Calling all Mom's of newborns and/or toddlers!!

mmrose00

Hi all!

I recently had a baby, 2 months ago. I didn't gain much weight during the pregnancy considering I was not allowed to do a drop of exercise. I went from working out EVERYDAY to nothing at all, it was veryyyy difficult, but I made it . Now I am working on getting rid of what I gained, to move towards the goal I set prior to getting pregnant..

I recieved the OK from my Dr to start my workouts again, but here is the problem... I'm EXAUSTED and I'm at home alone with the baby all day/ every day because my boyfriend works 7 days a week.

The question is... How DO YOU DO IT? How do you get your exercise in? You have to understand I was going HARD prior to getting pregnant, and now just to get one or 2 workouts in a week seems like an Act of Congress... I understand that I can't expect to be where I was prior to pregnancy however it is my goal to incorporate at least 4 workouts a week into my schedule now, and get back to where I was In the next month or 2.

What are your secrets? How do you get it all in without feeling totally exausted and feeling the need to have 5 cups of coffee a day :drinker: ...

Any suggestions ?!?

jamie1888

1) Once you start execising again, you will have more energy
2) Use nap times to do workouts in front of the tv or around the house
3) Bust out that stroller and go for long, fast walks or start jogging if you are able.

KimbersNewLife

Hey! I have a two year old. When my tot was small, and sometimes even now, I would take him for walks. When he was tiny I would carry him and then when he got bigger I got a light stroller that I could push over hills and valleys. I LOVE walking with him. And remember if time is a factor break it up maybe 10 mins in the morning 20 in the evening something like that. Also workout videos are great especially with toddlers they my son mimics me and has a blast. Also he counts my sit ups and crunches. I let him be my "coach" It is wonderful because I am getting fit and teaching him a healthy lifestyle. Good luck and let me know if you need more tips. :flowerforyou:

BrickHouse2011

my suggestion is just to start of slow and easy and walk walk walk. I know it is hard my son is 9 months old and i did not start back working out until i came back to work when he was 3 months old. But just start off walking. Or doing squats in stuff like that around the house with him in your arms for the extra resistance. The baby will probabaly like going up and down anyway.lol Godd luck

allison7922

I'm not sure what the weather is like where you are but being outside always makes me feel more energized! I would maybe take a walk with her in the stroller. Or just playing with her on the floor has got to burn something!! Get one of those baby carriers that you can strap to you and just carry her around while you are doing regular household things. That's sure to burn something too. You can do it!

rfcollins33

I'm sorry to say it, but right now you are going to be exhausted because you have a newborn with no help really. But, when the baby starts sleeping through the night and you are better rested it will get better. I do wii fitness games (wii fit, personal trainer) during my son's naptime, but now I try to fit in what I can. If my husband is home, I'll run to gym or run outside. I actually purchased some used equipment as well, treadmill, stepper, and bike. I couldn't afford new, but found used on bookoo fairly easy. Yes, walks are good as well, they aren't as intense, but your baby will enjoy all the sounds, sights, etc... Good bonding!! Good luck and congrats on your baby!

Joaninha777

I have a 3yr old and my husband works 2 jobs! I have been alone since she was born. I found every excuse in the book that I couldn't exercise, I was tired, I had no time and so on. Well 3 years later, here I am and now I realize I COULD OF DONE IT! I just didn't want to and was not ready. So today I am busting my butt at the gym trying to get rid of much more then I had to after I gave birth to her.

I go to the gym EVERYDAY at 4:30am, and sometimes I go at night too for classes if my parents can watch her for me. SO, with that said, try to wake up everyday EARLY and exercise and when she naps then you can nap and you will have ENERGY all day long. Take your vitamins, have your protein shakes, and eat healthy. Weather is getting nice, you can squeeze in some walks, and also comcast/verizon has on-demand, baby yoga you can do with your child. All this I just recently learned and I have to tell you that now my child does sit ups with me, and asks me to go to the gym's daycare

Take it one day at a time, but know that you do have time, all you need to do is GET UP for a week straight and you will become use to it. GOOD LUCK

HelenTheKitchen

That baby is a fantastic hand-weight!!! Try incorporating the baby into your routine. I used to work out my arms by laying on my back lifting my daughter in the air and bringing her back down for a kiss! All gently and easy going obviously, I never stressed my muscles while holding my baby. My Dr. gave me a pamphlet with a whole bunch of other exercises in it, I'm sure you can find them online. I also used to go for jogs with my jogger stroller, and strapped her into a sturdy baby bjorn for extra weight while going for a power walk. It's good for your baby and you to get the fresh air and exercise.

teeley

I think for your sanity don't go hard right now. Your babe is only two months old, you and the babe need to rest when you can. Once your baby is sleeping more during the night then take the opportunity to work out during naps. If you are up all night with your babe, and up all day trying to get in a workout you are going to burn out real fast. And I agree take your baby for long walks when you can.

