Do I need to exercise in the first few weeks?
Yes. It’s fine for you to take some exercise, as long as it’s gentle, in the first few weeks after having your baby. Gentle lower belly exercises and pelvic floor exercises are all it takes to help your body to recover at this stage.
Although exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do while adjusting to life as a mum, it does have benefits. It can:
- Boost your mood by increasing the levels of feel-good chemicals (endorphins) in your brain.
- Help you to lose weight and regain your pre-baby figure, if you eat sensibly.
- Protect you from aches and pains.
- Give you more energy, if you are feeling tired.
- Improve your strength and stamina, which will make looking after your newborn easier.
The most important exercises in the first few days after birth are your pelvic floor exercises. Start doing them as soon as you can. Strengthening your pelvic floor will help to protect you against having accidental urine leaks.
Pelvic floor exercises will also help your perineum and vagina to heal more quickly. That’s because the exercises improve circulation to the area, helping to reduce swelling andbruising. If you have stitches, exercising your pelvic floor won’t put any strain on them.
You may find for the first few days or weeks that you can’t feel your pelvic floor muscles working or that nothing is happening. Keep going, as the feeling in your pelvic floor will return after a few days and it will be working even if you can’t feel it.
As soon as you feel up to it, try to get out and about, ideally walking while pushing your babyin his pram. Make sure that the pram handles are the right size for you so that you don’t have to bend forwards or reach upwards.
In the first few days, your perineum or pelvic floor may feel uncomfortable, swollen or very heavy. Start with short walks of about 10 minutes, building to 20 minutes. Try to make a walk with your baby part of your daily routine, so that you’re more likely to do it.
If your lochia becomes redder or heavier, this may be a sign that you are overdoing things, so take things easy. In fact, the key to exercising healthily is to listen to your body.
You may feel on a high for the first few days. Then you may come down to earth with a crash when the baby blues kick in or you run out of energy. Try to pace yourself with a little bit of exercise followed by a well-earned rest.
If you are unsure about what you should be doing, talk to your doctor or midwife.
It’s safe to exercise while you are establishing breastfeeding. Exercise won’t affect the quality or quantity of your breastmilk.
The jury is out as to whether taking regular exercise when you’re a new mum reduces symptoms of postnatal depression. But one small study showed that joining in with regular exercise sessions helped new mums to feel better after their baby’s birth.
You’ll be adjusting to all sorts of new routines now. It’ll help you to keep up the exercise habit if you make gentle exercise one of your routines.
What about exercise after a caesarean?
The gentle exercises in this article are safe for you if have had either a vaginal birth or acaesarean section.
Gentle exercise of your tummy muscles can help them to recover from the operation. You may feel a pulling sensation when you tighten your muscles, but you should not feel any pain.
Be guided by how you feel. If you have had a caesarean you may find that you become tired easily.
Are there exercises I shouldn’t do in the first six weeks?
Don’t go swimming until you have had seven days without any bleeding or discharge from your vagina (lochia). If you have had stitches or a caesarean section, wait until after you have had your postnatal check. Talk to your doctor about exercise regimes that go beyond gentle tummy-tightening.
Don’t exercise in a hands-and-knees position for the first six weeks. There is a small risk that a little clot of air can form at the site where your placenta was attached.