Having a baby throws another curve at curling mothers

PENTICTON, B.C. — Being a new parent is a challenge for anyone. Those challenges only increase for an athlete like a competitive curler.

Heather Nedohin of Edmonton has been there and done that. The mother of two daughters, aged 10 and seven, has missed watching her children in sports tournaments, school plays and music recitals.

"You really have to shut off the guilt," Nedohin said during a break during this week's Continental Cup curling event. "Mothers carry it a lot more than fathers. It's just part of who we are. We have that connection and that bond right from the start.

"It's challenging when your children get older and they understand what you're gone for and the length of time you are gone. I think I'm starting to feel more guilty now as my kids are more exposed to tournaments and concerts and stuff."

If Nedohin is an old hand at the mother gig, Winnipeg skip Jennifer Jones is just learning the ropes. The Continental Cup, the curling equivalent to golf's Ryder Cup, is Jones's first competition since giving birth to daughter Isabella in November.

Jones returned in style, calmly drawing to the four-foot ring with her last shot to score two points and salvage a 6-6 tie with Sweden's Margaretha Sigfridsson in her first game Thursday morning.

"It's a great way to start," said the 38-year-old. "You want to have to make those (shots) to get the adrenaline flowing.

"I've been practising but to be in competition feels awesome. To have a shot for the win is a great way to start the week for me."

Jones, a four-time Canadian women's champion, hadn't played in 10 months due to knee surgery and her pregnancy. She walked off the ice without being stiff or sore.

"I felt like I hadn't missed a game," she said.

"I really tried to curl as long as I could. I was on the ice up until about a week before Isabella was born. I tried to stay in good shape so I was ready to go. It's been a pretty easy transition for me so far. I think it will just keep getting easier as the weeks go by."

Jones's mother has travelled to Penticton to look after Isabella while mom curls. Still, whenever Jones steps on the ice she will have to shut her mind off from thinking about her new daughter.

If she needs any parenting advice she can turn to her long-time second Jill Officer, who gave birth to daughter Camryn in December 2011.

"I relied on my experience, my mental preparation in the past," said Officer. "I spoke to our sports psychologist about those things.

"We, in the past, have had to park things in order to focus on games. There is always distractions around you have to deal with. Having a baby is just another distraction. I just learned when I was on the ice to park it and know that she was being well looked after."

Nedohin said time management is key to any new mother, especially an athlete.

"Initially when they are infants it's extremely challenging," said Nedohin, who has won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts both as a skip and a third for Cathy Borst. "You are managing the timing of your breast feeding, managing your lack of sleep.

"As an athlete you can persevere through it and stay mentally strong. It's a matter of surrounding yourself with an amazing support group so that you basically hand off your child and go out and play. You grab your child when you can back."

Jones said Isabella has already made a big change in her life.

"Obviously it's a little bit different," said Jones. "We now have something else to think about.

"When we're on the ice I will be able to concentrate on that. Then I get to go off the ice and have a little snuggle with my baby, which is an added bonus."