League Triathlon. And now Jess is taking a break from triathlon as she prepares to welcome her first child due in September.
00:00:30
Speaker
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00:00:58
Speaker
This helps to keep you safe and with a massive battery life that provides up to 16 hours of continuous play per charge, you really are sorted for the long run. Enjoy this chat between Michelle and Jess, and we will see you on the next episode.
Pregnancy and Training Adaptation
00:01:15
Speaker
Hi, Jess. Thanks for joining us today. Welcome. How are you today? Oh, very well. Thank you. Thanks for having me on.
00:01:25
Speaker
Yeah, that's great. So you are, at the time of recording, I think you're due to have your first baby in about three weeks time, aren't you? Yes, I'm like 37 weeks now. Yeah. How are you feeling? Very good, actually. Randomly just come back from France. So we were kind of cutting it fine on the holiday. But we've really gone to town on the baby moons. Myself and my partner with
00:01:53
Speaker
I think, tried to cram in four holidays since we found out. I don't know if she's panicking or just wanting to get away, but yeah, so back just in time, so I'm quite happy that, you know, I've still got the baby in the belly and we had a nice time, so yeah, feeling good. Yeah, cram the holidays in while you can.
00:02:19
Speaker
It's like our lives are going to end or something. I know, I know. It's a hard transition, I think, isn't it? I mean, for you, especially going from elite triathlon to pregnancy, how has that been for you? How has training changed for you during your pregnancy?
00:02:39
Speaker
Well, it's been a bit of a whirlwind because since the Olympics, I got injured in the May afterwards and it was quite a severe injury. So I fractured my hip, which meant I was on crutches for like six months. So I'd gone from training 30 hours a week to being able to kind of look after myself for such a long period of time. So that was quite a, it's a bit weird. You always have highs and lows in sport, but yeah, I went from a big high to quite a big low.
00:03:08
Speaker
And then the plan was I started to rehab and get back into training. But I think because of the lack of training, I think I must have put on nearly three stone. I obviously became very fertile and it was a bit of a surprise to me that I fell pregnant. Which actually has been a massive silver lining in such an awful time for me as an athlete. But it was very strange because it was kind of
00:03:38
Speaker
out of the blue and I was literally not far off kind of entering a race and I've not raced for nearly a year and then obviously I found out I was pregnant and realised that I wouldn't be racing for even longer so it was a bit of a whirlwind really but I have to say looking back now you know in the last nine months it's been a pleasure really I can't say I've had any
00:04:07
Speaker
like anything bad really, it's been a breeze so far. So I've really enjoyed it and I've been able to train quite a lot. I think I've only recently just started to reduce my hours. I've been probably training up to nearly 25 plus hours up until I was probably like 34 weeks maybe.
00:04:30
Speaker
So I can't complain, I've been able to just kind of live a life as a triathlete, but with the baby on board. No, that's really nice. And I guess that's really good for you and baby, you know, to keep you as active as you used to, isn't it? Yeah, definitely. And it's certainly something
00:04:50
Speaker
that you have to do if you're used to it, because obviously I wouldn't recommend anyone doing the same amount of exercise. But yeah, my body's so used to that amount of training that it seems to have been fine. And I listen to my body. That's the main thing. So if I ever feel tired or I'm not up to it, then I wouldn't do it. But it's been strange. I've absolutely found it's... I was a bit tired to start with in the first few weeks. But other than that, yeah.
00:05:20
Speaker
It's been fine but I don't know if that's because I don't do any intensity so I don't get my heart rate above like 150. So is that normal or is that something you've had to change during pregnancy? That's something I've changed yeah so that was after the first 12 weeks they recommend
00:05:37
Speaker
that you don't I mean some people obviously do but there is a bit of research just about the blood flow to the fetus so it was something that I didn't mind you know that was something I quite was happy to change and
00:05:53
Speaker
I didn't want to take that risk just because as a triathlete, I spend a lot of time in that zone. So if I did do it, it would end up being quite a lot of time above 150 for me. So I was quite happy to just tick along doing aerobic work. And I've been doing that since probably around January time. So
Journey to Triathlon
00:06:14
Speaker
But yeah, like I said, I've not found that difficult. I've just been happy to be able to do anything really, because it's so unknown, isn't it? Everyone's so different, and everyone's spoken to a lot of different female athletes. And basically, anyone's gone through pregnancy, everyone has their own kind of different journey. So I think anything I could do, I've just found as a massive bonus. Yeah. So what else have you had to change? You mentioned that you're feeling a bit more tired. Are you needing more recovery days?
