EXPERIENCED MOMS ...When do you work out?

[dixiedutch]

I've just had my first baby. She is now 3 months old. I had planned to go back to working out at 6 weeks..ha ha ha!!! I just had no idea...

My question is...when do you work out? If breastfeeding, does it affect lactation amount?

Thank-you! Thank-you!

 

[daisyheather]

Well every baby's schedule is so different, so it really depends. Also you didn't mention if you are working outside the home or not. If you are home during the day, that gives you quite a bit more flexibility. When I had my first baby I liked to work out during his morning nap. My routine was nurse when he first woke up, morning playtime, nurse again, then put him down for a morning nap. That's when I would work out. And then of course try to get showered and dressed by the time the baby woke up. Obviously it doesn't always happen quite that way. Also if the baby is agreeable to the idea, they can always watch you from a swing, bouncy seat, etc. I never went that route but know other moms have. Also I highly suggest getting out and walking for workouts. It does both you and the baby such good to get fresh air and experience the outdoors.

You also asked about your milk being affected by workouts. Mine never was, but I think it depends from person to person. Make sure you are drinking a lot and getting the extra calories needed to maintain your milk supply. Exercising right after nursing always helped my comfort level, but I still have to wear double sports bras for support. Some people say the baby doesn't like the taste of milk after a sweaty workout, but I never experienced that. One thing I've learned about being a mom is every baby is different. I'm pg with #3 and have no idea when I am going to get to work out. I'll just have to wait and figure it out when I meet this new little person.

HTW, Heather

 

[shopaholic]

Hi and congrats!
The first few months, I nursed and then put my daughter in her swing by my workout area. She eventually would fall asleep. My daughter was a snacker and did want to continually nurse so sometimes I let her cry it out, other times I stopped and nursed her. In the beginning, my normally flat chest was so big, i used 2 sports bras. I didn't feel nursing effected the milk production. A good video on postpartum exercise is charlene prickett's return to slender.
As my daughter got older, I let her play in her pac and play and eventually she fell asleep. Now my daughter is 18 months old, I exercise while she naps or plays in her crib. For your own sanity get your baby used to a pac and play and going into his/her crib awake. Also, try to exercise at a time when child is normally sleepy.

 

[wendymin72]

Hi.

I am not an experienced mom. I am pregnant with my first and have thought alot about how to fit my work outs in after the baby is born...

My thoughts are to either work out during nap time, or waiting until bedtime. I am so used to not even starting a workout until 7 or8 pm most nights anyway, this would probably feel quite normal to me and may work out the best for me....

Have a great work out!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN

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[MSJ]

Hi there

I when my babies were small, I would either

A. nurse them and put them in the swing in my workout area, usually letting them cry it out if they became fussy.
or
B. letting my husband hold and entertain them when he was home. This option did not work so well as my husband does not like to let them cry it out and would interrupt me, saying "he/she needs you".

Now that they are older, I put in a DVD in the computer for them to watch in the next room while I workout. One of the older kids babysits and keeps an eye on things. This has worked superbly, although in an ideal world I wouldn't want to rely on the electronic babysitter. But I do get in my workouts regularly.

Sometimes my husband watches the kiddos for me on weekends or evenings and this goes much better now that the "baby" is not nursing so constantly and is not so needy.

I have never had a problem with lactation and exercise. This probably varies from woman to woman.

take care
Maggie

 

[autumn]

Hi!! I do what has already been mentioned... get it done when I can. During naps, after the kids are in bed, sometimes with the baby is swinging or in his entertainer saucer (he finds me entertaining when I workout .

Exercise never decreased my milk supply. IMO, working out should not decrease milk supply. You may need extra calories, but most women have extra calories thanks to the fat storage that occured during pregnancy. Listen to your body... if you notice a decrease in your milk supply, are extra hungry, etc. increase your calories with healthful choices. Oh, and DRINK plenty of water.

Some babies don't like the taste of breast milk immediatley after exercise due to the lactic acid that is excreted, but from my research this only lasts a few minutes and the baby should get used to it (NEVER a problem with my son .

Hang in there!!!!


HTH!!!!

 

[dixiedutch]

Thank-you all so very much for your words of wisdom! I am so amazed at you all, so energetci with more than one child. Again, thank-you! thank-you!

cbe

 

[Lori_In_ND]

Always worked best for me to just let DH have the baby while I exercised and then showered. I found letting the baby cry if he got fussy during a work out was very distracting and frustrating. With my last baby, now I am able to workout during my lunch hour. I also have tried at night, but am much too tired.. Good luck.

 

[briee]

Good suggestions up above. I want to add.....don't get stressed about doing a "solid hour" of workouts. Be really creative and flexible as in.....Do 5 intervals of imax.....baby wakes so help baby...then do a section from CoreMax when you have 20 minutes....later in the day do a few sets on one body part. I think the key is (with only one baby at least) to "fit it in" when you can. I had strep throat last week and family visiting and what I found myself doing was pullup sets (we have a bar in our school room - very accessible) and pushups sets whenever I would think about them, instead of full workouts as I just couldn't fit them in. I don't like to do this ideally, but sometimes life isn't ideal, so you do what you can. It actually gets easier when you have more children...older ones entertaining younger ones!!

Briee