Information on breast feeding: Exercise tips and suggestions for the nursing mother who chooses to breastfeed her baby.
Just after giving birth the last thing a mom might want to think about is exercise, especially a nursing mother. Still it's an important step in getting back your pre-pregancy figure, as well as keeping yourself fit while nursing your infant which does affect a new mom's body physically.
If you're a breastfeeding mom, whether it's six weeks post-partum or six months into your experience as a nursing mother here are a few suggestions to get back into the routine of exercise.
1. Choose an exercise program or activity that you enjoy. Don't pick one you think will give you the optimum post-partum workout. By selecting an activity you will enjoy, you will be more likely to stick with it.
2. Exercise doesn't have to be hard. Some women report having clogged milk ducts in conjunction with repetitive arm movement exercises, and strenuous weightlifting. Others find that jogging and running, even with the best bra support are still uncomfortable while nursing. You can do these sort of exercises without harm to your breastfeeding experience, but don't forget that pushing your new baby in the stroller for half and hour a day is exercise too.
3. Dress comfortable but supported. As a nursing mom, you will definitely need a good support bra before, during and after exercise. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. Don't forget about underwear either. After putting on those pregnancy pounds, you may need to select briefs that don't constrict, ride or bunch up. You also want to make sure that you wear clothing that won't get you overheated, and absorbs sweat like cotton.
4. Schedule exercise to suit your nursing schedule. Often your baby will take a nap after nursing, so planning a workout for right after a breastfeeding session works best for many moms. If you schedule an exercise session for before your baby wakes for the first morning feeding, or after your infant goes to sleep with the last night feeding, you have the best chance for uninterrupted exercise.
5. Find someone to exercise with. Having another nursing mom, or even just a new mom to exercise with might keep you motivate to stick to it, and also provides a social outlet. However, don't slip into the mindset that you have to do whatever your exercise partner is doing. We all have individual limitations, and getting into a post-partum exercise schedule is hard enough as it is. Let you exercise buddy motivate you if they can do more than you can, not get you down.
