By her own admission, Brooke Buschkuehl was completely unaware just how "brutal" her comeback attempt after pregnancy would be.
The Australian long jumper had not yet given birth to her first child last year when she set her sights on a third Commonwealth Games appearance.
What followed was an experience unlike any other she has ever been through.
"I just had no idea what I was in for and how hard the comeback was going to be," Buschkuehl told AAP.
"It's been hard with the physical changes and just the recovery from what your body goes through.
"It's nothing that I really expected, like, it's brutal. But I feel like I've bounced back pretty quickly, which is nice."
Buschkuehl took inspiration from the likes of fellow Australian athletes Gen Gregson, Jess Stenson, Eloise Wellings and Vanessa Low, who showed her what was possible after giving birth.
Now, the 33-year-old is back on the Commonwealth Games stage, seeking to add to her 2018 and 2022 silver medals little more than one year after giving birth to son Bobby.
Having spent three weeks following the natural delivery barely able to move from the couch, Buschkuehl initially returned to training with low-impact elliptical work.
Within two months she was back in the gym working on basic fundamental movements and added running drills a few weeks later.
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"It was very gradual (but) I tried to get back into it as soon as I could, because I knew that I lost a lot of that conditioning and the longer I left it the harder it would've been to make that return," Buschkuehl said.
"I'm really surprised with how things are going, but I've also put in a lot of hard work and I've got a lot of good people around me - physio, women's health physio, strength and conditioning coach - that have helped and assisted."
A three-time Olympian, Buschkuehl said her pregnancy came at a crucial juncture in her career.
She was burnt out after the 2024 Paris Olympics and wanted time away from the sport.
"After some pretty big and important years I just needed a break," Buschkuehl said.
"I was just putting a lot of pressure on myself, expecting a lot of myself, and when I wasn't quite achieving the standard that I wanted it almost felt like I was failing.
"It was a pretty silly mindset to be in, but I'm sure a lot of athletes go through a similar thing.
"Being pregnant was a nice mental break and I feel like it was probably the best thing I could've done.
"Coming back to the sport I feel really refreshed and I've definitely got that spark back that I didn't have for a while."
It has showed in the pit, with Buschkuehl edging out rising star Delta Amidzovski to win both the Australian and Oceania championships earlier this year.
Glasgow gold - with Bobby and her husband Nathan among the family contingent in the grandstand - would be the icing on the cake.
"Being a mum now and having them there, I just really want to enjoy the experience," Buschkuehl said.
"It's going to be very different.
"I've won two silver medals, so it would be amazing to come home with a gold medal, but Delta's not going to make that too easy for me."
