How DSG Snow Ambassador Miranda Hamlin Kept Snowmobiling While Pregnant

The 2016 snow season was quite the adventure! After making some big plans when the 2015 season ended, including planning several trips, making a list of goals and practicing my “big” talk, I found out I was pregnant with our second child and due the end of January—right in the middle of snowmobile season.

While my husband and I were beyond excited to expand our family, I was concerned about my favorite hobby: Could I ride being eight or nine months pregnant? Would I be able to ride after the baby arrived? How was I going to go on any trips? How were having a newborn and snowmobiling going to fit together? I was determined to figure it out and still do what I love.

Our first child was born in April 2015, and I rode with him when I was six and seven months pregnant. He arrived happy and healthy, so I was confident that I would be able to get at least a little bit of riding in with baby number two (cleared with my OB both times of course). I was worried my snow gear wasn't going to fit, so I planned ahead and picked up some DSG snow thermals, base and subpolar layers, and some other layering pieces in larger sizes over the fall months at snow shows and online. YES! I was getting prepared!

Above: My husband Isaac, son Everett and I at the local Southern Nation Snowmobile grass drags and swap meet in Douglas, MN, put on by the Byron Snow Bears Snowmobile Club. Right:  DSG Base Layer Shirt, 20 some weeks pregnant.

The Start of Snowmobiling Season

December arrived, and the snow started to fly and cover the ground. At 34 weeks, I was able to get my other “babies” out: Dragonfly and Skittles. It was rejuvenating and exciting to smell 2-stroke and hear the rumble of their engines. Being pregnant, my gear fit a little different than usual, but overall, really worked well.

The DSG Lily Collection allowed flexibility in the fabric, the ability to utilize the suspenders to keep by bibs up, and I looked amazing (not to brag) in the heathered grey fabric. It was hard to notice I was expecting! It was incredible to be able to get on the sleds and ride. My husband and our not quite two-year-old enjoyed going for a spin as well. We started fostering our love for the sport in our son, who had to wear his “helmie” and boots, even inside the house. The season had officially started!

December 11: myself 34 weeks along and our little guy, Everett- on Dragonfly. Photo Credit: Isaac Hamlin

A couple weeks later, at 36 weeks, my husband, Isaac, my brother in-law and I took our first trip of the season to Michigan between Christmas and New Years, and wow did we have good timing. They just got hit by a big storm with over two feet of lake-effect snow! I packed up my DSG gear bag with everything I needed for a week of riding, including the DSG Lily jacket and bib, and the Avid jacket and bib. Yes, you read that right! I fit two sets of gear into the bag, along with my boots, helmet, all of my clothes, layers, several pairs of gloves, bathroom supplies, makeup and all the necessities I needed. The DSG Roller Bag is truly amazing! We were even able to park our sleds right outside of our lodge door, so I was able to haul my gear with my sled.

DSG Roller Bag in action. Picture: Miranda Hamlin

It was encouraging to have several other ladies come up to me and tell me they loved that I was still riding and still out enjoying life. Their kind words made me feel confident and supported while riding pregnant.

Having the Right Snowmobile Gear

Before I knew it, our trip was over, and we were headed back to Minnesota. The next several days of riding did not disappoint! The snow was deep and absolutely wonderful. We didn’t have to travel far to be in lots of fresh powder. The trails were in excellent condition and off-trail was full of untracked freshies. 

Being pregnant, it took me awhile to adjust to the extra weight I was carrying around and the inability to quickly shift my body to throw the sled around. I continued riding in both the Lily and Avid gear I used in Michigan, and I was astonished at how comfortable I was. I had a lot of fluidity, even though both jackets were a bit snug around the belly at this point. The larger-sized base and sub-polar layers I got earlier in the season paired perfectly. I stayed warm while riding on the trail and did NOT get sweaty playing off the trail—thank goodness for moisture wicking!

Being pregnant, I played it safe, especially at first, but it was too tough to putz along. After testing things out the first day of riding and feeling great, I decided to ride a bit more aggressively—hitting some jumps and tracking through more difficult terrain. (The UP definitely has some great terrain with plenty of rolling hills and obstacles!)

Picture Credit: Isaac Hamlin

Squeezing in Sledding Before the Big Day

On January 27—my due date—the baby still hadn’t arrived. Hoping to get the birthing process moving along, I went for a quick jaunt on my sled. It was unbelievable to be able to squeeze in a fair amount of riding before the baby arrived. I didn’t know what the rest of the season would look like, and it greatly depended on the little boy or girl that would soon be arriving. After having a Cesarean delivery (minimum 6 weeks recovery time) with our first child, I was at risk for a repeat—a potential end to the riding season.

Hello due date! Counting the days until the little one arrives. 40 weeks in this picture. The Lily Collection really hid the baby bump. Pic Credit: Isaac Hamlin

Almost a week later, Miss Adeline Elizabeth entered the world. She was absolutely perfect (as all babies are). Thankfully, she was healthy as can be and the delivery went fine, without complications. Game on for the rest of snowmobiling season!!

Photo Credit: Copper and Coal Photography; Rochester, MN

Just two weeks after delivery, a large group of friends and family got together and took another trip to the UP in Michigan for four days. Having a newborn came with some complications; I wasn’t prepared, or ready, to leave our new little bundle. Many thanks to my mom! She agreed to come with to watch Adeline during the day, so we could go out and ride.

