Recovering from giving birth is a hard thing. Sometimes you are lucky
and you recover quickly and get your pre-baby body back quickly but for
many of us that isn't the case.
I am 9 weeks postpartum and my body is still recovering, my C section has meant that I am still not 100%.
My scar is healing well but can still be sore, I also have a bad back from over compensating for my tummy muscles being cut into! I find myself lifting with my back instead of my legs and straining my stomach muscles. I know this isn't good but it has been essential not to strain my tender stomach.
Along with still aching a bit I am desperate to get my tummy down but so many exercise options are off limits. I wasn't even allowed to hoover until I reached 6 weeks postpartum... Oh well... that isn't such a massive issue.
But I genuinely did want to work on getting my tummy down, not least because it was still a bit flabby and the C section caused me to have a slight overhang (over my scar). This has meant it hasn't got enough air and healing has taken longer. This delightful overhang is common as your tummy will take time to go down and also a C section often causes the skin below the scar to be tighter than the skin above it... Creating what is called a "belly flap"... Doesn't that sound attractive :-/ It looks as attractive as it sounds!
But because C section recovery has to be cautious, it is major surgery after all, it limits your exercise options. Swimming isn't a option until the scar is healed well and I can't imagine doing intensive cardio at the moment.
The best exercise advice I can offer is walking. It isn't exactly ground breaking but it is working for me. I am back in my pre-pregnancy jeans, granted I have a big muffin top going on, but I can do them up!
Walking with a friend or fellow mummy while pushing the pram is great. You can also use the time to have a good moan about midnight feeds and Mummy life while walking off calories. I am sure I talk enough to burn calories too.
But most importantly don't stress about your postpartum weight and tummy too much. It will take time. Don't forget, it took 9 months for your tummy to get that big (and grow your precious baby) so it will take a while to go back afterwards!
I am 9 weeks postpartum and my body is still recovering, my C section has meant that I am still not 100%.
My scar is healing well but can still be sore, I also have a bad back from over compensating for my tummy muscles being cut into! I find myself lifting with my back instead of my legs and straining my stomach muscles. I know this isn't good but it has been essential not to strain my tender stomach.
Along with still aching a bit I am desperate to get my tummy down but so many exercise options are off limits. I wasn't even allowed to hoover until I reached 6 weeks postpartum... Oh well... that isn't such a massive issue.
But I genuinely did want to work on getting my tummy down, not least because it was still a bit flabby and the C section caused me to have a slight overhang (over my scar). This has meant it hasn't got enough air and healing has taken longer. This delightful overhang is common as your tummy will take time to go down and also a C section often causes the skin below the scar to be tighter than the skin above it... Creating what is called a "belly flap"... Doesn't that sound attractive :-/ It looks as attractive as it sounds!
But because C section recovery has to be cautious, it is major surgery after all, it limits your exercise options. Swimming isn't a option until the scar is healed well and I can't imagine doing intensive cardio at the moment.
The best exercise advice I can offer is walking. It isn't exactly ground breaking but it is working for me. I am back in my pre-pregnancy jeans, granted I have a big muffin top going on, but I can do them up!
Walking with a friend or fellow mummy while pushing the pram is great. You can also use the time to have a good moan about midnight feeds and Mummy life while walking off calories. I am sure I talk enough to burn calories too.
But most importantly don't stress about your postpartum weight and tummy too much. It will take time. Don't forget, it took 9 months for your tummy to get that big (and grow your precious baby) so it will take a while to go back afterwards!
No comments:
Post a Comment