working out after C section

Spinchi1
Spinchi1 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 20 in Fitness and Exercise
How can I workout without harming myself but working on building upper body strength and strengthening my core. It's been 8 weeks but sometimes after working out I get a lot of pain anyone else have this problem.

Replies

  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I wouldn't push it until you are fully healed. Your doctor will give you the go ahead. Take walks with your baby, get your mothering routines established and hold off on strenuous exercise until everything is back to normal.
  • Spinchi1
    Spinchi1 Posts: 5 Member
    Someone told me all the baby weight I lost will return if I don't work out
  • jos05
    jos05 Posts: 263 Member
    I have had two c-sections... when your doctor clears you to start working out...start slowly. Minimal weight and remember you just had major surgery! As long as you're watching your calorie intake and if you're breast feeding...make sure you're getting enough calories and vitamins...then you will not put back on the weight. Take things slowly. Check with your doctor and make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard. Trust me...it takes 9 months to put on the baby weight...reasonably it will take time to get it back off!!

    Congrats on your baby!! :)
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    Weight gain comes from eating too much. Plan your food carefully and watch your milk production if you are nursing. Exercise is for strength and fitness, not for weight loss.
  • tooheyz
    tooheyz Posts: 26 Member
    Focus on eating healthy and getting fit, not on weight loss. I was back exercising 6 weeks after my c-section, but i took it very slow. Light cardio and very easy weights as I was breastfeeding also. I was watching my foods.
    It wasn't until about 6 months after I was able to train harder and lift heavier. Baby weight didn't disappear until I had stopped nursing. Which was well after a year!

    Good luck and congrats on the baby!
  • maasha81
    maasha81 Posts: 733 Member
    If you're getting pain then stop. My doctor told me always listen to your body. After my c section I started off with light walking and minimal weights thereafter until my body healed.
  • ElsaVonMarmalade
    ElsaVonMarmalade Posts: 154 Member
    Baby weight is a lot less painful, less expensive, and less time consuming than the results of overexerting yourself too early after major surgery.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Spinchi1 wrote: »
    Someone told me all the baby weight I lost will return if I don't work out

    How much your eating has more of an impact on weight loss than exercise does.

    After a c-section you should be taking it easy. After my last c-section (I've had 2 now), I over did it and it started to come open. That extended my recovery time and meant a longer waiting period to get back to any sort of exercise routine. You need to give your body time to heal. Wait for a doctor to give you the okay to exercise again. Pain is not a good sign.
    If you want to lose weight now, just focus on the calories in side of the equation. You won't gain any weight back if you don't eat more than you need to and you can lose weight without exercise.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Spinchi1 wrote: »
    Someone told me all the baby weight I lost will return if I don't work out

    That is untrue. Weight gain comes from overeating.

    A friend shared this with me after my section
    http://www.theptdc.com/2014/09/returning-to-exercise-after-c-section-recovery/

    I know people have gone full steam ahead after and have been fine. I chose to be conservative and took it easy.
  • ds6099
    ds6099 Posts: 98 Member
    I had 4 c- sections. I lost the baby weight the first 3 times and now I'm working in the 4th time (10 lbs left). Don't overdo it- take it slow. Otherwise you'll have a setback and you don't want that!
  • michelle1173
    michelle1173 Posts: 158 Member
    I just recovered from a similar surgery (myomectomy) and will have to have a c section if I hopefully get pregnant. I started from day 2 after surgery walking around slowly. Day 6 I took a short walk outside and walked every day until I got more energy back. Now at 8 weeks post surgery, I've been cleared to increase my workouts. I'm easing into weights (upper body and lower body) and slowly increasing cardio exercises. I'm just not doing any ab exercises just yet.

    If you have a lot of pain, that's a signal that you're overdoing it. After 4 weeks, I had lots of energy and no pain, so I tried pushing myself a bit more on one of my walks. I was doing a brisk walk up a small hill when I suddenly started getting these sudden sharp pains. I turned around and slowed my pace.

    On Saturday I went to my first zumba class since surgery. I was fine but I was bit more careful this time. I'm holding off on another, more intense class I like or may try the class and just not push myself this time. I was told that exercise is ok, but just ease into it. I would holds off on abs for another month to be safe or just pace yourself and stop if you feel pain.
  • MissyFit08
    MissyFit08 Posts: 274 Member
    michelle1173 wrote: »
    I just recovered from a similar surgery (myomectomy) and will have to have a c section if I hopefully get pregnant. I started from day 2 after surgery walking around slowly. Day 6 I took a short walk outside and walked every day until I got more energy back. Now at 8 weeks post surgery, I've been cleared to increase my workouts. I'm easing into weights (upper body and lower body) and slowly increasing cardio exercises. I'm just not doing any ab exercises just yet.

    If you have a lot of pain, that's a signal that you're overdoing it. After 4 weeks, I had lots of energy and no pain, so I tried pushing myself a bit more on one of my walks. I was doing a brisk walk up a small hill when I suddenly started getting these sudden sharp pains. I turned around and slowed my pace.

    On Saturday I went to my first zumba class since surgery. I was fine but I was bit more careful this time. I'm holding off on another, more intense class I like or may try the class and just not push myself this time. I was told that exercise is ok, but just ease into it. I would holds off on abs for another month to be safe or just pace yourself and stop if you feel pain.

    Michelle, I had a myomectomy as well! They had to cut all the way up to get to the top of my uterus. After THAT surgery, a c section was seriously a breeze. haha. All the rules about exercising definitely applies. Take it easy and don't push too hard.


  • sweetochiken
    sweetochiken Posts: 51 Member
    Never had a c section myself, but i gave birth to my beautiful baby boy in December, and all i can say is take it easy on your body. 8 wks is far too early for physical training. I recommend by doing only a diet plan for now, so you shed some of that fat. Plus, some of that fat is also water retention from pregnancy. I started my journey at first 4 wks pp, then 6wkz, and i stopped for a while because my body still felt squishy and hollow if that makes sense. It hurt to run, and my abs were super weak. At 4 months pp, i started weights (i am breastfeeding, so eating good was part of it all). Needless to say, i have been counting my macros, eating 1800-2100 calories a day to sustain my muscle building and milk. I have dropped 15 lbs, i am now 120lbs hoping to gain more muscle weight. Start with your caloric intake, after a couple of months, once you dropped the weight, consider strength training. It has changed me completely. Add me as a friend and we can chat a long about this.
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
    I've had 3 c-sections. Start working out VERY slowly. Do not put strain on the incision area. If you do, you could end up with an incisional hernia. Take it from me, surgeries to correct a hernia are not fun :(

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