Sharing our June Client of the Month Award, 35-year-old Prunelle lost 15% of her body weight on Livewell’s Perinatal programme, bringing her Body Mass Index closer to a healthy range.
Prunelle’s journey began during her second pregnancy while being at the Royal Derby Hospital for a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) - a 2 to 3-hour screening test for gestational diabetes. There she picked up a Livewell flyer and, upon visiting the website, discovered tailored support for women during and after pregnancy.
Originally from France, Prunelle moved to Derby nine years ago. With a family history of type 2 diabetes, and having been borderline in her first pregnancy, she was concerned about the potential impact on her baby and her own long-term health, knowing that gestational diabetes increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Prunelle shared: “I didn’t manage to lose the weight that I gained from my first pregnancy. I was aware of the extra weight I was carrying and the difficulties it brought during my second pregnancy. I expressed my interest in joining the programme after my son was born - my maternity leave was the perfect opportunity to reset my lifestyle.”
Joining in July 2024, Prunelle fully engaged with the perinatal sessions including Baby Yoga and the Outdoor Exercise at Darley Park. “Emma introduced us to exercises designed to safely strengthen our core, pelvic and back muscles. I wasn’t too sure about the TRX exercise bands at first but got to a point of really looking forward to these weekly exercise sessions. At the weekly coffee mornings, I met other new mums, and it felt comfortable sharing ideas and making baby steps on nutrition, exercise activities or wellbeing.”
As a family, they now shop differently – buying less cheese and wine and more healthier basic ingredients, allowing them to plan and incorporate vegetables and/or salads at almost every meal. Prunelle also eats more mindfully than she used to. Planning and batch cooking has enabled her to take part in exercise activities more effectively including Livewell’s exercise classes and walks, Blaze Trails hikes, Moorways laned swimming, Derby Arena’s gym and pilates classes and the Rolls-Royce Tennis Club.
Despite the challenges of being back to work, Prunelle credits Emma’s support and flexibility saying: “Emma is amazing - supportive, always smiling, engaging with everyone, while also listening and accommodating when we’re running late or need to see to or feed our babies during the sessions.”
Prunelle enjoys walking and cycles to pick up her daughter from nursery. She emphasises the importance of having a positive mindset and setting a good example for her children, noting improvements in her physical and mental wellbeing. “I’m less out of breath, fitter, and happier. Receiving compliments from family and friends on my slimmer self is a wonderful recognition of my achievements. Plus, I can fit back into my smaller clothes. One of my objectives was to also be able to play tennis again, which I’ve achieved. My husband and I are now looking forward to playing more over the summer months whilst introducing the sport to our eldest.”
Prunelle is hopeful that her healthier lifestyle will be reflected in her upcoming blood glucose tests.
