It always amuses me when I see “before and after” pics of a
woman pregnant in one photo, then not pregnant in the other, with the hashtag
#transformation. Because it’s like, yeah, when you pull a human out of your body
of course things are gonna look a little different! It’s the fastest natural
way you’ll ever lose 15lbs. Even in the months following birth, there are
changes going on in your body – changes like the shrinking of the uterus and
enlarging of breasts – that have dramatic effects on the way you look and feel,
yet require no effort at all on your part.
Yet here I am, writing a postpartum transformation blog.
What can I say…. It’s a topic many women are interested in! So I thought I’d
write out what my approach has been toward postpartum recovery after having
three children. I’ll break it up into
“trimesters”, since they are pretty distinct milestones and are perfect little training chunks.
0-6 weeks
Right after giving birth your body is going through a lot of
stuff. And passing a lot of stuff, if you know what I mean. It’s in full-out recovery
mode.
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| 1 week postpartum |
Diet: Your body
NEEDS you to eat well during this crucial phase! However, this is also a time when you’re so overwhelmed by a
newborn that you may forget to eat. Do your best to eat as well as you can.
Having prepared/frozen meals ready to go is a LIFE SAVER during this time.
Exercise:
I treated this time as an assessment period. When I felt up
to it (about 2 weeks postpartum) I got back to the gym and just put my body
through some simple movements and stretches to sort of re-familiarize myself
with myself.... see what had shifted, what was tight, what felt ok, etc.
Lifestyle: At this
point I like to get outside as much as possible. The sunlight and fresh air
do wonders for my mood and walking is a great way to ease back into exercise.
For my first baby I stayed indoors for most of those six weeks (because it was
winter, and because everyone said that’s what I had to do) and I was miserable.
So for my next two I made a point of getting outside at least once a day. I
also think the fresh air is important
for newborn health, and I always felt that being in the sunshine helped
establish their circadian rhythm (but that one’s just my own theory).
6 weeks – 6 months
At the six week mark your milk has probably regulated, baby
has got the hang of nursing, and you’re getting into a lifestyle groove. Baby is going to start to get heavy now, so make sure your body is prepared!
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| 3 months postpartum |
Diet: Most experts
will say that this is the point at which you can start thinking about dieting
to lose the baby weight. Personally, I never had much to lose so all I did at
this point was to eat healthfully, and eat plenty to support breastfeeding.
Exercise: More
food, regular schedule, and a body on the mend makes this a great time to
rebuild that physique! But I’m not talking about aesthetics. This is the time
to work on all those postural imbalances, weakened core, tight hips, and
whatever else I’ve discovered during the assessment phase. Let’s call it
“rehab”. Keeping in mind also that carrying around a 10+ lbs baby takes its toll on your body, my focus during this time is always on functional movement, and
overall health.
Lifestyle: Sleep
is crucial. Without sleep I get sick, my milk supply takes a hit, and I’m a terrible mother to my kids. So at this point if I don’t sleep, I don’t train. Simple as that. Your body needs rest to grow, and at this stage growth and recovery
are critical.
6-9 months
Baby is eating solids and sleeping better, and I’ve laid a good
foundation of fitness. Now it’s time to work.
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| 6 months postpartum |
Diet: I never
start actively dieting until the 6 month mark. At this point I’m comforted
knowing there’s a little safety buffer in the fact that baby is eating solid
foods, so that if my supply does take a momentary dip baby’s nutrition won’t
suffer. At six months I’ll start really cleaning up my diet – still not
counting calories or macros, but eliminating junk food and keeping track of portions.
Exercise: By now
my body is back to a sort of baseline of fitness, and I can start tackling my
goals, which are usually to regain any muscle and strength lost during
pregnancy.
Lifestyle: Daddy is now fully capable of wrangling the babies on his own, so I’m able to
go to the gym for longer periods more frequently. My life gets a lot more
structured at this point.
9-12 months
I have had this weird goal of getting into the best shape of
my life by 1 year postpartum, so at around 9 months I finally buckle down and
get to work on that :P Baby is in a good place with food, so I have the freedom
to get more strict.
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| 9 months postpartum |
Diet and Exercise:
This depends on the program I’m following at the time; with my first baby I
prepped for a figure show, and with my second and third I did the Oxygen
Challenge. So I follow whatever nutrition and workout program they prescribe. I
will say though that around 10-11 months is when I’ll start tracking macros and
cutting calories in order to lean out to the level of conditioning I’m aiming
for. If and when I cut calories, I do so ever so slowly (about 100-200 calories
every few weeks) and add cardio modestly so I don’t hurt my milk supply.
Lifestyle: No
change here. Except that I love the freedom of having a mobile baby!
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| 9 months pregnant |
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| We made it! 1 year postpartum! |
Yours in health,
Tess