Just had a baby? Here are 5 best practices to follow!

I do a lot of thinking when I run and  today was no exception. 

I was thinking about the best things a new mom can do got to ensure her best recovery and be a FITMOM after baby.  So, below are 6 things you should do to look after yourself and stay healthy, fit and strong after baby.

The first is to make sure you get plenty of rest, and that you eat well and stay hydrated in the early weeks following the birth of your baby. Looking after a newborn is lots of hard work and we often overlook our basic needs as we tend to our new baby.  It is so important for family & friends to support this transition to motherhood by taking over household duties like cooking and cleaning and making sure a new mama is eating and drinking.

As you begin your recovery you can engage in some regular, easy walks with your baby.  A gentle and slow walk around the block is often enough in the early days post delivery.  Take it slow, especially if recovering from any perennial trauma or cesarean birth.  It is important that you don't overexert  yourself, just head out doors for 10 -15 minutes each day, slowly progressing to a longer duration. Gentle walking can help ease your muscles into recovery after all the hard work of labour and it helps to regulate bowel function and improve your sleep.  Regular walks are also good for baby because it helps them to settle into predictable routines.  Stretching is also really important.  Here's a link to our FITMOM video for recovery after childbirth.  You can begin to add in these exercises once your baby is 2 weeks old.  Always make sure to check with your OB/Midwife prior to engaging in any exercises.

Before you progress into a more structured fitness routine, usually around 6 weeks post-partum in an uncomplicated vaginal delivery or 8-10 weeks after a cesarean birth, you should have your Abdominals assessed for Diastasis Recti.  We do these checks at your first FITMOM class, but you can do it on yourself or your OB/Midwife or Physical Therapist can check for you.  If you have any core weakness, regardless of any separation, you should address it sooner than later.  A strong Core is essential for proper function and daily movement.

Have a pelvic floor assessment completed by a Physical Therapist with additional training in Pelvic Floor.  This simple exam can save you time, money and embarrassment.  Although urinary incontinence is common during pregnancy and post-partum (you pee a little when you laugh, jump or sneeze) it is not normal.  An assessment can be preventative and can save you from back pain, pubic pain, hip pain or even pelvic organ prolapse.  An internal exam is required BUT the amazing women who are trained in this field are non-judgmental, fully trained and are amazing at reducing any anxiety about the exam itself.  Your Midwives & OBBYN's do not check for the integrity of your pelvic floor function.  They will exam you to ensure that any injury has healed (meaning the stitches have dissolved, no infection etc), but only a pelvic floor therapist is trained in healthy muscular function of the pelvic floor. 

I highly recommend that you incorporate an element of strength training/resistance training to your cardiovascular program.  Did you know that women lose an average of 5lbs of muscle mass each decade?  This leaves us more susceptible to injury & increases our risk of osteoporosis.   So, if you want strong bones and want to prevent osteoporosis as you age, start lifting things up and down.  Also, women who incorporate strength training have more lean muscle mass and a higher metabolism which are pluses in my book :)  

Eat well.  Funny, but we are back to my first two points!    The life of a new mom is busy, so busy that you often forget to eat OR wait too long in between meals.  This is a terrible habit to get into because it puts your body into survival mode.  This means higher levels of cortisol (stress hormones) and can cause other hormonal levels to become unbalanced.  Make sure you have easy access to fruits, vegetables, protein and complex carbohydrates throughout the day.  A great snack is apple slices with natural peanut butter or carrots & cucumber with hummus.  Put these foods in highly visible areas and you will be more inclined to grab them when you are hungry vs. reaching for the chocolates.

Finally, it is important to rest.  Sleep is more broken these days, gone are the 6-8 hours of uninterrupted, glorious, deep sleep. So when your well intending family tells you during your pregnancy to sleep when your baby is sleeping, we're not joking!  If you can't sleep, then lie down with no distraction and just breathe deeply for 15 minutes.  Still find that hard? Pick a meditation app for your iphone or iPad, there are hundreds of free aps available on iTunes, so there is lots of choice out there, simply find one you like!

If you are able to put these things into practice I guarantee that you will have more energy, increased stamina, a better mood and you will be a FITMOM!