After having a baby, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. You can divide the 150 minutes into 30-minute workouts on 5 days of the week or into smaller 10-minute sessions throughout each day. For example, you could go for three 10-minute walks each day.
Doing too much exercise too soon (and the wrong types)
Until your six-week postpartum check up, you shouldn't be doing any serious exercise, says Amy Gildner, an orthopaedic physiotherapist and certified pelvic floor physiotherapist at West End Mamas in Toronto. “It's definitely a time to rest and repair,” she says.
If you haven't already and you're feeling up for it, you should be able to resume a light workout schedule—think walks and stretches—about two weeks postpartum.
Exercise can help to tone stomach muscles and burn calories (Evenson et al 2014, Amorim Adegboye et al 2013). You can do light exercise like walking and stretching even in the early weeks after having your baby .
Expect it to take around six weeks for your uterus to contract fully. At six weeks, you may have already lost the weight you gained during pregnancy. This is especially true if you're breastfeeding.
If you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and vaginal delivery, it's generally safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a C-section, extensive vaginal repair or a complicated birth, talk to your health care provider about when to start an exercise program.
If your postnatal bleeding (lochia) gets heavier or changes colour (becomes pink or red) after activity, you could be overdoing it. You're also likely to feel very tired. Listen to your body. Pace yourself and make sure you get plenty of rest too.
No matter how you delivered your baby, the postpartum recovery period is generally considered to be the first six weeks after childbirth. This doesn't mean that at six weeks you'll magically bounce back to pre-baby condition.
Postpartum bleeding after exercise shouldn't change too much. If it does, you're overdoing it. You should also stop exercising if you feel pain.
Usual activities such as walking, climbing the stairs and light housework are safe, but do not lift heavy objects for approximately six weeks. As with a vaginal delivery, we recommend waiting at least three weeks before having intercourse.
'Postpartum fatigue', then, is a type of chronic exhaustion that feels overwhelming. While it can last for up to 4 or 5 months, it's important to remember that – though it may not feel like it when you're in the thick of it – normality really will return before too long.
National Sleep Foundation's recommended seven hours of sleep per night during the postpartum period in which they answered the survey.
Avoid stairs and lifting until your doctor says these activities are OK. Don't take a bath or go swimming until the doctor says it's OK. Don't drive until your doctor says it's OK. Also wait until you can make sudden movements and wear a safety belt properly without discomfort.
Avoid heavy lifting
Generally anything over 15 pounds may be too strenuous for some, and most moms are "heavy lifting" many times a day. Work with your pelvic floor physiotherapist to develop strategies for proper core activation to make lifting safer.
Avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby for 6 weeks after birth. Tighten your tummy and keep your back straight if you need to lift something around the house. Until around 12 weeks (3 months) after birth, you will still be healing inside. It is OK to start walking, do low-impact aerobics or cycle.
Some pregnant people notice acne, hyperpigmentation, or a "pregnancy mask" (the darkening of pigmentation around the mouth, cheeks, and forehead also known as melasma). Exhaustion and water retention may lead to under-eye pouches, while increased blood flow can cause spider veins across the face.
Tightening your skin after pregnancy can be a slow process. Once you heal from childbirth, it can take several weeks or even months for your skin to regain its elasticity. That said, there are things you can do to help speed up the process, such as exercise, staying hydrated, and using certain skincare products.
It really depends on the elasticity of a woman's skin, how much it stretched during her pregnancy, and postpartum weight loss, Pivarnik says. “There are plenty of fit women who don't have tight abdominal skin to start with,” he says.
Experts recommend that new moms get at least seven hours. While this study provides valuable insight into the importance of sleep, be patient with you and your baby in the postpartum period. Consider asking for help, sleeping when your baby sleeps, and forgoing bed sharing to optimize your sleep schedule.
There is consensus that the postpartum period begins upon birth of the newborn. The end is less well defined, but is often considered the six to eight weeks after birth because the effects of pregnancy on many systems have largely returned to the prepregnancy state by this time.
The first few weeks after delivery are an important time for you to rest whenever you can. Try and sleep or rest when your baby sleeps. This rest will help you recover. Avoiding heavy lifting: You should avoid lifting anything that's heavier than your baby while you're recovering.
Sleepless nights are common in new parenthood, but they do not last forever. Most babies will begin to sleep for longer periods at night from the age of 6 months old. Newborn babies need to feed every few hours until the age of 3 months. After this, it is normal for infants to feed once or twice during the night.
It is also important for you to walk and move around after delivery to prevent complications that lead to swelling in the legs. But try not to overdo your activity. Talk to your doctor about creating a postpartum workout plan that fits your needs.
Right after delivery, you can expect to lose about 10-12 pounds, which includes the weight of the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid. You'll also lose another 5 or so pounds during the first week post-delivery as your body sheds excess water weight.