Postpartum recovery: exercise after pregnancy
How long will it take to recover my physique after pregnancy? How should I care for postpartum? I do sport if I am a nursing mother? Here you will find tips and answers to these questions.
Postpartum is the transition phase in which the mother and child move from this close relationship that exists during pregnancy into a period of greater autonomy for both. In this situation, each woman undergoes profound changes to physical and psychological level, new emotions, feelings and responsibilities, as well as the important changes in the physiology of the mother, until it returns to a condition similar to that was before pregnancy. Exercise can help you to recover the figure.
How long do it take to disappear the ligamentous laxity?
Pregnancy increases the laxity of the joints (greater elasticity of the ligaments and joints) allowing a broader movement by the effect of the hormones released during pregnancy, which may facilitate the emergence of sprains ankle, knee, shoulder and finger.
Ligamentous laxity can remain up to approximately 12 weeks after delivery. For this reason, within our goal of recovery postpartum is recommended to sports that do not require jumping or excessive stretching, and use a suitable footwear. It is also advisable to exercises of warming of the joints of shoulders, ankles and knees.
What care I have postpartum?
Within the period of postpartum recovery, we must follow the following tips:
· Drink plenty of fluids.
· Use a proper bra when you exercise.
· Maintain proper nutritional habits.
Not only that, sport contributes to the recent mother other positive effects, such as an improvement in their cardiovascular function, increased muscle flexibility, a better calcification of the bones, a stronger immune system, and a reduction in stress and anxiety, favouring the self-esteem of the sporty MOM to the feel better with herself.
What effects can the sport on the composition and volume of milk have?
There are no clear studies suggesting that exercise influences the volume or the composition of breast milk. According to the Spanish Association of Paediatrics, in breasts that were already before athletes, exercise does not affect negatively to the volume of milk or its composition.
But, in those mothers who are not assiduous sport, make exercise intense during the postpartum recovery period may cause decrease milk volume and changes in its composition, as a decrease of lactose or some factors of defence and an increase of lactic acid which, being bitter, could make some babies to reject the chest (although usually tend to tolerate well this "change of taste"). Therefore, the exercise of how intense and regular after pregnancy will have to leave it only to moms who are professional athletes.
Those sports where there may be risk of trauma in the breast are also contraindicated during puerperium and lactation.
The Spanish Association of Paediatrics gives some tips for sport after pregnancy without risks for the mother:
· If you are a nursing mother and going to practice sport, do it after nursing.
· Use a sports bra, preferably cotton.
· Heated well before and regulates the intensity of the exercise, going from least to most progressively and knowing that you have to stop when you start getting tired
· It increases your hydration.
· The diet should be rich in complex carbohydrates and low in fat.
· When is bleeding: is convenient to wait a few days to begin the exercise.
· In the event that you have made aepisiotomy: it would be advisable to wait long enough until it has ceased pain before returning to practice sport.
· It should be especially careful with the hypermobility ligamentous during the first postpartum weeks, since it can cause accidents.
· Tiredness or fatigue is a very common problem. If it occurs, it is convenient to change the exercise for a period of rest (e.g. a NAP).
· Urinary incontinence is a common problem in women after childbirth, which can be extended for a few months. It would be convenient to perform exercises that will help to accelerate the recovery, as for example the Kegel exercises.
· It is very important to do exercises to warm up and stretch before starting physical activity, and relax after.
· The practice of abdominal strengthening exercises can help, together with care for posture, relieve backache, so prevalent in the postpartum period.
Postpartum recovery
How long will it take to recover my physique after pregnancy? How should I care for postpartum? I do sport if I am a nursing mother? Here you will find tips and answers to these questions about exercise after pregnancy and post-partum recovery.Postpartum is the transition phase in which the mother and child move from this close relationship that exists during pregnancy into a period of greater autonomy for both. In this situation, each woman undergoes profound changes to physical and psychological level, new emotions, feelings and responsibilities, as well as the important changes in the physiology of the mother, until it returns to a condition similar to that was before pregnancy. Exercise can help you to recover the figure.
How long do it take to disappear the ligamentous laxity?
Pregnancy increases the laxity of the joints (greater elasticity of the ligaments and joints) allowing a broader movement by the effect of the hormones released during pregnancy, which may facilitate the emergence of sprains ankle, knee, shoulder and finger.
Ligamentous laxity can remain up to approximately 12 weeks after delivery. For this reason, within our goal of recovery postpartum is recommended to sports that do not require jumping or excessive stretching, and use a suitable footwear. It is also advisable to exercises of warming of the joints of shoulders, ankles and knees.
What care I have postpartum?
Within the period of postpartum recovery, we must follow the following tips:
· Drink plenty of fluids.
· Use a proper bra when you exercise.
· Maintain proper nutritional habits.
Can a nursing mother do exercise?
Breastfeeding and the practice of sport are not only compatible, if not that also provides various benefits within our objective of postpartum recovery. Different studies suggest that a woman giving chest to your child and physical exercise recovers its former weight (which was before pregnancy) faster than a sedentary nursing mother. In addition, it eliminates before the fat accumulated during pregnancy.Not only that, sport contributes to the recent mother other positive effects, such as an improvement in their cardiovascular function, increased muscle flexibility, a better calcification of the bones, a stronger immune system, and a reduction in stress and anxiety, favouring the self-esteem of the sporty MOM to the feel better with herself.
What effects can the sport on the composition and volume of milk have?
There are no clear studies suggesting that exercise influences the volume or the composition of breast milk. According to the Spanish Association of Paediatrics, in breasts that were already before athletes, exercise does not affect negatively to the volume of milk or its composition.
But, in those mothers who are not assiduous sport, make exercise intense during the postpartum recovery period may cause decrease milk volume and changes in its composition, as a decrease of lactose or some factors of defence and an increase of lactic acid which, being bitter, could make some babies to reject the chest (although usually tend to tolerate well this "change of taste"). Therefore, the exercise of how intense and regular after pregnancy will have to leave it only to moms who are professional athletes.
What sports are those recommended for postpartum?
The nursing woman can exercise type aerobic, such as swimming or brisk walking, all or almost all days of the week, during about 30 minutes per session. That Yes, swimming is not recommended for postpartum, it should be a reasonable time.Those sports where there may be risk of trauma in the breast are also contraindicated during puerperium and lactation.
The Spanish Association of Paediatrics gives some tips for sport after pregnancy without risks for the mother:
· If you are a nursing mother and going to practice sport, do it after nursing.
· Use a sports bra, preferably cotton.
· Heated well before and regulates the intensity of the exercise, going from least to most progressively and knowing that you have to stop when you start getting tired
· It increases your hydration.
· The diet should be rich in complex carbohydrates and low in fat.
Tips for postpartum in relation to physical exercise
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you want to exercise after giving birth:· When is bleeding: is convenient to wait a few days to begin the exercise.
· In the event that you have made aepisiotomy: it would be advisable to wait long enough until it has ceased pain before returning to practice sport.
· It should be especially careful with the hypermobility ligamentous during the first postpartum weeks, since it can cause accidents.
· Tiredness or fatigue is a very common problem. If it occurs, it is convenient to change the exercise for a period of rest (e.g. a NAP).
· Urinary incontinence is a common problem in women after childbirth, which can be extended for a few months. It would be convenient to perform exercises that will help to accelerate the recovery, as for example the Kegel exercises.
· It is very important to do exercises to warm up and stretch before starting physical activity, and relax after.
· The practice of abdominal strengthening exercises can help, together with care for posture, relieve backache, so prevalent in the postpartum period.
Article contributed for educational purposes