New to group....question for all you postpartum mommies
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jgaston4
Posts: 2
I'm in my last month of pregnancy and from what I understand I'm not going to be able to workout for about 6 weeks post delivery! I'm very active now and I cant stand the thought of taking that much time off. A few weeks seems more like it. How long did it take you all to feel that you had recovered enough to start back up with exercise? Did that match what your practitioner had said? Was it difficult to regain the endurance that you had lost?
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I started back to exercise at the 6 wk mark, but really I feel I should have waited a few weeks longer until my bleeding fully stopped (I had twins!). It was really difficult at first when I started exercising and core work was horrible (crunches hurt)! But, slowly I was able to do more & more.
Talk w/ your doctor about this, but you might be able to start getting back into it around 4 weeks or so - but listen to your body... Start out light, walking etc, and see how you feel before throwing yourself back into a full workout.
Good luck to you!
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It's best to speak to your doctor about this but generally those first 6 weeks do usurp a lot of energy that you would've used up in training. Getting to know your child and establishing some form of routine will keep you occupied. My OB/GYN said I could do some walking if I felt up to it having had a C-section. Best adice remains to listen to your doc and stay in tune with your body. Good luck and enjoy a few zzz's before due date!0
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i would not go back to working out until you have your first pp check. even if you " feel " okay...there is still a lot of internal healing that has to happen that can easily become messed up and believe me when i tell you that is not worth a couple pound weight loss....chances are you will lose weight at first even without working out anyways because of the excess water and whatnot.0
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I've always been told gentle walks from about 2 weeks postpartum is fine if you feel up to it. Really use your body as a guide. Keep in mind that childbirth includes blood loss and your whole center of gravity will once again shift... Not to mention the time it takes for your internal organs to move back into place, your uterus to shrink back down, and your cervix to close up... Lots of things are going on during the postpartum period! Bleeding can last up to 6 weeks (or longer) after the birth, too.
This would be a good question to ask your care provider following delivery when they check on you before you leave the hospital (or before they leave your home if you are delivering at home).0 -
I had a c-section, and I saw my doc and 1 week pp for a BP and incision check and asked if I could start working out any sooner then 6 weeks. I was told no that I needed to wait at least 6 weeks, but I could do light walking. So I began at 2 weeks pp doing walks around the neighborhood. They were very good for me both physically and mentally, because I don't like be stuck in one place too long.I began working out at 6 weeks and I thought I'd get right back into my old routine, but everything was much harder then I expected. I totally lost my endurance in just a few short weeks, but the good part is now I am 11 weeks pp and I feel I am stronger then I have ever been. Maybe not fitter yet...but hopefully that will come.0
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My son is 20 months old. I was very active before, and during my pregnancy so I only took off 1 week after I delivered but every person is different. The best thing to do is check with your doctor.0
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Honestly, I started walking right after giving birth as mine was natural delivery, and after two days I walked around for 30 minutes every day and after four weeks, i did treadmill for about 45 minutes ( slow peace)... so, all depends on how you feel after your delivery.. remember that a strong Mind is everything... Congratulations on the baby!0
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When I gave birth to my son my doctor told me that I could immediately start working on my stomach exercises. I had my son all natural in a tub. I started doing cardio around four weeks PP.0
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You will want to wait and see how your delivery effects your body. It took me 16 weeks to fully heal from my (vaginal) birth, but I started doing light exercise at 6 weeks. I was exclusively breast feeding so spent the first six weeks focusing on that and would not have been able to do any exercise then even if I had wanted to - I was just too beaten up from the birth. I found my stomach was shrinking daily for the first few weeks, I lost 20lbs effortlessly between leaving hospital and weighing in at six weeks.
