Skip to main content

Five tips for active, breastfeeding moms

Five tips for active, breastfeeding moms
By Leah Cadieux, RLC, IBCLC, B.A.

Having a new baby is a time that often involves a steep learning curve! So many things have changed in your life and yet some things are still the same. Many new moms wonder about fitness and exercising while breastfeeding. Is there anything mom’s need to know, look out for, can’t do? What has changed and what hasn’t?

What hasn’t changed?
1. Go for it! 
Despite what your neighbour, or grandma or someone on Facebook might tell you, breastfeeding and exercising are completely compatible!  There is absolutely no truth to exercise harming milk supply or contributing to baby refusing the breast. While there is a time of recovery and healing after birth and some time needed to get to know your baby and establish breastfeeding, unless a woman has medical contraindications you can start with gentle walks as soon as you feel up to it.  Once a mom is recovered and healed from birth (usually around six weeks, talk to your health care provider) you can start back at your normal physical activities. 
2. Exercise is so good for you!
Being active is still good for you and holds all the same benefits as before you were a parent or during your pregnancy including (among many others) lower rates of cardiovascular disease, improved stamina, better longevity  and promoting higher quality sleep. It also includes some important post-baby specific benefits such as lower rates of post-partum mood disorders (which include post partum depression, post partum obsessive compulsive disorder, and post partum anxiety disorder), a positive sense of wellbeing and increased mother-baby bonding. Being physically active helps your physical wellbeing but also your mental and emotional health and wellbeing which can be especially important for new moms! 
3. Be proud of yourself!
A healthy mom is a benefit to herself, her baby, her partner and everyone in her community. Without question both breastfeeding and being physically active takes planning, work and dedication! Making and meeting an exercise or breastfeeding goal is something that mother’s should celebrate!

What has changed?
4. Your body
Your body has done the amazing task of growing and now feeding another human being! You may need to pay more attention to workout gear, especially getting a properly fitted and supportive exercise bra. Some women need to wear more than one to get proper support while exercising. Be aware that wearing a bra that blocks milk duct flow for too long can lead to plugged ducts so depending on how the bra fits you may want to change to your normal nursing bra once done exercising. 
5. Be flexible and gentle on yourself as you grow into active life as a new mom
Sometimes workouts get interrupted for feedings or a crying baby or an activity is postponed due to sickness or fatigue. That is okay! Be gentle on yourself and your baby as you get used to each other. Try again when everyone is happy and content.  
Also, for many mom’s fitness levels have changed during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum and it takes a while to get back to ‘where we were’. Try and find an activity that fits your fitness level/goals and your baby’s personalities and age/development. 
Babies need to eat often, especially in the early months so keep that in mind as you plan workouts. There are so many choices to feed baby on cue and be active. There are excellent exercise classes you can do with babies in tow, you can feed baby before you start an activity or you can provide breastmilk for whoever is watching your baby while you are out.

About the Author, Leah Cadieux
I am a Registered Lactation Consultant (RLC, IBCLC, B.A.) working in private practice in Edmonton and surrounding area. My passion is to support parents to reach their breastfeeding goals, prenatally or during any part of the post-partum period. Partnering with parents, I take the time to listen fully to your journey and provide education, information and support for your unique parent-child relationship.  Aside from being a RLC, IBCLC, I am a recipient of the MILLC scholarship and hold a B.A. in psychology, focusing in early childhood development. I am a wife and mother of three amazing kiddos, runner, triathlete, yogi, reader and traveler. I can be reached at ulactation@gmail.com and  780-299-9354                                                    

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Pelvic Health Series: Our journey to regaining strength, alignment and function Kellie - part 2

Hello! I am starting this post with a huge thank you!! Jamie and I are incredibly humbled by, and grateful for the beautiful messages we have received since opening up about our journeys through this pelvic health blog series. Amongst your notes, we have found joy in knowing that you are becoming more aware of the changes occurring within your body. Many of you have even sought assessment because of our journey and we could not be more proud of you for doing so. Truly! If you have not read our previous posts in the series, please check out Jamie’s first and second installments as we as my first that precedes this post! Also, I wanted to remind all of you that there are so many incredible women’s health physiotherapists in Edmonton and surrounding area. Jamie and I are both seeing Jillian Palmer, from Bounce Back Physical Therapy , because we had started to develop a professional relationship with her through referring clients. We appreciated her approach, and her proximity ...

5 Healthy Tips for the Holidays!!

During one of my last boot camps of 2010 I asked each of my participants to come up with a plan to keep up with their hard work over the holidays. We do not want to ruin your hard-earned results during Christmas, however, this does not mean that you cannot still enjoy some holiday favorites! Here are some tips and tricks to stay fit and not feel any food-guilt over the holidays: 5) Bring a side dish of your own! Offer to your host that you bring a side dish to accompany their meal. Not only are you helping them out with less to cook, but you are offering your family and friends a delicious and nutritious recipe! 4) Use a smaller plate. Sometimes, we do not have choice of what will be served, and we do not have a way to bring our own healthy recipe. By choosing to use a smaller plate, you will eat less and still enjoy all of the delicious food provided for you! 3) Sample, do not indulge. Around the holidays, we are surrounded by cookies, cakes, and all types of delicious treats. So, ins...

Pelvic Health Series: Our journey to regaining strength, alignment, & function Kellie - part 3

This has been a humbling journey for me. Not only seeing a physiotherapist for assessment and treatment, but also journaling about my journey through this blog series. Writing about my experience has allowed me to reflect and dig deeper into learning about my own body. My last blog post explained my initial assessment with Bounce Back Physical Therapy and diagnoses. If you didn’t read it yet you can find it here ! I want to now take you on my journey through my “homework”, three follow-up visits, and what being “discharged” means to me. Homework At each appointment – the initial and follow-ups – Jillian gave me a series of stretches, exercises, and tips to implement into my daily routine. As the list grew, I would often feel overwhelmed with how to sneak it all in. What made it feel more manageable was when I remembered our discussion about how it’s okay to be imperfect and really that our goal is to have perfect alignment and engagement available to us. I actually came t...