, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat are the risks of returning to physical activity too early?<\/h2>\n
Once again, it all depends on the sport and the intensity<\/strong> at which you practice it. A gentle, low-impact sport, even if practiced as soon as you leave the maternity ward, will not be a problem.<\/p>\nOn the other hand, for high-impact and\/or high-risk sports, you should at the very least wait until you have finished your pelvic floor rehabilitation (and abdominal rehabilitation as recommended by your practitioners). Doing an unsuitable sport too soon after childbirth can lead to urinary leakage<\/strong> and\/or a prolapse<\/strong> (pelvic organ prolapse).<\/p>\nPelvic floor rehabilitation<\/strong> plays an essential role in your pelvic health. It begins between 6 and 8 weeks after childbirth.<\/p>\n\u2757If discomfort appears<\/strong>, you must stop your physical activity<\/strong> and contact a healthcare professional to assess the situation. As a reminder, you should seek medical advice if:<\/p>\n\n- You have a feeling of heaviness in the pelvic floor<\/strong>,<\/li>\n
- You notice an increase in your bleeding<\/strong>,<\/li>\n
- You feel abnormally tired<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Are there differences in returning to exercise after a C-section?<\/h2>\n
As we said above: whatever your delivery method, you can resume physical activity as soon as you leave the maternity ward, as long as it is gentle and low-impact. As long as you stay attuned to your body (especially by watching for the warning signs mentioned above), exercise after childbirth is once again highly recommended.<\/p>\n
The only difference is the scar<\/strong>, which remains a surgical wound. So you need to take care of it<\/strong>, even when exercising. Make sure to keep it clean and dry<\/strong>. Also choose appropriate clothing<\/strong>, with an elastic waistband that does not sit over the scar.<\/p>\nAlso note that certain movements and sports can interfere with healing and are therefore discouraged<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n- Stomping<\/strong>,<\/li>\n
- Prolonged standing<\/strong>,<\/li>\n
- Repeated sitting\/standing movements (such as squats<\/strong>, for example),<\/li>\n
- Intense physical activities<\/strong> that may pull on the stitches or staples.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Before returning to exercise, we therefore recommend discussing it with your healthcare professional and seeking prompt advice if you notice discomfort and\/or pain.<\/p>\n
How can you fit exercise into a schedule with a newborn?<\/h2>\n
Taking time just for yourself<\/strong> and leaving your baby with someone else for a few hours can unfortunately cause feelings of guilt in some postpartum women. But taking time for yourself also means making sure you can give your best to your child when you return!<\/p>\nAgain: easier said than done. So here are a few tips to get back to exercise after childbirth while keeping an eye on your newborn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\u27a1\ufe0fWalking<\/strong> allows you to combine exercise with being present for your child. For example, a walk with the stroller lets you get some fresh air, walk, and stay available for your baby.<\/p>\n\u27a1\ufe0fIf you take Pilates or yoga classes<\/strong>, you can ask the studio whether it is possible to place your baby on a play mat or in a bouncer near you.<\/p>\n\u27a1\ufe0fYou can also choose a physical activity to do with your baby, such as postnatal yoga or dance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\u27a1\ufe0fFor practical reasons, working out at home<\/strong> may be what appeals to you most! Some online tutorials can help you get back into exercise.<\/p>\nWhere can you find fitness programs designed for new moms?<\/h2>\n
To find exercise programs suited to new moms, there\u2019s nothing better than asking your healthcare professional for advice<\/strong>. They can tell you which activities to prioritize and may even refer you to a specialist.<\/p>\nYou can also:<\/p>\n
\n- Subscribe to certain YouTube channels<\/strong> (but be sure to ask your healthcare professional for advice first\u2014you never know). In particular, we\u2019re thinking of Lucile Woodward\u2019s channel, a fitness coach who offers special postpartum workout sessions, or Karim NGosso, coach on La Maison des Maternelles<\/em>, who shares several exercises to do at home, with or without your baby.<\/li>\n
- Purchase a subscription<\/strong> to follow a program specifically designed for postpartum mothers.<\/li>\n
- Ask the May midwife team<\/strong>, available on the app chat from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Exercise has many benefits, which can make it a major asset postpartum. Of course, getting back into it should happen at your own pace and according to your wishes<\/strong>: life as a parent is already exhausting enough, and exercise after childbirth should not become a burden.<\/p>\nPhoto: JR-50<\/p>\n
This text was translated from French by an artificial intelligence. The information, advice, and sources it contains comply with French standards and may therefore not apply to your situation. Make sure to complement this reading by visiting the May US\/UK app and consulting the healthcare professionals who are supporting you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you love it or not, there\u2019s no denying the many benefits exercise offers for both body and mind. And this is even more true postpartum, since it helps you recover from pregnancy and reconnect with your body. Of course, that\u2019s easier said than done\u2014especially with a newborn at home\u2026 Getting back to exercise after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":12011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[189,191],"tags":[162],"class_list":["post-30959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-childbirth-en","category-postpartum","tag-preparation-for-childbirth"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30959"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30960,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30959\/revisions\/30960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}