What About Mom?
This chapter has spent a good amount of time talking about how to care for baby, but what about how to care for yourself postpregnancy? Getting your body back to its prepregnancy shape can be a challenge; after all, when do you have the time to exercise?
Hollywood and glamour magazines don't make it any easier on new moms, showing us skinny young things who claim they've just had babies and are merely returning to the gym for some “toning.” These depictions only serve to antagonize new moms more, giving you the feeling that you are a long way off from ever wearing those size 8 jeans again.
Lose Weight in a Healthy Way
Both pregnancy and labor can affect a woman's body. If you're trying to lose some additional pregnancy weight, make sure you do it in a healthy way and consult your doctor before you start any type of diet or exercise plan.
If you want to diet and are breastfeeding, it's best to wait until your baby is at least two months old. During those first two months, your body needs to recover from childbirth and establish a good milk supply. Then when you start to lose weight, try not to lose too much too quickly.
This can be harmful to the baby because environmental toxins that are stored in your body fat can be released into your breast milk. Losing about one pound per week (no more than four pounds per month) has been found to be a safe amount and will not affect your milk supply or the baby's growth.
Keep Calories Within Reason
You can safely lose weight by consuming at least 1,800 calories per day with a well-balanced, nutritious diet that includes foods rich in calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6, and folate. Diets in which you consume less than 1,500 calories per day are not recommended at any point during breastfeeding. This can put you at risk for a nutritional deficiency, lower your energy level, and lower your resistance to illness.
What's the best post-pregnancy exercise?
For the best (and easiest) program in fitness and convenience, try a walking program. Places to walk are always available, and you can take baby along in a stroller if you need to — so there's no excuse for not doing it!
Get Movin'!
It's highly recommended that you begin every exercise session with a good warm-up. Stretch your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors, holding each stretch for about five to 10 seconds.
To lose serious weight, you'll need to exercise for a longer period of time (30 minutes to an hour per day, three or four times per week). And feel free to mix and match — walking, swimming, aerobics, or fitness equipment (such as a NordicTrack). Join a health club that has a babysitting room for maximum benefit — and the option to work with a personal trainer if you decide you need one.
When you finish exercising, remember to cool down. After exercising is when your muscles most need a stretch, so don't forget this step. Do a few knee lifts or kicks (as high as you can) or march in place to bring your heart rate down after exercising. Then repeat the stretches you did in the warm-up, holding each for 10 to 15 seconds.
Belly-Tightening Exercises
To get your pre-pregnancy abdomen back, lie on the floor with your knees bent; slowly breathe in, expanding your chest and abdomen with each inhale. Pull in your abdomen, spreading out your ribs, then exhale slowly and repeat. On the second rotation, press your lower back against the floor, holding the position for a few seconds before releasing on a slow exhale. Repeat this exercise ten times a few times per day.
Sit-Ups
While it may not be possible to do sit-ups in those first few weeks after delivering your baby (and longer if you had a C-section), this is a very beneficial exercise to do as soon as you can manage. Lie on the floor with both of your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your arms behind your head and try to sit forward as far as you can. When you feel able, try touching opposite elbows and knees. Repeat ten times. A variation of this exercise is to lie flat on your back and raise both knees toward your chest as far as you can, with your back flat on the ground.
Rebuilding Your Back Muscles
Sitting on the floor with one knee bent and your foot flat on the floor, rest your clasped hands around your knee and use your back muscles to stretch your entire body toward the ceiling. Keep your abdomen pulled in tightly but your shoulders as loose as you can. Alternate knees and do five repetitions per leg. Both exercises will help your back regain its original pre-pregnancy strength.
Keep It Fun — for You and Baby
Exercise need not be a painful, miserable experience. All you need is a little encouragement, support, and direction. Of course, the motivation to return to your pre-pregnancy shape is what will really put you over the edge.
Make exercise time fun time for baby, too. Prop baby up in his or her car seat while you're working out. It can be a fascinating visual experience for baby, and you won't get judged on your thigh size, either! Most of all, don't be too hard on yourself. Just because you can't wear an evening gown the month after you've given birth doesn't mean your life is over. Losing weight and returning your body to its pre-pregnancy fitness takes perseverance and time. Go easy on yourself — and enjoy the great bonding experience of working out with baby!