00:06:42
Speaker
No, that was initially in the first few weeks, and other than that, I've not really had to take too many recovery days. There's been the odd day, you know, where I've felt tired, but I really would say that's probably the odd day in the whole nine months that I've been pregnant. The only other adaptions I've made is that I had made the decision after, I think, about 20 odd weeks, 26 weeks.
00:07:08
Speaker
that I didn't want to ride on the roads anymore. So I kind of went to the mountain biking, so just on the trails. And then even now, I've kind of just gone to turbo. So in terms of riding, that's changed quite a bit. But otherwise, running and swimming have stayed pretty much the same.
00:07:28
Speaker
running surprisingly still very comfortable. Is it? Yeah, it's all like my friend George, she keeps saying to me like, are you sure? How can your belly, does it not feel like it's bouncing all over? It's really strange. It's like I don't even have a full baby in my belly. It feels quite firm. So yeah, I've still enjoyed doing a bit of running, but obviously I'm a lot slower than I was.
00:07:55
Speaker
But yeah, like I said, I'm just happy to get out and do it really. Yeah, but you just have to adapt, don't you? And it sounds like you're still enjoying your training, which is the main thing. Yeah, definitely. And I don't know if that has helped with any of the symptoms that some women get, but I think being active has definitely helped me. And mentally more than anything, it's just quite nice to still feel like you
00:08:22
Speaker
normal and I don't know, the blood flow and maybe the flexibilities just kept my hips, you know, nice and flexible. I'm not sure, but I don't know if there is something in it, but for me, it seems to have worked pretty well. Yeah, no, I'm sure there is, like you say. Yeah, it's just, it's good to stay healthy, isn't it, and active? Yeah, definitely, yeah.
00:08:44
Speaker
So before we get into what's going to happen next, why don't you just talk us through a bit about your journey getting into triathlon to start with? How did that happen? Why triathlon? Yeah, sure. Well, to be honest, mine's a slightly different journey to most of my
00:09:04
Speaker
I don't even know if I call them colleagues, but friends really. I only got into triathlon at like the age of 23. Like anyone else, I was
00:09:17
Speaker
me and my partner had gone traveling. We came back and I was a bit unfit. I did my ACL randomly and a lot of the rehab was to go out on the bike and ride to help my knee. And my dad used to do triathlons in like the eighties. And there were some local triathlons in Ticaster and Wetherby just named me and I thought, well, I might as well train for that.
00:09:42
Speaker
getting a bit chunky and I thought right I'll aim for that and it's really bizarre but you can just snowball from there so it's like doing quite well at you know just the local triathlons decided to do a bit more training and picked up some of the British Superseries races
00:10:02
Speaker
And then eventually I kind of got on British triathlon funding through like a pilot scheme. So it's like a domestic. So you can, if you, cause I was a good swimmer originally from when I was young, even when I was 16, you kind of swim and bike to help other people in the race. So I kind of got on the funding through that, which is like the minimum requirement and pay and what have you.
00:10:30
Speaker
but I kind of got my foot in the door then and I kind of just had to learn quick and got chucked in at the deep end and I think I'd only done a few triathlons and I was on the World Series in Gold Coast in Australia, just stranded like bluffing my way through it. So it was really strange, it went from like just thinking I'll do a local triathlon to the next minute I were in the Gold Coast traveling around and been with all the British athletes and
00:11:00
Speaker
I went on some holding camps for the Rio Olympic Games and learned loads from like Non and Vicky, the girls that were selected at the time. And from them, yeah, basically just learned a lot and then managed to get on my own right and here I am today. So it's been a very strange whirlwind, but a very enjoyable one and one that
00:11:27
Speaker
I think because I've come in from a different angle and I kind of worked and I had a normal life before triathlon, I kind of enjoy it all the time. So I never get really nervous about races and it's all just kind of big fun and games to me. And I kind of pinch myself moment all the time. So yeah, it's just been very strange and it's sort of flown by really.
