Pregnancy/Delivery Recovery

[limewave]

Hi everyone,
I'm coming up to the end of my first pregnancy (6 weeks to go!), and have so far enjoyed cycling, walking, and even jogging. Being pregnant hasn't limited me nearly as much as I had anticipated. My concern now is when it's okay for me to begin working out after delivery--assuming there are no major complications. There's a point series in November I'd like to participate in, the first race is 2.5 weeks after my due date and then a race every Saturday in Nov. This is jogging--not cycling. Does this seem like a reasonable goal? Keep in mind, I'm not afraid to walk to the finish if I have to :-)
Thanks!

[Kimred]

This can depend on a couple things. If you have a C-section then a definite No. If you plan on BreastFeeding then probally a No. When I was BF my boobs were so big the first couple weeks and so sore I could barely keep a shirt on let alone put on a sports bra and jog. Also depends on how tired you are. It's hard adjusting to life with a baby who needs your care 24hrs a day!


Enjoy that baby it goes by sooo fast!

Kim

[Irulan]

what does your doc say?
There are recomemndations on resuming activity that you should discuss with your practicioner first, then take the advice of those who have btdt second.

If you have not had a c-section, your practicioner should be able to give you gentle ab exercises that you can do right away. It's a pretty good chance that you'll be exhausted, but walking is always good. There are other factors that you just cannot predict right now. What if you go two weeks over due? That is not uncommon with first babies. Based on my recollections - I had two easy deliveries, but I was breastfeeding babies at night and not getting a lot of sleep, the last thing I'd want to do is be commited to a race series. But that's just me.

irulan

[Surlygirl]

Enjoy your baby, the bike will wait, the babies won't. After 3 c-sections and kids who didn't sleep through the night till 6 months, well, I was just to tired to even think straight. Babies are only babies for such a short time.

[Trekhawk]

The girls are right - enjoy your baby they do grow up so quickly.

Also even if you have a normal delivery you still may feel some tenderness in the nether regions. For such a small bundle babies can throw your life and routine upside down so see how things go and just take each day as it comes. Remember babies sleep when they are tired not when you are.

[slinkedog]

I have 4 kids and delivered all of them vaginally. I had really easy deliveries with all of them but one... I had a 4th degree tear and that one took quite a bit longer to heal from than the others with little tearing.

I agree with everyone else that until you are dealing with a baby that eats every two to four hours round the clock (if you are nursing, it can seem like constantly!), you may not feel like doing much else for a while. You need to take care of you. Most of the pregnancy books advocate waiting 6 weeks before resuming regular workouts, but each person is different. Talk to your doctor.

With #4 (easy delivery) I was trying to do a lot for the other kids soon after the birth and I started bleeding profusely (I'm sure you know that you will probably bleed for a few weeks after a normal delivery.) Your bleeding level can tell you a lot. My doc told me to take it easy... my body was telling me that I was doing too much.

So, be careful, listen to your body and most of all, enjoy that new little one!!

[Irulan]

The girls are right - enjoy your baby they do grow up so quickly.

Also even if you have a normal delivery you still may feel some tenderness in the nether regions. For such a small bundle babies can throw your life and routine upside down so see how things go and just take each day as it comes. Remember babies sleep when they are tired not when you are.

lol, I remember with #2, I went in for my two week checkup. I had a wonderful midwife, she said, wow, you look great! You can resume relations anytime. But tell your husband I said another 4 weeks.....

[limewave]

Thanks for the info everyone. I guess getting my body back will take a little longer than I thought. I won't let myself feel guilty for not jumping right back into my normal routine and enjoy hanging out with baby Sage instead.

[doc]

One other little fact you need to know. First time parents often don't realize how time consuming taking care of a newborn is. Many mothers find the day to be a resounding success if they managed to both shower and brush their own teeth. Don't set your sights so high that you're disappointed. I know so many moms who planned to make curtains and bake bread and paint the living room... when home on maternity leave. It doesn't work that way. They all laugh about it later.

PS I hope you and everyone else breastfeeds, or at least gives it a try. The formula manufacturers have really pulled a fast one on the american public.

