Getting active after the birth
Getting back to your previous level of fitness or starting new activities after having your baby has benefits for both you and your little one.
Benefits of Exercise
Even small amounts of regular activity can:
- Help you feel better and relieve stress
- Boost your energy
- Strengthen and tone your tummy muscles
- Help you sleep better
You’re also less likely to experience symptoms of depression if you stay active after the birth.
How your body changes during pregnancy
When you’re pregnant, your body undergoes many changes to adjust to your growing baby:
- Your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor stretch
- The way you walk and stand changes
- The stability of your joints is affected
These changes can influence how soon you can return to being active. Having a cesarean section or complicated delivery will also affect this.
Read More : 6 Ways to Get Back in Shape After Baby
Good activities to start with
Your midwife or an obstetric physiotherapist will encourage you to start gently walking and give you some exercises to do soon after you’ve had your baby.
These exercises will help the muscles in your back and tummy get stronger.
If you’ve had a healthy pregnancy and vaginal delivery, it’s safe to start doing these a few days after giving birth, or as soon as you feel ready.
Pelvic floor exercises
Your midwife or an obstetric physiotherapist will also show you how to do pelvic floor exercises.
You should start doing these as soon as you can.
If you’ve had a complicated pregnancy or birth
If you’ve had a more complicated pregnancy or birth, such as a cesarean section, tear, or assisted delivery, you can start walking and doing pelvic floor and tummy muscle exercises when you feel ready.
If you’re unsure, ask your midwife, health visitor, obstetric physiotherapist, or doctor for advice about getting active again. Your 6- or 8-week check-up is a good time to discuss this.
Read More : Strength training in pregnancy
If you’re breastfeeding
If you’re breastfeeding, wear a sports bra over your nursing bra for extra support and comfort.
It’s a good idea to feed your baby before exercise and it’s also important to stay well-hydrated.
Activity and exercise won’t affect the amount of milk you make if you’re breastfeeding.
How to start being active again
Start gradually. Begin with walking and take your baby out in their pram, buggy, or sling.
Gradually build up to doing 30 minutes of activity at least 5 days a week. It doesn’t have to be done all at once—you can do 3 lots of 10 minutes or 2 lots of 15 minutes if that works better for you.
A change of scene can often calm your baby if they’re crying, and it can help you feel better too.
Buggy Walks
In some areas, parents come together for regular Buggy Walks run by Paths for All. These are a great way to get active and meet other parents.
Find a health walk in your area
Read More : Is It Safe To Exercise During Pregnancy
Swimming
If you want to go swimming, you’ll need to wait until any discharge (lochia) has stopped and any stitches have healed.
This is likely to be from about 6 weeks onwards.
Jogging and aerobics
If you want to do a high-impact activity such as jogging or aerobics, wait until at least 3 to 6 months after giving birth. Any sooner could strain muscles in your back and pelvic floor.
Read More : Postpartum Exercise Routine After Birth
