When do you plan to start exercising post baby?

KatieFNP1984 · December 2014

I know it's 6 weeks post cesarean but a friend of mine said she started working out 2 weeks post vaginal delivery. STMs I'd like to hear your experience with this. When did you feel like you could resume?

thompnia · December 2014

I plan on doing light activities as soon as I feel up to it. A week and a half after delivery with my first I felt great and did a dance class. Felt great doing crunches. Paid for it the next few days.

I plan on doing mostly walking and gentle stretching to start. Nothing too core heavy.

Mrs_Bennett · December 2014

This really depends on each person individually. After a normal vaginal birth, you may feel completely fine and able to exercise within a week or two, but it's not recommended until after 6 weeks. It's very easy to overdo it after you give birth, which can lead to more bleeding and other problems.

Edit to add: I've never done anything more strenuous than taking a walk before 6 weeks pp, although I felt.completely fine within a week or two.

BackseatDriver · December 2014

My son was soothed by having me walk up and down the stairs while holding him and by gently bouncing and swaying while wearing him. I felt like that was enough

Maebb · December 2014

Never!

Jk. With DS, I was walking around after about a week but more like leisurely pushing him around in the stroller. I didn't do a real workout until after I was cleared by my doctor around 6 weeks, and it was probably closer to 12 weeks because whenever I wasn't nursing, pumping, or taking care of him, I preferred sleep over exercise.

jmcmoe · December 2014

I hope to not have as many stitches as last time because it may have been partially mental, burin felt like I could t move quickly for the first month at least! But now with a toddler I know I won't be able to sit still for as long...I'm sure chasing him will be enough for the first several weeks. But when I'm feeling up to it I will be joining a hot yoga class and also will be on-call for a basketball team that I am normally on.

MusicFanatic · December 2014

I'm dying to get back into some type of exercise routine like.. Now. I feel physically decent .. But not where I should be yet. More than physically, the thought of exercise just sounds tiring right now. I'm walking all over, though, and feel fine doing that. I'll probably wait until I'm cleared (so i guess in 4 or so weeks when I have my appt?) to get back into heavier stuff.

southernyankeegirl · December 2014

I am all for mood-boosting workouts whenever I am physically up for it again, starting with walks and then whatever feels good.

But I swear if people start complaining 2 weeks post partum about how fast they can lose the baby weight, I will officially feel sad and annoyed at the same time. Be kind to yourselves post partum.

Samiantha101 · December 2014

With my DD, I started walking on the treadmill just shy of two weeks PP. I was jogging by 4 weeks PP regularly. I stayed extremely active throughout my pregnancy, unlike this time around. I had a quick recovery. I hope to be exercising within a month after this one, but only time will tell.

stephchris0321 · December 2014

I will probably wait 4 weeks before I start exercising again after baby #2 arrives.

YaMrWhite · December 2014

I'm working out right up until I deliver and assuming things go like they did with my firstborn, I will start working out 2-3 weeks pp.

mmooki · December 2014

I returned to Zumba classes last time 7w pp, but I was definitely not going full steam for a few classes.

FitmomJess · December 2014

Last time I delivered in June so it was nice out so I took daily walks around the block with the baby while I was on my 6 week maternity leave. I wasn't a regular exerciser until my baby was probably 4 months old. Depending on how my delivery goes this time (stitches etc.) I plan on starting back after 2 weeks PP. It's going to be like starting all over again because I haven't been able to work out due to complications.

MusicFanatic · December 2014

FitmomJess said:

I plan on starting back after 2 weeks PP. It's going to be like starting all over again because I haven't been able to work out due to complications.

This is what I'm concerned about and why I'm afraid to push myself earlier than I should. I was REALLY active before pregnancy and in the beginning of it. I was on a lacrosse team, I dance (ballet) and I run. But after 3 months of bedrest, I'm not sure what my muscles and joints are made of right now. I feel better every day, though, so I don't know. It's hard not to move and exercise when it's such a big part of your life, though

AlfiesMOM · December 2014

I did long walks probably starting around 4 weeks but I think I waited way longer than I needed to. I will probably start going to the gym around 3 this time (of course it all depends on how I feel). I personally feel like looking back I didn't take advantage of my maternity leave to work out enough last time, I did walks because it was warm out. This time I would like to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight (or at least close) before I go back to work!

TXUltraRunner · December 2014

I've been working out my entire pregnancy and plan on continuing that up until delivery. Hopefully recovery will be minimal and I'll be back to running slowly not long after giving birth.

newguardwife · December 2014

I plan to start walking within the first two weeks (probably at the mall since January in MN is ridiculously cold) and really working out 4-6 weeks out. I miss working out to much, I just want to get in a good sweat but my BP is elevated and so I can walk short distances and that is about it. I want to be ready to run a half marathon by summer and a full by October so I will need to get back into shape ASAP.

shannjohnston · December 2014

Like many PPers, I was out walking pretty soon after. I waited until the 6 weeks-ish before starting a mommy-and-me fitness class. I was planning on going back to roller derby at that point too, but I found out quickly I had zero core strength - it was a big shock. I took a couple more weeks skating around the neighbourhood and going to that fitness class before going back to derby practice. Even then, it took me another couple months before I was in any shape to scrimmage.

FitmomJess · December 2014

I've lost so much muscle tone it's kind of depressing. I know I'll get it back though but sometimes it's hard to see myself this way.

