POSTNATAL EXPECTATIONSOne role of the fitness trainer is to assist the client in establishing realistic expectations of her role as a mother with a newborn infant. Your client should be made aware that it could take 6 to 12 months for a full physical recovery. That is surprising to many new mothers who expect their bodies to return to their prepregnancy status in a matter of weeks. In reality, their bodies may never anatomically or physiologically be quite the same; these changes should not be viewed negatively but as part of a natural transition. Postpartum women may find that their shoe size has permanently gone up a full size;bone structure, particularly in the pelvic and hip area, may be slightly altered; and the abdomen may retain a slightly different shape. Exercise can play a vital role in improv-ing a woman’s physical and emotional health and in helping women regain and even improve their prepregnancy shape.