00:11:54
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, being there, just like suddenly being asked to represent your country must be an incredible feeling. It's the one particular moment that
Olympic Gold Experience
00:12:04
Speaker
stands out for you. I mean, you've had so many of them, haven't you? You've meddled quite a lot at various events. Is the one that's most meaningful so far? I mean, yeah, probably. Going to the Olympic Games,
00:12:19
Speaker
was something that I would when I was young and never dreamt of and I never thought I'd be there and it was really difficult for me when I was prior to the Olympics we were having interviews and everybody were getting out pictures that they'd wrote down when they were five-year-olds that they were going to the Olympics and they dreamt of it for so long and I felt like a fraud in a way because they were like well I don't have that experience I kind of never thought I'd be here and
00:12:44
Speaker
even like two years prior to it if you'd have asked me if I would I'd be selected for the Olympics and I just said probably not. So I think my highlight was probably the Olympic gold in Tokyo with the team and it was kind of still a pinch me moment. I just remember taking it all in and I just remember before my individual as well even though there was no crowd it was a bit random but I just knew that I should take it all in if you know what I mean and I never
00:13:14
Speaker
I never kind of underestimate it or, um, can't think of the word, but take it for granted in a way. Cause I think some athletes kind of go and don't have the best race or, and they want more all the time. And I just really milked it. And I just think, well,
00:13:37
Speaker
Yeah, because I remember crossing, because I didn't have a good individual myself. I'd brought my back in the December before, before the Olympics, it was not ideal. But no, I think, I don't remember, I think it came 8th or 9th, which was my worst result by far for a few years. And I remember crossing the finish line, and everybody were disappointed other than like, obviously, the first three people that permed.
00:14:04
Speaker
I just couldn't believe it, you know, like I'm walking around the athletes village and I thought, God, everyone's so miserable, but like, we're here at the Olympic Games, like we've done it and I know, you know, it's not the, not everybody can win, but it's still an achievement and I'll never forget that, that there were just so many people just crying everywhere and I just couldn't believe it. I was just like beaming like a Cheshire cat, even though I don't have my worst race.
00:14:29
Speaker
But I don't believe that's just because you know I've not thought about it since I was a five-year-old maybe but yeah it was a really bizarre but memorable experience.
Post-Pregnancy Competition Plans
00:14:43
Speaker
Watching that mixed relay triathlon was so exciting from our point of view so I can't imagine how you must have been feeling at the time.
00:14:52
Speaker
Oh, I loved it if I could race. Yeah, because I loved it mainly because I was first. You got it out of the way, all the pressure had gone, haven't it? Yeah. I mean, it wasn't ideal when you're, you know, before the race and you're waiting to go and you think, oh, Jesus, if I mess this up, because I've done it before. Literally the year before I'd done a triathlon, I got smashed in the swim and I came out last and our team ended up just rolling round on their own.
00:15:18
Speaker
If you mess it up, you mess it up big. So one side handed it over, I would just absolutely love in life, just enjoying it because I had so much confidence in the other three as well, because they had all had really good individuals and I just knew that they'd do well. So yeah, it was it was so exciting for me as well, to just watch it and again, to take it all in.
00:15:40
Speaker
Yeah, so you're aiming for Paris next. Yeah, that's the plan. So far so good. That's why I've enjoyed training and been able to train as much as I can up to this point. So I'll obviously have a break and
00:15:55
Speaker
and figure out, well, I'll find out how my birth goes and that's the thing, it's so unpredictable and you've no idea. But yeah, so hopefully the plan is to come back as soon as possible and get back on the series and try, get up there and go to Paris because by the looks of the event, it's going to be magnificent. That's for sure. Yeah, because they've just had the test event, haven't they? Yeah, yeah.
00:16:21
Speaker
And talk us through how you qualify for the 2024 Olympics then. Well, so the first qualification has kind of been for automatic qualification. It's really difficult to qualify for the British girls because they're so strong. They have to make it really hard. So you have to podium in the test event, which has just been. So only Beth did that. And then you have to podium in the world's
00:16:51
Speaker
which is in a few weeks time. So only Beth can probably pre-qualify. And then if they don't, then it's discretionary. So British triathlon usually likes to pick two athletes so that they can prepare and focus mainly on the Olympics. And then it would go to maybe an early race in May time, I think, of next year.
