Question about situps and crunches

[MomofThree]

I think I already know the answer to this, but I would like to hear any second or third opinions you all may have. I am a 34 mother of a 10 year old and 6.5 year old twins, both delivered vaginally. I am in good health, exercise regularly (love Cathe tapes) and recently had a tummy tuck to repair my inner girdle and remove the loose skin from the twin pregnancy. My mother is worried that by doing situps or crunches I will cause myself to have a rectocele. My plastic surgeon advised me that at six weeks after surgery it was fine to start slowly exercising my abs again until I had built up to what I was doing prior to surgery. My mother knows I do step and is convinced that I am some sort of fanatic (LOL) and leading myself to a rectocele. She says any woman that has had children should never do situps or crunches. Could there be any truth to this that you know of?

 

[amynicole]

Hi,

I'm sure you mother is well meaning but the fact that she told you that no woman who has children should do sit ups or crunches tells me she is very out of date for fitness. Also, doing step does not make you a fanatic, it makes you interested in your health!

I am about to have my 3rd child any day now but in between my pregnancies I did plenty of ab work. So this mother certainly did cruches post baby with good results!

I would follow your doctor's advice on this one. Your specific question about doing ab work post surgery would be up to the doctor and it sounds like your Dr. has approved it. If your doctor gives you clearance then I would think it would be fine.

Good luck!!

 

[Sheila]

Hi MomofThree,

I'm going to agree 100% with Amynicole. Your mom's info is a little off base. Nothing like trying to perpetuate the "myth of the delicate condition" even through postpartum and beyond....

Good luck and recover quickly,

Sheila

Sheila S. Watkins, MLSci.
Founder and National Program Director
Healthy Moms(R) Fitness Programs

 

[honeybunch]

Follow your Doc's advice because Mother is not the expert in this case. We do not have to let mothers who fret know every detail of our lives. If she asks, just tell her you're going by your doc's instructions and DON'T elaborate!!!!!

 

[MomofThree]

Hi! Thank you for your advice and suggestions! Sheila, I think you hit the nail on the head when you talked of perpetuating the myth of the delicate condition. My mother and mil have had vaginal and bladder reconstruction/support type surgeries and now they are now very insistent about how they wish they had known before about how delicate women are and how they should never have done any heavy lifting. You can imagine what my mil was like to deal with whenever I carried the twins together as babies.

Sheila, with your background I felt certain if there was a reason situps shouldn't be done you would be aware of it. I was pretty certain I was right that situps would be fine (after all the doc okayed it) and yet I didn't want to be close-minded when my mother was so adamant about it.

Amynicole, you are right that my mother does mean well and thank you for the reassurance that I am not a fanatic. Trying to be healthy can sometimes be lonely. Honeybunch, I completely agree with you about how to handle fretful moms --just give her the facts and do not elaborate. That is the only way to deal with her. The idea to say I am following doctor's orders is a great suggestion.

I thank you all for taking the time to write.
Monique
:-jumpy