HelenTheKitchen

That baby is a fantastic hand-weight!!! Try incorporating the baby into your routine. I used to work out my arms by laying on my back lifting my daughter in the air and bringing her back down for a kiss! All gently and easy going obviously, I never stressed my muscles while holding my baby. My Dr. gave me a pamphlet with a whole bunch of other exercises in it, I'm sure you can find them online. I also used to go for jogs with my jogger stroller, and strapped her into a sturdy baby bjorn for extra weight while going for a power walk. It's good for your baby and you to get the fresh air and exercise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfQRD8O_Uo4

mamacremers

Sleep when the baby sleeps, that's what everyone says... Easier said than done. If you can, I go to Jazzercise and they provide childcare (for $1 an hour) during certain times. A lot of gyms in my area also have drop in childcare, for a price, but it is usually cheap. I bet you have that in your area...

OR you could take the baby for a walk, it will be getting warmer soon (at least for me) so you could do that every day. Or just bundle the baby now to keep baby warm.

How do I do it without feeling exhausted? I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep, usually it's 6 or 7. and I can only squeeze 2-3 days of working-out into my schedule. but I'm just used to the lack of sleep now (have two kids...) things WILL get easier when they get older. You could work out at the beginning of the day, then you're fresh. And for me, exercising usually energizes me. Maybe you shouldn't workout as hard? You are a mom now, between home chores and tending to/chasing after the little one, you'll be blowing through calories anyway. Some days, even if I don't work out and stay at my goal calories, I'll lose a half pound in a day! You'll figure it out, it may take a while, but you will. It took me about a year to figure it all out when my second came along. Everything changes, even after the second.

snookemz

are you nursing? Nursing uses 300-500 calories a day so if you are, add those into your allotment. Having too little calories will exhaust you!
have you looked into Stroller Strides? Its a workout group that meets weekly and all the exercises are meant to be done WITH your baby or with baby in the stroller.
Speaking of strollers - jogging strollers not only have better control on and off road in normal situations, they make great running strollers! I highly suggest one over your standard travel system stroller.
Can't afford Stroller Strides? Have a YMCA membership? The Y usually has baby yoga/pilates classes or other mommy and me classes.
No Y? That's ok - there are baby and me workout videos - tons of them! And most libraries will loan out dvds now so you can get one for a week free
Hate it? Find another mom that you trust. Trade off baby duty for work out days. If you work out 1hr at a time there are TONS of moms who wouldn't mind babywatching for 2hrs (to accomidate transit) if you're comfortable with baby breaks now.

Lastly - remember that your baby is only a baby for a very short time and your body is still healing inside (it can take a full year for your uterus to go back to its normal size too!) so don't push yourself too hard. Your body before is NOT the body you will have again, your body now is the body that grew another human - it deserves some credit for the amazing things its done. Your breasts will probably stay larger than they were before because your body gains mammory tissue with each pregnancy to prepare for nursing - this doesn't go away regardless of your feeding style. Go slow and don't expect miracles as your hormone levels are not the same as before either, it will be many months before they are at their normal rate and hormones play a major role in weight.

Yamir78

Oops

bethymay123

I am a SAHM to a one year old and watch my 3 mnth old ad 3 year old nephews. I totally know how you feel. I take every moment possible to do some kind of workout. If the babies are down for a nap I will pop in a workout dvd or pull one up on youtube, netflix,or zune. I also use the exbox kinect to do zumba. When one or both are awake and I need to get in some exercise I try to incorporate them. They make great weghts. You can even get some ab work in while you are sitting ( feeding, rocking etc) just tighten and relax your abs.
Add me for extra support. If you have questions on weight loss or babies just ask.

spcopps

I have twin 3 year olds and totally understand being exhausted. There is NO WAY I could have worked out during their nap time when they slept I had to sleep. I would say work out to a DVD at home when the baby is awake and turn up the music. Babies LOVE music and watching mommy move in crazy ways will be entertainment. Put the baby in the swing, car seat or bouncer (whichever they prefer) and turn them facing you so they can watch!! Honestly I don't know which is worse, trying to work out with a newborn or 2 toddlers running all over the house . Be sure to drink your water and make time to eat your foods so you can build your energy. Also if you have some start taking your prenatal vitamins again and that will help with the energy. If you don't have prenatals left take a multi vitamin. Most importantly remember that even though you worked out like a wild woman before being pregnant your body has gone through major trama. I know it has been 2 months but between pregnancy, delivery and post delivery (both physically and emotionally) your body is stil recovering. As others stated it will get easier when you can sleep through the night but 3 years later I am still tired LOL. When my 7 year old DD was born my DH was away from home day and night for 6 days a week so I feel your exhaustion from being basically a single parent. As for motivation just look at that precious baby and remind yourself you are doing this for the baby as well, not just yourself! Once you get into a routine you will be so much happier if you take time for yourself even if it is just 30 minutes a day to work out!