00:17:20
Speaker
So that's my opportunity, obviously. There's no way I'm racing them in it. No, no. And then you've got injuries and stuff that can happen. So there's a few things that have to kind of align really, but you've got to be in it to win it.
00:17:37
Speaker
Yeah you have. I mean there's not much time is there but it sounds like you've kept yourself fit so far so hopefully you're in a good place to restart training again. I mean how do you envisage that going? I mean there's no way obviously of knowing how how the birth's going to go and how you've got some plans in mind. Yeah because I think
00:17:57
Speaker
Luckily, I think I'll be at a swimming and ride fairly soon, obviously again, depending, but that's usually what can happen. And then running just takes a bit longer, so I'll probably be about six to 12 weeks before I can run, mainly due to the fact of your pelvic floor. Sometimes I think you can, it seems fine, you can start running, but then you'll have problems in two or three years time. So it's one area where I've been advised that you kind of have to
00:18:26
Speaker
go very steady with so don't rush it. So that's one area that I'll have to kind of accept that I won't be going back to, you know, fairly quick and one that I need to get in my mind that I can't rush. So I know that for a fact that I'll be probably, yeah, six to 12 weeks before I'm running. But as long as I can get a bit of, you know, aerobics work and kind of training from the swim and the bike, then once I get back up to running, I should be
00:18:57
Speaker
should be on my way. So I seem to feel like it's going to be absolutely a dream, but I'm very positive about it all. I just got to add a newborn baby to that mix and then we'll see how it goes. But yeah, I've got a lot of support around with family and friends. I'm hoping it'll be easy enough, but I'm sure I'll find it quite difficult.
Motherhood and Triathlon Balance
00:19:26
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know though, I think as an elite athlete, Jess, I think, you know, you're used to those physical and mental demands, aren't you? I mean, surely that's going to help you with motherhood as well. I'm hoping so. That's what everyone keeps saying about birth. They're like, well, you're used to pain. I think, well, it's not quite the same. We'll see. I don't, yeah. It's so, it's really strange. It's like,
00:19:55
Speaker
even the way in now, not so much now, because I think I might be a few weeks yet. But yeah, he's so strange. And he just waiting for something to happen that you and you don't really know about you can you can look into things. But like I said, everyone has such different journeys and births. And it's like crash, you can't plan anything. You just look and
00:20:15
Speaker
go with the floor. So the only problem with athletes is they're very structured, you know, like you're used to having a routine and I think a newborn is kind of the opposite of that. So that's the thing that I think my partner's a bit like, you're going to have to be flexible. So that's the only
00:20:37
Speaker
thing that I've got to kind of have in mind that, you know, if I'm going for a run at three, I might not go for a run at three. Stuff like that sounds really pathetic, but it'll be an adjustment, I think. But I'm looking forward to the challenge. That's what I'm seeing as a, you know, it's a different journey kind of to the comparison. Yeah, I think you're right, aren't you? Because normally, I guess you worked a very structured plan. Yeah. Now you're experiencing that.
00:21:04
Speaker
out of control feeling, I guess, that you don't quite know when it's all going to happen, do you? Yeah, exactly. And you just got to just relax and go over the floor. And I think that'll be me. Pre-race, you know, like, normally, I'd be able to control a lot of things and
00:21:19
Speaker
know where I'm going to be, what I'm going to do with this, do that. And I'll never have that again, because I'll have, you know, I'm looking after someone else and I've got another priority. So it's just a different way of looking at it. And I'm confident I can still perform under that, like, different scenario. So it's just seeing how I get on with that. Yeah, I mean, so what do you think motherhood will bring to you as a triathlete in the future? I mean, what what other skills do you think
00:21:49
Speaker
how will it help? I think that is probably one of the main things that although I do find that I'm quite a relaxed athlete anyway you know I don't really kind of get worried about racing or anything but I am very structured and I think you don't need to base sometimes and I think it'll help me but also I'm hoping that some of the younger athletes that I see coming up that are so
00:22:15
Speaker
stressed and structured and you know like they think that if they don't do a certain thing that they race well and I think it'll be good to get it out there that you can still perform under different scenarios. I mean I've seen it with Katie Spare as one of the girls that she's recently had a baby and well not recently she's back already on the World Series but she said the same thing you know like
00:22:39
Speaker
It's a total different build up and she kind of has to just adapt and it'll change you as an athlete surely.