The snow conditions, however, were not very promising. There had been a warm up during the week, and no fresh snow had fallen. But we didn’t let the weather slow us down. We took a day and rode the trails from Twin Lakes all the way to Copper Harbor. The views of Lake Michigan from Eagle Harbor Lookout and the lookouts into the town of Copper Harbor were well worth the trip! We spent the other two days riding the trails down to Greenland, Mass City area and exploring any unscratched snow we could find in the trees.

The first day, I wore the Lily collection with only a thin layer underneath the gear. I stayed perfectly comfortable riding on the trails. It was great to have wind blocking gear, especially for the late evening ride back from Copper Harbor. The next couple days were in the 40s and creeping up to 50, so I switched it up and wore the uninsulated Avid jacket and bib with a light layer underneath. Since it was only two weeks post baby, my clothes fit awkwardly, but it felt good to not have to squeeze the baby bump into any gear. We had a wonderful trip and made memories to last a lifetime. It was over before we knew it, and we were headed back to southern Minnesota.

Enjoying the beautiful views! Photo Credit: Mariah Boland and Isaac Hamlin

Although I had been getting some riding in, I still hadn’t been able to get to my favorite place to ride: the mountains! My husband took a trip to Wyoming for four days after our baby arrived, and I had to stay home. This was the best decision for myself and our little girl, but I was determined to spend at least a week in the mountains somewhere. The beginning of March, plans came together, and we headed to Island Park, ID. I had never ridden in the state, so I was beyond excited to explore a new area. My sister-in-law came with us to watch Adeline. (Our little guy got to spend the week with Grandma and Grandpa). 

After 17 hours of travel, we arrived at our destination. We stayed at the Sawtelle Mountain Resort in a cabin, and it was wonderful. It was very roomy, had a hot tub, two bathrooms and joined with another cabin where the rest of our riding crew stayed. The first day riding was a little rocky for me. We were riding in some tight trees, in fairly steep terrain, and I side-swiped a stump and bent an a-arm on my Axys, Dragonfly. Thankfully, I had my old sled Skittles with me as a spare, so my husband and I headed back down the mountain to the trailer to get the other sled, and we headed right back out riding.

Unfortunately, the day was out to get me. I broke the bolt off in the alternative impact a-arms on Skittles, but we were quickly able to replace the sheared off bolt, and I was again back riding again. That night, we fixed Dragonfly by converting an a-arm from a pro RMK to fit on the AXYS. I was able to ride the rest of the week without any problems (Shout out to the hubby and guys for helping!).

The next day, we reached out to some of the locals, and they were absolutely amazing - helping to point us in the right direction to find untouched snow. It did not disappoint! The rest of the week we had amazing riding with fresh snow each day with powder over the front bumper!

It was incredible to have the opportunity to work on my skills in the mountains, especially since there was a good chance it wasn’t going to happen this year. I worked on downhill turns, climbing and challenging myself to keep pushing and trying again, again and again. I was able to further test the Avid line of gear from DSG for the second season. Every night I came back dry and protected from the elements. The material is so easy to move in and is very comfortable. The material has held up incredibly well over the last two seasons with the typical routine wear and tear. The Triple 9 googles quickly became my favorite back when I first started wearing the brand, and they continue to be a staple in my riding gear. Being comfortable while I’m riding has become a very important aspect of my riding experience. After having a baby, it was that much more important for me to be comfortable and have that extra confidence by having gear that was flattering and functional.

A little insight into being a new mom and snowmobiling: During our trips to Michigan and Idaho, the riding crews had some pretty good laughs around me being a new mom. I was breast-feeding, so I had to bring an electronic pump, battery pack, storage containers, cooler and hands-free collection cups with in a pack on the snowmobile. I had stop to pump every 3-4 hours throughout the day. On the trip to Idaho (I was the only female out riding with the group), I had to make sure I took the time to pump when the opportunity arose.

So when it was around that time and one of the guys was stuck good, I set up shop using the running board on the snowmobile and started pumping. A while later, one of the guys asked, “What is that sound?,” as he mimicked the sound he was hearing. My husband responded that it was just my breast pump. Needless to say, many jokes started revolving around the breast pump. Overall, everyone was supportive and allowed me the time to pump when needed.

Next, I felt so out of shape! After having a baby, the position of many of my bones and organs were not in the same place, my back and core was weak and lacking a lot of the muscle strength I had before. I had to make some adjustments in my riding style and take more breaks than I normally would (shout out to our riding crews for being so supportive!). With a few adjustments, I was able to push through any discomfort, and it was so worth it! Even though I couldn’t wait to get back to baby Adeline at the end of each day riding, I wouldn’t trade this season's experiences and memories, and greatly appreciate taking a little bit of time to rejuvenate.

This season taught me a lot. Many mommies out there are told that they can’t do it all and having kids will change your ability to enjoy hobbies, especially when your kids are young. Being determined to have the best of both worlds, I defied the skeptics. Snowmobiling is not only a passion of mine, but also my husband’s. It’s something we share together and one of the ways we spend time together and connect, so it was important to continue to enjoy this passion. The support from the women in the snowmobiling industry, my fellow DSG Ambassadors/Pro-riders, and the team at DSG has greatly boosted my confidence and pushed me to develop my riding skills, even after having a baby—I received so much support. Despite any challenges you may face in life, always remember, you can do it!

Until Next Season Ladies!

-Miranda Hamlin
DSG Snow Brand Ambassador