When can I start?

Hi All,

Bub is only a week old and I am already thinking about starting to get my body back to shape. Pre-pregnancy I was going to the gym quite regularily. I am not planning to go back to the gym, just want to do stuff at home. I have a exercise DVD that works out all parts of the body so planing to use that for the time being.

So when is it safe to start doing things? I still want to give myself a few weeks rest and just get in to a routine with DD and maybe occassionally, depending how I feel, I will do something.

Thanks :)

After I had DD they told me not to do anything more strenuous than walking for the first 4-6 weeks to give my body the chance to recover. I started taking her out for walks in the pram when she was about two weeks old and gradually built it up from there.

are you breastfeeding?

Im too scared to do anything other than walking for fear of decreasing my milk supply.

Either way, i would wait atleast 6 weeks just in case :)

I was told 6-8 weeks, but light walking as soon as i felt comfortable to do so. I had stitches and i waited 2 weeks then began walking of a night (but that was also December so much warmer then right now).

Wow Veronica, good on you for having the energy already! I second what the others said. You still have the elastin running through your system from pg and your muscles are all loose and stretchy. You can do some basic exercises already - PFE, some gentle pilates stretches for your core stablility muscles and walking. But I wouldn't do anything more strenuous than that for at least 6 weeks. If your tummy muscles split during pg then you need to be even more careful what you do. If you really want to get into it already, perhaps you can talk to a physio that specialises in post-natal care and get a plan put together for you.

Gentle walking is prolly best for first 6 weeks or so. One bit of advice - don't do any really stretchy yoga positions, esp if you have stitches - I did a sun salutation about 2 days after giving birth - OUCH!!

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Im too scared to do anything other than walking for fear of decreasing my milk supply.

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Excuse my ignorance, but why? Does exercise decrease milk supply in the early stages?

I believe there is anecdotal evidence that suggests that strenuous excersise and not enough calories in, can impact supply. Breastfeeding uses up a lot of energy in calories, so you need to make sure you are eating enough to sustain the bf and any excercise you may do.

But if you are eating a plentiful well balanced diet (I think the ABA recommend at least 3700kj?) you can then top up with healthy snacks and do some gentle excercise?

Each to their own, of course. I was swimming and bushwalking from when Charlie was only 2 weeks old in the middle of an Adelaide winter: it did me the world of good, physically and mentally! (And he came to no harm at all, nor did my milk supply.......)

Thanks guys!! I was thinking that I should wait atleast 6-8 weeks before doing anything too strenuous. lol and to tell you the truth, i dont think I would have the energy to do anything sooner! lol

I am going to start walking soon. Just waiting for the rain to go away.