I do have that AMP Duo diaper review on its way, as well as a few other posts in the works, but I thought I should just fire off a short one in the meantime. Maybe I can actually *complete* something other than changing a diaper for once. :) I think that's what motherhood is: starting a million things and finishing one.
So, I thought I'd post a quick bit on returning to exercise after having a baby. Babycenter has these guidelines for knowing when you're ready to get back into it. But, basically, I think the most important things are:
- Wait 4 weeks to do more than just walking (6 weeks if you had a C-Section
- Make sure your Lochia has finished
- Check to see if you have abdominal separation
- Trust your body
I started back into exercise much later than I had anticipated, waiting until 9 weeks. Mostly, this was because of our feeding issues. I would have been back at 4 if I could have! But, I wanted to stay connected to Ebba as much as possible to see what could be done for my milk supply.
The first activity I returned to after walking was yoga, because I knew I could pace myself there, and I found a fantastic class where I could bring baby! In the class, we can either hold baby in some poses, or have her playing down on the mats at our feet. Ebba likes to do both. :) I enjoy the fact that we can stop to feed baby whenever we need to, or can adjust what we're doing as needed at any time.
After a week of yoga, I felt confident about returning to the Real Gym! I was actually a little nervous about heading back, but once I got into it, I felt great! I'm just doing some short full-body workouts these days, since I don't have nearly enough time to do a split (only certain muscle groups on certain days.) Doing a light full body workout is also a great way to make sure your body is ready for more strenuous activities -- it's a nice way to ease back into things. Here's a sample of what I've been doing, with 2 sets (3 for legs) 1-12 reps each:
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor OR a trainer. I have been working out steadily for about 5 years now, but that in no way makes me an expert. This is not a recommendation. If you want to start working out after birth, I'd ask your doctor or midwife.
- Legs: alternating dumb bell squat with dumb bell lunge
- Back and chest: alternating 1 arm dumb bell row with incline chest press
- Back and chest: alternating assisted pull up with assisted chest dip
- Shoulders: alternating front raise with shoulder press
- Biceps and Triceps: alternating skull-crusher with bicep curl
- Abs: For this I was much more careful. I did a short round of crunches, along with a plank (1 min) and some pilates exercises that I have no idea how to describe. :)
It felt SO good to get back into working out! I think it's a great step back into the normalcy of life after the craziness of childbirth and newborn days. :)
Any other mummies out there who want to share their return to workouts?
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