00:22:50
Speaker
is I don't know in a way you shouldn't be stressed because it's triathlon and you've got something else more important in your life and you go back to your kid that you love and you know it's just a different mindset and not one way works you know so it's I think maybe that I'll learn and I'm not sure maybe just been
00:23:15
Speaker
looking after something it'll probably educate me a bit because I'm a bit slapdash you know and I'm quite clumsy so maybe it'll change me in that respect. I'll slow down and think about things more because I think my partner John's slightly concerned that you know I'm very heavy-handed and slapdash so we'll see. I might become a different person.
Community Support and Reactions
00:23:46
Speaker
What's been the reaction to the sporting world, to you having a break from triathlon for pregnancy? Do you know, a lot better than I actually imagined. I was very nervous about announcing it because, Martyn, to coaches and my federation and things, because I'd been rehabbing for a long time and we just got to the point where I was about to race and I'm like,
00:24:11
Speaker
Yes, so I'm pregnant. I was really nervous, but I honestly can't tell you how positive it's been, literally more so than I could have imagined. Really supportive. They've helped me through finding female health physios to kind of check yourself out and get some guidance from any research that we've had.
00:24:36
Speaker
So, and no pressure, you know, they've not said, you've got to be back at this point. They've basically said, right, you do as you can and we'll review once you've had the baby sort of thing, because obviously it's so unpredictable. So they've never really pressurised me or anything. Again, sponsors have been great. They've stood by me. So I couldn't have asked for more really. And I am so happy that
00:25:04
Speaker
I've had that opportunity and I'm in the era where you can have a child and come back and people don't see it as the end of your career because I do think that before I find I've had a baby, you'd be seen as, well, she's not going to come back or do anything that's her career over. So I just feel really lucky and I just hope that other spots kind of follow suit and that people can have the same experience as I have.
00:25:32
Speaker
because I don't see, in my eyes, there's absolutely no reason why childbirth or having a kid can, should change a career and females shouldn't have to end their career to have a kid. So yeah, it's very positive, I'd say. Yeah, well, that's great. You sound like you've got a really good team behind you, Jess. And yeah, because a lot of, like you're saying, a lot of other sports athletes do retire, don't they, to have, to start a family.
00:25:58
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. And I think a lot of the masks, as I was, like I was, I genuinely was a bit concerned about announcing it and saying, you know, this is I'm having a child. And it's I do think that it's on the minds of a lot of athletes. They feel like they won't be able to do it. And to be honest, the reason it's happened for me is mainly because I got injured and I spent that time not training and putting on wear and my body changed a lot.
00:26:28
Speaker
Because in the endurance sport, she's training 30 hours a week. It's not healthy really for your body. So I would have struggled to get pregnant at the same time as doing that. So I've been very lucky because I thought I'd have to retire and have kids. So I just feel really lucky to be able to do both really.
00:26:54
Speaker
That's fantastic.
Embracing Motherhood
00:26:56
Speaker
So what are you most looking forward to outside of triathlon about becoming a parent then? What's most exciting? Getting to know a little character, I think. I just keep saying to John, it's going to be so weird that you create a human that's got bits of birth of you. And I don't know, just a different, it's just a totally different journey. Like we've kind of going ups and downs me and John about
00:27:22
Speaker
you know, how our lives will change and how we'll react to it. And it's just all the unknowns, but I'm just really looking forward to having a kind of a mini me and feeling that love that everyone talks about. You know, it's just such an exciting time and a new part of our lives together. And we've been together since I was like 15. So we've been through loads of different things together and it's like just another
00:27:52
Speaker
chapter so yeah i'm really looking forward to it oh that's so lovely yeah i can i can just hear the excitement in your voice yeah i love my face listening to you but the only thing that i keep thinking is i look at the bump and i think this has got to come out i just i just think it's a bit inhumane sometimes but i just also think so many people have done it and it must it must be uh doable yes you'll be fine don't worry don't worry about that bit no that's true i'll try not to think that
00:28:22
Speaker
What will happen will happen. We'll get it out.
