GETTING YOUR BODY BACK INTO SHAPE
After your baby has arrived, you will want to start exercising to regain your shape and to increase your stamina to give you more energy in your day. You will also need to strengthen your body for your new job of mothering, with all its lifting and carrying. The limits imposed by your pregnancy have been lifted, but your body is still recovering from the changes of pregnancy and the experience of childbirth and is establishing breastfeeding. So you will still need to take care with your exercise.
You may have assumed that your body would return to normal soon after your baby arrived, but in fact it takes time and work. In your rush to get back into jeans, swimwear and leotards, don’t push your exercise to the limit. You may inadvertently put your body at risk of injury. Remember to be kind to yourself – give yourself a chance.
For women whose self-image is associated with their body shape, one of the hardest things to accept after childbirth is that carrying some extra fat may be a normal, if temporary part of being a new mum. Differences in metabolism, food intake and energy expenditure mean that some women lose their pregnancy weight rapidly after childbirth, while others do not return to their previous weight until they finish breastfeeding, even though they are eating sensibly and exercising regularly.
WHEN CAN YOU START EXERCISING?
After the birth of your baby, there is a period of healing and physical adjustment. Your body is establishing breastfeeding and coping with lifestyle changes that are both psychologically and physically demanding. If you have been used to being in charge of your life, the first few weeks with a new baby can be very difficult, especially if it is your first.
During the first six to twelve weeks after your baby’s birth, your body will be recovering from the effects of pregnancy and the birth, so you will also need to begin exercising gradually.
You can begin walking for exercise when you feel comfortable, and gradually increase the amount you do. Swimming should not be resumed until your blood loss (lochia) finishes, usually about four weeks after the birth. If you had a caesarean birth you may need a little longer before you feel ready to start.
It is generally safe to start a gentle exercise program for after childbirth any time between two weeks (presuming your medical consultant agrees) and three to four months after your baby’s birth. Your ideal starting time will depend on your birth experience and your baby’s health and personality.
If you are able to commence your exercise within the first six weeks after giving birth, allow your stretched abdominal muscles to shorten and realign. If you have had a caesarean birth, you should wait until you have seen your medical consultant at six weeks before doing abdominal sit-ups or adding weights to your exercise. Ideally, whatever your situation, seek advice about which exercises you should start with from your women’s health physiotherapist before you leave the hospital.
THE PELVIC FLOOR
Take care of your pelvic floor in these early days of motherhood by bracing your abdominals and your pelvic floor before you lift, bend, pull, push or carry. Any exercise that builds up intra-abdominal pressure, such as resistance work with or without weights, and breath holding while you exert pressure will cause a downward thrust on your pelvic floor. This increases the risk of a prolapse (descent) of the pelvic organs, especially the uterus and bladder). In addition, any exercise that adds impact or bounce, and abdominal curl-ups in the early weeks after childbirth, will stress the pelvic floor.
BREASTFEEDING
Vigorous exercise may have an effect on your breastmilk. Your baby may not feed as well after you have exercised vigorously. As much as possible, plan your baby’s feeds for before your aerobic exercise. This will also be more comfortable for you. Make sure you are well hydrated before, during and after exercise by drinking sufficient water, as this is another factor that affects your milk supply.
TIREDNESS
Allow for postnatal fatigue. When faced with the choice between rest and exercise, rest often seems to be the obvious choice. However, a balance between the two is usually best. Even though getting started may be very difficult, the good news is that mild to moderate exercise may help lessen your tiredness. Exercise does make you feel good, as your body produces a chemical in your body called endorphins when you exercise that gives you the feeling of well being. The relaxation and ‘time-out’ are also important benefits. So, if you’re feeling a bit down or tired, try to make the effort to exercise at a mild to moderate level.
MAKE TIME TO EXERCISE
You may find it difficult to make time to exercise. Babies do take a lot of care, and some babies are more demanding than others. And, as with any new job, you will take time to become proficient at mothering. You are still learning about, and adjusting to, your baby’s personality and understanding his or her cries. Some strategies you can follow are:
- Exercise with your baby, so you have a play time for your baby and an exercise time for yourself simultaneously.
- Use exercise such as pelvic tucks and abdominal bracing to develop muscle tone and balanced posture – you can do the standing pelvic rocking while you are changing your baby, cleaning your teeth or preparing meals.
- Set realistic goals and accept that sometimes other things, such as a sick child may become a higher priority. Never chastise yourself, but congratulate yourself when you achieve your goals.
Choose a very mild exercise program for after childbirth for the first few weeks of your recovery before you return to any organised exercise, and give yourself time. With regular exercise, improvement of your awareness of your posture, and sensible eating, your shape will gradually return.
EXERCISE RECOMMENDATIONS
- Allow time for internal healing.
- Begin your exercise slowly to prevent strain. Let the type and intensity of your chosen exercise reflect your stage of recovery. And remember, you should not expect to be back to your pre-pregnancy shape by any magical date.
- Be realistic when planning your exercise program after the birth. Allow for the physical changes that have occurred in your body – ligament laxity, muscle stretching and weakness, fatigue and breastfeeding – and the time constraints of your new job of mothering.
- Exercise to feel good, rather than to achieve competition-level fitness. Don’t push yourself too hard.