snookemz

*one very helpful hint coming*
If you decide to get a baby carrier so you can wear your baby while you work out, please don't use a bjorn. They offer VERY little support and they position baby's hips in a very unhelpful position (legs dangling, its much better for baby to have a wider seat that forces baby's legs to sort of frog up and bend at the knee - its ideal for hip development). If you use a carrier, consider a woven wrap. They are more expensive but they will last well into the toddler years. If not a wrap, a ring sling (maya wrap is my favorite) is a lot cheaper and extremely supportive in the long term, a mei tai is also a great choice, the next option is a stretchy wrap (think moby) which is fairly cheap but worthless around 20lbs. Bjorn would be the absolute last on that list of things to consider. A GREAT place to find more information and find used carrier for great prices is thebabywearer

mmrose00

OMG!! You guys ROCK... so many suggestions..Thank you SOOO Much!!

Currently, I do Zumba once or twice a week, and I totally agree the workout gives you energy. I am totally energized after class, any it is soo worth it!

The weather is beginning to break a bit in my area, so I should be able to to take her out soon, I can't wait!

Thanks again for all of your suggestions I truly appreciate it!:flowerforyou:

sarahs440

My sister is in the same boat right now. I am trying to encourage her to try the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. It is only 20 minutes but from what I hear (I havent started it yet), it really kicks your butt. Good luck and congrats on your baby!!

healthyjen342

are you nursing? Nursing uses 300-500 calories a day so if you are, add those into your allotment. Having too little calories will exhaust you!
have you looked into Stroller Strides? Its a workout group that meets weekly and all the exercises are meant to be done WITH your baby or with baby in the stroller.
Speaking of strollers - jogging strollers not only have better control on and off road in normal situations, they make great running strollers! I highly suggest one over your standard travel system stroller.
Can't afford Stroller Strides? Have a YMCA membership? The Y usually has baby yoga/pilates classes or other mommy and me classes.
No Y? That's ok - there are baby and me workout videos - tons of them! And most libraries will loan out dvds now so you can get one for a week free
Hate it? Find another mom that you trust. Trade off baby duty for work out days. If you work out 1hr at a time there are TONS of moms who wouldn't mind babywatching for 2hrs (to accomidate transit) if you're comfortable with baby breaks now.

Lastly - remember that your baby is only a baby for a very short time and your body is still healing inside (it can take a full year for your uterus to go back to its normal size too!) so don't push yourself too hard. Your body before is NOT the body you will have again, your body now is the body that grew another human - it deserves some credit for the amazing things its done. Your breasts will probably stay larger than they were before because your body gains mammory tissue with each pregnancy to prepare for nursing - this doesn't go away regardless of your feeding style. Go slow and don't expect miracles as your hormone levels are not the same as before either, it will be many months before they are at their normal rate and hormones play a major role in weight.

AGREED! I especially like the babysitting trades..if you know of another mom/friend/family member, etc that can keep your baby for even 2 hours while YOU workout..Then you can swap and you can watch the babies while HE/SHE works out!

I also like the Music idea...just turn it on and DANCE DANCE DANCE!!! The baby will love to watch you move and love hearing the music...

nomoremuffintopness

Hi, congrats on your new baby. My daughter is 9 months old. I am only 6lbs from my goal weight; yay! I am just now getting the energy to work out again. Its getting a little easier now that shes older. Since shes been born Ive gone to the gym off and on or worked out at home, but didnt keep at it. I have been trying to hard to watch my calorie intake which is my main focus right now since working out can be hard to do sometimes. I just bought a jogger and started walking/jogging with her. Its nice to have her involved. I was just like you pre-pregnancy, I worked out 6 days a week. I did spin class 3 times a week and strength training 1 or two times a week. I was still working out the first 4 months of pregnancy and then just stopped and ate terribly. I gained about 45 pounds, Im 36 pounds down now. Start off slow. It takes 9 months to put on, about 9 months to get off. Your body is still healing. I am now just working out 3 days a week, nothing like before but better than nothing. I miss spin class

mmrose00

*one very helpful hint coming*
If you decide to get a baby carrier so you can wear your baby while you work out, please don't use a bjorn. They offer VERY little support and they position baby's hips in a very unhelpful position (legs dangling, its much better for baby to have a wider seat that forces baby's legs to sort of frog up and bend at the knee - its ideal for hip development). If you use a carrier, consider a woven wrap. They are more expensive but they will last well into the toddler years. If not a wrap, a ring sling (maya wrap is my favorite) is a lot cheaper and extremely supportive in the long term, a mei tai is also a great choice, the next option is a stretchy wrap (think moby) which is fairly cheap but worthless around 20lbs. Bjorn would be the absolute last on that list of things to consider. A GREAT place to find more information and find used carrier for great prices is thebabywearer

Thank you so Much! I had no idea about the Baby Bjorn and I have 2 of them :-( !

