10 Things you can do in the Early Postpartum Days

Oct 25, 2018
2 min read

(Me- Postpartum Day 1 after delivering baby #2. Yes, even fitness people still look pregnant when we're discharged from the hospital!)

The question I am most often asked by new moms is what is safe to do after having a baby.

Questions like-

Is running okay? How much can I lift? When will my belly return to normal? When is it safe for me to do what I did before getting pregnant?

Sound familiar?

The honest answer is, this really depends on your personal experience with pregnancy and birth. In my own experience, I was back in my jeans after 2 weeks having my daughter, but it took me 8 months before I felt comfortable running after having my son. Each pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period will differ greatly for each child.

So give yourself a break if you need it, (seriously!!!!), but here are some answers to get through the early stages.

1- Start Slow. (Your body will tell you to do this anyway)

2- Be Thankful for what your Body can DO, not what it looks like

3- Disregard "CELEBRITY BABY BODY BACK" Mags... unless you really love photoshop

4- Bring back your pelvic floor & modified abdominal routine before you start anything you couldn't do during your pregnancy

5- Increase your cardio slowly. Start walking, jogging, before you run. Increase the time or distance every 2 weeks, or when you feel good. ** Please note that it is not recommended that you run with your baby in the jogger stroller when they are younger than 6 months old or have proper head control.****

6- Bring your baby along for extra bonding time

(Go here for some baby-friendly workouts)

7- Don't do any formal exercise unless you are cleared by your physician. Please request information on Pelvic Organ Prolapse and to be checked for Diastasis Recti (self check and more information here).

8- Plan your fitness routine around nap and feeding times

9- If you are breastfeeding- make sure you are drinking enough water and getting enough calories. Exercise has NO effect on milk production

10- Aim for a functional workout routine that incorporates squats, pushing, pulling, lunging, and rotating.