Congratulations! You’re home after a successful birth, snuggling with your newborn, and feeling…well, maybe, feeling everything from happy to sad, from tired to energetic. Many of us feel discouraged after birth because our bodies have changed, or we have some extra weight. And we’re often so dedicated to caring for our babies that we forget to take care of ourselves. You can do both!
Be kind to yourself. Don’t rush. “Nine months on, nine months off” is a realistic mantra to live by if you’re interested in achieving your pre-pregnancy health status.
Start with Movement
First, it’s okay to exercise during postpartum recovery, but what you can do will be affected by whether you had a cesarean birth, your pre-pregnancy routines and whether you worked out in pregnancy.
If you weren’t a marathon runner before having your baby, don’t start now. If you did run marathons, retrain slowly. If you never had much of a routine before, now’s a great time to start one.
Exercise & Breastfeeding
If you’re breastfeeding, extreme exercise can reduce your milk production; proceed cautiously. Exercise boosts positive moods and energy. If your partner gained some sympathy weight, they may also want to get back into healthy activity. Support each other!
Start slow and steady to both regain strength and return to your desired weight. If you’re tired, creating unrealistic goals will feel even more impossible. Be realistic, and give yourself credit for things you may not have previously deemed “exercise.”
- Listen to your body; if it becomes too much, stop
- Exercise when you have energy
- Exercise with your baby–walk with a stroller, carry the baby up and down stairs or share tummy time with yoga
- Increase time slowly; start with a 10-minute walk, then add time as it feels comfortable
- Dancing while holding your baby is fun and exercise!
- Set realistic goals—slow progress is still progress
- Get a buddy for accountability
- Involve your family; families who play together, stay together!
- Talk to your care provider if you’re unsure about your limitations
Building healthy exercise habits after baby’s birth will help you establish a good routine. Feeling good about yourself will positively affect baby, too. You can both love yourself and want to improve yourself at the same time. Love on your postpartum body—it nourished, grew and protected a whole other human!
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