'Retired' Tennis Star Returns to Court 6 Weeks Post-Partum

Madeline Holler — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:04:00 GMT

Tennis anyone? Oh, not me. I think the sport is as boring to watch and discuss as it is to play. But what I do love is sports talk that centers on motherhood. Obviously. I can't get enough of stories about women who not only continue to compete during and after pregnancy, but especially when the thrive because of it. Sometimes, kids do just the opposite of draining your aspirations. They turn it around an inspire them.

This is what happened to the 31-year-old tennis star Lindsay Davenport. She retired in 2006, pregnant with her son. But the retirement turned into maternity leave when a few weeks before giving birth, she got the strangest pregnancy craving yet: a return to the tennis court. Six weeks post-partum, she was playing in a doubles tournament.

Her boy, Jagger, is 7 months old now, and mom is making the rounds in the big tournaments. Serena Williams, for one, is in awe.

"I mean, I'm speechless because she looks better than me and she's seven months out of having a baby," Serena Williams said here at a pre-tournament news conference. "I'm convinced if I had a baby, seven months later I'd probably still be in the hospital trying to get over the pain."

Oh, Serena, it's not THAT painful. But the comeback is still pretty cool.

Having a kid has forced her to be selective and make difficult choices -- a refrain lots of mothers know. Baby Jagger's presence has changed her in more than one way. He helps to keep her temper in check -- or at least forces her to creatively manage it.

No matter what, win or lose, the presence of Jagger has changed everything for Davenport. She lost to Jankovic in Beijing and afterward told her nanny, who was with Jagger, that she needed a minute alone.

"I hit my racket on the ground, took a deep breath, and I thought, 'OK,' and we were all good again," Davenport said. "It took about hours less than it used to, to get the anger out. I didn't want him to see me do it.

"I was like, 'Would you mind walking outside for one second with him?' She did. [I] broke a racket. They came back in and it was fine."

With a mom on the court, I'm almost tempted to follow tennis. I mean, I won't, but I am tempted.

Strollerderby Playdate: The Virtual Baby Shower Edition

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:02:00 GMT

There's a party goin' on right here, a celebration to last...well, at least until today. What am I talkin' 'bout? The parenting blogosphere has joined together to celebrate the impending births of a trio of mommy blogger babies, some of whom may have made an appearance by the time you read this post.

Three of the awesomest ladies in the blogosphere – Liz of Mom-101, Christina of A Mommy Story, and (first-timer!) Tammie of Soul Gardening are all about to give birth, and a virtual baby shower in their honor has been coordinated by Julie, Kristen, Catherine, and Nancy.

Some of the "attendees" who have been offering the attendees helpful advice and (not-so-helpful) ASSvice are:

There. Now you should have enough links to tide you over until naptime. Congratulations baby mamas! And if you have any advice or ASSvice you'd like to share, please do!

Strollerderby : a mommy story

'Retired' Tennis Star Returns to Court 6 Weeks Post-Partum

Strollerderby Playdate: The Virtual Baby Shower Edition