MamaReebs

I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old. The only way I have survived is making sure my children were on a schedule from as early as possible. Once their schedules were established it made it much easier for me to plan my days and get my exercise in. Now I work 5 days a week so I get up at 4:30 and workout before anyone else is up. It is very important to make sure I have my kids in bed on time at night so I can get enough sleep to be able to get out of bed. And on the weekends I nap when my kids nap!

Newmammaluv

I'm a nap time-er. As soon as my daughter goes to sleep I've got the work out dvd in. Yesterday I did pilates She is 2 now though so I've been known to put on Zumba and just dance silly with her! When she was younger I would just dance with her. I mean I REALLY danced until I was out of breath. It started slow but we would just put on some good music and go as long as I could. It certainly helped with getting my energy levels up to do the rest.

"Naturally" thin people normally don;t have to set time aside to work out because they are always moving. Take a page out of their book and just make everything you do more energetic and you will naturally burn more calories.

staciforman

I had my 3rd baby 3 months ago and 3 kids 4 and under so I feel your pain for being tired and trying to work out. I ran my first marathon before getting pregnant this last time so I too went from working out regularly to hardly anything because I get so sick during the first trimester. Honestly, nap times are great for working out but I still need a nap most days to keep up with 3 kids!! We are members at the YMCA which has been my blessing - if I can get all 4 of us in the car and there I get 2 hours of free child care to run/take fun classes or sit and drink a smoothie I don't know what your budget looks like, ours is tight, but this is so worth it for me, otherwise I'm not sure how I would get to work out. Plus the kids LOVE it and it's fun for them too. Hope this helps and congrats on baby. Everyone is right, since I've been working out and losing some weight I don't need as many afternoon naps any more!

rmhand

I agree with exercises with your baby. I know lots of gyms or PT centers offer the classes and you can go as long as your baby isn't crawling all over the room. You use them as weights and they get tummy time etc...

sundance2032

One big thing is to workout in the morning, it will get you going, you will have more energy all day, and you will boost your metabolism to burn more fat allllll day.

Set your little on with you so you can talk to him (or as I do huff) while you are working out.

I know it is hard, I have a 4yo now and I just started the 30 Day shread with Jillian Michaels, it was 10.00 at walmart. It sais it is 20 min but that does not include the warm up and cool down so give yourself 30 min. It is great.. I lost 1.8 lbs in the first week.

And as she sais... "who doesnt have 20 min

Andi_Mo

1) Once you start execising again, you will have more energy
2) Use nap times to do workouts in front of the tv or around the house
3) Bust out that stroller and go for long, fast walks or start jogging if you are able.

This is EXACTLY my answer my friend! You can do it

MaKisMom

I also had my 3rd baby 3 months ago (5.5, 3, and 3 months old), so definitely understand where you're coming from. I love Jillian Michaels workouts because they don't take that much time. I'm doing Ripped in 30 right now. I put it in as soon as my son goes down for his morning nap. It's hard with him, he only naps 40min max at a time. I'm not sure how long your baby naps, but JM's workouts are good even for short nappers. Once it's nicer out I'll be getting out more with my double stroller and the younger 2 kids while my 5yo is in kindergarten. That's how I lost all my baby weight and then some. And baby generally likes to be outside. My husband does shift work, so I kind of have to do my scheduling stuff myself. Go easy on yourself. I'm finding it's taking a bit of time to lose (I was in really good shape pre-pregnancy, too, gained 30lbs, and still have 8lbs to lose), but it's coming off.

mmrose00

Thanks you all SOOO much! The suggestions are great! I will incorporate the 30 day Shred back into my routine. I loved it before!

Thanks again!:flowerforyou:

monica208

I have a two year old and a four month old. I excercise at night when my hubby is home. When my son was little I found a gym that had a babysitting room. That worked out great. Also the weather is getting nicer. I would go for as many walks as possible. Can someone watch the baby for an hr so u can workout? Also nap time is a good time to do a little workout. If you have on demand there are workout programs on there. Good luck to you