Exercise Advice During Pregnancy
00:28:28
Speaker
So what advice would you have for women who want to stay active throughout the pregnancy then? What's helped you? I think one main thing that's helped me is listening to my body. I know that sounds a bit of a rubbish advice, but I've had a lot of females speak to me and they've said that they'd run a lot before being pregnant and then they'd gone for a run and they'd felt a bit of
00:28:51
Speaker
ligament pain or something or other and they just stop completely. I just think that each day is different and you've got to know your body so you don't just
00:29:03
Speaker
panic. You know, like a lot of people I think are scared of exercising in pregnancy when it's actually really good to stay active. Obviously, if you are concerned with something, then you know, seek advice. But there's so many ups and downs and your body goes through different stages. And I've been the same that, but I've continued throughout and you know, and I felt comfortable doing that. And I think if you are an active person,
00:29:32
Speaker
then it's not a bad thing to kind of keep the active. Obviously, don't do 30 hours a week training like me because your body won't be used to it. But whatever your body's used to, I think you should try, stay active and be confident in your body because it's not, I think a lot of people like the older generation, I've had a lot of them saying to me, you know, that I shouldn't be doing the same exercise that I've done. But I know
00:30:00
Speaker
you know deep down that I'm not doing any damage to my baby and you've just got to keep that in mind and just trust yourself and trust your feeling of your body and I think the more active you are the better the pregnancy will be just in my opinion. So yeah just listen to your body and try be confident that you're not gonna harm your baby.
00:30:26
Speaker
But I'm not like this. You know your body best, like you say, don't you? Yeah, and I don't know if that's because I'm an athlete, that I'm kind of more in tune with my ligaments and tendons. And you know, like, I can tell when it's a muscular thing rather than something concerning. I'm not sure, but that has definitely helped me kind of progress through. Because like I said, early on, I probably had the worst time running than I did later on.
00:30:55
Speaker
like I'm fine now, but early on, I'd be weeing all the time and a bit of ligament pulling on my hips when I hardly even had the bumps. And then that got loads better and it's just your body adapting to different things. Yeah, it's a big change for your body to go through, isn't it? Especially at the start when it starts having, you know,
00:31:15
Speaker
learn to support a growing baby, so. Yeah, and it'd be same with anything like, you know, your gait changes a bit, but it doesn't mean that you just have to stop everything. You just have to reduce it, just stop, walk, or, you know, do certain things. There's ways around it, but yeah, just try to be as active as you can, really. That's my advice, anyway. Yeah, I know that's great advice, and I'm sure our chat today has helped a lot of our female athletes listening.
00:31:45
Speaker
Oh, I hope so. And then, yeah, and if anybody did want any advice, like things like I've worn a running belt strap and stuff that's helped me a bit. There's things like that. I've tried to put on Instagram and stuff to try and
00:31:59
Speaker
give people options. But yeah, I'm always like a bump support. Yeah, yeah, which is, I don't know, it doesn't really, you know, it just it just kind of keeps everything in a bit. And I just feel comfortable wearing it. I don't know how much it actually helps. But for me, I just found and it felt quite nice. So yeah, I've been I use that when I run. So yeah,
00:32:26
Speaker
So where can people find you, Jess, if they want to follow your pregnancy and beyond? Yeah, mainly Instagram, actually. Yeah. So I think it should be just Jess underscore lay a month. But I try and keep updates on there and just of how I've got on. And if I found anything that helps, certainly Vaseline and chub rub and stuff like
Connect with Jess on Instagram
00:32:48
Speaker
that. There's all sorts of things. But yeah, and also if anybody wants to message me privately, I'd be happy to
00:32:55
Speaker
you know, give my advice, our experience to help anybody else. Oh, that's fantastic. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to chat to us today, Jess. Oh, no problem. Thanks a lot for having me. I appreciate it. Yeah. And we wish you all the best with the birth and beyond. We'll be looking out for you, Paris. Hopefully. Hopefully. Yeah. Thank you. And yeah, pray for me. No, but yeah, thanks a lot.