I have written mostly about pregnancy and training so far. But now let’s shift focus for a little bit and talk about Postpartum. I define the postpartum period as the time after being pregnant as postpartum. That means, whether that is after childbirth, a stillbirth, child or infant loss, or even a miscarriage, you are now postpartum. Your body was pregnant, and then now it is not. Postpartum definitely does not end after 6 weeks! Recovery from childbirth should really be for as long as you were pregnant, yea 9-10 months! I believe we need to change our mindset or understanding of what it means to be postpartum.
There is a lot going on when you are early postpartum, especially after childbirth. Your hormones drastically change! That would be why we have all the lovely things going on while trying to take care of a newborn, like night sweats! But an important fact to keep in mind is that you just gave birth to a baby but also you have given birth to a new you. It’s a big change! It’s hard to adjust and may not be all rainbows and butterflies. Parenting a newborn is no easy feat. Give yourself a break. But also make sure you have planned for the immediate postpartum time and have enough support! Having the right amount of support can make a world of difference. I don’t believe this will exactly make everything better but you will be surrounded by others there to help you and listen to you.
Let’s talk our postpartum timeline when it comes to recovery!
0-2 weeks – This time should be to only connect and rest with your baby. If this seems like a stretch, that is what I mean by planning for the immediate postpartum period. Make sure your partner, family, etc know that you want to be able to have this experience. If you have more than one child then, plan on when/who is watching your other children and preparing them for what is to come. 💜
2-6 weeks – This period you should be focused on recovery which can center around breath work and gentle movement. You need to be gentle with yourself at this time Mama. No, you should not be hitting the gym just yet. You need to recover from your birth first!
Sidebar: There are some mamas who love their gym classes and are so excited to get back. Take a moment to ask yourself is it the gym class or is it the community you’re missing? Then discuss it with your coach. Maybe you can schedule some 1-on-1 time while your class is being held. That way you get the community but aren’t over doing it.
6-12 weeks – This is the time to rebuild our strength we worked so hard to get before and during our pregnancy. This means being smart with what we choose to do as we return to exercising and training.
3-12 months – Now it’s time to get stronger!! Once we have built that strong foundation, you are able to build on top of it and make some gains.
Postpartum brings so many new experiences and challenges. You are doing great Mama! For any questions, shoot me an email.
Sweet Mama Fitness 