Strength often reveals itself in unexpected seasons, and for Amy Haas, this chapter has been one her strongest yet. A long-distance runner who’s completed a half marathon in every U.S. state, Amy is used to trusting her body and tuning out the noise. But pregnancy—especially after experiencing an early loss—has asked her to redefine resilience in entirely new ways.

Now 32 weeks pregnant with her first baby girl, Amy has continued running through pregnancy, navigating both the joy of this milestone and the unsolicited opinions that come with sharing it publicly. Below, we chat with Amy as she opens up about pregnancy after loss, protecting her mental health, and what strength looks like when you’re running toward motherhood.

You’re expecting—congratulations! How has your pregnancy been? Do you know if you’re having a boy or girl?

So far, everything has been better than I honestly expected. Going into pregnancy, I was admittedly so afraid of all the changes (especially as a very type A person), but I’ve found that they’ve come a lot more naturally than I thought they were. We found out the gender as quickly as we could (type A again)...we’re having a little girl!

You’ve shared openly about experiencing a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy. How has it felt navigating pregnancy after loss—emotionally, physically, and mentally?

Nothing can prepare you for how difficult it is to navigate pregnancy after loss, especially during that first trimester. I didn’t want to get too excited or get my hopes up because I just couldn’t believe that it could possibly happen for me. I didn’t want to experience the terrible heartbreak again if things didn’t work out. I questioned every single symptom I had and wondered, “Is this real? Or am I just imagining this?” 

One thing my doctor said really helped me through that first stage. She said, "Just remember that common things happen commonly—and commonly women have healthy pregnancies and babies.” This really helped me reframe. Instead of feeling like I was at a disadvantage or the odds were stocked against me, it reminded me that the chances were actually higher that this WOULD work for me and that everything WOULD go right. That really put me in a better headspace to make it through the first trimester until I could actually feel the baby moving and knew she was okay in between check-ups.

Running is a core part of your life and the heart of your online community. Now that you’re navigating pregnancy, you’ve also been transparent about the challenges, including hurtful comments about your miscarriage and this pregnancy. How do you protect your mental health and handle negativity online?

I remind myself that the only people who get to have an opinion about my pregnancy are myself and my trusted doctors. I put a lot of time into choosing who we worked with as we navigated pregnancy and loss, and I trust them wholeheartedly. There are a LOT of misconceptions out there around pregnancy and fitness (and just about pregnancy in general) with so many people falsely believing that pregnant women are extremely fragile.

I also remind myself that I get to be a voice that stands up against these misconceptions and that’s a huge privilege. Changing the mindset around pregnancy will take time, but putting my words and my voice out there will help women see what’s truly possible during pregnancy and will hopefully start to drown out the false narratives.

As a first-time mom, have you felt an identity shift during pregnancy? In what ways have your ideas of strength, beauty, or womanhood evolved?

Absolutely! It’s crazy how much we change during pregnancy. Pregnancy really made me realize how much of my identity and worth was tied to running, fitness, achievements, and typical beauty standards, and it has changed IMMENSELY. I’ve learned to give myself more grace and kindness as my body changes and we prepare for such a huge shift in our life. I feel like I unlocked a totally new level of self-love and self-appreciation that I never knew existed.

How has your training adjusted throughout pregnancy? Anything that surprised you about running while pregnant?

It’s both easier and harder than I expected! I had no idea whether I would be able to keep running in pregnancy, or for how long, so in one way I’m shocked (and so proud) that I’m still ABLE to run and still maintaining as much consistency as I am.

On the other hand, it is NOT easy. Everything seems to take longer while pregnant and running is no exception. It’s tougher mentally and motivation wise to get myself out the door and to actually start the run, but once I get going, I find that it still feels better than I expect it to every single time. I also always feel so much better once I’m done. I’ve made a lot of adjustments to both how much I run and how hard I run and that’s really helped me to stay safe, healthy, and keep things fun. 

Outside of running, what wellness or self-care practices have been especially grounding for you lately?

I have never appreciated a good stretch session as much as I have during pregnancy. I try to take at least 5-10 minutes each day to do some stretches and breathing. I’ve also been asking for help more often and saying no to a lot more (plans, projects, etc). It’s been really helpful mentally to have a little less on my plate.

Do you have a birth plan or preferences for your labor and delivery experience?

Not yet! We’ve chatted with our doctors about some of our preferences and we have a hospital tour scheduled this month. I must admit that I still feel a bit unprepared for the actual labor and delivery experience though.

What does parental leave look like for you and your husband? Anything you’re especially looking forward to in that time?

I personally have 12 weeks paid leave from my full-time 9-5 job as an Influencer Marketing Manager which is great. Outside of that, my husband and I are both business owners, which makes things both easier and harder. We both have flexibility and the ability to manage our own schedules but sometimes things come up that must be dealt with in real time. We’re still figuring out what our schedules will look like with our baby girl but I’m confident that we’ll be able to work together to figure out what works for both of us.

Do you have any hopes, intentions, or visions for your fourth trimester?

I’m just so excited to get to know our little girl—her temperament, personality, schedule, everything. I truly can’t wait to learn everything about her and watch her reach milestone after milestone.

I personally have a background in early childhood education so I’m also super excited to be able to apply some of the skills and knowledge I gained through my education to our own family.

What Solly products are you most excited about as you prepare for your baby’s arrival?

I am SO excited to try out the Houndstooth Wrap and the Nursing Cover because I have a feeling we’re going to be taking our little girl on lots of adventures!

Rapid-fire q’s!

Biggest pregnancy craving: Anything SPICY!
Favorite song to run to: Dancing in the Dark by Rihanna
Morning person or night owl these days: MORNING always
Most unexpected pregnancy symptom: Big boobs 😩
Dream babymoon destination: Anything with a beach view
A baby name you love but won’t be using: Willow
First thing you’ll do postpartum (non-running-related): Eat some sushi
Go-to motivation mantra: She believed she could, so she did.