Also, please don't be put off by this - I consider my birth pretty perfect, (no intervention, manageable pain), I just took a while to fully heal afterwards.0 -
It just depends on the person and their doctor. I had a c-section, went in for my PP check after 3 weeks. Doctor told me everything looked fine and I could do what I felt like. I started lifting and cardio at 4 weeks PP. I wasn't able to lunges, squats, or a whole lot that used my core b/c it was so weak, but by about 8 weeks PP I felt pretty normal. My baby is now 5 1/2 months and I'm slowly gaining my muscle back but still have a ways to go on the tummy.0
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I waitied intill the 6 week mark also, I had a really rough delivery and chould not even drive for 3 weeks, so I did walks with the baby and now I use him as my weight and do some baby workouts with him , good luck dont push yourself0
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From what I've read, you can do light abdominal and kegel exercises starting from the very first day. I mean, REALLY light. I bought this DVD http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Postnatal-Workout-Karyne-Steben/dp/B000FP2P94 and found it was really good. There was nothing too heavy or strenuous and you use your baby as weight.
I had really bad diastisis recti afterwards and even walking short distances was difficult for well over a month. I got the green light to go ahead from my doctor at 6 weeks, but I still didn't feel very good. I probably waited 10 weeks before I started walking again.
Like others have said: listen to your body and only do what you feel you can do. I found with both my babies that if I over-exerted myself, I would bleed heavier or my bleeding would return. So just be careful and take it easy. You're going to be exhausted and finding just 5 minutes for exercise seems nearly impossible at first! :laugh:
Good luck!
edit: Yes, it was difficult for me to regain my endurance. However, when I was in my six-month of pregnancy, my abdominals just lost their strength from too much weight and I couldn't keep up with my exercises the last trimester. My legs and feet were so swollen it was painful to stand. My son was probably 4 1/2 months old before I felt strong enough to begin a bona fide exercise program. But I've lost a lot of weight quickly since then.0 -
It took me a good three weeks to even feel "normal" again. My first pregnancy was a c-section and it took the full six weeks to really feel okay again. The bleeding was very heavy and then light and then heavy again and it made me uncomfortable. I hated the way my stomach looked and I just was so tired that I didn't even have the energy to want to start working out. After about four weeks though I did take her out in the stroller and walk the neighborhood during her morning nap and it did help me feel better. I also felt better when I could get back into my regular clothes. My second pregnancy was a VBAC (vaginal after a c-section) and I feltbetter sooner. I had a lot of back labor and my back was so sore to stand for prolonged period of time (about two weeks) . I could only stand comfortably for about fifteen minutes. Ugh! But after that I started to feel like myself after about two and a half three weeks, though I was still exhausted as I now had a four year old going to preschool to get ready, drop off and pick up as well as try to stay on schedule with a new born. My doctor didn't let me drive for two weeks and though I thought I was ready even when I did it hurt. If your active your body might really snap back quickly but take it slow, listen to what your docotr says, and enjoy this time with your baby. It goes by way too fast, but also if you have questions and feel up to it don't be afraid to call and talk to your doctor/nurse. They are such a great resource. And Congratulations!0
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To me, just trying to shower several times a week seemed impossible. Exercise was the furthest thing from my mind. I really tried to push myself to get out of the house before I was ready. If you deliver vaginally, keep in mind that if you feel pressure or discomfort in your bottom area while you're active- it's time to take a break! Keep in mind that "active" will include getting a shower or trying to prepare meals, etc. Give yourself some grace
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i would speak to your doctor. my only restrictions were that i couldn't lift more than 20 lbs and i couldn't do my prt. but i didnt start working out until around 4 weeks. im 5 weeks out now but im still watching what im doing and not pushing myself very hard.0
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My OB said I could walk as much as I wanted to after my csection before the 6 week mark but that I had to be careful not to get my heart rate too high to prevent bleeding. You won't miss the big workouts too much. You will still feel really active taking care of your LO.0
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I agree that you should definitely talk to your doctor about this and that you should also listen to your body. We are all different and everyone heals differently. I had zero energy after having my son and was pretty sore due to a c-section. I waited until 6 weeks pp to really do anything and felt even at that time that I couldn't do a whole lot without feeling extremely exhausted. I haven't always been fit and unfortunately, I get frustrated easily so it took me a while to really get going, I am now finally on a regular workout routine and my son is 11 months old! lol
Good luck to you on whatever you decide to do and congratulations on the baby!! :bigsmile:0
