And now, you find yourself ready to drop the baby weight and get back into your prebaby jeans. I’m working on that myself, I have a 9month old daughter.
If you’re reading this, I bet that you’re ready to get back into a fitness and nutrition program that will help you achieve your goals. I can also bet that you’re probably looking for somewhere to start. You came to the right place!
When I work with clients who have just given birth, I start them off on core retraining within the first 24 hours post delivery. This is not a traditional workout by any means. We start with belly wrapping to encourage the spontaneous healing of diastasis recti (ab separation) that takes place in the first 8weeks postdelivery and a breathing technique that engages the pelvic floor. After all, it has become quite weak during pregnancy which will explain the leaking when you sneeze, so we want to work toward rehabbing that so that it doesn’t continue.
If you’ve had an uncomplicated vaginal birth, we then add in some very low impact movements week by week. If you’ve had a csection or perineal tearing, you may want to wait and another week or until the pain subsides. If you feel pain at any point while exercising in general terms, STOPespecially postpartum! This is not normal.
Be sure to start when you’re ready and only when you’re ready. If you’re not emotionally, mentally, or physically ready, then wait and don’t push yourself. You know you best. It’s important to start slow at first even if it’s only 510 minutes. Every week you can add a little more, maybe a new movement or adding a few minutes. There should be nothing too at this point. With my clients, our priority is alignment, breathing, and coordination (ABC’s of optimal core function). Besides, new moms tend to have scattered sleep, leaving stress levels higher than before, so adding lowimpact exercises maybe all that their bodies can handle during this time.
Too many times, this crucial step to returning back to fitness programs is missed and new moms are returning to programs that aren’t exactly meant for postpartum bodies. Many prescribe high repetitions, running & jumping, and planking & crunching which are not ideal because of the pressure it puts on your core which is already unstable, but your pelvic floor as well. Even many mom and baby fitness classes include movements just like these, so if you’re looking for a safe mom and baby fitness class, check out Love Your Baby Body Fitness or get started in an Online Fitness Program which has been specifically designed for new moms.. Other great exercises
include, cycling (not spinning) and walking. Lowimpact to start, gradually build to moderate over time.
I also recommend getting assessed by a pelvic floor physio during pregnancy as well as after. They can assess from an internal perspective. They can look for a hypotonic pelvic floor (weak) or hypertonic pelvic floor (tight) which is important to know and treat to avoid things like incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse down the line.
To give you a timeline is impossible. Every woman, every pregnancy, and every birth is so very different. Start slow and week by week add a little more. Fitness after baby is about rebuilding, recovering, and reconnecting with your body. It took 40 weeks for your body to adapt to your developing baby and it may take a year for it to completely recover. My daughter is 9months old and I am nowhere near my prepregnancy fitness level, although I have been able to lose the weightsafely. For instructions how to selfassess for diastasis recti, click here .
If You have questions about your results, please don’t hesitate to ask!
My email address is below. Love your baby body, Terrell
Additional reading:
Dianne Lee https://dianelee.ca/articlediastasisrectusabdominis.php
Bellies Inc http://www.belliesinc.com/bellywrappingwhatwhenwhyandhow/ Mom’s Fitness Boutique, instructions for self assessment http://www.momsfitnessboutique.com/#!DidYouKnowAbsCanSeparateMineDid/cvk5/56f9b 6c90cf2e3ce9bb1d208
Do you have questions regarding your postpartum fitness plan? Would you like to delve a little deeper and find out how you can get back into shape safely and effectively? Please send me an email: terrellbaldock@momsfitnessboutique.com . I read and answer all of my emails personally and love hearing from moms just like you!
Terrell Baldock is the owner of Mom’s Fitness Boutique located in London, Ontario. She is a Prenatal & Postnatal Exercise Specialist, a certified Core Confidence Trainer with Bellies Inc, a certified prenatal and postpartum doula, and currently pursuing a certification with Precision Nutrition. She is a wife and a mom 2 beautiful children, both under 4. She has come to understand the unique emotional and physical needs of her clients through her personal experience and education which has made her successful in her career. To learn more about Terrell, visit www.momsfitnessboutique.com
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