[RebeccaAnn]

doc--exactly right about the shower and brushiing teeth! I remember telling DH "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I would rather sleep."

Breastfeeding has been great for me and the baby (now almost 16 months), but I have to remember to keep myself hydrated to keep milk production up. Water all day long and 12-20 oz. of Gatorade on most days. I don't think I could have added strenuous exercise that took additional hydration for the first several months. We did start taking walks around the neighborhood fairly early. Pushing the stroller was my main form of exercise until the doctor okayed him for the bike trailer.

I hope we're not scaring you, or anyone planning to have children. It is totally exhausting, completely turns your life upside down, and is absolutely worth it. Just relax and enjoy the baby. Other things can wait.

One piece of advice I wish I'd been better about following: When the baby sleeps, you sleep. Don't try to get anything done after you put the baby down, just take a nap. If you wake up before the baby, then you can start on your to-do list.

[Crankin]

You do not have to give up exercise/fitness just because you have a baby... maybe I am old fashioned, but when I had my kids, the time for me was planned right into my schedule. I don't understand how you can just sit around in your robe all day! Although I probably would not commit to a racing schedule, because you never know if your kid will be sick, etc, having appropriate time to get back into shape and improve your fitness level is important for both your mental health and keeping your stamina up for being a parent. Schedule riding time when you can count on your husband or someone else to watch the baby for an hour. I didn't ride when i had my kids, but I was serious gym rat and did a fair amount of power walking. With baby #1, I was walking within 4 days and doing aerobics in 3 weeks. I went back to work in 6 weeks and kept him at the sitter's an extra hour twice a week, so I could work out. Or, I went at 5:30 AM, since my husband had the AM parent duty (I have to be at work at 7:30). With #2, I pretty much had the same schedule, although I did feel more tired, mostly from meeting the demands of my oldest. Truthfully, I think I had some post partum depression with #1. If I hadn't been able to get out of the house and exercise, I don't like to think what could have happened. Both of my kids were nasty infants, until about 3 months, longer for the second. But, they are normal adults now and I don't think anyone would say they are screwed up because their mother left them to exercise.

[slinkedog]

I hardly think of taking care of a newborn nursing infant as sitting around in my robe all day!! I was busy 24 hours round the clock with a kid on my boob or doing something for one of the others or sleeping. Even when it was just one I was constantly busy cleaning, cooking or trying to get a little sleep.

[singletrackmind]

the first race is 2.5 weeks after my due date and then a race every Saturday in Nov. This is jogging--not cycling. Does this seem like a reasonable goal? Keep in mind, I'm not afraid to walk to the finish if I have to :-)
Thanks!

Sorry, c-section and ouchie size H boobs. NO WAY NO HOW it wasn't happening!!! I've finished (and won) a mountain bike race after breaking a collar bone in 2 places on the first lap-I'm not a pain wuss by any means but having Mr. Adorable was a whole new situation. I was able to start walking again within a month and riding a bit after that though with the new 24/7 job I was a bit zonkered. RebeccaAnn's sure right about one thing (ok, everything she said) you SLEEP when the baby does! I had to fight myself on that one because so much seems to fall behind at first but if you don't sleep then, you don't sleep.

[singletrackmind]

Duh, what Beth-Ro said-
CONGRATULATIONS!! on your upcoming bundle of joy! Because no matter what, at some point during the day you're going to be staring into an amazing little face and find your heart's home.

And also-it's been a couple of years for me now. Yesterday I did a 7 mile walk to the library and park (did you know there's no gears on a stroller?) and in the evening pulled a two-seater baby trailer complete with 2 year old and gear into a 9 mile an hour headwind at 15.3 avg. Thanks to that baby trailer I am stronger than ever, though what little sprint I had has suffered. You will return! I don't get as much chance to ride as before and have only lost a little speed. I know 15.3 doesn't sound big but when that trailer stays home I FLY!
(I wouldn't trade having my boyo for those extra hours on the bike or faster speed or anything else in the world)

[Irulan]

Here is a really good article on elite female atheletes,training and pregnancy that you might find usefull interesting
http://www.insidetri.com/train/bike/...es/1486.0.html It is written by an MD who is a cat 3 racer.