MusicFanatic said:

FitmomJess said:

I plan on starting back after 2 weeks PP. It's going to be like starting all over again because I haven't been able to work out due to complications.

This is what I'm concerned about and why I'm afraid to push myself earlier than I should. I was REALLY active before pregnancy and in the beginning of it. I was on a lacrosse team, I dance (ballet) and I run. But after 3 months of bedrest, I'm not sure what my muscles and joints are made of right now. I feel better every day, though, so I don't know. It's hard not to move and exercise when it's such a big part of your life, though

ECATX · December 2014

I'm planning to keep things fairly low key for the first 6 weeks. I had fairly moderate amount of bleeding last time, and I hate the thought of doing anything super active while wearing a pad. I walked almost every day starting at about 2-3 weeks after having DD. I went back to yoga (a fairly strenuous class, though) around 7 weeks, and I'll probably do the same thing this time. Overall, I'm going to focus on strengthening and toning. I had hoped to get back to running after having DD (I stopped running when I was pregnant), but I found it really difficult with breastfeeding. My boobs just couldn't take the movement, and it was hard to get a good bra when my size kept changing. I also lost a lot of weight while breastfeeding, and I worried a little about having enough calories for breastfeeding and running (breastfeeding alone had me at my usual running weight). I'll probably keep things pretty low key until this lo turns 1.

TXUltraRunner · December 2014

Beckydewell said:

@ECATX‌ breast feeding is actually my biggest hurdle. I can probably fit in some workouts while on maternity leave, but when I go back to work I know I'll have a hard time justifying a lunch time workout and pumping sessions three times per day. Last time DS was a crappy sleeper until about 10 months in, so I didn't do early morning (and I couldn't decide if I should pump before running, feed the baby then run, or what). I definitely didn't prioritize working out last time though, so hopefully I can get my act in gear this time. For those of you that were able to workout and breast feed I'd love to hear about how you managed pumping/nursing and working out. I'm probably over thinking it.

I'm a FTM but I've talked extensively with a friend of mine who has successfully BF and ran after having a baby. What works for her is to get up early (like 5am) and BF, then put the baby back down to sleep and go run. When she returns from the run she pumps. Her baby is 8 weeks old and this has worked for her for several weeks. She stresses that working out has to be on your schedule like you would have any appointment and your spouse needs to be on board with helping out while you're not home.

efujan · December 2014

Like PP said, don't overdo it. Ease yourself back in with little stuff like walks, carrying LO around with you, doing some stretching, etc until your doctor gives you the all clear to do more than that.

My bigger problem wasn't the lack of exercise - it was feeling all cooped up in our house with DS in the cold winter months last time around!! I feel like we got a fair amount of activity and fresh air by just popping out to do a little mall-walking and shopping at Target & the grocery stores with him last time (once he was about 2.5-3 weeks old I felt OK about going outside with him regularly), and I just made sure to get a few miles of walking/stroller time in each day before heading back home.

TXUltraRunner · December 2014

Oh I'd also like to add to this thread for the runners, some motivation to get back at it after the baby is born: Because of the extra blood and the efficiency of the body to use oxygen during pregnancy, postpartum running is a natural form of blood doping. Most runners see a huge improvements in their times in the first year after having a baby because of the effects pregnancy had on your body. This happens regardless of how active you were through pregnancy too according to several studies I read.

YaMrWhite · December 2014

TXUltraRunner said:

Beckydewell said:

@ECATX‌ breast feeding is actually my biggest hurdle. I can probably fit in some workouts while on maternity leave, but when I go back to work I know I'll have a hard time justifying a lunch time workout and pumping sessions three times per day. Last time DS was a crappy sleeper until about 10 months in, so I didn't do early morning (and I couldn't decide if I should pump before running, feed the baby then run, or what). I definitely didn't prioritize working out last time though, so hopefully I can get my act in gear this time. For those of you that were able to workout and breast feed I'd love to hear about how you managed pumping/nursing and working out. I'm probably over thinking it.

I'm a FTM but I've talked extensively with a friend of mine who has successfully BF and ran after having a baby. What works for her is to get up early (like 5am) and BF, then put the baby back down to sleep and go run. When she returns from the run she pumps. Her baby is 8 weeks old and this has worked for her for several weeks. She stresses that working out has to be on your schedule like you would have any appointment and your spouse needs to be on board with helping out while you're not home.

I started running at 3 weeks pp and I would feed the baby if the baby was up. If not, I would pump and my husband would feed her when she woke up. I would run at 5:30am on the treadmill in our basement though so if for some reason he needed me to feed her, I was able to. It wasn't until I was back at work and had an established pumping routine that we felt this schedule really worked for us. My suggestion is to try out different times to get your workout in. If sleep is more important to you and your baby is not a great sleeper, maybe getting the work out in later in the day is what will work best. Either way, I definitely suggest running right after a feeding or pumping session for sure!

thompnia · December 2014

I would nurse my son and immediately go to the gym or for my run. My husband would call me to come home when he was hungry again.

southernyankeegirl · December 2014

This is a concern of mine as we don't have any gyms in the area that I'd want to join. We have a Crossfit style gym in our garage, so I guess I could get some videos or something and work out while he's napping?

Finding time to go for a run without a stroller would be hard as DH leaves for work so early and needs that time to workout himself every morning (fitness is required for his job). I am hoping he'll take some runs with me evenings and weekends so he can push the jogging stroller.

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