When is it time to start exercising after having a baby?
I just had my second son three weeks ago and I am starting to feel back to my normal self. After having a baby it's really important to wait until your doctor clears you for exercise. Typically if you are feeling pretty good and your bleeding has stopped you will be ready to get started. It's important to remember you were pregnant for 9 months and it takes awhile to get back to your pre-pregnancy self so start slowly and LISTEN to your body. If you push yourself too much you could make your recovery process longer. I love starting with walks outside with my baby and exercises I can do inside while my toddler and baby are napping. Aiden, my three week old son, usually is sleeping right in front of me while I do an exercise video. Somedays it won't 'work out' (ha!) and as a mom I know that every day is different and I have to be flexible. My go to postpartum video is 'Tracy Anderson Method: Post-Pregnancy Workout'. It is challenging but yet if you're not ready for certain exercises she recommends adjustments and you really can feel yourself getting stronger as you continue with the exercises. It is really motivating when you can do more and more every week and see your skin attaching back to your abdominal muscles. So get outside while it's still nice out (I am NOT looking forward to winter) and try to do something for yourself everyday. Some days it may be more important for you to nap while your baby naps. Remember to LISTEN to your body and take it slow. Also, make sure if you are breastfeeding you are consuming more calories when you start exercising regularly to replace those lost calories. Exercise is helping pull everything back into place and tighten and tone everything. You also must make sure you are drinking enough water otherwise you could see your supply decrease.
What’s the deal with breastfeeding and losing the baby weight?
Working as a physician assistant in an OB office, women ask me all of the time if I breastfeed to help lose the baby weight. Unfortunately the answer is NO and you shouldn't diet and breastfeed. I am starving all of the time and to breastfeed properly you have to eat 500 more calories everyday to make sure your milk is healthy. If you don't it's very hard on your body to try to produce breastmilk out of nothing, versus consuming adequate calories and nurturing your body properly. Breastfeeding is not a weight loss tool; but it does produce contractions that help pull your uterus and stomach back into position better. It also forms a great bond between you and your baby and is a way to feed them and support your baby’s health. Every mom is different with how their body will react to breastfeeding. On demand breastfeeding for most women will burn more calories than what they can consume and so will actually aid in their weight loss. But, it definitely doesn't work like this for everyone.