Preggo!
Having a baby is the most transformative and life-changing experience I have ever had. I mentally prepared for it by trying to envision how much my life would change and how much I would need to sacrifice once a child arrives. I'm truly grateful I understood this BEFORE getting pregnant because it didn't come as such a shock.
Having young babies and toddlers requires 24/7 care, through all the highs and lows. It's the best thing I've ever done and the hardest thing I've ever done. I love my little boy so much! It's truly indescribable. But that being said, mommyhood leaves very little "me" time. Below I have included a bit of what has worked for me as a new mom who cares deeply about health and fitness. It took a long time to figure all of this out so I wanted to share my experience with you. You CAN be better after baby! I don't mean just physically, but also on the inside. You are changed for the better. You are Mom, giver of life. Setting a strong example of health for your family and taking time for you is an awesome gift to yourself and to them! I am simply a better mom when I take a bit of time to myself to work out. It's my stress-reliever and balances my mood.
1. Take your time. I mean seriously take.your.time. I am 15 months postpartum, and I didn't start feeling "normal" until about 7 or 8 months postpartum. I have been "blessed" (hehe) with a baby who was perfect in every way except the sleep department. I mean, the KID WAS UP ALL NIGHT EVERY NIGHT. Nurse, nurse, nurse, back to sleep, 1 hour later nurse, nurse, nurse again. When sleep improved for us (around 7 months, feel free to e-mail me if you want some help in this department, I have some tips for sleep harmony and also highly recommend the book Sage Nighttime Parenting), I started kicking my workouts back into high gear and a more normal routine. So, in the depths of sleep deprivation there was no way in H-E-L-L I was going to hit the weights or do some HIIT cardio. Whaaaaaa??? Um no, brew me another cup of coffee and allow me to stare into space. This was survival mode!
To sum it up, acknowledge the fact that you will most likely face unexpected hurdles during your first year postpartum, and every baby is different! Whatever you're faced with, I can ASSURE you that the issues are usually heightened by sleep deprivation, hormones, etc., and that it WILL get better! You will be back to feeling like yourself and find your "groove" as a mom or dad! It happens naturally and just takes time.
2. Don't push it too early. Yup, I know you're freaking out and want to lose the baby weight and look like an even hotter version of your pre-baby self (this is a delusion I myself have). Well, simmer down for a few and realize you just created a HUMAN and either pushed it out of your hoo-ha OR it was cut out of your abdomen. Just process that for a few. Regardless of how you delivered, your pelvic floor just held up a big baby and tons of organs/fluid for 10 months. It needs to heal and this takes time. Even if your doc or midwife gives you the 6-week go ahead to work out, I would still wait. If you jump in too soon with doing anything but walking/stretching/isometrics you risk worsening any prolapse you may have developed through pregnancy/delivery (vaginal wall, uterine, rectal prolapse....all fun and beautiful things). Boy was it a SHOCK when I went running the first time and peed a little. What the whaaaaa???? I'm 29 years old! And I had a normal sized babe (7Lb.15oz) and a fairly easy delivery. I should have waited longer than 8 weeks to attempt plyos and sprints. Lesson learned and I will slow down with my next baby. P.S. If you're peeing your pants after your baby during workouts, it gets a lot better. Deep squats can help strengthen your pelvic floor, and TIME. Take walks daily and chill for a second. I should have.
3. Incorporate weights and compound movements into your routine. This will give you the biggest bang for your buck by balancing hormones, building lean muscle, and caloric after burn once you're done working out. I'd be happy to create a routine specific to you, shoot me an email! Balancemejourdan@gmail.com. I found myself with limited time after bringing my baby home, and it's taken me over a year to develop amazing routines that actually fit into my life and can be done quickly and effectively. Stay tuned for postpartum bikini pics and progress photos! Weights shape the body you desire by building lean and shapely muscle. Your diet and short high intensity intervals shed the fat on top of hard earned muscle to show off your hard work. Using compound movements with weights hitting multiple muscle groups like weighted squats and deadlifts also speed up your metabolism and heart rate, allowing for fat burning before and after workouts! Don't WASTE your precious ME-TIME clocking hours of steady state cardio (unless you enjoy it! In that case it still has awesome benefits for the body and mind...but what I describe above has been time saving and effective for me post-baby).
4. Buy clothes that fit the new you. Many women find that they get back into great shape, lose pregnancy weight, but their old clothes still don't fit quite right. This is normal and okay! You are transformed into a kick-ass mom and powerful woman. The changes some may find are wider hips and bigger backside (your's truly!) and different bra size. Everyone's different. These changes DON'T mean that you won't be super fit, sexy, and back to your old weight, it just means some things may stay different. I love my postpartum body and it's a damn great excuse to buy new clothes. Isn't it time to donate those white jeans from high school, and maybe the cutoffs? I'd probably be arrested if I tried to wear those now. Y'all ain't 17 anymore! And by y'all I mean me. Hehe.
5. Make the time. Sometimes my son takes a nap and I KNOW it's now or never. Workout clothes on, I grab my weights and blast the music. Hit the ground running. This sometimes means dishes are staying on the sink, the dog hair doesn't get swiffered, and emails don't get answered. Because every other moment of the day I try to stay engaged and present with my kid. It's just how my priorities are right now. Working out and healthy meals are HIGH on my list because it makes me HAPPIER/HEALTHIER/more MILF-like. Yup I said that. So I suggest you workout first, then notice how mysteriously the rest of your day falls into place beautifully because of your endorphins and feelings of accomplishment. I know it makes me a better mom and I know it can help you kick-ass in your life too.
Moms, you ROCK! And thanks for having an awesome sense of humor.
:)