So how long does it take to start exercising after giving birth to a baby? What are the precautions for postpartum exercise? Today, we will come to the mothers to answer some of the confusion about postpartum sports. Come and have a look!
First, how long after the birth can start sports?
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) believes that mothers can gradually resume their exercise after giving birth, as long as they are approved by the doctor. Most doctors will give moms a physical examination at 6 weeks after delivery to determine how well the mother recovers after delivery and whether it is suitable for exercise. In addition to the physical condition of the mothers themselves, how long it takes to resume exercise after childbirth is also related to whether you have a childbirth, caesarean section, and whether you have exercise during pregnancy. If the mothers have exercise and are obedient during the whole pregnancy, in general, after a few days after giving birth, the body does not feel pain, you can get out of bed and try to walk, stretch the body and other light exercise. If it is a caesarean section mother, it is best to rest for a while, wait until the doctor confirms that the wound has recovered and can exercise after exercise.
Second, how to start exercising after childbirth? What are the precautions?
- Start exercising from a sport with low exercise intensity.
In the first few months after giving birth, mothers should not exercise too much depending on the physical condition. Mother’s body takes time to heal, and it takes time to adjust to the role of the new mother and accompany the baby.
Be careful not to be anxious when you start exercising. Start with some light exercise and then slowly increase the intensity of exercise. For mothers who have just given birth, you can choose some aerobic exercise to improve your heart rate. Walking, jogging, swimming or cycling are good choices.
In addition, many gyms also have exercise classes designed for postpartum mothers. Courses like Strollercize and Baby Boot Camp are popular choices.
- Targeted pelvic tilt and Kegel exercise under the guidance of a doctor or professional instructor
Pelvic tilt can effectively exercise your mother’s abdominal muscles by lying on the floor with your knees bent and tightening your abdominal muscles. The pelvis is slightly bent upwards to keep your back close to the ground. Repeat 10 to 20 times for 10 seconds each time.
Kegel exercise can help train the muscles of the pelvic floor. It can be done by lying, standing, sitting, and it is very simple. If you are lying down, it is the bending of the legs, shrinking the vagina, a bit like the feeling of “peeling”. Stick for 10 seconds each time, then relax, and do three groups (10 times/group) every day.
3, do not diet, especially breastfeeding mother
Some mothers may want to lose weight by dieting and exercise to lose weight quickly, but it is recommended that mothers wait until six weeks after delivery or a few months after birth to start losing weight. It is not appropriate to lose more than one pound per week. Especially breastfeeding mothers.
Why not recommend moms to lose weight after childbirth? Because dieting too early after childbirth affects your mother’s mood and breastfeeding, and as long as mothers insist on breastfeeding, they don’t need to go on a diet. After a long time, you will find that your weight naturally falls.
4, other postpartum exercise notes
Spend more time warming up and relaxing after exercise
Start moving step by step
Drink more water
Breastfeeding mother, it is best to wear sports underwear
If moms have these signs during postpartum exercise, it is best to stop exercising immediately and, if necessary, to see a doctor:
Postpartum lochia color turns red and the amount becomes larger
The recurrence of bleeding after the lochia is clean
Joints and muscles feel pain during exercise
After exercise, the muscles feel sore for a long time, and even affect the normal walking.
Postpartum exercise program
Finally, let’s come back to moms to answer two more questions about postpartum exercise:
1, postpartum exercise wear abdomen with no use?
Some mothers may have heard that tying the abdomen can help them recover more quickly, but most fitness experts do not agree with this method. Because the corset belt binds the abdominal muscles, it reduces the work done by the muscles, that is, your muscle strength becomes weaker. Therefore, it is not recommended that all mothers tie their belts. It is only recommended that mothers with problems on the back use professional abdomen to support them during exercise.
- Does postpartum exercise affect the taste of mothers’ breast milk?
Although some studies have shown that high-intensity exercise may cause lactic acid to accumulate more in breast milk and produce a sour taste that the baby may not like, this situation is very rare, and mothers don’t have to worry too much. Generally speaking, as long as the mothers take in a sufficient amount of water, the exercise does not have any adverse effect on the amount or composition of the breast milk, nor does it directly cause the baby not to drink milk.
Some mothers may find that their baby does not drink breast milk after they exercise. This is not necessarily caused by the mother’s exercise itself. The baby may not like the sweat on the mother’s breasts, or other reasons. . Therefore, after the mothers have finished exercising, they can take a bath and then feed them, or they can prematurely squeeze the breastmilk and feed them to the baby.
