The birth of a child makes serious changes to the usual lifestyle of young parents. At the same time, the woman is worried that she has lost the former sports forms of her body. After pregnancy, there comes a time of lactation, which requires additional attention, makes its own adjustments and limitations. Can I go in for sports while breastfeeding? This question often arises, especially if a woman carefully monitored her figure before pregnancy.
Is sport acceptable for breastfeeding?
Weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable. The figure of a woman undergoes changes, an additional fat layer accumulates in the waist and hips. Such a process is natural, the body prepares for bearing and further feeding the future baby.
After birth, an important period of lactation begins. At the very beginning of this period, the hormonal background of the female body changes, rebuilds again, and it takes time to normalize it. At the same time, the woman wants to bring the body into shape faster, smooth out the changes as much as possible, without harming either herself or the child.
Sport and breastfeeding: what to choose? The main thing is to choose the right approach. Lactation and fitness are not mutually exclusive things, but their combination requires a competent approach that takes into account the difficult condition of a woman, gradually adding physical activity to her life.
The effect of sports on breast milk quality
Sport increases the stamina of the body, helps to improve metabolism and strengthen immunity. Competent physical activity, aimed at maintaining tone in the body, does not harm health, even during breastfeeding. A good and cheerful state of a young mother, her strong immunity and high spirits will only benefit the baby.
There are several myths about sports and fitness during breastfeeding:
- If a woman goes in for sports, then the amount of breast milk is reduced. This is not so, adrenaline may be released during exercise, which reduces the ability of the glands to secrete milk, that is, it acts on oxytocin. To maintain normal lactation, it is important to correctly distribute the load, not to overload the body, then milk will be produced stably and the baby will not feel discomfort.
- During sports, lactic acid is formed in the muscles, which can get into breast milk and spoil its taste, which will result in the baby's refusal to eat. This is also not true, the amount of lactic acid in breast milk is minimal. However, it does not affect its taste.
Experts recommend not believing everything that can be found in the conditions of the modern availability of information. If a woman has a question whether it is possible to play sports while breastfeeding, then a consultation with a doctor will put everything in its place.
Each organism is individual, childbirth can also take place with varying degrees of severity. If you had to resort to cesarean section, then the sport will have to be postponed somewhat to allow the seam to heal. Delivery without complications does not impose such severe restrictions.
Which sports do you prefer?
Choosing the right physical activity is not so difficult. A woman should first of all listen to her own desires, so that activity brings pleasure, and does not exhaust even more in this difficult period.
For the right choice, it is important to understand how this or that activity affects the body:
- Ordinary walking. Choosing this approach, you should not expect any magical results. Such a load primarily affects the muscles of the legs, leading them to tone, and also normalizes and trains breathing. Hiking is best combined with a child’s walk, the main thing is to choose comfortable shoes for this, keep the rhythmic pace of walking and walk considerable distances.
- Fitness. This type is optimal, can be aimed at different muscle groups, it can be easily practiced at home. But here it is important to correctly select an individual program, the help of a professional may be required.
- Yoga classes can also be held at home. Simple exercises do not require special skills, the main thing is to pay sufficient attention to warming up the muscles and observe the breathing technique.
- Strength exercises with weight. This type of activity is better to postpone until the end of the lactation period, the level of excreted adrenaline is too high during such training.
- Aerobics should also take place only under the supervision of a competent trainer. Such activity is acceptable when breastfeeding, but with caution.
- Running is considered one of the most popular sports. However, during lactation it is better not to contact him.
Which sport to choose for a nursing mother is best decided in conjunction with a doctor who observes the health of the woman. The main thing is not to expose the body to too much stress.
Jogging during lactation
Can I do sports while breastfeeding? With a competent approach, you can. Can I go jogging? This issue needs to be considered separately.
On the issue of runs with GV, I want to dwell separately. This activity effectively copes with excess fat and increases the tone of the body. But during lactation, the probability of injuring the mammary glands increases. In the process of running, the woman’s chest is exposed to vibrations that are undesirable during the period of feeding the baby.
For the same reason, it is better to postpone jumping. Get back to these exercises, but a little later.
How much time should pass after childbirth?
Can a nursing mother go in for sports and after what time? Sport and lactation are completely compatible, it has already been described above, possible myths are dispelled. Therefore, another question comes to the fore: after what time does it allow physical activity to be introduced so as not to drive the body of the young mother into additional stress.
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the process of childbirth itself. The presence of complications, ruptures, or the use of cesarean requires an individual examination of the woman’s health. Only after the doctor’s permission is it permissible to use physical activity. A young mother should be especially vigilant about her health, because the baby’s health also depends on him.
On average, it is customary to allocate several time intervals:
- The birth went well - after a week or two, the introduction of minimum loads into the daily schedule is allowed.
- Almost all doctors recommend waiting about 6 weeks, it is believed that during this period the woman's body manages to recover after giving birth, establish lactation and prepare herself for new stresses.
- Caesarean or breaks during childbirth delay exercise. Minimum 2 months, but it is best to consult with your doctor.
- Six months after the birth, aerobics and swimming are allowed.
- After a year, a young mother is allowed to ride a bicycle.
There was no doubt about whether to engage in sports during breastfeeding. The main thing is to know the nuances and follow the recommendations of specialists.
What exercises to start activity with?
The optimal initial exercise that is recommended for a young mother is walking. The activity and duration of this process are determined individually, a lot depends on the physical preparation of the mother before pregnancy.
Can a nursing mother go in for sports? Oh sure. Should I experiment and increase the load for a faster result? No, doctors recommend not to exhaust the body during this period.
For a variety of physical activities, it is recommended to turn to physiotherapy exercises. To select the appropriate exercises, you must consult your doctor.
Breast Exercise
No sports load will not change the external shape of the female breast. However, there is a set of exercises that will strengthen the muscular frame of the back and chest muscles that will support posture.
Should I do these exercises while breastfeeding? This is permissible with special care, on the recommendation of a specialist, doctor, trainer. The main thing is to avoid additional pressure on the mammary glands.
Exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles
The abdominal muscles are especially weak after childbirth. This area is very worrying for a woman who wants to quickly bring them back to normal.
It is necessary to work out the muscles of the press competently so as not to cause additional injury. It is best to go through several classes under the supervision of a competent trainer, in order to then repeat the exercises at home without fear for your health. It is necessary to work out oblique and rectus abdominal muscles systemically and separately.
Training is recommended several times a week, without forgetting to give rest to the body. Muscle fibers that are severely weakened after pregnancy need a maximum amount of time to recover.
Breastfeeding Massage
Many women in an effort to return to their former form remember about massage. However, during lactation it is worthwhile to refrain from harsh effects on the body, so the nature of the procedure must be selected correctly.
Lymphatic drainage massage is considered the best, which allows you to remove excessive puffiness from the lower and upper extremities, helps to reduce cellulite, and also helps to eliminate fatigue. If a woman decided to support the body with the help of massage effects, then it is necessary to consult a specialist with experience so as not to harm her health.
Inappropriate sport during lactation
In addition to the above information, special attention should be paid to sports in which one of the hands is involved. For example, tennis or badminton lessons are not recommended by specialists, as they increase the load on one mammary gland.
A positive answer to the question whether it is possible to engage in sports during breastfeeding, pleases young mothers. Only abuse of this permission is not allowed. It is contraindicated to resort to sports activities that can injure the female breast.
Specialists recommend that special attention be paid to proper nutrition, which will allow the body to accumulate and expend energy. It is also important to choose a bra that will comfortably support breasts enlarged during lactation.
Young moms recommend
Most young mothers today are ready to recommend and advise. However, not all of them take into account that pregnancy and childbirth are individual; not all tips can be applied to another woman.
The only true recommendation for any young mother is a competent correlation of health and opportunities with the desires to quickly return to its former form. With the right selection of exercises, nutrition, compliance with the regime, a woman will be able to recover in optimal terms without harming her health.